Behind the Flame: An Everyday Heroes World Book (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Renee Harless

  His uncle came closer until he blocked Ridge’s view of the inferno, standing directly in his line of sight.

  “You okay, son?”

  “Sorry, just. . .remembering,” Ridge confessed, though he hated to voice his fear.

  “This the first big fire since San Rios?” his uncle asked. The blaze had been all over the national news, so Ridge wasn’t surprised that Joseph could quickly piece it all together.

  Sheepishly, Ridge responded, “Yeah. It’s just going to take me a minute. A minute that we certainly don’t have.”

  Still fighting against the blackness seeping into his mental picture, Ridge startled when he felt a large hand on his shoulder. That familiar touch brought Ridge back to the moment.

  “Hell was what you’ve been through, something only a few of us here tonight have experienced. I don’t expect you to jump right in, and I had zero plans for it either.” Ridge felt his eyes widen in surprise. He didn’t understand what his uncle was implying. Fighting fires was all he knew; it was all he was good at. “Don’t look so alarmed. It takes easing back into it, believe me. Otherwise, you’ll crash and burn. I have you working with team six, monitoring the in and out counts until we get all of the occupants out of the building. We’re in the process of searching each room now, but the fire is beginning to get out of control, as you can see.”

  “Yes, sir,” Ridge replied, quickly moving into position with firefighters he didn’t know, but at the same time, he recognized the familiar understanding between them.

  Quickly he was made abreast of the situation, currently four in and four out, and they were counting down the seconds until the recent crew reemerged.

  From above, Ridge heard the crackling of wood burning through and breaking, shattering against the weight of the flames. Instinctively Ridge shouted at the team of the pending collapse at the same time four crew members exited the building. As the teams scattered farther away from the blaze, the upper corner of the building caved into itself, sending flames and smoke billowing up into the dark night sky.

  He knew that time was shrinking by the second and the teams had done all that they could to manage the flames while trying to clear out the building. Cries licked at his consciousness as he turned to watch the residents huddled together while paramedics checked them over. But a small boy hovered behind his mother’s leg and Ridge’s chest ached at fear for the little child. Yes, he was safe, but Ridge knew personally how the trauma could last a lifetime. It was something he hoped his daughter would never have to experience.

  “Two in!” was shouted out over the crowd and Ridge turned his attention back to the building that wouldn’t hold much longer.

  He was in for a long night and had no idea how he would repay River.

  ***

  Despite the tiredness that had fallen over River, she was glued to the television. The local news station was covering the blaze in the town over and River had been anxiously watching as each flame flickered in the night sky.

  The building itself was a lost cause, displacing so many families and residents in the fire’s wake. Around midnight she had seen a man that looked similar to Ridge in stance and determination staring up at the building when the corner of the upper floor collapsed. Ridge had pulled his team back out of disaster’s way just before the edge crumbled. River’s lungs had frozen in fear and it took breathing techniques she learned as a child to bring her back from the tunnel vision.

  At some point, the news station had turned into muffled noise as she laid her head on the arm of the couch. River’s eyes felt heavy, and so did her heart. The muscle was heavy in worry for the man working extra hours to save others' lives; she just prayed he made it home in one piece for his daughter.

  Peeking at the monitor screen, River smiled as she saw Delilah tightly gripping the pink teddy bear in her arms while sprawled out in her crib. She really was a darling child and River was already falling in love with the little girl.

  River smiled as Delilah’s full lips puckered in her sleep and moved as if she was sucking on a pacifier. The last thing she remembered is wondering how she was going to guard her heart against this small family that was quickly working their way into her life. She had no power against either of them and she didn’t know why. Her head continued to reprimand her for opening herself up for more hurt while her heart eagerly sought out their love and affection. River supposed that made her no different than the young girl tucked away in bed – a child’s heart readily wanting any and all fondness that someone would give. She was a sucker for it. River was certain years with a therapist could dissect the reason why she craved love after being so easily dismissed by her parents and past boyfriends, then, in a cruel twist of fate, the only people that had ever returned her love had been taken from her.

  River felt the tear slip from the corner of her eye as she thought of her grandmother. The woman gave her devotion to River so freely and just when she may need her most, Sue could barely recall who she was. She was pitying herself and her outcome and she knew it.

  At some point, River must have fallen asleep on the couch because she was startled awake when sunlight was streaming through the window. River looked around the room, at first wondering where she was, then she remembered the night before and that she was at Ridge’s house.

  River glanced over to the baby monitor and breathed a sigh of relief when she found that Delilah was still sleeping peacefully. The television was now blank, though River didn’t recall turning it off during the night.

  Reaching into her back pocket, River found her phone and glanced at the time on the screen - 6:30 a.m. She needed to get up and ready for work, but she hadn’t heard anything from Ridge. Of course, it would probably have been better had they exchanged phone numbers.

  Sitting up, River stretches her arms high in the air as she stands from the couch. She moved to the kitchen for a glass of water in hopes to rid her mouth of the dry sensation against her tongue.

  Just as she brought the glass to her lips, River startled when a voice sounded from behind her.

  “Oh, you’re up.”

  River turned quickly, sloshing the water over the edge of the glass and down her white shirt.

  “Ridge!” she exclaimed as the cold water seeped through the cotton material down to her bare skin. But she felt nothing but overwhelming heat as Ridge stood before her, water dripping down his chest down to a white towel wrapped around his hips. His damp hair was pushed back away from his face and River wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through the soaked strands.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you.”

  Reaching for the dishtowel on the counter, River began tapping the material against her chest in hopes of soaking up some of the excess water from her drink.

  “That’s okay. It was my own fault. I didn’t hear you come home.”

  “I’ve been home for only about ten minutes. Decided I probably needed a shower.”

  River knew that Ridge had to be in decent shape for his career choice, but she had completely underestimated the number of muscles that cascaded down his body. Ripple after ripple of hard, taut lines led down to a patch of dark hair trailing from his navel to below the towel.

  She noticed the towel twitch from the corner of her eye as she continued to dry off her shirt and Ridge quickly excused himself to change.

  She wasn’t sure what had come over her, but she needed to remember that not only was he her neighbor, but he was also one of her parents. Professionalism was vital to her and she wouldn’t let a moment of lapsed judgment change that. Sure, he was built like a marbled god, but she had willpower. Or at least, she thought that she did.

  In record time, he re-emerged from the hall into the kitchen just as River finished drinking her glass of water. Her white shirt was now see-through and she was grateful that she had worn a tank top underneath, despite being braless.

  Slowly, Ridge approached her, as if she was a fawn fearful of her surroundings. He was close enough that sh
e could smell his manly scent of cologne, sandalwood and musk, and her mind sought some sort of retreat from the hypnotizing scent. But she was lost as he stood a mere few inches from her.

  “Thank you for last night,” he said as he rested his hip on the counter next to hers. “I’m not sure what I would have done without your help.”

  “Oh, it was no problem. She’s a delight. Didn’t wake up once. Really, if you need any help at night, I’d be happy to step in.”

  “Really?” he asked, surprised.

  “Sure, Delilah is a great girl and I don’t have much going on.”

  “Why?” he questioned and River didn’t know how to answer. She wanted to tell him that it was because she was a generous person that had years of experience working with kids or that she genuinely enjoyed being with his daughter. River didn’t dare blurt out that she had an attraction to him that she couldn’t seem to shake despite spending a week apart.

  “Because. . .I. . .” River’s words trailed off as Ridge took a step closer to her. Their bodies were close enough now that she could feel the warmth of his body. Her brain shouted at her to retreat, but her heart kept her feet firmly in place.

  “Because you want to help my daughter and me?” he prompted and River quickly confirmed with the nod of her head.

  “Can you start this week? You’ll have to let me know your fee.”

  “Okay,” she whispered in a trance as his hand reached up and cupped her chin. Her body shook beneath his touch and she feared he could sense her nervousness.

  She knew he was going to kiss her by the heady look that grew in his eyes, but she was still unprepared for the feel of his lips against her skin. He pressed the softest of pecks against the corner of her mouth, testing her acceptance. River couldn’t push him away if she tried. She was lost to him and had been since he swooped in during the rainstorm.

  Her eyes closed on instinct as Ridge pulled back slightly, then bushed her mouth fully with his. The softness of his kiss was mirrored by the gentle caress of his hand against her waist, holding her to him. Without a second thought, River reached her hand onto his shoulder, guiding her fingers into the soft strands of his hair that she had been admiring earlier.

  His tongue begged for entrance against her mouth and River willingly obliged, opening her lips to him. Ridge’s tongue explored the depths of her mouth, pulling her further and further into the seductive trance he had initiated. She was lost to him. Completely and utterly lost with no way to pull herself free. River had never been kissed in such a way that left her forgetting her surroundings. She only knew that her body didn’t want to be anywhere else.

  Time seemed irrelevant as she met his tongue’s intoxicating dance, gripping his hair in her fist for something to keep her grounded to the earth.

  A cackling noise broke through their daze, the sound of a whimper from a child the only thing that could break Ridge and River apart.

  “Fuck,” he whispered as he pulled his swollen lips away from hers. River was sure that her mouth mirrored his – soft, pink, and puckered. His hair was in disarray as she pulled her hand away from his scalp, the strands sticking out in various directions.

  Delilah was growing in impatience as her wail continued to increase in volume.

  “I. . .ugh. . .don’t move,” Ridge commanded as he hurried away, leaving River standing in the kitchen trying to piece together what had just happened.

  Turning to face the window, River braced herself against the kitchen counter, her lungs gasping for air as the moment with Ridge flickered back into reality.

  She had kissed one of her clients, one of the rules that she never ever broke, and now she was reeling from the admission to herself.

  What was it about him that left her wanting more? Left her craving him?

  She wasn’t sure what the answer was, and just as she came to the conclusion that maybe she couldn’t help him after all, Ridge came back into the kitchen with a sleepy Delilah resting her head on his shoulder. His daughter perked up when she found River standing at the kitchen sink and River knew immediately why she couldn’t turn away from them. They needed her. That little girl needed her. And if there was one thing she was good at, it was giving a piece of herself to someone else.

  Chapter Seven

  Ridge had gone almost a week without feeling the press of River’s lips against his or feel the way her body quaked beneath his touch and he was afraid he was going to go insane soon. Even after he had mauled her in his kitchen, she had agreed to watch Delilah during his evening shifts at the fire department. Considering the way he had acted, he was completely surprised that she had agreed.

  They had set up a routine of sorts during the last few nights. Ridge would make them dinner at his place and then River would watch Delilah the remainder of the night. She had long since given up fighting him against sleeping in his bed when he wasn’t there. And he wasn’t too masculine to admit that he enjoyed coming home and finding her wrapped in his sheets. Ridge had almost caved a couple of nights ago and crawled into bed with her after an exhausting night fighting back a brush fire on the edge of town. Luckily, it had been contained quickly, but his uncle confirmed that they were having to monitor the area for the next few weeks.

  Carson had been dry and barren as fall arrived, and Ridge couldn’t help but compare the weather to his own love life. The similarities were remarkable.

  Walking through the front entryway to his home, he was surprised to find River and Delilah both awake and eating cereal at the kitchen table. His heart, which had long since given up on love, beat with an intensity he had never felt before.

  “Good morning,” River said as she stood from the table. “Can I get you anything to eat? You look like you’ve had a rough night. Or maybe you want to get a few hours of sleep?”

  Approaching his daughter, Ridge leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, relishing in her childish scent. “I’m okay, thanks. I caught a few hours at the fire station.”

  “Oh, okay. Well, I’ll just get out of your hair so you can enjoy your day with Delilah. She may be a little cranky later. We had an early morning.”

  “No sweat. We have some plans with my uncle and aunt later, so maybe she will sleep in the truck.”

  “Probably.”

  Ridge watched as River put her cereal bowl in the dishwasher, moving around the kitchen as if it were her own, as if she belonged there. And Ridge’s thoughts immediately went to, what if she did? She strolled with purpose over to his daughter, where she kissed the top of Delilah’s head, the same spot he had kissed when he came home, and he was instantly jealous of his daughter. He knew it was a crazy reaction, but he could fight it none-the-less.

  Panic began to well up inside of him at the thought of not seeing River in his home and he reacted before he could think otherwise.

  “Go out with me.”

  River spun on her heels as she headed for the front door, shock radiating across her features.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Go out with me, please.”

  “Um. . . I don’t know,” she replied, her eyes darting over to where Delilah sat joyfully in her high chair.

  He thought that she felt the same attraction toward him that he felt for her, but maybe he had been wrong. Not that he was looking for a relationship, or at least that’s what he continued to tell himself.

  “Can I get back to you?” she asked as she took another step toward the door.

  Ridge tried to keep from feeling the unfamiliar ache of loss, but he wasn’t strong enough. Instead, he lied and said, “Sure. I just thought it would be nice to get out for a bit.”

  “Yeah, I just. . .I’ll let you know.”

  River sprinted away from his house with a quick wave of her hand, and Ridge wondered if he had utterly blown it. He knew she was hesitant to be around him. More than once, she had mentioned that he stopped pursuing relationships years ago because she didn’t have the energy to devote to them. It was something that he completely
understood since his work and daughter took precedence in his life. It was the main reason for his divorce after all, but he still sought companionship, someone that could warm his bed at night. He had tried before, but most women ran scared at the thought of a single father. They didn’t want to be tied to another woman’s child.

  “Whelp, I guess it’s just you and me, munchkin. Want to go visit some friends today?”

  His daughter answered with a familiar squeal as she wiggled in her high chair. Ridge worked to get her free, then placed her in her gated play area so he could clean up her mess, and then hopefully snag a shower before he went to visit his aunt and uncle.

  By lunch they were on their way to the Connelly household, where he still had some of his fondest memories. When they arrived, he was surprised to find the driveway full and the sound of laughter spilling from the backyard.

  He carried Delilah around to the back of the house and found all of the Connelly children, and their families, running around the yard while his uncle Joseph manned a grill.

  “Oh, you made it, son. Glad to have you,” Joseph called out when he noticed the new arrivals. The families halted their games and eagerly rushed to greet them. Ridge had a difficult time remembering all of the kid’s names, but Delilah didn’t seem to care. She reached out to one of the older kids who couldn’t be more than seven or eight and Ridge relinquished her from his grasp. She shuffled with the older kids over to the playground, where he recognized Poppy and his cousin, Sydney, standing by.

  “I’m so glad you could make it,” his Aunt Amy exclaimed as she walked out of the main house with a bowl full of fruit in her hands. “Joseph said you worked the night shift, so I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

  “I’m used to going on a few hours of sleep. Is there anything I can help with? I didn’t know to bring something.”

  “Just needed you and that sweet girl. Looks like she’s already settled in,” Amy said as she looked toward the playground where two younger kids were playing in a sandbox with Delilah. “Why don’t you grab yourself a drink and relax. I’m sure you deserve it.” His aunt scooted past him as she set the dish on the oversized picnic table.