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

by Renee Harless

  Ridge made his way over to his uncle, shaking hands with a few of his cousins and their spouses along the way. It seemed regardless of where they were, the men tended to gather around the grill.

  “Hey, anything I can help you with?” Ridge asked, knowing that his uncle would deny any assistance. Since he was a kid, he couldn’t remember finding Uncle Joseph anywhere but in front of the grill during family gatherings.

  “I’m good here. Just getting some ribs, burgers, and hot dogs started for an early dinner or late lunch. Whichever you prefer. So, son, how are things treating you?”

  Ridge felt like disclosing everything he was feeling about his sexy neighbor but instead found himself saying, “Can’t complain.”

  “That’s good. You adjusting to the work change okay?”

  “Yeah, the shifts are an adjustment, but nothing I can’t handle. To be honest, I’m busier here than I ever was in Sunnyville. I don’t know how you managed all of this by yourself until a few years ago.”

  His uncle chuckled as he closed the lid on the grill, placed the tongs on one of the side shelves, and turned to face Ridge. “I’m not sure how I did it either, to be honest. It probably explains that separation from Amy when I was a stupid kid in my twenties. Thank goodness she is one of the most understanding and remarkable women I know.”

  “Aunt Amy is one of a kind.”

  “That she is, son. Actually, now that I’m getting up there in age, I’m not sure I’m cut out for this much longer.”

  Alarm resounded in Ridge’s chest. His uncle wasn’t old. He still saw him as the young and fun man who taught Ridge how to fight his first fire and properly aim and shoot a gun.

  “Cut out for what exactly?”

  His uncle sighed as he turned his attention to the paver stone patio. That was the moment Ridge noticed the lines of age taking their toll on Joseph’s tanned skin.

  “Now, you can’t go telling anyone yet, but I’m thinking of retiring. Amy and I want to travel while we’re still young enough to enjoy it.”

  Envy. That’s what Ridge felt when he thought about the love Joseph and Amy shared. His uncle and aunt had been one of those fortunate couples that found each other young and still enjoyed their time together, despite some hardships. Hell, his cousins had found their happily ever after too. Somehow he must have missed that gene.

  “Well, I think it’s time if you’re ready. I’ll miss seeing you around the fire station, of course. Is there someone you’re hoping to groom into the position? I know It can’t take a while for the adjustment period.”

  “It’s interesting that you say that, Ridge. You’ve been in the field for about as long as anyone else I have working for me. I was thinking that it was a position that you may be curious about taking.”

  “Me?” Ridge was surprised at the suggestion. The last time his uncle had been on the scene with him, Ridge had frozen in his boots as the flames ate away at the building's timber.

  “You’re a natural-born leader, Ridge, and you have a good head on your shoulders. I think you’d surprise yourself if you let yourself consider the position.”

  “I, well, I don’t know what to say.”

  “You have time to think about it. I haven’t made an official announcement or anything, plus it would take a good year or so to transition.”

  “Well, you’ve given me a lot to think about. That’s for sure.”

  “It’s no pressure, son. I know that you have a family and you’re still young. There is no obligation as family to take over for me.”

  Joseph stepped away from the grill, placing his hand on Ridge’s shoulder, gripping the flesh and bone in a way that implied understanding. Ridge watched his uncle walk over to the playground where his grandchildren immediately assaulted him as they found him more exciting than the jungle gym.

  Ridge’s attention traveled to where his daughter crawled from the sandbox to join her cousins. She wobbled as she walked, but her smile entranced him. She was the reason for his hesitation. He already felt that he had so little time with her, and taking the fire chief position would mean even more hours and on-call. But on the other hand, he would have more stability in the long term and a hefty pay increase to boot.

  He had some serious thinking to do, but for now, he planned to enjoy the rest of his afternoon with his family – the reason he made the move in the first place.

  ***

  Every time River left Delilah and Ridge in the mornings, she felt as if she was leaving a piece of herself behind. With each passing day, she was losing her heart further and further to them, though she fought against it tooth and nail.

  She had thought she had been successful at ignoring the attraction between her and Ridge, but he had shocked her silly when he asked her on a date.

  As she drove toward her grandmother’s facility, River had to remind herself that she was overreacting. He hadn’t technically called it a date. He simply asked her to dinner. She was torn between wanting the request to be a date and to be just two friends eating dinner together like they did most nights.

  His friendship meant more to her than any other relationship she had ever had. River enjoyed her time with him and Delilah, even when it was doing nothing more than eating a bowl of cereal in the morning or meeting in the middle of the street exchanging mail that had been placed in the wrong mailbox. An occurrence that happened far too frequently, but she secretly enjoyed their mini meet-ups. She actually had a few envelopes at her place she needed to give him that had no return address.

  What would she do if she decided to go to dinner with Ridge and things didn’t work out? He and his daughter were her favorite parts of the day. Honestly, she had already lost her heart to the little girl and Ridge wasn’t far behind.

  The assisted living facility sign came into view and River’s heart lodged in her throat for an entirely different reason. Since dropping her grandmother off a little over two weeks ago, River hadn’t been able to visit, per their request to allow their patient’s time to transition. River understood, but that didn’t mean she liked it. There was a good chance that her Grandma Sue wouldn’t recognize her at all, especially if she was having a bad day. And if she was having a good day, she may get upset that River had left her in an unfamiliar place. Either way, it wasn’t looking good for River.

  As River entered the facility, she recognized Mark, the same nurse who helped move her grandmother into the center.

  “Ms. Mathews, good to see you. I’m glad you were able to make it in today.”

  “Thanks, Mark,” she greeted in return. River was afraid to ask but took a deep breath and said, “How is she today?”

  “She’s doing really well. We’re seeing more good days than bad, which is always a good thing.”

  “That’s wonderful news. Does she know I’m visiting today?”

  “I let her know that she would be having a visitor, but I didn’t say more, just on the off chance that her mood changed.”

  “I understand.”

  Mark handed her a visitor pass and gestured for her to continue to her grandmother’s room. River passed through the halls, doing her best to smile and wave at the residents as she walked by them.

  The door to her grandmother’s room was open and River found Sue sitting at the edge of her bed, brushing her gray hair with a silver bristled brush. It was something River had admired when she was a child, the tool reminding her of something a princess would use.

  “Grandma Sue?” River called out as she knocked on the door. Her grandmother turned her head away from the mirror and River noticed the look of confusion in Sue’s eyes. Though she was having a good day emotionally, her grandmother was having a bad day mentally. River tried not to let it get her down that her grandmother didn’t recognize her, but it still hurt.

  Taking a deep breath, River slowly entered the room, making sure her grandmother didn’t grow alarmed. She was sure somewhere deep inside Sue’s memory she would recognize her granddaughter, the girl she had raised from a small
child to an adult.

  “Hi, I’m River. How are you today?”

  “I’m well. Have we met before?” Sue asked as River took the seat across from her.

  “We have, and actually, I was hoping you could give me a piece of advice. You’re really good at that.”

  “My memory isn’t the best, but I will try. What can I help you with? Is it a boy?”

  River chuckled. Her grandmother always seemed to know when River was having friendship or relationship trouble. She liked to think that this was a part of her grandma’s subconscious that remembered their past chats.

  Patiently, Sue sat and listened as River told her about Ridge and Delilah. About how she was afraid to give any more of herself just as she was learning to be on her own. About how she was worried she wasn’t capable of love. And how she didn’t want to lose the newly formed friendship.

  When she was done explaining her fears, River glanced up at her grandmother, hoping that she’d get the same insightful advice Sue had bestowed upon her in the past.

  “You can live without love, but it is not a life worth living. Find the person that fills your heart with the same amount of love that you give.”

  “But how do I know when I’ve found that person? How do I know I’ve chosen the right one?”

  “Oh, you’ll know when it’s the right one. There will be no question. The heart is rarely wrong. And you won’t know until you take a chance.”

  River wasn’t disappointed by the insightful advice her grandmother bestowed upon her. Sue always spoke from past experiences even when she could no longer remember them.

  Together they spent the next couple of hours watching a game show on the small television. Her grandmother glanced over every now and then in River’s direction, confusion marring her features, but Sue must have sensed their connection and returned her attention to the screen.

  Mark ushered River from the facility when Sue grew tired and needed rest. Instead of driving off right away, River reached for her mobile phone in her purse and pulled up the number Ridge had given her last week.

  Taking a deep but unsteady breath, River typed out a message to Ridge.

  Me: Yes to dinner. When and where?

  Tossing the phone back into her purse, River pulled out of the parking lot not wanting to fret over Ridge’s response, though she knew it was a lost cause when she got back to her house.

  She was thankful that the drive home was quick since her mind was constantly running through the different scenarios Ridge could reply to her message with. By the time she pulled off Main Street to head toward her neighborhood, River was certain that Ridge no longer wanted anything to do with her. River was so completely paranoid at the rejection that she barely noticed the black car parked in front of her home. It wasn’t until she drove closer that the vehicle quickly pulled away and sped in her direction. River tried to get a good glimpse of the person driving the car, but the tinted windows made it nearly impossible.

  Since a few of her neighbors had similar vehicles, River didn’t think much about the strangeness of the car, and when her phone pinged in her purse, she completely forgot about the interaction.

  Parking her SUV, River quickly grabbed her phone to read Ridge’s response. Butterflies fluttered wildly in her stomach as she worked to unlock the device. She hadn’t felt this nervous since she invited Justin Hatfield to the Sadie Hawkins dance in middle school.

  Ridge: Friday. I’ll pick you up at seven.

  Me: Can’t wait.

  Now that she had sealed her fate, River had one last task to conquer before the dinner. She had to figure out what to wear.

  Chapter Eight

  He was nervous. Fastening the last button of his dress shirt, Ridge felt like he was about to crawl out of his skin. It had been almost a year since he had taken a woman out to dinner, and that last time had proven to be disastrous. It was at a fancy restaurant on their anniversary where Penny spilled that she wanted a divorce, papers at the ready in her small purse. He had been shocked to say the least.

  That reasoning was enough for Ridge, but he also considered that he was worried about River’s reaction. Would she stand him up? Would she slam the door in his face? Ridge shook his head as he tucked his shirt into the waistband of his dress slacks. River wasn’t the kind of woman to act in those manners. She was warm and kind and would even pretend to enjoy the date just to make him happy.

  Ugh, what was he thinking?

  He had only seen River in passing during the week and it just about killed him. She had been at the daycare each morning to greet him and Delilah as he dropped off his daughter, but he hadn’t seen her since, not even to exchange the mail as they had done so often. But what little he did see of her was more than a kick start to his heart. He felt rejuvenated with each passing glance. Even Poppy had witnessed him staring at River’s retreating back one morning.

  There was a wall as thick as stone and as heavy as concrete that she erected around herself, and with each passing day, she seemed to add another layer. Ridge had almost canceled their plans numerous times, not wanting to set himself up for another failed relationship, but he held steady. He wanted more with River, and even if it took a lifetime, he was determined to break down each and every barrier.

  With one final inspection in his mirror, Ridge left the bathroom, surprised at the eerie silence in the house. His Aunt Amy had picked up Delilah during the afternoon. She was ecstatic to watch his daughter so that Ridge could take River on a date – someone she had met a few times while picking up her grandchildren at the daycare center. It also helped that Poppy raved about River whenever she got the chance.

  Loneliness swept over him as he passed Delilah’s empty bedroom. He couldn’t help but wonder if this emptiness was what he could expect to feel when his child was old enough to be on her own. It definitely wasn’t something he was looking forward to.

  Though she only lived across the street, Ridge had turned down her suggestion of her to meet him at his house. He wanted her to consider their dinner together a real date, which meant he was driving his truck across the street and planned to wait at her door with a handful of flowers. Call him old fashioned, but he knew that his aunt and his female cousins would have his hide if he did anything less than he had planned.

  The scent of fall filled the evening air as he stepped onto his porch. The crisp breeze filled his lungs as he deeply inhaled. Fall was one of his favorite seasons. As a kid, he always admired the colors of the changing leaves and the chilly nights that were perfect for a campfire.

  From the corner of his eye, he watched as his elderly neighbor settled into a white rocking chair on her front porch. She returned his wave, and, not wanting to be rude, Ridge made the short journey between their two properties. A recent widow, he asked if she needed anything while he was out and if she had anything in the house that needed to be looked at. She made a small request for flour and olive oil and complained about a dripping faucet, but she assured him that the items were not a priority. Too bad he planned to accomplish both this weekend.

  After a quick goodbye, Ridge drove his truck across the street and parked in River’s driveway just as her closest neighbor pulled his newly purchased Porsche into his own driveway. Something about the man irritated Ridge. Probably the man’s propensity to look down on everyone he came in contact with, but either way, the man rubbed Ridge the wrong way. He did admire the car, though.

  Waving politely, Ridge was surprised the man returned the greeting though his scowl didn’t match the gesture. He looked as if he had swallowed a lemon whole. It was no secret in the neighborhood that Ridge and River had become fast friends, which left him wondering if the other man, Paul, he recalled was his name, was jealous.

  Ignoring the neighbor’s glare, Ridge made his way to River’s front door and rang the doorbell instead of merely walking in as she had instructed him to do more recently. This was the first step for her to realize that this dinner was serious business. He didn’t get dressed up for
just anyone.

  Ridge didn’t have to wait long before the front door open, but it took him a solid ten seconds to gather his wits as he soaked in her appearance.

  Absolutely breathtaking. And that was an understatement.

  River stood before him in an off-white sweater she wore as a dress. A brown belt cinched her narrow waist and brown heeled boots traveled up her legs, ending just below her knees. Ridge was mesmerized by the tantalizing glimpse of the lower thigh exposed below the dress. Her creamy white skin reminded him of the chocolates he liked to savor as a kid.

  River’s hand gripped the edge of the door showing her nervousness, the knuckles so white they almost matched the paint color.

  “Hi,” she said as she noticed the flowers hanging loosely at his side. Ridge had been so stunned when she opened the door that he lost all train of thought. He burned for her in a way he had never felt before. And this time, he wasn’t afraid of the flame.

  “Are those for me?” she asked curiously. Ridge shook his head and then handed her the mix of wildflowers. “They’re beautiful. I’ve never had anyone bring me flowers before,” she added as she stepped into the house, gesturing for Ridge to follow. His foot hovered over the threshold, but then he thought better of it. He knew his limitations and following River into her house would end their date sooner than he’d like. By the heat he witnessed in her eyes he didn’t think either of them would be able to hold back.

  “You’ve been dating the wrong men then,” he told her as he continued to stand on the porch, watching her at an angle as she filled a vase with water.

  She giggled at his assessment. “You’re definitely not wrong there.”

  It took her only a few minutes to situate the flowers in a pleasing way, then she grabbed an olive-green jacket and her purse before joining him on the porch.