Page 13 of River

“You fell asleep in my bed,” he said, handing me a glass of water and the aspirin I hadn’t taken earlier.

“I’m so sorry. You don’t even have a sofa to sleep on,” I said, feeling guilty.

“That’s fine. I’ve managed,” he said, gently moving my hair out of my eyes. I closed my eyes again, not realizing that he climbed into bed beside me and fell asleep too.

6

River

I lay down nextto Kat, just as I had been doing all night. It was tough being this close without touching her. This was the first time I’d ever had a woman in my bed—usually, I was in theirs.

I didn’t bring women into my home, but having Kat here felt right. I knew how much I wanted her, but I wouldn’t let that happen. Her hair was a wild mess, and I tried to push it away from her face. She must have forgotten to put the scrubs back on because she was wearing nothing but a small towel, which was hanging off the bed.

When I opened my eyes, she was staring at me. I glanced at the clock. “I forgot to wake you.”

She smiled. “I’m the one who should apologize. I crawled into your bed and passed out. I’m like Goldilocks.”

I chuckled. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel so much better. Thank you for taking care of me.”

“You’re welcome. Would you like some breakfast?” I asked.

“No, thank you. I need to get home and put on my own clothes,” she said, smiling.

“So, will you keep chasing those big waves?” I asked, hoping she would say no.

“It would have been nice if I hadn’t gotten cut off. I don’t usually go after those big waves, so it was a surprise, and I was a little nervous when I saw it coming. I think I’ll stick to sunbathing on the beach for a while,” she explained, her eyes widening as she realized she wasn’t wearing anything.

“I think that’s a good idea. I’ll drive you home, but first, I’ll give you some privacy to get ready,” I said, thinking it was time for things to return to the way they were before Texas. I’d keep dating the long list of women I always did, and Kat could do whatever she wanted to do.

I didn’t want to get involved with Kat; sleeping with her would ruin our working relationship. She was too good of an assistant to lose, and I’d rather have her where I could keep an eye on her to make sure she was safe.

When we pulled up to her duplex, I was surprised by all the flowers around her yard and front porch. As we walked into her home, I noticed more plants inside. I loved it. The house was light and airy, decorated perfectly for the beach, which was only two blocks away.

“You have a green thumb,” I said, looking around.

“Yeah, it comes naturally. My mom taught me how to garden, and I have a raised garden in my backyard. My Mom was a hands-on mother. She stayed home to care for us kids. My brothers all know how to garden and cook. This is the best weather for growing all kinds of plants. Gage comes over to get his vegetables from here. If you ever need fresh veggies or fruit, you can take some anytime you want.”

I turned quickly, instinctively blocking Kat, when I heard a noise behind me. Two senior citizens stood there, looking at Kat.

“I knew something happened when you didn’t comehome yesterday,” the plump, tiny woman said, hurrying over to Kat and completely ignoring me. She couldn’t have been more than four and a half feet tall, though that might be an exaggeration. “I can tell you were at the hospital by your clothes. Sit down and tell us everything.”

Her husband, or whoever he was, stopped in front of me. He was the exact opposite of her—tall, about six and a half feet, and skinny as a rail. “Who are you, and why is Kat with you?”

“Jack and Myrtle, this is one of my bosses, River Channing. River, these are my wonderful neighbors, Jack and Myrtle Freemont. Let’s have a cup of tea, and I’ll explain what happened,” Kat said.

“I already know what happened. You were the one who rode that big wave and got cut off by the other surfer. We heard about it, and when you didn’t come home last night, I told Myrtle it must have been Kat who got hurt,” Jack explained.

“When that man brought your car home yesterday evening, I asked him about it, and he told us everything. We’re glad to see you’re okay.”

“I’m fine; I just have a few stitches on my shoulder and a bump on my head. But thinking back to when I saw that boy on the surfboard, he didn’t know I was there, and his eyes were as big as saucers when he saw me. I don’t want anyone kicking him off the beach.”

I cleared my throat, and Kat glanced at me, smiling. “Come and sit down; we’ll have tea and cookies.”

“No, thank you. I have to get going. I’ll see you in the morning. If you don’t feel up to it, take another day off.”

“Another day? This is day three. Believe me, I’ll be at work in the morning,” she said, walking me to the door. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

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