Page 25 of Rescued Dreams
“Thank you.”
Ridge smiled, heading for Amelia’s neighborhood. He knew that area but didn’t go there much. It was on the edge of the coverage area for Eastside Firehouse.
Maria said, “He stuck with me. We were friends for two years, and I can’t imagine spending that much time with anyone else. When it came to falling in love, it just seemed…inevitable.”
“Is that how you feel about Amelia?” Kane asked.
“The question is how she feels about me.” Ridge already knew how he felt about her. That wasn’t the issue here. Nor was the fact that staying in Last Chance County because she gave him a reason to would solve the twins’ problems as well as his. So not the issue. Seemed like it would work out great for everyone.
But was him—and the twins—sticking around the best thing for Amelia?
“If she lets you help her,” Kane said, “then we’ll take off. But we’ll stick around a bit just in case she kicks you out.”
“Thanks, guys.” He didn’t want them to put their lives on hold to help him, but he was grateful they’d given up one day to make sure Amelia was safe. “I appreciate it.”
“Bro, we’re family.” Kane hung up the phone.
Ridge spotted his cousin’s car but drove by and pulled into the driveway for Amelia’s house.
Scratch that.
Amelia’smansion.
His foot slipped off the gas halfway down the long drive, and the car slowed while he gaped at the stone structure. This house had belonged to the former chief who had terrorized the town. This place was where high school kids came to cause trouble, daring each other to sneak in after dark. As if the house might actually be haunted or something ridiculous like that.
What was Amelia doing living here?
NINE
Amelia heard the car behind her and stiffened so fast she dropped the piece of wood from her hands. She jumped back so it didn’t land on the toes of her tennis shoes. Getting knocked onto the concrete drive in front of the firehouse had left her achy and bruised.
The piece of wood she’d been about to board up the window with hit the bare planter, which was nothing but dry dirt and weeds, and fell toward her. She kept backing up, so it landed flat. Her back and hips hurt. She had abrasions on her elbows, and her head didn’t feel great.
She turned to see Ridge climb out of his car and rolled her eyes. Of course he’d come over. Determined to rescue her from…he didn’t even know what.
“Are you okay?” He raced over, concern in his features.
As if she needed compassion after the day she’d had. What she needed was to be left alone. And that included being left alone by the people who had ransacked her house while she’d been at work.
“I’m fine, Ridge. I don’t need help.” She had to say that. It was the principle of the thing.
But she knew he’d be determined to do the work for her, so she strode to the grass and lay down, all out of the energy to care which one of them actually nailed the board to the frame around the broken window. She settled onto the grass and stared up at the stars.
Ridge grabbed the wood off the ground.
She bent her elbows and supported her head so she could watch him. Of course he was going to help her. Amelia rolled her eyes again.
With nails from her tin now in his pocket and her hammer in his hand, he braced the wood and nailed the four corners in place. Once it could hold its own weight and not fall down, he added more nails.
Her side hurt. Despite what Trace and Kianna thought, she didn’t need an X-ray for her ribs when it was just a bruise.
Amelia wasn’t going to explain how she knew the difference between a bruise and broken ribs.
Not even to the police, especially not when they had zero leads and no evidence. Just her statement and whatever Ridge claimed he’d seen.
She’d told them what had happened, been checked out, and left. Only to come home and discover her front door ajar. Broken windows. Inside, there were busted walls, and her things had been scattered all over the floor in her room.
Too late, she realized Ridge was done. Now he towered over her, hands on his hips. “We need to talk.”
