As he guided them toward the entrance, he leaned close enough that only she could hear him. “I think we’re going to have a really good time tonight.”
Swallowing, she nodded, then let out a slow breath. “I think so, too.”
He flashed her another smile and that funny flip happened in her stomach once more. No one had ever affected her the way he did. It was dangerous. She’d never allowed herself to be open to someone before, and in this moment, she could feel the shift taking place. River wanted to be something important to this man. She wanted more with him.
As terrifying as that sounded, she was willing to take the risk.
They were seated at a table with a view of the mountains that surrounded the valley. The sun was sinking behind the peaks, throwing gold and pink across the sky. It was beautiful.
But the longer they sat there, the more River realized the view wasn’t what had her attention.
It was Mathew.
And he seemed… different.
The more she observed him, the more she noticed. This wasn’t the stiff doctor who had helped her out when she’d been hurt that first time. The man seated across from her seemed more relaxed, more sure of himself.
And geez, if that wasn’t a new kind of attractive.
He caught her staring over the top of his menu. “What?”
River propped her chin in her hand, the question slipping out before she could overthink it. “What were you like as a kid?”
The question surprised even her. She wasn’t normally interested in getting to know someone on a deeper level. Adding layers to the personality of someone she was dating wasn’t wise. That led to connections and attachments—something she couldn’t afford.
Until now.
His expression shifted, surprised, then amused. “That depends.” One side of his mouth lifted. “If I tell you, you have to tell me something too.”
She smirked. And for the first time in a long while, she didn’t feel sick to her stomach at sharing parts of her past. “Deal.”
The waitress arrived, and they ordered. When she walked away, Mathew leaned back, thoughtful.
“My dad believed hard work was the measure of a good man,” he said, voice careful. “I was the oldest, so I learned early how to be responsible. How to… keep everything together.”
A flicker of something painful crossed his eyes, gone almost as soon as it appeared.
River reached across the table and took his hand, squeezing once.
He tightened his grip like he needed the contact more than he wanted to admit.
“At the time,” he continued, “it didn’t feel unusual. It just felt like… life. Baseball was the one place I got to be a kid.” His gaze softened. “That’s where I had friends. That’s where I got to breathe.”
“So you weren’t the rebellious one,” River teased, trying to keep things light.
His quiet smile returned. “There wasn’t much room for rebellion.”
River huffed. “There’s always room for a little spontaneity at least.”
Mathew’s bright eyes studied her for a moment, scanning her face before he nodded. His thumb traced the back of her hand as he whispered, “I’m beginning to understand that.”
River watched his touch with fascination. It was so simple and gentle, and yet it stirred a whirlwind in her chest.
“What about you?” he asked. “Were you the rebel?”
River let out a short breath. “Not really. I was… more tired than rebellious.” Skye came to mind. She’d been rather quiet since she’d been bailed out of the county jail. Text messages from River had been left as read with no response. River could only hope that she was doing okay. She stared at their joined hands for a moment before forcing herself to look up. “I moved a lot. Foster homes. Different rules. Different expectations.” She lifted a shoulder. “I got pretty good at staying out of the way.”
Mathew’s brows lifted, and she fought the instinct to shy away from him. If she truly wanted to have more of this… with him… then she needed to be willing to share the side of her she never allowed anyone to see.
