Lydia walked into her bathroom to wash her face.
The scent of bacon and coffee filled the air when she stepped into the kitchen, where River stood at the stove. “Hope you don’t mind. I thought you could use some breakfast.”
“Not at all. It’s nice to have someone cook a meal for me.” Even on the days that he’d gotten up in time for work, Sloane had usually been so hung over that she ate breakfast alone. There had never been a time when he’d cooked for her. She’d never felt so lonely as when she’d been married to Sloane.
River turned to the coffeepot after grabbing a mug from a cupboard. “What do you take in your liquid energy?”
She studied him for a moment. The firm jaw and look of concentration indicated a highly focused man who was good at his job. But the tousled blond hair, which looked like he’d combed it with his fingers, suggested a relaxed side to his personality. There was something endearing about a man who didn’t fuss about his appearance. The total effect made him attractive.
She felt a check in her spirit. River’s kindness drew her in, but after what she’d been through with Sloane, she’d vowed not to give her heart to a man ever again. She’d had enough pain for a lifetime.
She combed her fingers through her red hair involuntarily. Okay. So, she was conscious of how she looked when she was around the handsome officer but that didn’t mean she had to do anything about it.
“Black is fine.” She intended to drink her coffee slowly, hoping it would help her get beyond the anxiety over her daughter still missing. She had no intention of going to work today. Angel had said she’d take care of everything at the school. All the same, she probably should at least check in with Angel at some point. Right now, her job was the last thing on her mind.
River handed her the cup of coffee. “Take a seat. I have things under control. Your kitchen is organized very logically, just like you would expect of someone who works with preschoolers.”
His compliment brought a smile to her face. She sat down. A second later, River placed a plate in front of her that had bacon, toast and eggs on it. He sat down across from her with his own plate.
“Can we say grace?”
“Sure. That would be great,” he said.
She’d suspected that he was a man of faith. Now she knew for sure. Lydia bowed her head.
“Lord, we thank You for this food. Please be with the police and the people looking for Elsie.” A lump formed in her throat. “Bring my little girl home.”
River placed his hand over hers. The warmth of his touch calmed her.
He took a few bites of food and offered Frankie a tiny nibble of bacon. “I need to deal with some task force business today. I got a call from our tech. She’s tracked down the address for Gayle Gorman’s boyfriend.”
She took a sip of her coffee enjoying the robust flavor. “So sad about Gayle.” Of course, he had to get back to work. Having River and Frankie close had been such a comfort to her. She’d been able to sleep deeply knowing he was watching out for her.
“My in-laws are going to try to get over here soon. I might call a friend to be with me today as well.”
“I already called the Ridge police department. They’ll be able to spare an officer to sit outside in a patrol car.” He checked his watch. “She should be here shortly.”
“Thank you for setting that up.”
“As soon as I deal with this task force interview, all my attention will be on following the different leads we came up with last night. As a favor to me, Eva, the tech analyst on the COK9 task force, is doing a background and alibi check on Prentiss Grafton.”
River seemed to be putting a great deal of energy into finding Elsie, almost above and beyond what was expected of him professionally. As if the case were deeply personal to him. “It must be rewarding when you find a lost child.”
“Yes, sure. When that happens, it’s a cause for joy.” He glanced off to the side and bent his head.
Her question seemed to cause a mood shift. “But that’s not always the case, right?” Even asking the question opened the door to the possibility that Elsie might not be found.
His voice dropped half an octave. “No, sometimes there are not happy endings.” He glanced at Frankie, who moved closer to him and licked his hand. A confirmation of some shared experience between partners who understood each other in a deep way.
“Oh?” She took a few bites of food, hoping he would say more. Silence fell between them for several minutes.
They finished their meal, exchanging small talk. She gathered up the dishes.
River waited for the Ridge officer to be in place. He stood with the door slightly ajar. “Lock this after I leave.”
“Sure.” She took several steps toward him.
“I’ll be back in touch as soon as I can.”
