Page 30 of River Wild

Carrie

I’m sitting on my back porch on one of the Adirondack chairs I found for sale online for an absolute bargain. The two chairs came with a small table, which is where my achy feet are currently resting. The seller delivered them for free, which was a big help, as I still haven’t invested in a car yet. So, I’m still walking everywhere. Honestly, I quite enjoy it, especially the walk to the diner every morning—where I’ve now officially been working for two weeks.

I love it.

The atmosphere in the diner is great.

Sadie is a brilliant boss, and she’s also becoming a friend, I think. And Guy, who is the cook, seems like a nice person. I’ve only met one of the other waitresses, Shelley, as we have a brief shift crossover. She’s a single mom, and she works when her kids are in school. She seems nice, too.

Folks in this town have been really welcoming and friendly. I’m enjoying meeting new people. It’s wonderful, just being able to chat with them while I serve them without fear of retribution.

Not that I get a lot of time to stand around and chat with the customers because the diner is plenty busy from the moment the door opens. It’s popular with locals and tourists.

I learned pretty quickly that Canyon Lake is a tourist town. People like to come here for the lake, those who enjoy water sports, and the warm weather.

I know the place is pretty as heck, but the continuing warmth is a nightmare for a heat-hating pregnant gal like myself.

It’s supposed to be butt-freezing cold at this time of year. But, of course, it’s not. I’m totally blaming global warming.

I mean, surely Texas must get cold at some point. Right?

I have at times questioned whether I made the right call in moving to Texas, but then I think about Neil and how this is the last place he’d think to look for me, and I know I did the right thing.

Even if it is eleven thirty and I’m as hot as balls, hence why I’m sitting outside with an iced tea, trying to cool down.

The electric fan I got for my room is doing nothing. I even tried taking a cool bath earlier. It worked just fine while I was in it. The moment I got out, I was uncomfortably warm again.

I cannot wait until I’ve earned enough money to afford to have air-conditioning fitted.

Leaning forward, I grab my iced tea from the table and take a sip, and then my eyes go straight back to the book I’m currently reading.

Sadie loaned it to me. She said it was amazing and that I had to read it, and she’s not wrong. It’s really good. It’s about a tortured rock star and the girl he’s in love with. Le sigh. If only real life were like books.

If it were, then I wouldn’t be sitting here, pregnant and alone, on the run from an abusive husband.

I like to think there is real love out there.

Not for me though. This is the hand I was dealt. And I’m happy now. I have a baby on the way, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.

I saw Dr. Mathers last week. He really is a great doctor, like Sadie said he was.

I had my first ever ultrasound while I was there, which was beyond anything I could’ve imagined. Seeing my baby on-screen brought emotions to my chest I hadn’t even known I could feel. The baby doesn’t look like a baby yet and is still only the size of a blueberry. That’s what the website I’m following says; it charts the baby’s weekly growth in comparison to fruit. But I’d never felt love and an overwhelming urge to protect like I felt in that moment, staring at the fuzzy black-and-white screen. Dr. Mathers gave me a printout of the ultrasound. It’s taking pride of place on the mantel above the fireplace in the living room.

He also told me that I was six weeks pregnant, meaning I’m seven weeks now. My due date is the seventeenth of July, next year. And I cannot wait to meet my baby. Dr. Mathers said I could find out the gender of my baby at my next ultrasound if I would like. I’m not sure yet though. I do like the idea of knowing, so I can get organized. But I also like the idea of a surprise.

The sensor light comes on in my next-door neighbor’s garden, catching my eye.

Guy from work told me my grumpy asshole neighbor is called River Wild.

Not that I was asking Guy about him. It was purely just happenstance. I was sitting at the counter on my first day with Sadie, and she was filling in my employee form as I provided her with the details, which honestly made me feel twitchy and kind of awful for having to lie to her about my name and date of birth.

But, anyway, I just recited my address to her, and Guy, who was standing nearby at the time, said, “Oh, you live next door to River.”

And I confusedly said, “River?”

And Guy said, “Yeah, River Wild. Your new neighbor. Hot as Hades. Crazy as Kanye. And as mean as Regina.”

And I said, “Regina?”