Page 4 of Love in the Time of Wildfires

“I, uh . . .” he stuttered, pulling his hand away from her as his eyes momentarily dropped to the damp neckline of her tank top, his face flushing as he glanced away as though he hadn’t been caught. But River had noticed and she couldn’t help being amused by it.

Ignoring this, she continued talking while making her way to the front door as he followed behind her. “Anyway, sorry about those boxes. I could see how that would be annoying when you just want to get home. Let’s take care of those right now.” She grabbed the top box from the stack in front of his door. “And don’t worry. I can do it. I don’t expect any help from a stranger or anything.”

He took the box from her hand, although his face didn’t change from its grumpy demeanor. “Here, let me take that.”

“Oh my goodness. That’s very sweet, especially after all the inconvenience you’ve suffered—You can just put it right there in the living room.” She continued chatting about nothing in particular, and he continued helping her until all the boxes were inside her place, taking about ten minutes. No one was more surprised than River that he helped her until the end. Maybe it was because she wouldn’t let him get a word in edgewise, or maybe it was because he wasn’t one hundred percent a jerk. Either way, she’d take it, since he had chewed her out for no reason.

“Wow,” she said with more perkiness than necessary. “That went by faster with great teamwork, didn’t it? Anyway, I better clean up all that water. But it was real nice meeting a new neighbor, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

He grumbled something under his breath that she didn’t catch. “Sorry? What was that?” she asked innocently.

“Nothing,” he replied. “Welcome to the neighborhood.” Although the way he said it wasn’t much of a welcome. So the guy wasn’t one hundred percent not a jerk either.

She set the last box inside as he picked up his bag in the alcove. River smiled sweetly, after turning back to him, as though he’d been intentionally friendly. “Aw, thank you, Logan. I really hope the other neighbors are just as nice as you. I’m sure they also love having someone who can pass on little bits of wisdom and advice as generously as you do. At your age, you must have gathered lots. How old are you by the way?”

“Thirty-five.”

“Huh. No kidding,” she replied, raising her eyebrows as if surprised.

He glared at her suspiciously. “What?”

“Oh, nothing. I’m thirty-two, by the way. Is there anything else you need?”

“No.” He turned toward his door before seeming to change his mind, facing her again. “I’m sorry about . . . how I talked to you before.”

Now he was throwing her off. She was surprised to find a man who could admit he’d been a butt and apologize for it. Not expecting it, she was somewhat speechless, and when his gray eyes met hers with some genuine glint, it made her feel more off-kilter. She didn’t like how off-balance he made her, and had the urge to escape the situation as fast as possible. Without thinking it through, she replied brightly, “No worries. I’m a wildlife behaviorist, so I’m used to it. Have a great day!” Then she shut the door right in his face.

Chapter Three

Afirm knock on the front door jerked Logan from a deep nap. He’d only been home a day and a half, but by this point he’d taken a shower, started laundry, and had some food delivered. He was slowly beginning to feel more human and less like a grouchy bear, but this didn’t mean he wanted to talk to anyone.

Dragging himself up, Logan lumbered to the door, peeking through the peephole and already feeling annoyed. And this was before he saw who it was.

Shit.

It was that damn new neighbor of his. What was her name? Something nature-y. River? He considered not answering and going back to sleep. Whatever she wanted, he didn’t need to get roped into it . . . at least not again. He was still irked she’d gotten him to do her bidding and then acted like he was some kind of uncouth forest beast she could control by being cute. Logan released a growl of discontentment.

Never again.

“Hello?” she asked, leaning closer to his door as he continued watching her through the peephole. Smirking, he waited for her to give up—to go back to her side of the alcove and leave him alone. “Logan? It feels like you’re just behind the door.”

The hell? Was this woman a sorceress? He begrudgingly cracked the door enough to glare at her. “What?”

She craned her neck as though trying to see into his apartment. River was nosy on top of being annoying. Figured. “Do you have a dog or something?”

“No.”

River gave a small laugh. He didn’t find it cute . . . even when her eyes crinkled.

“Ah,” she replied. “So that was you I heard growling. Thought so.”

Logan dragged his brows lower with every passing second of this interaction. He had no idea how this woman had the ability to turn his mood sour this quickly. “What do you want? I’m trying to sleep.”

“At two o’clock in the afternoon?”

“Yes. So what do you want?”

With a smile as bright as the sun, she displayed an open Tupperware filled with baked goods. “I made you cookies.”