Passionate Hearts (WaterColor Romances #6)

Chapter 1

River pulled her dark hair back into a tight ponytail. She took out the box that housed her brand-new shoes. A guilty pleasure she’d indulged in after a particularly good week at work. Running was more than River’s hobby, it was where she both tested her limits and meditated. The shoes were black with just the faintest pink edging. She slipped them onto her feet and smiled down at them. The shoes fit perfectly.

The piercing noise of an alarm clock signaled her roommate waking up for the day. River had moved in with her friend Brianna just three months prior. They had met when River’s friend, Willow, and Brianna’s friend, Mel had started dating. It hadn’t taken them long to realize that they had plenty of things in common on their own. So, when their respective leases ended it only made sense to split a rent together.

River jogged into the kitchen and snagged the bagel Brianna held out of her hand.

“Hey,” Brianna groaned. She gave River a playful swat on the arm.

“Sorry. I couldn’t resist,” River gave a low chuckle. Brianna reached across and grabbed the bagel from River’s hand and took a large bite.

River laughed. She had many friends, but none were as similar to herself. There was a certain kind of comradery between the two of them that was rare.

“Where’s Tiff?” Brianna asked.

River and Tiff had been dating for almost nine months. River couldn’t tell if Brianna disliked Tiff or was merely neutral towards her. Brianna was always polite and that was all she asked for. When you had a gathering of lesbians in one space it was a given that two of them wouldn’t adore each other.

“She stayed at her place,” River said. She hoped her words came out as nonchalant as she intended for them to. In truth she’d been a little frustrated that Tiffany hadn’t wanted to come over. It had been a week since they’d spent the night together. She knew she couldn’t fault her girlfriend, Tiffany was busy with her projects at work.

River was grateful when Brianna zipped past the topic in favor of other things.

“Are you going for your run?” Brianna asked.

“The same as every morning,” River grinned.

“I don’t know how you manage to get up and out there every morning at this godforsaken time of day,” Brianna laughed.

“The same way you go to the gym and pick up heavy weights every morning,” River retorted.

“That is probably fair,” Brianna admitted.

River pulled her step tracker up to her bicep. She leaned down to touch her toes then stretched up towards the ceiling. She could feel Brianna about to poke her and artfully deflected her finger.

“You’re getting better at that,” Brianna laughed.

“I know you better,” River teased. River made her way to the front door.

“Be safe out there,” Brianna said genuinely. Every morning River went for a run, and every morning instead of saying bye Brianna said, be safe out there . Usually, River answered back with an affirmation that she would be safe. Today, she slowed herself and glanced over her shoulder.

“What is it you want me to be safe from?” River asked pointedly. Brianna turned, obviously surprised by the break in their well-established routine. Brianna had a thoughtful expression on her face.

“I suppose I’ve always meant it in a general safety kind of way. Like don’t get hit by a car, watch out for weirdos, don’t get lured into nondescript white vans,” Brianna explained. River nodded her head thoughtfully.

“Well, thanks for always wishing me safety,” River answered.

“Of course, buddy. I love you. You know I always want you to be safe.” Brianna said the words as if they were just facts that River knew. Things to be taken for-granted. But in the time River had known Brianna she had grown rather fond of the woman’s sentimentality. There was something beautiful about the way they each felt comfortable expressing how much the friendship meant to them.

“I love you, too,” River called over her shoulder as she opened the door.

A morning run had been a part of River’s routine since college. Her days always went better if she was able to get a run in before work. The world may not see the life of independent insurance sales as high stakes, but it was a fast-paced race every day.

River cut down the sidewalk leading to the beach. There was something about racing the waves that pumped River up. It set her up for the rest of her day.

River ran two and a half miles down the beach before turning back towards the main road. WaterColor had seen an influx of traffic as people flocked here for vacations. Fortunately, River still knew a few places to get away from the rush. Unfortunately, the main road wasn’t one of them. River jogged in place as she waited for the crosswalk sign. As soon as the sign flashed the word walk she stepped into the street.

Her mother had always told her to look both ways. River had half a second to realize her mistake before making impact with the silver Buick. Long enough for a strange assortment of thoughts to cascade through her mind. She felt herself slide up the hood and onto the windshield then she felt her body thud against the pavement. There was a growing number of people crowding around her. River leaned onto her elbow and pushed up from the ground. She almost made it to her feet but the pain in her left leg and her arm forced her to stay grounded.

“We called an ambulance,” a woman’s voice announced.

“Is there anyone we should call for you?” Another voice asked.

Was there anyone she wanted to call? River thought about it for a moment. She lay back on the pavement as the pain grew more intense. She considered having someone call Tiffany, but ultimately decided Brianna was the smarter option. She managed to punch the number into someone’s cell phone as an ambulance arrived. River breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that she would be getting some decent pain meds if nothing else.

Everything was a flurry of action when she arrived at the hospital. She had a broken leg and arm as well as other injuries. The doctor in the emergency room was a tall thin man who looked a little worse for wear. He explained that they would need to do surgery to reset her broken bones. River cursed inwardly. Somehow, she’d made it thirty-three years without breaking a bone, now in one morning she had broken two of them.

Brianna arrived as they were beginning to prep her. River could vaguely tell there was a look of concern on her friend’s face.

“Hey, don’t worry about a thing. I called Willow, Tiffany, and your parents. Everyone will be here after you get out of surgery. Everything is going to be okay,” Brianna assured her.

“Thanks,” River managed to rasp out the word.

She wanted to tell Brianna not to worry but the pain meds were starting to kick in and she couldn’t get out the words. Instead, she lifted her unbroken arm and tried to smooth out the worry lines furrowing Brianna’s brow. Brianna grabbed her hand and gave it a small kiss before letting the nurses wheel her away. There was something about the intimacy of the gesture that made River smile.

River had always hated hospitals. She was cold and uncomfortable, although that could be because of the gown and the bed she was lying on. The nurses wheeled her into a new room where the same doctor from before stood waiting. This time he wore a surgical mask. The doctor told River his name, which she promptly lost inside her own brain. He explained the surgery he would be performing but River couldn’t focus. She felt her eyes beginning to flutter then darkness.

The first person River saw when she opened her eyes was her mom. Emily sat in the chair closest to River, her chin resting on one of her hands. She practically shot to River’s side as soon as her eyes opened.

“Sweetie, you had me so worried,” Emily said.

“Sorry, Mom.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay. Your father is here, too. He’s grabbing a coffee. He expected you to sleep a little longer.”

“Here I am,” River said. She didn’t know of anything else to say.

“All of your friends are in the waiting room,” Emily smiled.

“All?” River asked.

“Brianna, Willow, Mel, Piper, and Autumn,” Emily announced. She counted the names out on her fingers. There was one name that was glaringly absent from the list. Tiffany.

“All my friends showed up?” River questioned again.

“Of course, they did,” Emily insisted.

“But why?”

“Probably because they heard that you were hit by a car,” Emily said incredulously.

River let her mom’s words sink in.

“How long do I have to stay here?” River asked. She fidgeted in the bed and groaned.

“They want to keep you overnight for observation. You’re set to be discharged in the morning.

River tried not fuss to much at the news. She was tired and her whole body hurt. Not to mention she had a splitting headache that made the room around her spin. River took a steadying breath and decided to ask the question that was on her mind.

“Has anyone talked to Tiff?” River asked hopefully.

“Brianna talked to her. She was pretty busy at work, but she’ll swing by once she’s finished up for the day.”

There was no mistaking the sinking sensation in her heart. All these people loved her enough to be here when she woke up. Brianna had called and organized everyone. But the one person she wanted to be here wasn’t. River caught an unfamiliar expression on her mom’s face. Was that pity? Or was her mom still shook up from the day? Her mom cleared her throat, an obvious attempt to recapture her attention.

“Listen, I know what you’re going to say. But you know that you can move back home with me and your father while you recover. We’d love to have you!”

River felt a chill run through her spine. Nothing filled her with more terror than the idea of moving back in with her parents. They were good people, and wonderful parents. But she couldn’t handle her mom’s constant interferences or her father’s quirky habits.

“Oh, that’s okay. I’m sure I can manage,” River insisted.

“You have a broken arm and leg. How are you going to manage?” Emily asked. Emily arched her eyebrow.

“I work from home. Besides Brianna will be there if I absolutely need something,” River assured. Emily shot her a doubtful look.

“Brianna has been worried sick ever since some lady called her after the accident. Do you want to see her?” Emily asked.

“Of course. The least I can do is reassure her after I scared her this morning.”

As Emily stepped out of the room River breathed a sigh of relief. She adored her parents, but they could win gold medals when it came to hovering. River tried to run her fingers through her hair in an attempt to straighten it, but the endeavor was pointless. There was an almost too quiet knock against her door.

“Come in,” River called out.

She expected a nurse to walk inside her room. Instead, Brianna walked through the door holding two balloons, flowers and a card. River forced herself to hold back a laugh.

“This is for you,” Brianna announced with a huge smile.

“You really didn’t have to do that,” River explained.

“Sure I did. You’re hurt so at the very least I needed to bring balloons and flowers,” Brianna explained.

“Well, thank you,” River said, genuinely touched by the sentiment. Brianna took the chair where her mother had sat only moments before.

“I was really scared when I got the call about you,” Brianna whispered. She stared at her hands, refusing to make eye contact.

“I know. I’m sorry,” River apologized.

“It’s not your fault. I just. I wanted you to know that it had an effect on me. What would I even have done if something had happened to you?” Brianna’s voice was still quiet, a contrast from her typical boisterousness.

“Aww, friend! Nothing happened. Well, nothing that can’t be mended. Just a couple of broken bones.” River tried to sound cheery. She was fairly certain she had failed.

“By the way I told my mom that I was going to be coming back to the apartment when they release me.”

“Of course, you should definitely come home,” Brianna beamed. Even though the two of them had done a great job of keeping things friendly but not romantic, River had to admit Brianna’s smile had always found a way of worming itself into her heart.

“I told my mom that I should be fine. But that you would be there if I absolutely needed anything. Is that okay?” River asked.

“Oh, my goodness. It’s definitely fine. You should come home and recover. You’ll be happier in your own space,” Brianna insisted.

“Thank you so much.”

“It isn’t as if I was going to kick you out for having an injury,” Brianna laughed.

“I know. I know. You’re very kind. I guess I just still don’t know what to expect once I get home,” River admitted.

“I’m sure whatever happens we can figure it out together,” Brianna smiled.

“You truly are the best.”

“I am pretty great. You want me to send other people in?” Brianna asked.

River hesitated, unsure how to ask the question she wanted the answer to.

“Has Tiff come yet?” River asked. She saw a flash of something in Brianna’s eyes. Was that pity?

“She’s not going to make it tonight. She’s really sorry. But she’s going to come give you a ride home from the hospital in the morning.” It was clear that Brianna was trying to put a positive spin on the situation. River couldn’t leave her friend disappointed.

“I understand. It’s been a really busy time at work for her. Why don’t you send in some of the others.” River plastered what she hoped was a convincing smile on her face. Brianna brightened and nodded her head.

River was exhausted, but she didn’t have the heart to send her friends away. The day had been awful, and she wanted to see the people who were closest to her. Brianna leaned down and gave her a huge hug. River caught the scent of lavender from Brianna’s perfume. The smell was comforting. She waved goodbye to Brianna and prepared herself for the onslaught of friends about to come her way.