Chapter 4
RIVER
“You… okay?” River asked, waving a hand once in front of the man’s face when he didn’t respond. She hadn’t expected to see him again after bumping into him at the country club. “You’re the doctor Rose called?”
He blinked a couple times, and a flush crawled up his neck to his ears. “I—er—yeah.”
River arched an eyebrow, but she kept her tone light. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
He cleared his throat and tugged at the collar of his shirt. “I just… didn’t expect to see you again.”
“You wanted to see me again?” She stepped forward and smirked. “Sounds like the makings of a beautiful love story.” Her voice grew serious, lowering. “Maybe you’ll end up being my happily ever after.”
His eyes widened and his brows lifted as if he didn’t know what to say to that.
River tossed her head back and laughed. “I’m sorry. I’m just kidding.”
His shoulders loosened a fraction, like he was grateful she hadn’t made it weirder than it already was.
River climbed back into the seat and shut off the engine.
“You got it working again!” Rose’s excited voice had both of their heads snapping toward her. “I knew you could do it. My dad is going to eat his words. My uncle, too.”
That seemed to surprise the doctor because he frowned at Rose.
At the look of confusion on his face, Rose shrugged. “Our dads bet me this piece of junk wouldn’t start and we’d have to scrap it.” She flashed River a bright smile. “You just won us two hundred bucks. I’ll get you your cut by end of day.”
River pulled a rag from her back pocket and wiped at the stubborn grease on her hands. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Absolutely, I do. You’re the one who assured me you could get it up and running. I wouldn’t have made the bet without your assessment.”
The faith in Rose’s voice did something to River’s chest she wasn’t prepared for. River never had anyone around to brag about her skills. She didn’t think she needed it. So why did her chest feel all warm and fuzzy? It was an unfamiliar sensation—one she didn’t quite know what to do with.
Enough.
She didn’t need anyone’s approval. Not even her new boss.
Smiling at Rose, River shoved the rag back into her pocket. “If you insist.”
It was then she realized the doctor was still standing there. And he wasn’t the graying gentleman she’d expected.
He was Rose’s cousin—tall, broad-shouldered, and painfully handsome in a way that should’ve been illegal this early in the day.
His ears were still faintly pink, like he couldn’t decide whether to be embarrassed or amused. River fought the urge to grin.
“Oh, right.” Rose gestured between them. “River, this is my cousin, Mathew. Matt, this is the mechanic I was talking about. She burned her forearm when she—”
River rolled her eyes, lifting her arm. “It’s not a big deal. I’ve had worse.”
His brows furrowed. “How’s that?”
She shrugged, dropping her arm. “I’m good with engines. Less good with gravity. I’ve broken my share of bones. Collected more stitches than I’d like. And—”
Rose let out an exasperated sigh, and River swallowed the rest of her list.
She was still trying to decide whether she’d overshared when a light touch closed around her wrist.
She sucked in a sharp gasp of surprise, but Mathew didn’t release her. He turned over her arm and dipped his head to examine the burn marks. He was wearing gloves. When had he put those on? The touch should’ve felt clinical.
It didn’t.
Something quick and bright skated along her nerves, and River hated that her first instinct was to pull away—not because it hurt, but because it didn’t.
Slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet his, hating that she clearly had goosebumps.
For once in her life, she couldn’t find her voice. Jokes didn’t come as easy when someone looked at her like that—like she mattered.
He was clean-cut in a way that should’ve felt intimidating. Instead, it made her weirdly aware of her own grease-streaked hands and too-fast heartbeat.
Maybe that was why Emerson didn’t exactly do anything for her. He was rough around the edges with facial hair and medium-length waves he liked to run his hands through.
Mathew? His hair was cut short around the sides with a little length on top. The temptation to reach up and touch it was almost too much, and thankfully, his voice distracted her enough to prevent her from making a fool of herself.
“It doesn’t look too serious. But I do think it’s important to treat it with some ointment and keep this covered, so it doesn’t get infected or leave a scar.”
“Like I said…” River tugged at her arm. “Nothing I haven’t had happen before.”
“Just listen to him,” Rose insisted. “My cousin is nothing if not thorough. Honestly, he’s obsessed with his job, so he’s probably getting a kick out of making a house call.”
Mathew shot his cousin a disgruntled look, but Rose only grinned, unapologetically.
River watched with fascination. The only member of her family—or the one she’d consider family—was her foster sister, and they had never acted like this. The good-natured way they were with each other made River notice just how different her connections to people were.
“All right, Dr. Klein—how bad is it?” River asked, letting a little too much attitude sneak in.
Rose blinked, and Mathew’s brows lifted like he wasn’t sure whether to be amused or offended. River’s stomach dipped. Great. Foot, meet mouth. Speaking without thinking was a habit she’d never quite managed to break.
She pressed her lips together, then let out a quiet breath. “Sorry. That came out wrong. I’m not great at… being normal.”
Rose’s expression softened. Mathew still looked confused, but the tension in his shoulders eased a fraction.
River held out her hand. “Just—tell me what you want me to do. I can handle it.”
“Let me get the stuff I brought,” Mathew said, already shifting into doctor mode. His eyes flicked toward the door, and River followed the glance.
Emerson was leaning against the frame wearing an infuriating smirk.
Mathew’s expression didn’t change. If anything, he looked more determined as he got to work.
A few short minutes later, she’d been cleaned up, treated, and bandaged. It was a little more thorough than River would’ve done for herself, but she didn’t argue. When Rose left with Mathew, River was left alone with Emerson.
Emerson pushed off the doorframe. “Dr. Klein, huh?”
“Oh, be quiet.” River crossed to the workbench lined with wrenches and parts she’d pulled out for the tractor—anything to avoid standing there while Emerson dissected her like it was his job.
“I’ve never seen anyone look so cornered before.”
River paused and glanced back at him. “Did I go too far?”
“Too far? That’s one way to put it.” Emerson’s grin softened just a notch. “But don’t worry. Rose’s cousin can handle himself. He’d have to, being an ER doctor.” He tilted his head. “Then again… if you’re worried because you’re interested in him…”
“Don’t start,” she warned. “I’m not built for relationships.” River turned back to the tools. “And it’s not like I’m going to be running into Mathew Klein every day.”
She’d been wrong.
Not twenty-four hours later, she was holding a blood-soaked rag to her hand, cursing herself for letting her hand slip when she was installing a new blade on a mower. It had sliced through her palm, and she knew she’d have to get stitches.
Emerson had been the one to catch her berating herself as she paced the hangar. The last thing she wanted to do was tell her boss she’d been careless. But it wasn’t just that. She already knew who’d be showing up to help.
The sound of a car door slamming shut reached her, and she headed for the entrance to the structure to see a disheveled Mathew heading her way. When he looked up at her, his steps slowed and she forced a smile.
“We have to stop meeting this way,” she said with a laugh.
He arched a brow, obviously not impressed by her statement. “Let’s see it,” Mathew said with exasperation.
She winced inwardly but did as she was told.
Yet again, Mathew’s gentle touch threw her off balance. He unwrapped the rag with mild disgust—probably because it was filthy. She felt vulnerable as he examined her wound. The lines in his brow deepened and he shook his head.
The muscles in his jaw feathered. “We need to get this cleaned up. Come on.” Mathew didn’t release her wrist as he tugged her toward the house.
“Mathew, wait.” Panic crept into her voice. She didn’t want to go into Rose’s house. “I live over the garage. Can we go to my apartment instead?”
He cut her a curious look but didn’t argue.
“You can let me go, you know,” she said quietly.
Mathew glanced down to where he still held her. He cleared his throat as he released her wrist and gestured for her to lead the way.
River climbed the stairs, tripping on the steps only once. But that was all it took. His hands steadied her at her waist, the heat permeating her skin. She held her breath, letting her heart settle before he released her and they continued the rest of the way.
“Welcome to my humble home,” she said with a flash of a smile.
Mathew didn’t look impressed as he headed past her into her small studio apartment.