Chapter 21
MATHEW
There was no denying that River wasn’t happy with him working so much. And it ate at Mathew throughout his entire shift at work. He couldn’t help but wonder if he was making a mistake.
He’d been asked to come in instead of just being on call—and it wasn’t even mandatory, not with how many shifts he’d already taken. And he hadn’t exactly been honest with River when it came to having the ability to back out.
Maybe he was regressing. Because taking the shift had seemed second nature. He hadn’t seen anything wrong with it until he’d called River to let her know, and she’d immediately reminded him of their plans.
Mistake.
For the second time in one week, no less.
He dragged a hand through his hair and trudged toward the scheduling office. There had to be a way for him to trade a shift. Then again, it was so last-minute that he wasn’t sure there were any other options.
The moment he stepped up to the door, he overheard another doctor making a similar request.
“I know this is last-minute, but is there a way I can switch my shift this weekend? I need Sunday off for a family matter.”
Before she could be denied, Mathew stepped closer. “I’d be happy to switch shifts with you.”
Mathew left the hospital in brighter spirits.
After they’d worked through the shift change, he’d sat down to discuss his schedule moving forward.
He needed to prioritize family more than he had in the past. And while River wasn’t exactly family, she was beginning to mean enough to him that he grouped her in with his siblings.
There would be the occasional long shift on the weekend, as was the norm, but his hours weren’t going to be what they once were.
Just the thought of having a serious conversation with River about their future both thrilled and terrified him.
She’d been so hard to win over. She’d made him prove that she was important to him before she allowed herself to get caught up in the feelings he knew they both shared.
Neither one of them was perfect, but this was the grand gesture he could offer her to show just how serious he was.
After he told her his plans, things would be looking up.
His steps faltered on his way toward his car as he considered the implications of what this meant in regard to how much he’d changed since his father passed.
Victoria had complained that she’d felt neglected.
She’d said they didn’t connect like they had when they were dating.
Would he return to bad habits if things became too comfortable with River?
No, of course not.
Mathew hated thinking about how if he’d made these changes when he was with Victoria, their relationship could have survived.
There was a chance Victoria was right about him all along.
How many rounds of arguments did they go through before finally calling it quits? And how much of it was his fault?
He stopped at his car, hand hovering over the handle as he forced himself to relive those memories.
As painful as it was to return to that time of his life, he couldn’t deny that Victoria had been selfish.
Yes, she’d told him he’d been neglecting her and that she felt distanced from him.
But she’d also demanded a certain lifestyle.
She’d been raised as a socialite, and she wanted the prestige of being married to a top-ranking doctor in the state.
She’d wanted the lifestyle he could provide her without making sacrifices of her own.
High credit card bills. Only wearing name-brand clothing anywhere she went.
Expecting expensive new jewelry to wear to every special occasion.
Never leaving the house without a full face of makeup and her hair styled.
To this day, he’d never seen her natural hair color.
She wore a mask to everyone, including him.
And perhaps that was why he had no interest in returning to that time of his life.
River was authentic.
Real.
Turning on his heel, he headed down the street toward the floral shop. It was in a prime location next to the hospital, which allowed folks to purchase flowers for those who were currently patients. Choosing this building was probably one of the smartest decisions this florist had made.
Only once he was inside did he realize his mistake in entering the perfumed shop. There were so many options to choose from. He knew what Victoria would have wanted. The most expensive, grandeur arrangement in the shop.
But River?
He couldn’t be sure she even liked flowers. Emerson had said she liked succulents. But he’d bought her flowers before and she seemed to have appreciated the gesture. But now things felt… different. He was different.
Maybe this was a mistake. What if she saw them and finally admitted that she thought it was ridiculous to spend money on a plant that would die in the next week or so, and she didn’t want him doing it anymore?
Brows furrowed, he moved over to some potted plants. Then his frown deepened. He’d bought her a few potted plants before, but he still felt like they didn’t exactly spell out how he truly felt about her. He still felt like they weren’t the gift she deserved but rather giving her a chore to do.
“Something I can help you with?”
The shop owner moved to his side.
“I don’t know what to buy,” he said. “I’m not sure she likes flowers. I’ve heard my sister call bouquets flower graveyards.” Why was finding her the perfect flower so important?
The woman’s laugh was so musical that he glanced toward her with surprise. “That’s one I’ve never heard before.” Her hands were in the pockets of her apron. “And you don’t think she’d want to take care of a plant? I saw you checking out the succulents. They’re hardy and don’t take much effort.”
He grimaced. “I’ve already given her some other potted plants, and I probably shouldn’t add to them.”
The woman pursed her lips together. “Okay, so perhaps something that will last longer than a couple weeks? I could arrange something with anthuriums. These over here.” She gestured toward what looked like waxy red leaves, but they also had a yellow spike-looking thing near the stem.
They were definitely something he hadn’t seen in any usual bouquet. Unique and yet unapologetic.
Definitely something that reminded him of River.
With a sharp nod, he smiled. “Yes, I think she’d like these. How long do they last?”
“With proper care, they can live up to six weeks.”
His brows lifted. “That long, huh?”
She nodded, reaching for the plant out of the cooler. “Let me put something together.”
Mathew wasn’t sure what to write on the note that came with the flowers, so he opted not to get one. He’d tell River everything in his heart in person. Upon exiting the floral shop, he headed straight for his car, but then someone called his name.
He turned on instinct, then wished he hadn’t.
Shock rippled through him.
The woman wasn’t anything like he remembered.
Gone were the heavy makeup and polished hair. She no longer sported clothing that came from boutiques in Paris or straight off the runway. Victoria was almost unrecognizable, though very much put together.
She had a fresh, clean appearance. Her golden-brown hair fell around her shoulders in soft, free waves. The white blouse she wore seemed more casual than anything she used to wear. And she was in dark-wash jeans.
This was not the Victoria he’d divorced.
She’d changed.
Not only in appearance, but there was a certain aura about her that took him back to the years when they’d started dating. Victoria smiled at him as she approached. “It was harder than I thought it would be to find you. I didn’t realize this town was so big.”
He wanted to correct her, to tell her that it wasn’t, in fact, big. Not compared to the cities they’d lived in together. But he couldn’t find his voice.
“You look good,” she said, soft enough that it was like an invitation to lean in.
But he didn’t.
“You look…” There were no words for how surprised he was at seeing her this way.
Her smile grew. “You haven’t been returning my texts.”
Yeah, because he’d thought she was the same spoiled woman he’d left behind. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one making changes to his life. He was happy for her. Truly, he was. She deserved to find joy in her life, and it appeared as though she had.
Victoria tilted her head and placed a hand on his forearm. “Can we talk?” Her eyes drifted to the flowers in his hands and a slight frown formed around her mouth. “Or do you have somewhere to be?”
Yes. He had somewhere important to be. He needed to tell River that he wanted more with her.
He wanted a future with her. She was the person who had brought light into his life that he’d never known.
He’d been wandering through a fog since he’d ended things with Victoria, and now that the fog was clearing, he could see the light.
“Actually—”
“Mathew?”
He spun around, his stomach bottoming out. The contents therein threatened to make an appearance when his eyes locked on River.
She was dressed in her usual mechanic’s attire. Hair pulled back with a bandana. Overalls spotted with grease. Boots covered in oil. She wore a tank top that showed off her toned arms, and he couldn’t help but think no one was more beautiful.
But that was when he noticed who was with her. Emerson and Rose flanked River on either side. And the look his cousin was giving him would have sent him to the grave if he didn’t already feel sick to his stomach.
He hoped Rose could read his look and keep quiet.
He hadn’t told River about Victoria, because there wasn’t anything to tell.
She’d been a part of his past that he hadn’t felt the need to relive.
He hadn’t exactly been hard to find—he was a doctor in a small town.
What baffled him was that she’d shown up in person, even after he’d ignored her messages.
Unfortunately, all the pleading in the world couldn’t keep Victoria from putting a kink in things.
“Rose! So lovely to see you again.”
“Wish I could say the same,” Rose snapped, eyes narrow. She set those accusing eyes on Mathew. She didn’t have to say anything for him to know what she was thinking. She wanted to know what Victoria was doing in Copper Creek.
He was curious about that very thing himself.
River’s eyes darted between Rose, Victoria, and himself. He could practically see the protective walls coming up. Her guarded expression didn’t negate the curiosity and confusion, however.
Mathew stepped toward her, but Victoria’s words stopped him short. “Are these your friends?” she asked Rose. But before his cousin could say anything, Victoria held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Mathew’s wife.”
He didn’t get a chance to see River’s initial reaction because his head whipped around so fast he nearly strained a muscle. His eyes widened at Victoria’s words. They’d been divorced for years. What was she playing at?
Rose scoffed, but whatever she’d been about to say died the second she looked at River. Her face had gone carefully blank—like she’d learned a long time ago how to hide pain in public. Then she turned and walked away.
“River, wait!”
She didn’t so much as hesitate. And when Emerson stepped in beside her and draped an arm around her shoulders, the sight hit Mathew with a sharp, sick twist.
He was about to tear into his ex when Rose did the honors.
“Are you insane?” she hissed.
Victoria’s eyes widened with mock innocence. “I beg your pardon?”
Rose barked out a disbelieving laugh. “You seriously don’t see anything wrong with what you just said?” She turned her furious gaze on Mathew and poked him hard in the chest. “Fix this.” Then she stormed after River and Emerson.