Page 4 of Rekindling Little River (Littles of Rawhide Ranch #14)

River

It had taken a bit longer than River had planned to find where they wanted to have dinner.

Not because the maps weren’t easy to follow but because their mind was preoccupied with their new temporary neighbor.

They’d known that Dave had won the other trip but since they hadn’t checked beyond the trip they’d bid on, River hadn’t realized he’d be here the same week as them.

Even with being in residence at the same time, what were the odds of ending up being in neighboring rooms?

River had thought that every responsibility, care, and worry were being left behind.

They’d been looking forward to being an anonymous Little, lost in the crowds and easily overlooked.

River knew it wasn’t Dave’s fault, and they didn’t think Dave would judge them or anything, but River wasn’t sure they could be their authentic self with a connection to home present, and that worry was really wrecking their mood.

Finally, after a few absentminded wrong turns, they made their way into the main cafeteria.

River had heard the chef at the Ranch was amazing and they were excited to try as many different foods as possible.

It wasn’t really a vacation if they didn’t make an effort to eat anything and everything the area was known for, after all.

They were just settling into their seat when a deep voice asked, “Mind if I join you?”

At first River thought the voice was talking to someone else.

But, when dark gray boots with silver tips obstructed their view of the floor, they realized the person was addressing them.

Slowly, River’s gaze rose from the boots to a set of muscular legs encased in a pair of jeans that looked like they’d been tailored just for him.

A snap-button shirt in a deep red was tucked in behind a large decorative buckle.

When River’s gaze finally roamed from the well-defined chest to the man’s face, their breath caught in their lungs.

A cowboy hat did amazing things for Dave, sending tingles they hadn’t felt in ages straight through River’s system.

Having lost all ability to speak, River simply nodded their assent and gestured to a chair as they finally settled fully into their own seat.

They weren’t sure what it was about Dave’s new look that had their heart racing and heat infusing their cheeks, but River wasn’t at all sure how they felt about it.

Attraction to Dave of all people spelled all kinds of trouble.

They shared friends. If they acted on their sudden desire, it would spell nothing but trouble.

When things ended, as they inevitably would, it would lead to tension and those friends might feel the need to pick sides.

No, it was definitely better to chalk this up to being an anomaly.

Plastering a friendly smile on their face, River perused their food options as Dave began to chat with them. They’d have a nice friendly dinner, keep conversation light, and then go their separate ways. Easy.

Dave

This was not going to be easy. Sure, River had let him sit with them, they were even keeping a steady conversation.

But every time Dave tried to steer the conversation to anything deeper than small talk, they neatly and efficiently directed it back to more simple topics.

Dave had learned absolutely nothing new about them.

“Mmmmm, this reminds me of home,” he said as he took another bite of his brisket. Maybe if he shared some history with them, River would take his lead and share about themself. He just needed them to take the bait.

Dave almost did a happy dance when River asked, “Where’s home?”

“I grew up in Texas. Just northwest of Houston.”

Their dark brows raised for just a moment, as they swallowed. “I recognized that you had an accent, but it doesn’t sound anything like a southern accent.”

“I grew up in Texas, but I started traveling at a young age. Spent a lot of time with a lot of people from lots of different places. Spending all that time with others kind of colored the way I speak. If you were to meet my mom though, she’d probably sound exactly like you’d expect from someone from the south. ”

He could see the questions in their eyes, but they kept silent. So, he asked a question of his own. “Where’d you grow up? I know it wasn’t in New York.”

“How do you know that?”

Why did it not surprise him that they answered a question with a question?

“Your complete lack of an accent. Not just the lack of a New Yorker’s accent, but any accent.

” It was something he’d always wondered about them.

How was there no clue to their origins when they spoke?

There was no accent to indicate where they’d been born or educated.

There was nothing to hint at where they’d lived before moving to New York.

He’d spent almost his entire life traveling and picking up inflections, but even then, a slight trace of his southern roots was evident in his voice if people knew what to listen for.

When River spoke, there was just… nothing. “So, where’d you grow up?”

“Everywhere.” They took another bite of their dinner and Dave suspected that would be all the answer he’d get. He even opened his mouth to ask another question before River continued, “I was born in Oklahoma though.”

Dave had hoped that the conversation would develop from there, but he came away disappointed.

Despite talking all through dinner and as he walked them to their room, the only new thing he learned about River that evening was that they’d been born in Oklahoma.

However, he’d learned that and he still had most of a week to achieve his goals.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but hopefully a solid relationship could be built in a week.