Lockwood Creek Book One
Cardiologist, Adam Matthews heart stop beating the day he lost his wife...his Emma.
Withdrawing from every day living, he threw himself into what he knew best, his work. But one drunken night changes everything. But can h...
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~ ~ Riley Jo ~ ~
Stepping out of the cab, I teetered for a moment on my new high heels before closing the door behind me. I stepped further onto the sidewalk as the cab pulled off.
Hesitating, I stayed rooted to the spot, looking inside my intended location. Y'all could hear the music from all the way out here. And to say I wasn't in a partying mood was an understatement. Seeing Danny earlier today had sent me into a tailspin and the number of times I'd paced up and down my tiny apartment with my finger hovering over the call button to Adam wasn't worth thinking about.
My head told me to quit thinking about him. Move on. We weren't meant to be and to face the sad truth—Adam couldn't love me. But my heart was still lagging behind wishing things had turned out differently.
Stupid heart...
So here I was, inhaling a bracing breath and coaxing a smile.
Suck it up Riley Jo, and who knows, they might have cake!
The thought of cake was worth a smile. I smoothed down my dress. I could do this and if I played my cards right, I could sneak away and be back home snuggling up with a glass of wine and my new book.
"Riley!"
I heard my name called. And that voice... I turned with a startled inhalation.
"Adam?" I choked out, giving my head a little wobble.
Adam was here? I couldn't blink nor move, sure if I did either he would vanish or worse this was a dream, and I would wake up any second.
My heart expanded either way and in my head one of those scenes from the movies... hell, in most books played out in my mind of me running up to him and jumping into his arms and kissing him stupid. But this was no movie or romance novel.
This was real life, where disappointment was my best friend.
"Riley," he repeated, taking three steps toward me and then stopped, uncertain. Probably because I was stood gawping, mouth open and not saying a single word.
I finally blinked. It was Adam looking so good it hurt and a hundred or maybe more crazy emotions combusted in my head and short-circuited my brain.
What was he doing here? It had been six weeks without a single word.
Don't run back into his arms just because he shows up.
I swallowed, and pressure built against my eyelids.
Oh shit, don't you dare cry, Riley Jo!
Too late.
"Jesus!" his voice was strained. "Please, don't cry Riley." It panicked him as he cleared the space between us. His large, warm hands ran up my arms, stopping just beneath my shoulders. "I don't want to upset you." His grip tightened. "I'll go."
