River Wild Read Online Samantha Towle

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, Romance, Suspense, Tear Jerker Tags Authors: Samantha Towle Advertisement1

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Sadie loaned it to me. She said it was amazing and that I had to read it, and she’s not wrong. It’s really good. It’s about a tortured rock star and the girl he’s in love with. Le sigh. If only real life were like books.

If it were, then I wouldn’t be sitting here, pregnant and alone, on the run from an abusive husband.

I like to think there is real love out there.

Not for me though. This is the hand I was dealt. And I’m happy now. I have a baby on the way, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.

I saw Dr. Mathers last week. He really is a great doctor, like Sadie said he was.

I had my first ever ultrasound while I was there, which was beyond anything I could’ve imagined. Seeing my baby on-screen brought emotions to my chest I hadn’t even known I could feel. The baby doesn’t look like a baby yet and is still only the size of a blueberry. That’s what the website I’m following says; it charts the baby’s weekly growth in comparison to fruit. But I’d never felt love and an overwhelming urge to protect like I felt in that moment, staring at the fuzzy black-and-white screen. Dr. Mathers gave me a printout of the ultrasound. It’s taking pride of place on the mantel above the fireplace in the living room.

He also told me that I was six weeks pregnant, meaning I’m seven weeks now. My due date is the seventeenth of July, next year. And I cannot wait to meet my baby. Dr. Mathers said I could find out the gender of my baby at my next ultrasound if I would like. I’m not sure yet though. I do like the idea of knowing, so I can get organized. But I also like the idea of a surprise.

The sensor light comes on in my next-door neighbor’s garden, catching my eye.

Guy from work told me my grumpy asshole neighbor is called River Wild.

Not that I was asking Guy about him. It was purely just happenstance. I was sitting at the counter on my first day with Sadie, and she was filling in my employee form as I provided her with the details, which honestly made me feel twitchy and kind of awful for having to lie to her about my name and date of birth.

But, anyway, I just recited my address to her, and Guy, who was standing nearby at the time, said, “Oh, you live next door to River.”

And I confusedly said, “River?”

And Guy said, “Yeah, River Wild. Your new neighbor. Hot as Hades. Crazy as Kanye. And as mean as Regina.”

And I said, “Regina?”

And he said, “George.”

So, I said, “Oh, right. Yeah, I’ve met him—River.” I didn’t elaborate that, the first time I’d met him, he’d ignored me, and the second time was after he’d run over my groceries with his big, stupid truck, once again being a jerk.

Then, Guy said, “I went to school with him. The guy has serious—”

And the conversation was cut off when a timer went off in the kitchen, and Guy scooted off before finishing his sentence.

And, even though I was dying to glean more information from Guy about River, I didn’t feel right in doing so. I don’t want people asking questions about me, so me being nosy about him would have felt wrong.

I haven’t spoken to River since he ran over my stuff—if you could call it speaking; it’s more like him being a jerk to me. I have seen him a few times when he’s been in the garden. I even saw him in the supermarket one time, and he point-blank ignored me. But I don’t care. I don’t want to be his friend.

I see movement over by his pool and wonder if it’s him.

Lord, that pool.

What I wouldn’t give to be able to jump in that cool water right now.

I’d honestly jump straight in there, wearing the pajama tank and shorts I have on, and I wouldn’t care.

But it isn’t River over by the pool. It appears to be a small animal.

Too big to be a squirrel. But too small to be a bear.

Are there any bears in Texas?

God, I hope not.

I can’t see from here what it is.

I don’t know why I’m so bothered, to be honest.

Letting curiosity get the better of me, I put my book down and get to my feet. I walk over to the railing to get a better look.

Oh, it’s a dog.

I didn’t know he had a dog.

I’ve never heard one barking or seen one in his garden before.

He probably keeps it cooped inside his gloomy house, the poor thing.

I think it’s one of those shih tzu dogs. Cute. Looks a bit scruffy though.

I can’t imagine grumpy River Wild with a cute little dog like that.


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