Chapter Three

R idge poured a generous amount of creamer into his coffee and stared at the French vanilla swirl forming in the black brew. It reminded him of fluffy white clouds, the bluest skies he'd ever seen, snow-capped mountains, and a stretch of green valley as far as the eye could see. It reminded him of home.

The mountains had been on his mind a lot lately since he'd taken Sugar's advice and started drawing in his sketchbook to relieve stress. The Bitterroot Mountains and Sapphire Range had been his biggest inspiration since his family moved to Corvallis, Montana, right before Ridge started high school. His dad had just retired from the army, and for the first time in Ridge's life, his family planted roots in fertile soil—literally and metaphorically. While his mother, father, and sister had adapted quickly to ranch life, Ridge, an awkward, gangly teenager, had taken longer to adjust. Riding out to the valley and gazing up at the mountains had calmed his soul in ways he'd never predicted. All these years later, Ridge still craved the ranges whenever his life felt tumultuous. His mother claimed they had magical healing power, and he had to admit she wasn't wrong.

The ranges weren't the only thing lingering in Ridge's mind over the past seven days since he'd moved out of Todd's apartment. A certain guy with platinum hair, pale blue eyes, and the prettiest mouth he'd ever seen kept popping into his thoughts when Ridge least expected it. The receipt with the note from Sugar burned a hole in his wallet, and he had an urge to reread it, even though he could recite the words from memory.

Give me a call if you want help rescuing the cat or maybe want to prove Todd wrong .

He'd signed off with XOXO and given his phone number. Ridge had stuffed the receipt into his wallet without hesitation but hadn't entered Sugar's number into his phone. He had no intention of calling the man and couldn't figure out why he hadn't just thrown the damn receipt out.

Yesterday at lunch, it had fallen out of his wallet when he'd pulled out cash to tip the waitress.

"Whoa, ho ho," Eddie had said, snatching it up before Ridge could. "What do we have here?"

"Sugar?" Asher had asked. Their inspector sat back in his chair and quirked a brow. Ridge considered himself to be a big man, but Asher made him feel puny. He crossed his brawny arms over his chest and smirked. "Cause he's sweet?"

Ridge shrugged. "So he claims."

Eddie waggled his brows. "Looks to me like he's offering up a taste. Why aren't you sampling? Nothing is holding you back."

"Leave him alone, Eduardo," Zack said before leveling Ridge with a curious gaze. "But why aren't you? Isn't he your type?"

Without permission, an image of Sugar had come to the forefront of Ridge's mind—the slender man reaching across the table and wiping a smidge of sauce off his face before licking it off his thumb. Ridge had been fascinated by both his boldness and the raw sexuality that pulsed from the man. He'd wanted to lean across the table and kiss his lips to see if they were as soft as they looked. He hadn't acted on his instinct, and it was nearly impossible for Ridge to name anything he regretted more.

Eddie laughed. "Would he have saved this cute little note with the guy's phone number if he wasn't interested?"

Zack nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

"So," Asher asked, "what's the deal?"

Ridge shrugged. "The guy is big trouble. I can feel it in my bones."

Eddie snorted. "Yeah, I bet you did."

"He said bones, not boner," Zack pointed out.

Oh, there'd been plenty of that too. Ridge had fantasized about taking Sugar in every conceivable position and some he wasn't certain were possible. Heat crept up Ridge's neck, and he took a big sip of water before his reaction gave his thoughts away. He felt in better control of his emotions afterward, even though Zack lobbed a knowing look in his direction.

"Why keep his number if you don't plan to use it?" Eddie had asked. A loud thump sounded from under the table, and Eddie flinched. "Sorry, Ridge. It's none of my business." Eddie handed the receipt back to him.

Ridge had briefly considered wadding it up and leaving it with the trash on the table, but he couldn't. He silently tucked the slip of paper back into his wallet and winked at Zack when he'd changed the subject to something less embarrassing than Ridge's horny schoolboy crush on a stranger whose real name he didn't even know.

He wanted to say the lunchtime conversation had shaken some sense into him, but Ridge had zoned out before bed the previous night and sketched half of Sugar's face before he'd become aware of what he was doing. Now he'd followed that up by thinking about the man while gazing at creamer clouds in his coffee. Christ .

"Morning," Jess sang out as she entered Eddie's tiny kitchen.

Jess was tall, curvy, and beautiful with a riot of red curls cascading to her waist, green eyes that always danced with mischief, and a dusting of freckles over her nose and cheeks. She and Emma, Zack's girlfriend, worked in the marshals' asset forfeiture department. Eddie had taken one look at Jess on her first day of work and announced to everyone, including her, that he would marry her someday. Jess had rolled her eyes, told him not to hold his breath, and vowed not to give him the time of day. Two months later, Zack won the office pool when she finally agreed to one date with Eddie. Ridge's entry had been "when hell freezes over" but being wrong had never felt so right.

"Morning," Ridge said.

Three months after their first date, Jess had practically moved in with Eddie, so Ridge crashing in the guestroom was a horrible idea. The couple was still in the honeymoon phase and didn't need Ridge cramping their style.

Jess poured herself a cup of coffee but didn't doctor it as he had. She leaned against the counter, crossed one leg in front of the other, and studied him over the rim of her cup.

"You look lovely," Ridge said, hoping to delay the inevitable. Fucking Eddie and his big mouth .

Jess looked down at her plum pencil skirt and old-fashioned ivory blouse with a high neck and a neatly tied bow at the top. "Thanks. It's one of my favorites."

"I don't know how you walk around in those," Ridge said, gesturing at her nude heels.

A smile tugged at her lips, but Jess took another sip of coffee before answering. "It's not like I run down fugitives."

"I wouldn't make it ten feet in those things."

Jess tilted her head. "Have we killed enough time so I can ask about Sugar now?"

Ridge heaved a sigh. "There's nothing to tell."

Taking pity on him, Jess patted his bicep and headed back toward the bedroom. "I tried, Eddie," she hollered.

Ridge was still grinning when he headed out of the apartment a few minutes later. His phone rang when he pulled out of the parking lot, and he smiled when the caller's name popped up on his dashboard display. Ridge hit the green phone button on his steering wheel. "Morning, Pop. How'd you know I was daydreaming about my mountains this morning?"

His dad's warm chuckle filtered through the speakers, filling Ridge's heart with relief. The man he'd always seen as indestructible had suffered a heart attack a little over two months ago. It had shaken Ridge to his core and left him reeling.

"Fathers know best, right?" Something in his dad's tone let Ridge know this was a setup.

"And if I agree, you'll use my words against whatever order Mom has given you?"

"Damn, you're smart."

"I get more than just my good looks and broad shoulders from you," Ridge said.

"Well, you get your intuitiveness from your mama. And speaking of the warden…" His father then rattled off a list of reasons why his mother needed to relent and let him get back to ranching.

"What does your cardiologist say?"

His dad grumbled. "She's got him on her payroll."

"Dad, will you listen to yourself? Do you really think Mom and Dr. Thorne are in cahoots? And to what end? To keep you alive longer? How dare they."

"I think Dr. Thorne is sweet on your mother. He says I'm not allowed to have sex for a while longer still. I think he wants her to get lonely and turn to him."

Ridge snorted. "She's quite the catch, but if Dr. Thorne wanted you dead, wouldn't he let up on your restrictions sooner? He'd encourage you to jump right back in the saddle and…" Yeah, he couldn't finish the thought.

"Stop being logical," his dad said, sounding like a bear denied honey for far too long. Considering his dad's biggest complaint, Ridge figured the analogy wasn't too far off the mark. Then he cringed because thinking about his parents' sex life, or lack thereof, wasn't something he wanted to do. Ever .

"Something else is bothering you," Ridge said. "Are you still convinced your heart condition will ruin Mom's dreams of seeing her organic bison and hummus in grocery stores across America?"

His dad sighed. "I'd hoped to keep my condition under wraps, but she said it was sneaky and underhanded."

"And you have nothing to be ashamed of," Ridge said. "Dr. Thorne said your stent placement was the result of a genetic condition and not your lifestyle choices." No plaque or cholesterol would dare to build up in the man's arteries. His dad sighed, and Ridge thought he was making a breakthrough, so he kept pushing. "No one looks at you and sees an unhealthy man, Dad. For fuck's sake, turn it around and make it part of the narrative. If you can have a heart attack, anyone can. You can be the face of the company."

An indignant snort came through the car speakers. "Can you imagine? Me hocking hummus?"

"You'd do it in a heartbeat if it would make Mom happy."

"Your mother is my heartbeat, Ridge. That's why I don't want to be the reason her dreams are crushed."

Ridge nearly sighed. Why had he thought he could settle for a love less than theirs? "You won't."

"You sound as certain as your mother."

"Because we're intuitive," Ridge reminded him. "Why do you trust our instincts on every issue besides this one?"

"I've turned into a grumpy old goat like Gus."

Thinking about his dad's beloved goat made Ridge smile. The little guy followed him everywhere and often charged other animals or people who got too close to Ridge's dad, including his wife.

"He saved my life, you know."

"Gus?" His mother hadn't told Ridge, but then, she probably didn't want to relive the terror she'd felt that day.

"Yeah. I collapsed in the barn, and Gus found your mom in the greenhouse. Kept ramming into her legs until she followed him. If not for Gus, I might not be here."

The pain in Ridge's chest was so swift and severe he had to pull over and pinch the bridge of his nose to keep the tears at bay. "I just can't…"

"Hey, I'm still here," his dad said. "And I have no intention of going anywhere soon, which is why I'm following the doctor's orders. I just needed to gripe about it to someone."

He loved being the person his father turned to but maybe not so much when his complaint was about not having enough sex with Ridge's mom. "Honor the goat by not acting like one," Ridge said. "Take the time to properly heal so you don't have setbacks. I'm sure Gus is looking forward to continuing your adventures."

His dad laughed. "Didn't Mom tell you she's moved Gus into the house? He has a doggie door that allows him to come and go as he pleases. He has a plush bed by the fireplace and everything. Gus is mom's goat now."

"Uh, no," Ridge said. "She failed to mention Gus's upgraded status during our conversations."

"Can you see why I doubt her judgment about other things right now? She's still fixated on losing me and not focusing on the future of her business."

Back to this again . Ridge eased back into traffic and continued on to work. "Dad, she can't envision a future business without you," Ridge said. "Your health is Mom's top priority right now, so stop making things harder on her. No one said you have to like being cooped up in the house, but it's temporary."

His dad sighed heavily. "You're right. I need to stop being an insufferable ass."

"I don't think that's what I said."

"No, I did," his dad said. "And maybe your mother said it too."

Ridge laughed. "If Mom called you an insufferable ass, then you probably had it coming."

"Yeah, maybe. Guess I'll try to find something to read. Have you stumbled on any new mysteries or thrillers lately?"

They chatted for a few minutes about books before disconnecting. A few seconds later, Ridge's phone rang again. He figured it was his mom calling to offer her side of the story and accepted the call without checking the name on the display.

"You really moved that old goat in with you?" he asked. Dread washed over him when silence greeted his question. He glanced over at the display and saw Todd's name. Fuck .

"Richard isn't that much older than I am," Todd said snidely. "And, no, he's not moving in. Yet."

"I thought you were my mom calling."

"She's moved a goat into the house? Is that a euphemism for something, or do you mean an actual barnyard animal?" He sounded disgusted by the idea. How in the hell had Ridge ever thought Todd was the man for him?

"I mean an actual goat. It's a long story," Ridge said.

"I have time."

"I don't," Ridge replied. "Not to be rude, but why the hell are you calling me, Todd? What could we possibly have to talk about?"

"You don't want to be rude, yet you say the rudest thing that pops into your head."

"No," Ridge said, "much ruder thoughts came to mind first. Trust me. I went with the kindest one."

"And to think I've actually missed you." Todd's voice was low and silky but not enticing in the least.

"Well, I can't return the sentiment." Ridge slid his thumb over to the disconnect button on the steering wheel. "If that's all you—"

"Sammy misses you," Todd blurted before Ridge could end the call. "He's not himself."

Ridge's heart squeezed painfully. "What's wrong with him?"

"He just lies around and mopes."

"He's always been a little on the lazy side," Ridge countered. God, he missed Sammy's purrs rumbling against his chest.

"This is different," Todd claimed. "He's not eating much. I think he's depressed."

The vise around his heart tightened. "Have you taken him to the vet?"

"Not yet," Todd replied. "I was hoping maybe you'd stop by for a visit. Maybe seeing you would boost Sammy's spirits."

"That's not going to happen." Ridge didn't believe for a second the cat was wasting away while pining for him. Todd was using Ridge's affection for the cat for his own selfish gain, but to what end? Ridge didn't know, and he wasn't interested in finding out.

"I thought you loved Sammy."

"I do. How will seeing me for fifteen minutes make the situation better? Won't it just give him false hope?"

"It doesn't have to." Todd's voice was low and full of pout.

Ridge pictured the matching expression his ex wore like an accessory. Instead of feeling moved, Ridge was irritated. It was time to shut this down. "I don't know if you're referring to the time limit for a visit that will never happen or the false hope claim. And it doesn't matter because neither is up for debate. Take Sammy to the vet or give him to me." Todd gasped in outrage, but Ridge kept talking. "As for the false hope. We are never getting back together. Don't call me again unless it's to make arrangements for me to pick up my cat."

Ridge disconnected the call before Todd finished sputtering, then whipped his SUV into the parking lot at work. He pocketed his keys and headed into the building with a heavy heart and a brain filled with dozens of possibilities as to why Sammy was acting up. None of the options were good, and he had a crazy idea to call Sugar and accept his offer to help steal the cat.

What the hell is wrong with you , Dandridge?

"Want me to answer that?" Zack asked as he joined Ridge by the elevators.

Ridge sighed. "I wasn't aware I'd spoken my thoughts out loud."

His friend clapped him on the shoulder, and they rode up to their floor in silence. Zack liked to tease, but he rarely needled a person like Eddie did. Ridge was glad for the reprieve so he could pull his head out of his ass and focus before Eddie showed up and started dissecting his surly mood. As it turned out, his best friend strolling into the bullpen with a plum lipstick kiss on his cheek was the thing that broke through Ridge's gloom.

He recognized the color of lipstick since Jess had been wearing it during their brief chat. Not wanting to tip Eddie off, Ridge hid his smile by taking a sip of coffee. He almost told his friend about the lipstick print but decided to wait until after their morning debriefing so everyone in their unit would get a chance to see it. Unfortunately for Eddie, no one else clued him in either. Asher stood in front of the room doling out assignments and somehow managed not to smirk at Eddie. Ridge snapped a discreet picture but didn't text it to his best friend until the meeting was over.

"You assholes!" Eddie yelled after opening the message. He glowered at everyone in the room as he snagged a tissue from the box and scrubbed at his face. "Did I get it all?"

"Uh, sure." Ridge stared in disbelief at the bold lipstick still staining his cheek. Eddie's efforts hadn't so much as dimmed the color or smeared it.

"No the fuck I didn't," Eddie said, then launched out of his chair and headed out of the office. His voice filtered in from the hallway, and Ridge could tell by his tone that he'd called Jess. "Babe, what's in the lipstick you wear, and how do I get it off my face?"

The room burst into laughter, and Eddie ducked his head around the door and flipped them all off. With his friend no longer distracting his thoughts, Ridge returned to mulling over his options. It didn't take him long to determine his only choice. Staying with Eddie long-term was a no-go. He still had every intention of leaving Savannah once he busted Sheldon Harris, but there was Sammy to consider now. Todd might've just been screwing around to lure him back to the apartment for…His brain stumbled there. Ridge couldn't think of a single viable reason why Todd would want him there. If Todd had wished to keep Ridge, he wouldn't have been sleeping with Richard. Maybe Sammy really was depressed and missing him.

Ridge pulled out his phone and scrolled through a list of apartments he'd found in Savannah. He filtered out the ones requiring long-term leases, cost one arm and two legs to rent, or didn't allow pets. Ridge found a listing toward the bottom with a price he didn't hate and clicked on it to see if a lease commitment was required and if cats were allowed. The information provided for Tranquil Breezes didn't mention a commitment and clearly stated cats and dogs were welcome. Ridge felt hopeful about the prospect and clicked on the Schedule a Tour button at the bottom of the page. He filled in his contact information before he could talk himself out of it and crossed his fingers that he'd hear from them soon.