A single father firefighter falls for his younger, free-spirit nanny, who is also his boss's daughter.
Season 2 of Station 22
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When firefighter Riggs learns he has a daughter he never knew existed from a forgettable one-night stand years ago, he...
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Everything about this afternoon was perfect—the weather, the ocean, the company— but by the time we head back to the house, I'm drained. Mentally and physically.
The sun wipes the energy right out of you, but it's more the mental gymnastics I played all afternoon that have me ready to crawl into bed. Watching Ryan splash around shirtless and in dad-mode over the last couple of hours has me hot and bothered in a way I've never experienced before.
Hot, for obvious reasons... the guy is built like a Roman soldier, but he's got the personality of a golden retriever. Sweet, playful, and willing to do just about anything to get a smile from Hallie.
Bothered, because, well, that feels kind of obvious, too. Being around him and knowing it can't go any further than it already has is like torture, and there's only so much of it I can take. I know where the boundary lines are, but that doesn't make them easy to follow.
Somehow, I have to find a way to put some distance between the two of us, but considering we live in the same house, that might be easier said than done.
As we drive home, Hallie sleeps in the back and Ryan and I ride in a comfortable silence. We stayed to watch the sunset and now darkness has set in, the street lights illuminating us both every few seconds.
"Hey, thanks again for handling Louise today." He doesn't look at me as he speaks, eyes set straight forward. "I, uh... I really wasn't expecting her to just show up like that."
"What do you think she wants?" He might not want to get into all of this now, but I open the door anyway.
Ryan shrugs. "Nothing good, I'll tell you that. You don't travel across state lines for a surprise visit just to deliver a teddy bear."
I'd been thinking the same thing, but I didn't want to say it out loud. Her visit seems suspicious for a variety of reasons and this afternoon at the beach worked to distract Ryan for a while, but now it's eating at him.
"Maybe she just misses her." I offer, but the excuse is shallow at best and we both know it.
"Yeah, maybe." Ryan bites his lip, clutching the steering wheel so tight his knuckles are white. "But just in case she isn't, we should probably be extra vigilant when we're out with Hallie. At least until Walker confirms she is back in Nebraska where she belongs."
It kills me how torn up about all of this he is. It's like the second the custody issue gets brought up, he shuts down. The fun, playful version of him is gone, and he's got walls up so high I can't even begin to see the top of them. I want to help, but I don't know how.
"You're doing a great job with her, you know that, right?" It might be crossing the boundary line, but right now I don't care, and I set my hand on his where it rests on the center console of the truck. "Any judge is going to see that. Hallie is happy here, and she belongs with you."
