Stay (Love In Montana Book 5)

The next whole day Anastasia was restless to meet Ryder. Finally it was evening and she was ready in a fuchsia colored top, a matching warm jacket and a figure-hugging pair of jeans. She fixed her hair into a bun and applied a matching lip gloss. Her granny peered into her room.

“Ryder’s here, dear,” she said with a smile. Then giving her an approving look, she smiled. “Remember what I told you last night?” She asked. Anastasia smiled and nodded at her granny. 

 “Don’t break the heart of a person who loves you. No one knows what the future holds for us, dear. Be true to your own feelings. If you like someone, don’t hold yourself back,” said granny. Anastasia nodded again.

“Yes, granny. I can understand what you’re trying to tell me but wouldn’t it be unfair to give Ryder hope when I know that I can’t fulfill his wishes?” asked Anastasia.

“Don’t give him hope but don’t hide your feelings from him. Tell him the truth. Leave the rest to him, Ana. He can decide whether he wants to give you up or fight for you,” said granny. Anastasia smiled.

“We haven’t reached there, granny. He just likes me a little,” said Anastasia, smiling ruefully as they walked out of her room. 

“I’m sure his feelings run deeper than just like. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Ana and it speaks volumes. Promise me that you won’t push him away,” said granny, with so much solemnity that Anastasia couldn’t decline her.

“I won’t, granny but at the moment I won’t encourage him either. It wouldn’t be fair to him when I would leave after a few days,” said Anastasia. Granny sighed knowing that she was right. They walked up to the reception room where Ryder was sitting with grandpa and discussing football! He looked up the moment she walked inside, his hot gaze taking her in from head to foot. The way his eyes glittered with excitement made Anastasia’s heart skip a beat or two. Maybe he approved of her look. Anastasia loved the leather jacket that he wore above a light blue sweater and figure-hugging jeans that clung to his b*tt. He looked too hot with the typical bad boy vibe that always emanated from him. It made him se*y and she couldn’t look away.  

“Enjoy but bring her back on time,” said grandpa. Ryder grinned. 

“Sure, grandpa,” promised Ryder. Granny smiled at them and Ryder ushered her outside, eager to leave. Once outside, he led her to his Chevy Silverado, opening the passenger door for her. She could feel Ryder’s gaze upon her every now and then but he didn’t say a word to her yet. It was strange and Anastasia was curious as to what was going on in his mind. 

“This color looks good on you,” he said all of a sudden once she was settled into the seat. Anastasia blushed and smiled at him.

“Thanks,” she whispered shyly. Ryder grinned seeing her reaction. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest and he wanted to tell her so much. He had planned the whole day but now seeing her looking so beautiful and innocent, he felt tongue-tied. He could feel her wide eyes glance at him every now and then but he didn’t know how to tell her that he had fallen for her. He didn’t know how to confess his feelings to her. What if she didn’t feel the same way for him? What if he scared her with the intensity of his feelings for her? Yet he wanted to tell her that he loved her. He wanted to see how she would react! 

He sat in the driver’s seat and started the ignition, his eyes twinkling more, his breath already erratic and his lips had a faint smile on them. “Where are we going, Blue?” asked Anastasia. 

“To a quiet place where there would be only the two of us,” said Ryder. Anastasia’s eyes widened with surprise. So they weren’t going to a restaurant for dinner. Where could this quiet place be? She racked her brains yet couldn’t come up with any ideas. 

“And where exactly is this quiet place?” she asked curiously. Ryder smiled at her curiosity. 

“Under the night sky,” he said, making her all the more curious. 

“Ryder, stop talking in puzzles,” she scolded him, making his grin broaden. She rolled her eyes at him and looked out of her window.   

“Are you mad?” he asked her, glancing at her tied up hair which seemed to loosen from its pin. Anastasia started retying it up. “Let it be. I love it when you don’t tie it up,” he said in a husky whisper.

“I’m not mad, just curious,” said Anastasia with a blush as she left her attempt to tie up the silky mass. “I’ll have difficulty with it hanging around all over,” she pointed out. 

“You don’t have to do anything but sit with me. There won’t be anyone else to see,” he said making Anastasia all the more curious. Where exactly were they going?

“I’m not listening to you any more. You’re just getting me more and more curious,” she pouted. Ryder’s glance was drawn to her pink lips and he felt a tremor of excitement for down his spine. He would surely devour them tonight! He drove on fast to his destination with his heart beating wildly in his chest at what was to happen  soon. 

Anastasia saw him drive away from Fordsville towards the highway. Were they going to Great Falls? She watched him swerve the car onto the Fordsville bridge to cross the Little Prickly Pear Creek that was a small tributary of the Missouri. Were they heading for the Missouri River at this time of the evening? After driving along for a short distance, he swerved into a river trail that led to a small log cabin on the edge of a lake where the Little Prickly Pear Creek fed some of it’s water. The cabin's porch was lit up casting a warm glow all around the place. It was a cute and romantic setup. Anastasia gasped upon seeing it. It looked like a little cottage straight out of a fairytale book. With her Prince Charming by her side she could almost see herself living here forever with him, far away from reality. 

Ryder watched her eyes admire the beauty of the place. The calm, tranquil water of the lake, the sound of crickets and the rustle of the leaves of the trees made the place very secluded and he was thankful that his friend Caleb fixed it up for him at such short notice. “Who’s house is this?” asked Anastasia, turning to look at him as he led her up the porch towards the door of the cabin. 

“My friend Caleb knows the owners so he helped me rent it for tonight,” said Ryder. He unlocked the door and Anastasia walked into the little cabin. It was so warm and inviting. The place was spotlessly clean and Ryder started the fire in the fireplace. 

“Do you like it?” asked Ryder, going to the kitchen to check if the caretaker had done his job or not. He found the drinks that he had ordered. Non-alcoholic drinks since he had to drive back home. 

“I love it. In fact, I could live here forever, hidden from reality, from my parents,” she said, following him into the kitchen.

“With me?” asked Ryder with a chuckle. Anastasia clamped her mouth with her hand. Uh oh! What had she blurted out without thinking? “You didn’t answer me, Annie? I would love to live my life with you, hope you know that?” said Ryder. Anastasia’s eyes widened with disbelief! Had she heard him correctly? 

“Me too,” she whispered. Ryder was excited at her confession. It gave him hope. He turned towards her and gazed into her eyes as they stood beside the kitchen counter, 

“Why?” he asked, his breath caught in his throat. Anastasia looked up into his blue eyes. They held so much emotion, she could feel herself hoping that maybe he too loved her back. Granny’s words started playing on her mind. Should she confess her love for him? Should she listen to granny and give this relationship a chance? She knew that she couldn’t love another the way she loved Ryder. He would always be her first and last and the only one she’d ever love. Should she tell him? 

“Why Annie? Why do you want to live here with me forever?” asked Ryder, hopefully. 

“The same reason as you, Blue “ she whispered, her eyes shimmering with the love she felt for him. Couldn’t he see it? Couldn’t he feel it? Ryder closed the distance between them. His arm snaked around her waist and he pulled her into his arms. Anastasia placed her hands on his hard chest, her eyes not leaving his even for a second. They were lost in each other, seeing the love in each other's eyes. 

“I love you, Annie, that’s my reason,” he whispered, his fingers trailing along her cheek tenderly. Anastasia closed her eyes, her arms going around his neck as she clung to him. 

“Oh, Ryder!” she gasped as a tear fell from her eye.  She couldn’t tell him how much she loved him. Madame Slovene and her mom’s faces came into her mind and her heart filled with a feeling of dread.