Stay (Love In Montana Book 5)

“No, Sia, it’s not your fault at all. Mom had come home today morning to take you back to LA with her. She had wrapped up her work here and was going back. When she came to know that dad had given you permission to go on a date, she was furious. They fought a lot, mom was very harsh on him. When she left, dad went into a shell. He didn’t have breakfast either. I went to his study to check and saw him clutching at his heart. I rushed him to this place. He hasn’t gained consciousness since then,” said Anson, feeling upset. Anastasia gaped at him and so did Ryder. Anastasia had no idea that her mom would come to get her so soon. She hadn’t even completed her college degree! 

“Why would mom want to take me away now?” asked Anastasia in panic. 

“I have no idea, Sia. Mom's become paranoid about the Slovene issue. Why can’t she leave us alone and go ahead with her dreams, I have no idea,” said Anson, looking angry.

“How is uncle David now?” asked Ryder at last, coming out of his shocked state. Anson looked at him and shook his head with dread. 

“They have conducted the tests and detected a blockage, a clot in his arteries. They’ve injected medicines to dissolve the blood clot that's blocking blood flow to his heart. They’re monitoring him closely. If his condition doesn’t improve they’ll go for cardiac catheterization and coronary intervention,” said Anson, leading the way towards the Emergency Department. 

“Didn’t Dad gain consciousness at all?” asked Anastasia worriedly.

“No, I’m running around talking to doctors, arranging for medicines, doing formalities while mom's gone back to LA,” said Anson. 

“Did you inform her?” asked Anastasia. 

“Yes, she was boarding her flight when I called her. She told me that everything will be fine and went away,” said Anson. Anastasia frowned with disbelief. She hated her mom all the more now and a sense of desperation came over her to revolt against her mom. 

“I’m with you bro. We can revive uncle David together. I’ll just cancel my flight,” said Ryder eagerly. Anastasia stared at Ryder, shocked beyond words. Anson nodded. He really needed someone with him. 

“Will it be a problem for you?” he asked worriedly. Ryder shook his head, taking out his mobile phone to cancel his ticket. 

“No problem at all,” he said. “Done,” he said. 

The next few hours were very crucial as her dad didn’t improve and had to undergo surgery. The three of them didn’t get any respite the whole day. It was evening, when David Farrell was shifted to his bed and was stable. 

“Only one of you can stay here since the patient is unlikely to gain consciousness at night,” said the nurse. Ryder offered to stay and sent Anson and Anastasia home. 

“I’ll freshen up and have dinner and come back to relieve you, bro,” said Anson, feeling grateful for his help. They went home and Anastasia quickly started to make a simple dinner. In fifteen minutes she was done making beef stew and rice. Anson ate hungrily since he hadn’t even had his breakfast due to the emergency situation.

“I’m so grateful to Ryder for everything he’s doing for us when our own mom isn’t bothered,” said Anson. “I’m proud of your choice, Sia. Ryder is a gem of a boy and he really loves you,” said Anson.

“What’s the use, bro? We can never be together because of mom's stubbornness. She will do what she has adopted me for, you know that. I don’t have any control over my life. I’m not her own daughter, after all,” she said with a sigh.

“It’s bullshit. You should elope with Ryder and pop a baby out. Mom will leave you at peace,” said Anson, making Anastasia gape at him with shock. 

“I’m sure there’s another way more feasible than that,” she said looking horrified.

“Believe me it’s the only way!” he told her. Anastasia shook her head vigorously.

“With dad so sick, how can you even think of such a thing, Anson?” She scolded her big brother. 

“Dad is out of danger now and I’m just trying to help you out of your situation,” he stated, finishing his food. “Think about it, Sia. Your future is in your own hands. No one waits forever. Ryder loves you truly. Don’t make him give up on you,” said Anson, getting up to rinse his plate. Anastasia sat still, her mind puzzled by what her brother just told her. Anson came out and walked to his room to get ready to go to the hospital to relieve Ryder. After five minutes he came down to find her in the same place where he had left her.

“Why aren’t you eating?” He asked with concern. 

“I’ll eat with Ryder,” she said, her cheeks flushing with color at the lift of his eyebrow at her.

“You love him a lot, don’t you?” he asked and Anastasia nodded shyly. “Think about what I told you,” he said, walking away towards the main door, leaving Anastasia gaping after him. It was true that she loved Ryder but her nature was totally different from Anson’s. She wasn’t as desperate as him. She could never do what he had suggested. Her cheeks flushed with more color even thinking about it. 

The doorbell rang, bringing her out of her reverie. She looked at the wall clock. Had she been sitting here for the last forty minutes? It had to be Ryder at the door. Excited, she rushed to open the door. Ryder stood there with a bright smile on his face the moment she opened the door.

“Hey, baby!” he said warmly, walking into the house like he owned the place. “I’m ravenous, have you saved any dinner for me?” he asked with a grin. Anastasia closed the door after him. Anastasia noted that he had brought his luggage from his brother’s house. Did it mean that he would be staying here with her? A strange excitement coursed through her body and a giddy smile spread on her lips. 

“I was waiting for you. I haven’t eaten yet,” she told him shyly.

“Really? You’re perfect wife material, you know,” he said with a wink making Anastasia blush profusely. “But only mine,” he added with a smirk. “So which room's mine? I can move into yours if you want me to,” he said with a chuckle. Anastasia stared at him blankly. So he is staying here with her! 

“You can stay in the room next to Anson’s,” she said, leading the way. She showed him to a room that was beside Anson’s and diagonally opposite to hers. “Why don’t you freshen up? I’ll serve our dinner,” she told him. Ryder nodded and walked into the washroom while Anastasia went downstairs. She was glad to have Ryder staying with her at night. Without him, she would have spent the night with Anson at the hospital. She couldn’t stay all by herself in such a huge house at night. 

After ten minutes, Ryder came downstairs and grinned seeing the delicious food on the table. “Wow! It smells so good. I’m really dying of hunger,” said Ryder, sitting down to eat. 

“Are you going back to the hospital?” she asked hesitantly. Ryder grinned at her.

“Why? Do you have other plans for me?” he asked teasingly. 

“Hell, no. Are you crazy? I was just asking because in that case, I’ll also go with you,” she said with wide eyes. Ryder looked up at her, his eyes searching her face. 

“Why? Are you scared to stay here all alone?” he asked her gently. Anastasia nodded, feeling amazed at the way he understood her so well. “Anson was right, then. He wanted me to stay here with you since you’d be scared to stay all by yourself. That’s the reason I went to Russell’s house to get my stuff,” he informed her. “Don’t worry, I’ll go in the morning to relieve Anson. He needs to go and check up on his restaurant as well,” said Ryder. 

“I can also go with you,” said Anastasia. 

“You can come over later after breakfast,” he told her. “You can bring my breakfast over as well,” he pointed out, seeing her about to protest. Anastasia nodded and he was relieved. “If everything goes well, uncle David might be released in a day or two,” said Ryder. 

“That would be such a relief but we would need a nurse to look after him, isn’t it?” asked Anastasia. Ryder nodded.

“Maybe for a few days. Let’s see what the doctors have to say. Rowland knows a very nice nurse, she has worked with him before. I’ll call him and ask for her contact details if the need arose,” said Ryder.

“Thank you, Blue, for everything that you’re doing for dad,” she said sincerely from the bottom of her heart, deeply touched by his gesture. 

“I’m doing it from my heart, Annie. I’m doing it because I love you, because I care about you. It’s not just a physical attraction that we share, it’s a connection between our souls, it’s a commitment for life. We may not have a name to this relationship now, but yes, in future I do plan to give it a name. Therefore everyone you care about is close to my heart as well,” he said with a solemn look on his face. They might be simple words, simple promises but they pierced Anastasia’s heart, affecting her deeply.