Stay (Love In Montana Book 5)

Later Ryder returned home and Anastasia started feeling a vacuum in her heart. He had asked her to spend a few days with him at Wildcreek Ranch but Anastasia developed cold feet at the last minute. Without announcing their engagement to his family, how could she live with him? What would they think of her? 

“Marry him already,” said granny Daisy with a chuckle seeing the dejected look on her face. 

“I wish I could,” she said. Her phone buzzed with an incoming call from Freya and she sighed, accepting the call. She had the inkling already that she needed to go. Just as she had expected, she needed to go to LA as soon as possible since a theft had happened at the warehouse and 80% of the merchandise needed for an upcoming Fashion Show in New York was missing. Madame Slovene had undergone a mini cardiac arrest and was admitted to the hospital.

Anastasia tried calling Ryder for a few minutes but it seemed as if he had switched off his mobile phone. Not having any option, she decided to visit him on her way to the airport. She took grandpa Eddie’s truck and drove over to Wildcreek ranch just in time to catch Ryder on his way to the marketplace. “Wow! Annie? Have you changed your mind about moving in with me?” he joked but one look at her pale face made him stop mid track.

“What happened? Are you leaving already?” he asked with dread. Anastasia walked into the reception room and sat on a couch staring at him blankly. Thankfully, no one was present in the room and Ryder sat down beside her. “Please say something,” he asked a dazed looking Anastasia.

“I need to go. There’s been a major theft at the warehouse and all the stuff needed for a major event in New York are missing. Aunt Vida has suffered a heart attack and is in the hospital,” she told him. Ryder sighed.

“Do you want me to accompany you?” he asked eagerly. 

“Not yet. If aunt Vida gains consciousness and sees you, she’ll react violently and it might be fatal for her. I’ll call you when you need to come over. Okay?” she said. Ryder sighed, as a sense of dread spread all over his heart and mind. Would she ever call him again? Was she going away forever to drown herself in the all-consuming fashion industry? 

“I’ll be waiting for your call,” said Ryder. Rihanna dashed into the house from outside and stopped seeing Anastasia.

"Hey Anastasia, how are you?" She greeted her.

"I'm fine, Rihanna. Today’s my last day here. I'll be returning to LA,” she told her. Rihanna glanced at Ryder's pale face and noted the way he was trying to put up a brave face, making a valiant effort to smile. 

"Good for you. You wouldn't be returning to Fordsville any more, right?" She asked Anastasia, feeling horrible for her brother. Anastasia noted the sarcasm in her tone and knew instantly that she was judging her without knowing her actual reasons for leaving but she didn’t make any effort to correct her. 

"No," Anastasia just said. Ryder got up and walked out seeing Hailey come over to see him. Anastasia stared at the two of them, laughing happily together and a deep sense of jealousy and dejection filled her heart. Maybe Hailey was the right one for him. She didn’t have any complications and was free to marry him, give him all the happiness he deserved. Maybe he shouldn’t wait for her at all and move on with Hailey. She took off the ring from her finger and walked out of the door. Going up to Ryder, she held his hand and placed the ring in his. 

“I think you’re better off without me,” she told a stunned Ryder. Rushing to her grandpa’s truck with the tears threatening to fall, she drove off in a frenzy. On the way, at grandpa’s bakery shop, she picked up one of grandpa’s trusted employees to drive her off to the airport in Great Falls. Looking out of the car window, she bid goodbye to Fordsville forever. 

Ryder wanted to run after her but Hailey held him back. “Let her go. She needs to learn to trust you, Ryde. You can’t run after her all your life. She has to take at least one step towards you,” she said. Ryder sighed knowing that it was true yet he knew that Anastasia was true at heart. She might have acted out of desperation after hearing her mentor’s condition. She might have panicked as the entire burden of the business now rested upon her slender shoulders. Hailey left and he just lost the wish to do anything at all.

The next few days, he roamed around restlessly, wandering around aimlessly, looking lost in his own thoughts. But then his granny made him understand that it was useless holding on to someone who didn’t love you. It was time to forget Anastasia and move on with Hailey. Ryder didn’t correct her, he didn’t tell her that they all were wrong in their assumptions about Anastasia. However an idea developed in his head, a way to bring Anastasia back to him. He would need to talk to Hailey about it. Ryan left for Las Vegas, having found a good job there. His girl, Georgia McLean who was the daughter of their rival, also fled there to be with Ryan. With two backyard back weddings happening at home, Ryder was neck deep in work. Rex had just married the girl he loved, Ember Fischer when Rihanna announced her wedding to Hunter Bradshaw whom she loved. There was madness at Wildcreek Ranch as everyone was busy with the wedding preparations. As such Ryder had no time to wallow in self pity.,

As he went to the marketplace, he met Hailey who had also come to shop at his aunt Charlotte’s boutique. “Hey Ryder, any news of Anastasia?” asked Hailey. Ryder shook his head with dismay. 

“She didn’t call neither did she respond to my calls. I think I need some explosive news to get her attention,” said Ryder.

“I was thinking in the same lines, actually,” said Hailey. Ryder looked at her with curiosity.

“What lines? I didn’t get you,” he asked. 

“Look, I love a guy, Trevor and he has stopped all interactions with me since I’m eight years younger and he thinks that he isn’t good enough for me. But I know that he cares about me. I want to make him so jealous that he leaves his stupidity and comes forward and confesses his feelings for me. The only way is if you and I announce a fake marriage. I’m sure if Anastasia hears about the news of your wedding, she would come rushing back to see you,” said Hailey.

“I think so too. In fact I was thinking of how to rope you into this,” said Ryder with a grin.

“Great, then let’s announce our wedding to our family. I’m sure that Anastasia and Trevor would find out about it and start reacting soon,” said Hailey. 

“Yeah, hope it doesn’t backfire,” said Ryder.

“It won’t, trust me,” said Hailey. So Ryder went home and sat down when his family was making plans about Rihanna’s wedding.

“What about your wedding Ryder?" Asked Rihanna. Ryder smiled sadly.

"I'm marrying Hailey next month," he announced

“At least she loves you, Ryder. Don't wait for someone who doesn't know your worth," said Rihanna. 

Ryder shook his head, unable to keep the secret any longer from his family. "Hailey doesn't love me. I'm just helping her. I've announced the wedding to see what Anastasia has to say to it. It's a plan to bring her back actually, " said Ryder. All their jaws dropped.

"Why can't we have a normal love story? Something like, boy meets girl, falls in love, gets married and lives happily ever after," said Adelaide.

"Exactly, " said Renée. 

"I agree," said Ryder. 

"I know," said Rihanna. 

Both the weddings went off smoothly yet Ryder couldn’t get through to Anastasia. Ryan announced his wedding plans and the whole family flew off to Las Vegas to attend his wedding. Ryder was disappointed at being whisked away forcefully when he had other plans in mind. He had wanted to go to LA and see Anastasia and marry her  already.

At Las Vegas, Ryan and Georgia had moved into a new house and everyone was busy with their wedding preparations. It was only after two days that he found the time to meet Anson at his restaurant.

“Hey, Ryder! What a pleasant surprise?” said Anson. 

“Yeah, I was in here for my brother’s wedding, so just thought of dropping by,” said Ryder.

“Good that you came today. If you would have come two days later, you might not have met me at all,” said Anson. Ryder gaped at him with interest and surprise.

“Why? Are you going somewhere?” asked Ryder. 

“Yeah, I’ve sold this place at a good price. I’m moving to LA forever,” said Anson.