Falling For You (Love In All Seasons #2) - Frankie Love Page 0,40
regarding the auctioned heiress and her alleged kidnapping:
“We are working with the police force in Anchorage and will stop at nothing to find our Justine. While her auction created friction among many news outlets, we hope everyone can rally together to help us bring our daughter home in one piece.”
While we’re often tongue-in-cheek here at EXPOSÉ, we sincerely send our love to the Van De Shire family and hope our virgin is home safe and sound in no time.
Unconfirmed sources have reported an abandoned truck has been found near the gas station where the limo was heisted. The license plate is being run now.
The highest bidder, Luther Morris, has promised to do anything in his power to find his prize. We’ll keep you up to date as soon as we know more!
Chapter 13
Justine
Ryder pulls open the sliding glass door and tells me to pull on a pair of his boots by the door. They are about ten sizes too big, but I smile as I slide my foot in. It reminds me of high school when girls would put on their boyfriends’ hoodies and suddenly feel like the most desirable girl at the party.
Okay, so it’s not exactly the same since Ryder’s boots don’t necessarily smell as delicious as say, his tee-shirts with lingering notes of pine and sawdust, but I still like the fact that Ryder makes me feel wanted. I more than like it. I relish it. It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before.
It’s a feeling I’m not ready to lose.
“How far away is the sauna?” I ask as he takes my hand and guides me down a well-trod path.
“Just down by the water.”
“You live on the water?” When we got in last night it was dark and I couldn’t see anything.
He leads me, silently, and I follow. I stay quiet as we walk, absorbing the quiet morning, the way the birds chirp, rustling in the trees. Noticing that the driveway wasn’t the only thing affected by the storm last night.
“Do you think the sauna may have been hit?” I ask.
Ryder shakes his head. “Nah, it’s in a well-protected place.”
He’s right. As we stop at a cliff’s edge, I look down and see that below, against the side of the rocky mountain in which we stand, sits a cedar-sided sauna. It overlooks the water, and Ryder squeezes my hand, leading me down a narrow path to the private beach.
“This is gorgeous,” I tell him, taking in the magnificent lake before us. I see he has a boat docked and several kayaks. It’s the kind of place you could get lost in, and I understand why Ryder lives here. Why would anyone leave when the best parts of the world are within arm’s reach? The blue water is so still and peaceful, and I spot moose in the distance poking their heads through trees. From this vantage point, it doesn’t look like there was a powerful storm last night, all is calm.
I point out the mama and her baby. Ryder moves my hand to the west, and I see the buck eyeing his family protectively. My heart swells at the sight of them. Those animals are the reason I held the auction last night. To keep their land protected, their homes safe.
“Do lots of deer live here?” I ask.
Ryder nods.
“How much land do you have out here?”
He narrows his eyes, his head cocking from side-to-side. “A thousand acres, give or take a hundred.”
My jaw drops open. “A thousand? Are you serious?”
I think back to his cabin––it may be small, but it is sustainable. Solar panels and a high-end generator. Not to mention top-of-the-line furnishings, clothing, even the kayaks out here. Everything is the best of the best.
“Who are you?” I tease.
He gives me a side smile. “My family has had this property for generations. When my mom died, she willed it to me with stipulations that I keep as much of it untouched as possible. So when I built my cabin, I kept my footprint small.”
“That’s incredible, Ryder.” I swallow, thinking about my footprint back in Los Angeles, where my family home is. I live in the guesthouse, not even holding a job with a salary. I make blog posts and fly to demonstrations, but none of what I do has a tangible impact like Ryder’s choices. I was hoping the auction last night would start to change that.
“I’ve always wanted to leave the city, but I’ve never had the guts,” I admit, following him to the sauna.