Stay (Wild Creek Ranch Series Book 6)

Chapter Fifty

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.