Chapter 6
Annie
We’re in the cab of his big truck. It’s warm and the seats are comfy.
The radio’s off so the silence is a little awkward.
I look over at this big, handsome man as he makes his way out of town.
The great Thorne Kingsley. It makes me feel all giddy inside that he came to the auction and bid on me.
And not for me to organize his bookshelf. He’d said the word. Date.
One word that makes my heart race.
“Thanks for coming to the auction.” I break the silence.
He doesn’t audibly groan but there is a tightening to his features, a stronger grip on the wheel, that tells me he would prefer the silence.
Well stuff to that. Now that I’ve decided to ask for what I want, to be the sort of person who goes after their goals, I’m not going to just sit here quietly.
“If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know that anyone would have bid on me.”
Now he lets out a scoffing sound. Eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead. “That’s crazy. You’re very pretty, I’m sure a lot of boys in town would like to take you out on a date.”
“You think I’m pretty?”
His mouth tightens. He shrugs. His knuckles are almost white on the steering wheel.
All I can do is grin. He might be fighting against it, but he likes me, and I have this feeling we are meant to be together. I’m just not sure how to make it happen.
“Why do you think nobody would bid on you?” He asks.
I sit to face forward with a sigh. Sinking back into the seat I think about my life so far.
It’s in a small voice that I say, “I think I’ve always hidden myself away.”
He waits for me to continue.
“My dad is beloved in this town. There was always this expectation for me to be good. But I felt like I never quite fit in.”
I look over to see him slightly nodding. We might be as different as night and day, but if anybody understands being judged in this town it is Thorne Kingsley.
“You can’t let this town dictate who you are or how you act.
” I like his voice. It’s deep and husky.
I have a feeling that all the Kingsley boys do actually let the town affect how they act.
In different ways. They misbehave or act rebellious.
They hide away in the mountains or become town mayor.
All lives and actions are shaped by the people around us.
But still, it is time I spoke up more. Decide what I want and go after it.
Thorne glances over at me. “You don’t seem like the kind of girl who lets other people tell her what to do.”
I let out a little laugh. I’m different around Thorne. I feel braver and more outgoing. Even a little bit sexy. “Well, that’s because you are meeting the new me. I go after what I want now.”
“And what is that you want?”
I think about that for a beat and then grin at him. “I don’t know. But I think it is going to be awesome.”
Thorne shakes his head and lets out the tiniest laugh that comes out as half snort and half grunt. It is nice to see the hint of a smile. I like that I amuse him. This guy could do with some amusement in his life.
It’s a long drive up into the mountains.
I wonder about where he lives. It could be a cave.
A castle. Or one of the many log cabins dotted all over the place.
The sky outside is getting dark. Threatening rain or even snow.
The road is getting smaller. Less traveled.
Winding around rocky outcrops and trees.
Finally Thorne pulls to a stop. His headlights lighting up a wooden porch and an arched door.
Getting out of the truck I take in the site before me. The wooden arch door is a thing of beauty. Strange as it sits with the rocky mountain to one side and what looks to be a wooden log cabin on the other, as though the cabin is somehow built into the mountain.
Inside is breathtaking. Like something out of The Hobbit but on a much larger, grander scale.
The floor, the walls and even the ceiling is all made of wood, giving the place a warm, cozy feel, despite the size.
The ceiling is arched, like a cathedral.
The large area hosts a massive stone fireplace, comfortable lounges and armchairs.
There are shelves full of books. A beautiful kitchen.
But the show stopper is the window. Taking up almost an entire wall, a circle of glass surrounded by a wooden frame.
Wood threads through the window, looking like tree branches.
And the view looks out to the mountain that seems to fall away and stretch out below us.
It is all so beautiful. Like living in a tree, built into the mountain.
A part of the landscape. It feels warm and magical.
I twirl around, taking it all in. The blankets, the cushions, the family photos and art on the wall. Whatever I imagined, I had pictured Thorne somewhere cold and empty. But this place is warm and welcoming.