Chapter 7

Isobel sighed, bent down, and picked up the keys. She closed Ryder's door and walked around to the driver's side. She hadn't seen his truck before, but it was a brand-new Chevy 2500, black, with every option imaginable. She found the buttons for the power seat and adjusted it forward so she could reach the pedals. Once she got it started, she put it in reverse, backed the huge truck out of its parking spot, shifted to drive, and started toward Ryder's place.

Thirty-five minutes later, she turned into his driveway, following it all the way to the house this time, bypassing the barn where they normally stopped. When she came around the line of trees and the house came into view, her breath was taken away. Most of the lights were on, and the house looked stunning. Pathway lights illuminated the large parking area and led to the steps up to the front door.

Once she had the truck parked and turned off, she turned toward Ryder, who was still passed out. "How am I going to get you into your house?" she muttered to herself.

She climbed out of the truck and walked up the steps to the front door, checking to see if it was unlocked. The door swung open, and Isobel gasped at the interior of the house; it was even more breathtaking than the exterior. She stepped inside and began to look around.

The front door opened into a large open floor plan. She could see the living room, dining room, and a gourmet kitchen, all from the front entryway. The ceiling was lined with log beams adorned with chandeliers made of what she assumed were deer antlers. Deer head mounts decorated the walls, along with a black bear skin, an elk, and something she had never seen before.

A large log staircase in the middle of the house led up to what she assumed were the bedrooms. "There is no way I'm getting him up there," she said out loud to herself.

She checked the living room, where a big, brown leather sectional resided, and decided that she would attempt to get him to it.

Isobel returned to the truck where Ryder hadn't moved at all. She opened the door, removed his seatbelt, and began to shake him. "Ryder. Ryder, wake up!" She shook his arms and shoulders some more. "Ryder!" she yelled loudly enough to rouse him just enough to get him out of the truck and on his feet.

Once outside the truck, Ryder leaned almost all of his weight onto Isobel as she struggled to get him up the five steps and into the house. Almost dropping him three times, she finally made it to the couch and attempted to carefully lower him down, only to drop him onto the cushions. She pushed him onto the couch the best she could, grabbed his legs, and swung them around to rest on the cushion. After removing his boots, she found a blanket on the back of the couch and draped it over him.

Ryder started talking in his sleep, and although she felt like she was eavesdropping, Isobel sat down to listen.

"Dad, no, Dad. Don't do it." Ryder shook his head slightly, and his body jerked to the side. "Dad, no!" And just as quickly as he started, Ryder stopped talking and his body relaxed.

Isobel started toward the front door before realizing that she had no vehicle to drive home. She looked around the room, trying to decide what to do. Seeing the staircase, she climbed it to the second story and looked around. The upstairs was just as impressive, with a hallway leading to several rooms. She found a guest bedroom, neatly made up with a cozy-looking bed.

There was a decent-sized bedroom with an attached bathroom, and Isobel would have thought it was the master if the closets hadn't been empty. She walked to the other end of the second floor and found a set of double doors. She opened them, revealing a massive bedroom.

Inside was a king-sized, log-framed bed. Two large windows with built-in window seats flanked a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace that filled the corner. Two leather chairs were positioned in front of the fireplace with a footstool and a reading lamp. A large moose antler chandelier hung from the ceiling in the center of the beautiful room.

Isobel walked into the bathroom and gasped again. A large Jacuzzi tub, bordered by tan tiles, lined the wall on the left with a window above it. The wall on the right was lined with a long vanity with his-and-hers sinks. At the end of the room stood a massive walk-in shower. Rustic barnwood adorned the walls, framing the shower doors, and inside, the walls were several shades of brown and tan slate tiles.

Isobel wondered to herself, what one man needed with all of this. "Do bull riders make this kind of money?" she asked aloud, continuing to look around. Back in the bedroom, she found a drawer that held his t-shirts and pulled one out. Then she found another drawer that had some shorts. She changed out of her dress and stood staring at the bed. "Do I dare?" She did. She pulled back the covers, climbed in, and was quickly asleep.