Lodged (Kinsmen Billionaires #2)

20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Ruin MacAllister

N ow that the snow storm has finally passed, the orchard looks like a winter wonderland. Bundled up, I’m ready to head out for a morning walk with Rain.

“Where are you two going so early?” Mama asks from the kitchen as she sips her morning coffee.

“Good morning, Mama,” Rain says as she goes to get a cup of coffee for herself. “Ruin here decided she wanted to snap a few pictures of the orchard with all the pretty snow before it melts, and I told her there’s no way I’d let her go by herself.” I roll my eyes as I fix my scarf but then go hug Mama.

“I don’t know why she thinks that just because I’ve been in Raleigh for five months, I forgot how to walk these mountains,” I say as I hip check Rain out of the way to get some coffee for myself.

“Well, I think it’s a great idea for you two to go out, just like when you were little,” Mama says with a chuckle. Rain’s gray eyes light up with mischief, and we exchange a silent look, just like we’ve done since we were kids. After kissing and hugging Mama again, we go outside.

“It’s fucking freezing,” Rain says the moment we close the door behind us.

I look to the right side of the porch, where there’s a thermometer, and it reads 15°F.

“Yup, it’s fucking freezing. Let’s get moving.”

We start walking toward the path River and Miles cleared yesterday, but more snow fell overnight, so the path is less visible this morning.

“You know I love spending time with you, but couldn’t you get some stock pictures to send to Gio?” Rain says as her white breath comes out of her mouth, and her teeth chatter.

“I could have come out by myself. I know I can do a pretty picture on Canva, but the truth is, I’m going crazy without him.” I breathe out with a resigned sigh. “And before you tell me anything, I know we’ve been together for a short period of time, but he’s just that special. I’m happier when he’s around. We could talk about any topic for hours on end,” I share with my sister as we start climbing a small hill with a lot of effort. We’ve easily got one foot of snow to trek through. “And yes, I love spending time with you all. But… I feel I’ve had my fill of family time, you know?” I bite my lip, waiting for Rain to say something —I think I went a little too far with my last comment and hurt her feelings.

“I get it,” she finally says, and I breathe a sigh of relief. “I mean, I know what you mean. Not that I get it, like, I've been in your shoes. You know what I mean.” She throws her hands up in the air, and we both chuckle.

“He’s your person, Ruru. And I’m so happy you found him. He seems just as smitten with you.” I grin wide at her words.

“Yeah, he’s it.” There’s nothing more to add—Gio Bianchi is everything I’ve always wanted.

We reach the top of the hill, and when I look back, the mountains stretch out, beautifully coated in white, fluffy snow. The trees are beautifully dusted, and our family house looks imposing as the only man-made structure on the horizon. I truly hope Gio and I find a way to make these mountains our home, because as much as I want to see the world with him, there’s no place like home.

After taking a few pictures of the gorgeous landscape and a few selfies, Rain and I start our walk back home. At least this time we have a path to follow instead of making one.

“Think fast!” I hear River say as a snowball smashes into Rain’s face.

“River!” Rain shouts as she dusts the snow off her face, and I throw my head back in laughter. A snowball hits my back, and I immediately stand up straight from the impact. When I turn around, a grinning Merlin is looking at me as he makes another snowball.

“Seek cover,” Rain shouts, taking me out of my stupor, and I run to hide by River’s truck. I’ve spotted River and Merlin, but I need to find Miles before he finds me, because he’s the most lethal with snowballs. I try to make as many snowballs as I can, but I’m not fast enough. Before I can make five snowballs, River is already in front of me, holding at least a dozen snowballs and rapidly firing them at me.

“Ahhhh!” I scream as I try to move away from him, my snowballs long forgotten.

“Yup, she’s still our Rusty alright,” River says with a cackle, and I stick my tongue out at him. I gather enough snow to make a giant snowball and throw it at him, and it’s an epic explosion all over his big frame.

“Ohhhh, the River has frozen,” I say laughing as I run away to find another hiding spot. From the corner of my eye, I notice Rain and Merlin in a monumental face-off. This is exactly what I needed—goofing off with my siblings.

“Freeze, in the name of the law,” Miles says as I come closer to his hiding spot; he’s behind the barn where we keep our horses.

“I don’t see any law here,” I say as I run across the field, getting closer to where Mama grows her vegetables during summer.

“Guys, I found Miles! Behind the barn!” I yell, hearing the sound of heavy steps approaching.

“You snitch,” Miles says as he runs behind me, throwing one snowball after another. I slow down, not being able to contain my laughter. I go down on the ground and try to make a snowball as quick as possible. By the time Miles is right behind me, I have made a huge snowball. I turn around to throw it, and Miles starts cackling. I throw it directly into his mouth, and he chokes on it. It’s hilarious to see his face going from pure joy to shock. All of the snowballs he was carrying fall to the ground unceremoniously as Miles goes down, too. By the time he starts to recover, all my siblings have caught up with us, and we all start throwing snowballs at Miles.

“Oh, how the mighty has fallen,” River says as he places his foot on top of Miles’ snow-covered back. We all melt in a fit of laughter, with Rain wiping tears from her eyes.

“Ok, ok. You all got me. Yay,” Miles says as he gets up from the ground. “Last one to make it home has to cook breakfast!” He takes off, and we all run behind him. Surprisingly, Merlin is inching close to Miles, but as he gets to the first step, River shoves him into the mountain of snow that he cleared from the front and Merlin ends up getting home last.

“Not fair. You all ganged up against the youngest of the family,” Merlin pouts, taking off his frozen jacket and boots in the mudroom. We laugh at his dramatics. When he realizes no one is feeling sorry for him, he storms toward the kitchen as he shouts, “Fine! Cereal for everyone.” A collective groan echoes around us. I had a hot and tasty breakfast in mind—not cold milk and cereal.

“Come on, little one. I’ll help you,” I say as I grab the back of his neck in a comforting touch.

“Thanks, Ru.” He hugs me, and right at this moment, the pain of missing Gio subsides—it feels right to be home.

After breakfast and helping River clear the driveway all the way to the gate, I decided to brave the roads and head to Pine Shores, the town next to ours, to try and find a cute souvenir for Gio. I’ll be going back to Raleigh in three days, and I can’t wait to see him again. From what he has told me, he’s been buying a ton of presents for me, and even though I can’t buy him a lot or something expensive, I want to get him something that makes him think of me when we’re not together.

The roads are clear but slippery, so I’m hoping by the time I have to go back home, the black ice will have melted with the sun. I park in one of the few spots available in downtown Pine Shores—most of the parking is occupied with snow piles. I fire off a quick text to Gio to let him know I’m thinking about him.

After pocketing my phone, I make my way to Main Street to see which stores are open. The bakery, hair salon, and trinket store all have their lights on. I head toward the trinket store, Highland Treasures, and as soon as the door chimes above me, I feel at home. Country music plays in the background, and a balsam scent invades my nostrils. I look around to see where the smell is coming from, and I see a big candle burning by the cash register.

The store is arranged into sections: handmade crafts, blown glass vases and ornaments, books, and candles. I wander through the store, looking for something that makes me think of Gio. When I get to the blown glass section, I spot a collection glass animals—and sure enough, there’s a wolf. It’s not too big, so it’d be perfect for him to keep in his office. Just like he gave me Cobalt, I can get him this little wolf, and we both will have something similar that’ll remind us of each other. After paying and getting it wrapped in pretty handmade paper, I head back to my car, but not before stopping at the bakery to see which goodies they have.

“Good morning,” a nice lady greets me as I stomp my boots on the doormat by the door. I don’t want to leave snow marks all around the bakery that will become puddles later.

“Good morning. Is there anything that has just come out of the oven?” I ask her, approaching the main display case. “Everything looks delicious,” I murmur to myself as I see muffins, several kinds of cookies, donuts, and pies.

“These cranberry and orange muffin tops just came out of the oven.” The lady points at a huge muffin.

“A muffin top?” I ask her as I frown in curiosity.

“Yes, to most people, the top part of the muffin is the most delicious since it’s the crispiest. So I decided to make muffin tops—same delicious flavor, but instead of a tall muffin, we have a wide one,” she says, beaming.

“That’s genius,” I say as I get a whiff of the warm goodness she’s describing, and my mouth waters.

“I’ll take one to go and a Fruit of the Forest pie, please.” She nods at me with a smile. I look for my wallet to pay and notice my phone is bright with a notification. A huge smile forms on my lips.

Gio : Hey, beautiful. Vicente and Gabo are leaving for Europe tomorrow, so we’re having a boys' day. I think we’re going car racing and then dinner at a country club or something. I’ll send pictures. I love you and miss you.

My goodies are ready, so I quickly pay and put my phone in my bag as I make my way to my car. I’ll text him back once I get home. When I get outside the bakery, I notice it’s snowing again, but it isn’t heavy yet.

Placing the baked goods on the passenger seat and my bag on the floor, I turn on the radio and slowly make my way onto the highway. A song by Turner fills my car, and my mind goes to that magical night when Gio brought Turner to his beach house to sing for us.

I’m going down the mountain, and the black ice hasn’t completely melted yet. I press the break gently, trying to avoid sliding, but somehow, the car starts gaining speed instead of slowing down. Panic rises in my chest as I press harder on the brake, but nothing happens. The brakes aren’t working! My heart pounds, and my hands grow sweaty against the steering wheel.

When I feel the car sliding toward the precipice, I panic and veer hard toward the other side of the road. Luckily, that lane is empty.

“Don’t panic, Ruin. You got this,” I keep telling myself as I try to slowly make it back into my lane. I’m completely focused when a loud horn blares, startling me. My eyes bug out, and I’m blinded by the brightest lights I’ve ever seen. I swerve, but it’s a sharp curve, and I lose control.

The car spins, and then there’s a violent impact. My body leaves the seat as the car tumbles down the mountainside.