Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
The murder of Dean Kelly was still, to this day, unsolved.
Though everyone knew that Dario was responsible.
Neo barked, and I slowed down, having not realized that I was now flying down a mountain pass.
My speed slowed, and I forced myself to pay attention to what I was doing.
And the land surrounding me.
I loved Montana.
I loved how much Neo enjoyed the land.
I loved going home and making dinner and not wondering who was going to show up unannounced.
I loved waking up and being free.
There was only one thing missing, and that was something I’d never really had.
A man who would share my world with me and make me happy.
Neo nudged my chin with his nose and I focused on him instead.
“Do you think Gentry would’ve liked it here?” I asked Neo.
Neo licked my lips, and I chose to think that meant that Neo thought he would.
I continued to drive until I got to the RV park that I’d be staying in for the foreseeable future.
I eyed the gate that I had to fit the massive rig I’d been driving through.
This entire trip had been a straight shot, no narrow turns or backing up necessary.
But now, not only did I see that I would have to back up my RV, but I also had to fit it through some tight turns and around some corners that I’d never had to navigate before.
I stopped to the right of the front office where it said “15 minute parking” on a bright white sign in bold black ink.
I pulled to a stop, only causing a minor jolt to my seat belt, threw the truck in park and got out.
I paused, wondering if I should take the keys, then took a look around.
We were in the middle of nowhere.
I eyed the beauty that surrounded me, taking in the picturesque mountain range to my left, the valley to my right, and all of the open space that was allotted to you in some very spacious RV spots.
There was no one in sight, so I chose to leave the truck running and the keys in the vehicle.
If it was stolen…well, I didn’t know what I would do.
I turned back and got the keys, locking the truck.
I had a hundred grand in cash in that truck.
I shouldn’t leave it unattended.
I turned back and got the duffel bag, just like I had every stop I’d made throughout the thirty-hour drive here.
Nothing like a long-haul road trip in the mountains, hours and hours away from anything you’ve ever known, driving a truck and an RV that you’ve never driven or pulled before.
To say that my brain was mentally exhausted would be an understatement.
A woman smiled when I arrived inside and she waved. “You must be Sage. I’m Ida Bell.”
I held out my hand. “Ida Bell, nice to meet you. Yes, I’m Sage.”
“Sage Ryan?” she confirmed.
I frowned.
I’d thought I used my fake ID name—Sage Kelly—but I guessed I was wrong.
I had never changed my name over to Sage Kelly, though I’d desperately wanted to.
It was just too tough to do when you were in nursing school under a different name.
Then, life had been difficult enough that I hadn’t wanted to add in changing my name to Kelly.
But now that I was free…
“Yes.” I nodded.
“I have your ID photo and your information here.” She eyed me. “Not that I’m judging you or anything, because I’m totally not, but would you want the big boss to back you into your spot? It’s kind of a tight spot, and…”
“Oh god. Please yes,” I said, distracted from asking her how she’d gotten a copy of my ID. “That would be fantastic. Between me and you, I’ve never backed a trailer up in my life.”
Her eyes sparkled. “I’ll call Koen for you.”
Forty-five minutes later, my RV was backed into the spot, and all of the slides were popped out thanks to the “big boss.”
I sat on the steps to the RV and surveyed my new home.
I decided, as Neo ran in the meadow just beyond the RV spot, that I was really going to like it here.
Five
The dildo of consequences rarely arrives lubed.
—Food for thought
Sage
Three months later
It started out with quick glimpses while I was in town.
Just a small slip of a look here.
A distorted face in a police cruiser there.
A man turning the corner in the grocery store there.
My brain was no longer on survival mode, but it was damaged, nonetheless.
I mean, why else would I be seeing my dead husband everywhere I went?
But I ignored it, thinking my mind was just playing tricks on me.
I went to work, hired a dog walker to come play with Neo once a day while I was at work, and I settled into my new normal.
The more time that passed, the more I realized that I really liked it in Bear Pass, Montana.