Someone To Run To

7

Once Gina stepped outside the doors of the mansion, she felt an overwhelming burst of freedom. There was nothing but trees and green grass as far as her eyes could see. If it wasn't for the mansion behind her, she would have thought she was standing in the middle of a beautifully serene meadow. It was breathtaking. She smiled as she stepped onto the grass and made her way to the back of the house, taking in the scenery as she went. She passed several beds of flowers of different varieties. When she finally did make it to the back of the massive estate, she expected to find it abandoned. Alan had to be tired of waiting.

It wasn't.

Alan was standing there waiting for her just like Kate said he would be. He looked more laid back than he had been the previous day. He was wearing a light blue t-shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans. His hands were in his pockets. A small breeze blew all around for the first time since she had stepped outside and blew his hair to the side a little. He placed it back where it was and continued to stare into the distance. She wondered how long he had been out there. Surely, he hadn't been out there since the early morning waiting for her. Gina walked up beside him, the wind blowing her hair out of her face, and stood there. She wanted to see how long it took him to realize she was there.

"Why did it take you so long to come up to me?" Alan asked softly.

Gina glanced over at him. "What do you mean?"

He turned to her, a smile on his face. "You stood there for a few seconds before you came up to me. How come?"

Her eyes widened. "You knew I was there the whole time?"

He nodded. "Yes. I'm very aware of my surroundings, Ms. Turner."

She smiled. He was full of surprises. "Please call me Gina. Ms. Turner sounds like an old woman."

He chuckled. "My apologies. Gina, did you receive my note?" He knew she did because she was there but he wanted to hear her say it.

"Yes, I did. I have to admit I was a little surprised when I woke up this morning with breakfast in bed and the new room and this dress. It's all so great of you. I appreciate it."

"It was no trouble. I'm just glad Kate did as she was told. She can be rebellious at times, but she has always been a good worker. Reliable and trustworthy. Those qualities are really hard to find, especially for me."

"She's really sweet. She said you asked her to treat me like a queen."

Alan grinned. "Indeed I did. I wanted to make sure you were comfortable."

"I was. I mean...I am," Gina assured him. "Last night was the best night of sleep I've had in a long time."

"Good to hear." He turned to face her. "Would you like to go on our walk now?"

"I would love to. I'm anxious to see just what it is you wanted to show me."

"I think you're going to love it."

Alan started walking, his hands still in his pockets. Gina followed closely behind him. She glanced back toward the house. It was made of multicolored stone and some of the windows were stained glass. She suddenly regretted being asleep when she arrived. It looked more like a castle than a mansion, but there was no mistaking its breathtaking beauty. She felt like she was in the middle of some kind of fairytale.

"Your home is beautiful," Gina said abruptly as they walked. "I had no idea it was so huge."

Alan laughed. "I didn't either really. I've always known it was big, but you never realize how big until you're completely alone inside of it."