She firmly squashed her misgivings as she approached Ryne’s home. Just as he promised, the gate was open. Slowing down, she made the turn and looked around, surprised that he’d just leave it open like that when he was so obsessive about his privacy. Anybody could have just driven in.
Shrugging, she decided it wasn’t any concern of hers. All that mattered was that she didn’t have to climb over the top of the darn thing and she was safely in her vehicle, where no wolves could get at her.
The drive from the main road to his house was a bit eerie. She kept recalling her earlier visit and the wolves that had chased her. Obsessively, she peered into the woods on either side for signs that they were watching her. Of course, there was nothing to see, but acre upon acre of forest.
It was turning into a cloudy, dreary kind of a day with dark clouds rolling across the sky and the threat of rain evident in the dampness of the air. As she travelled deeper onto the property, the trees blocked even more of the light and the twisting, turning driveway began to seem as if it would never end. A slight tinge of panic was building inside of her. When she crossed a little bridge, Mel started to wonder if she might be lost. She didn’t recall going over a stream the previous day.
She slowed her pace, steering around several potholes along the way. The spring thaw was making a mess of the driveway, similar to the road she’d driven on to get to Stump River. Taking her time, she decided being a few minutes late was preferable to explaining to the rental company why the vehicle’s suspension was messed up. Finally, after what seemed like an interminable amount of time, the trees began to thin and a house came into view. She brought the car to a stop and put it in park, staring at the photographer’s home with a feeling of dread.
Chapter 15
Mel sat in her car and stared at the house. The sidewalk was cracked and grass was popping up between the broken cement slabs. The lawn was filled with weeds and the remnants of flower beds could barely be discerned among a tangle of old vines and leaves. A lone tree stood to the right of the building. Its branches stretched out like greedy hands and a hole in the trunk reminded her of a gaping mouth.
“Perfect for Halloween,” she muttered.
Averting her gaze from the creepy tree, she began to study the actual house. It was massive and stood out like something from a horror flick, complete with a dark stormy sky and a spooky forest in the background. Two stories high, not including the attic, its wooden siding was a weathered grey where it wasn’t hidden by ivy vines that seemed to be trying to slowly choke the entire building.
Over the front porch there was a rickety looking balcony, access being provided by a set of French glass doors complete with cracked glass. Extending from either side of the main part of the house were two large wings of rooms, each with eight windows that seemed to stare blankly and bleakly back at her. Mel couldn’t even begin to speculate how many rooms the house might contain.
The slate roof appeared to be new and sported a widow’s walk along the top surrounded by a wrought iron railing. Mel could almost picture some tragic heroine pacing back and forth, wringing her hands in despair before throwing herself to the ground in a suicide attempt.
The style was...well... Mel wasn’t sure. It appeared as if some Victorian architect had taken bits and pieces from several designs and centuries and then thrown them all together. It wasn’t a pretty house; a more apt description would be 'uniquely interesting and in definite need of repair.' Obviously, Ryne and his friends were working hard to fix the place up, hence the new roof, but there was still a long way to go.
Stepping out of her car, Mel stared at the structure, craning her head back as she walked towards the front door. On her previous visit she’d been rather disoriented and hadn’t paid much attention to her surroundings, but now she was taking in every single feature. Two sets of long thin windows flanked the front door and she was surprised to see that there was a stained glass panel over the top of the entrance. The steps were new and the front door had been refinished. She took a moment to admire the carved surface before raising her hand to knock.
Just as she was bringing her fist down, the door swung open and she suddenly found her hand held firmly in Ryne’s.
“Trying to hit me already?” He quirked an eyebrow at her.
“No, that comes later, after the fifth time you annoy me. Right now, I’m just knocking on your door, but if you insist on opening it when my fist is up...well, I can’t be held responsible now, can I?” Mel smiled with fake sweetness, while trying to retrieve her hand from his grip. He didn’t let go; somehow she’d known that he wouldn’t. Instead he used his hold to pull her inside.