The Russian Billionaire’s Secret(102)

Eddie breathed in the fresh air. “Sometimes, when I think about missing my family in Chicago, I just have to breathe and look around me to remember why I love it here so much.”

“I can’t imagine living in a big city. I’ve always been a rural Canadian girl,” Sondra said.

“You’re not missing much. Just noise, buildings, a lot of people, many of whom are cruel and selfish and just lord power of you.” Eddie looked down.

“Sounds like your upbringing was pretty rough.” Sondra put her hand on Eddie’s shoulder.

“It was. I don’t like to think about it much. When I came up here for college, I was the only black woman there. I didn’t think I’d ever fit in. But the people were nice and kind, and never treated me like an outsider.”

She laughed. “They were curious about me, though.”

“Yeah? How do you mean?” Sondra asked.

“My roommate used to bombard me with questions about my hair, my experience with prejudice, R&B music, gospel music, my ancestry, and even about the size of black men’s…” She stopped a blushed.

Sondra giggled. “So, are they bigger?”

Eddie turned red. “I don’t know! I don’t have much experience in that area. I believe in waiting ‘til your married. Sex should be special and intimate.”

“I know, I know. I totally agree with you on that.” Sondra paused. “No brothers?” Eddie laughed at Sondra’s persistence. “Yes, I had two older brothers, but they were private, and more into their gangs than the family. My uncle wasn’t private or shy…” Eddie’s voice trailed off. “But I don’t like to think about him. My point was, that even though I was surrounded by white people, I finally found my real home here.”

Sondra put her arm around Eddie again. “You are my family.”

“You’re mine, too. You and the others at Kenosee Lake Bible Camp are a much better family for me than my birth family.” Eddie put her arm around Sondra’s shoulders and squeezed.

She looked out at the meadow in the distance and pointed. “Sondra, look. It’s the wild herd.”

The women sat down in the tall grass and watched as the Stallion led his herd into the meadow to graze.

“All people should be able to witness the beauty of wild horses in their habitat,” Eddie said.

“You still dreamin’ about opening a wildlife park?” Sondra asked.

“Yes. It’s more than a dream for me, Sondra. It’s a mission. I envision people driving around in their cars or with a guide and having the opportunity to see wild horses, bison, elk and moose in all of this beautiful land with trees, meadows, lakes. It’s all so amazing! It’ll be like Yellowstone National Park, only it will be privately owned and maintained. The province is interested. It would bring lots of tourism to Saskatchewan, but I need to raise millions of dollars just for them to take me seriously.”

Sondra sat up. “You know what you should do?”

“What?”

“Go talk to the Fiske family in North Dakota. I just read an article about them. They’re only two and half hours from here!”

Eddie wrinkled her eyebrows. “You mean that rich oil family? Why would they talk to me?”

“Because, from what I read, Anders Fiske is a cattle rancher at heart. He said sometimes he regrets finding oil because it is building up the area and he misses the quiet, small town feel that he knew most of his life.”

Eddie raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

“Yeah, he might want to support something like your wildlife reserve.”

“I want to call it Frontier Forever,” Eddie stated.

“You should go pitch your idea to him.”

“How?”

“You’re a bright girl. You’ll think of a way.”

Eddie looked over the land and admired the horses again. Maybe Sondra was right. She should at least try.

Chapter 3

The Proposal

Lars sat at the diner in Wildrose and bounced his leg as a nervous habit. He did not want to meet with this frontier-lovin’ freak, but he needed to do what his grandfather said, at least ‘til he cooled down. He would just listen to what the guy had to say, deny him any money, and then move on. Lars was accustomed to people asking for money. He discovered quickly that everyone wanted a piece of the Fiske fortune and he learned to say no with grace and to say it quickly before he got emotionally involved in their passion.

He saw a black woman enter the diner. He hadn’t seen many black women in Wildrose before. She was slender, yet curvy. She filled out her button-down shirt extremely well. She took off her hat and revealed her full, long, curly and wild hair.

Mm, Lars thought. She is tight! Too bad I have this meeting. I’d like to talk to her. He licked his lips as he thought about kissing her.

She stopped at his table. “Are you Lars Fiske?”

Lars smirked. “Why yes, I am. Are you new around here?”

She smiled. Her bright teeth were mesmerizing.

“I’m here for our meeting, about Frontier Forever.” She waited for a response.

It finally dawned on Lars who she was. He stood up. “Pardon me, Ms. Dobson, I was told I was meeting a Mister Dobson, so I was a bit thrown. Obviously, someone made a mistake.”