скачать книгу бесплатно
She sized him up. “Why don’t I think that’s the case?”
“What do you mean?”
“I doubt you’re the type that fumbles around. You came in here yesterday knowing exactly what you wanted and didn’t back down.” She took a sip of her drink, then said, “Somehow you made arrangements with my uncle to rent his place, which rarely happens. What are you, some kind of wizard?”
He chuckled at the suggestion. “More like a fact finder. I research, then apply the knowledge. In this case, Golden jobs and rentals.”
“Hmm. A very cerebral approach to things.”
“Guilty as charged.” He took another bracing gulp of his coffee. “So, care to fill me in on the inner workings of the vacation business?”
“For your research?”
“If you want me to do a good job.”
She lifted the hinged section of the counter and waved him into the office area. “I made some notes,” she said as he passed by.
There was that cherry scent again. It seemed to have taken hold of his senses. Shaking off the notion that Grace was the one to conjure some sort of sorcery, he took a seat beside the desk and waited for her to get started.
She set her can aside and with nimble fingers took a printed paper from the top of the desk. “I pulled together a schedule. Memorial Day weekend is usually swamped with guests at the cabins, but most families do their own thing. I have two hikes scheduled for Saturday, a canoeing session on Sunday and a group zip-lining on Monday.” She pulled a map from the folder, circling an area in red. “The hikes will be relatively easy. They’re both at the same park, Crystalline Falls. It’s a gradually inclining path from the footbridge up to the falls. Beautiful scenery. About a mile up and back.”
“I passed the entrance to the park when I was driving around town the other day. I’ll head out there later and check it out.”
“Since it’s Thursday, you have time to familiarize yourself with the terrain.”
“Got it. Sunday’s excursion?”
“Canoeing on Golden Lake. It’s a bit tricky. Boaters will be out in full force because of the long holiday weekend, but most of the locals know to watch out for tourists. The canoes are stored at our warehouse just south of town. I’ll take you over there so you can see the inventory.”
“The canoes aren’t in the water?”
“Not yet. Uncle Roy will tow them over when he gets back to town. There’s a ramp and dock about a hundred feet to the north of our cabins, along with parking. We usually launch from there.”
“I’ll have a look later today.” He read the next activity on the list and looked up. “I have to admit, I’ve never been zip-lining before.”
“Don’t worry too much. All you do is escort the group to Deep North Adventures. We have an agreement worked out with them, along with the company that offers river tubing packages and another offering horseback riding, to book our guests at a discount. They have trained staff to safely handle their equipment during the entire experience.”
“I see. So your guides don’t actually participate in all the activities?”
“You can if you want to, but it’s not mandatory for the outsourced trips. A few years ago I realized it was easier to team up with other outdoor adventure companies in the area than try to do it all ourselves. It’s really helped to pick up business for everyone involved.”
“Smart.”
“I thought so.”
He grinned. Pretty and confident. A dangerous combination, if his lingering interest in her was any indication.
“You know, it just occurred to me,” he said. “Put Your Feet Up is a misnomer. If anything, your tours keep people on the go, not relaxing.”
She laughed. “True. The cabin you’re staying in? My grandparents developed the land and built the cabins in the eighties. Uncle Roy took over and when my folks got married, my dad offered to assist by opening a booking office. Soon they expanded the business by offering local activities and the company grew from there.”
“You mentioned your mother, but is your dad still involved?”
She hesitated, her eyes taking on a hooded look. Clearly he’d stumbled into something here.
“No. My father left for parts unknown years ago. That’s why my mom runs the business.”
“And you?”
“I help, as you can see. Mostly I worked here when I was growing up, then part-time while I was in college.”
“But you came up with the business model?”
She blinked, surprised he mentioned it. “Yes. It wasn’t really difficult to figure out ways to outsource some of the tours and still make a profit. For the most part people want someone else to arrange a tour, not make all the calls to different venues or worry about the costs or times. I do all that for a set fee.”
“You?”
“I mean Mama.”
At the heat in her voice, he backed off.
“What else should I know?”
Grace spent the next hour explaining the tour options and his responsibilities, answering questions and effortlessly fielding phone calls. She engaged with those on the other end of the line, laughing or reminiscing with prior clients. By the end of the conversation, he had to wonder why Golden didn’t appeal to her anymore. She ran the office seamlessly.
After her last call, when she’d mentioned someone named Nathan again, he had to ask. “So, Nathan? Is he the reason you need a new guide?”
“Yes. And full disclosure, he’s my brother. Unfortunately he took off a few weeks ago and my mother has only heard from him once. I have no idea when he’ll be back.”
“Noted. Anyone else in the family working here I should know about?”
“I have a sister, but she’s not involved.” She closed the thick folder and handed it to him. “I’ve enclosed employment forms you need to fill out and return to me. Any health issues I should be aware of?”
“For the most part, no. Allergies are about it.” What his family thought was childhood asthma had sidelined him when he was a kid. While his brothers had been outside running around, he’d stayed indoors, reading as a way to make the hours pass. Turned out he retained everything he read, which gave him extensive knowledge on quite a few topics. Didn’t hurt that he tended to be a geek. And he’d developed exceptional patience during that time.
Thankfully as he got older, the doctors realized it wasn’t asthma but severe allergies. Since they’d worked out the right medication, he rarely experienced any problems. “During allergy season I fill a prescription and I’m good to go.”
“Okay. I think that’s it.” She rose, grabbing a set of car keys from the desk. “Let’s go visit the warehouse. We can leave through the back door once I lock up.”
She smoothed her slacks, then headed to the front door, which nearly hit her as it opened. A preppy-looking man with shiny blond hair styled in an expensive cut, a slick smile, a tan polo shirt and blue Dockers walked in. If Deke wasn’t mistaken, he heard a muffled groan carry across the room.
“Grace Harper, it is you? Lissy Ann told me you were in town but I had to come by and see for myself.”
“Why, Carter Tremaine, you’ve just made my day.”
Was it his imagination or did her drawl suddenly grow more pronounced? Deke grinned at the fake enthusiasm of Grace’s voice. He could see why when he glimpsed the outward disdain on the face of the other half of the well-dressed Tremaine couple. It perfectly mirrored his wife’s expression yesterday.
“When you left Golden for the bright lights of Atlanta, we didn’t think we’d ever see you again.”
“As I’m sure you know, family matters brought me home.”
“Shame about your mama’s fall. Someone should really take care of that house of hers.”
Grace’s face turned red and her voice turned sharp. “What do you want, Carter?”
He handed her a large yellow envelope. “Lissy Ann compiled the information for the Summer Gold Celebration. I’m sure you can pass it on to your mama and Nathan.”
Grace hesitantly reached out to take the proffered envelope. “How neighborly of you both.”
“We’ve invested in extensive publicity with the hopes of putting Golden on the go-to vacation map, and this celebration should seal the deal.”
Grace stood before him not saying a word. If Deke didn’t already dislike the visitor, he might almost feel sorry for him. Grace’s stony silence threw the other man off.
“So, ah, can we depend on your commitment to the town and help during the celebration?”
“You’ll have to discuss it with Mama when she gets back.”
Carter looked skeptical. “But she’s always on board with civic projects.”
“Then there you go.” She opened the door. “Thanks for stopping by.”
Carter hesitated. “You both have a nice day.” He shot a final glance at Deke and exited out the door.
Grace closed it behind him with more force than was necessary and quickly locked the door. She then stomped back to the desk with a decidedly ferocious frown. Tossed the envelope as she went.
“I take it you’re not a fan of the husband either?”
She ran a hand through her hair. “Do you have people in your life whose mission it is to make you miserable?”
“Sometimes I feel like my brothers were put on this earth for the sole purpose of tormenting me.”
Her eyes lit up over their common bond. “The Tremaines have been pains in my behind since high school.”
“I’m guessing that’s part of the reason you live in Atlanta?”
“Yes.” In the overhead light, her green eyes sparkled. He liked her hair a bit ruffled, her cheeks bright with outrage. Made him want to kiss the stress away until she couldn’t think of anything but him.
Whoa! Hold it. Yes, she intrigued him, but where had that thought come from? Thrown, he clutched the folder tighter.
“Let’s get going before another town resident decides to stop in to confirm the rumors that I’m back in town.”
She led him out the rear door to a narrow lane running behind the buildings in this block. They crossed over gravel to a small patch of grass, which then led to a public parking lot.
“Mind if I drive?” he asked. “I do better with directions if I navigate myself.”
“Sure.” She stopped short when she eyed the white vehicle he pointed to. “It doesn’t have any doors.”
“Yeah. It’s a Wrangler.”
He could almost see her brain calculating the distance from the ground to the seat. It was a bit of a climb to get in, but he had every faith she could manage it. Especially as she stared at the wide, silver side step, face etched with grim determination. Did she always approach life with such a take-all attitude? He and his brothers had been overly competitive growing up—still were today, truth be told—and he found himself wondering if she subscribed to the same philosophy. If so, this would make for a very interesting summer.
“Take hold of the grab handle and pull yourself up.”
She shot him an incredulous glance. “Just like that?”
He chuckled. “Just like that.” He couldn’t wait to see this.
Blowing out a breath, she reached up for the handle, hefted her weight, tottered in her spiky shoes for a scary moment, then slung herself into the seat. She shot him a cocky smile. “What are you waiting for?”
Admiring her pluck, he jumped inside and started the ignition, and they were on their way.
As he pulled onto Main, she shouted directions over the loud engine. He drove through town, enjoying the cool temperatures and cloudless sky. With a sideward glance, he saw Grace’s hair blowing in the wind while she uselessly tried to control it. Her tight, white knuckles grasped the handle for dear life as he took the turns. What a trouper. The idea of this woman, who had no use for nature, running her mother’s outdoor adventure business struck him as a bit absurd, but he enjoyed the juxtaposition. Finally, a few miles outside town, she pointed down a winding road leading to a large warehouse nestled between tall pines and scraggly scrubs.
“Just pull up in front.”
He did as she said, parked and followed her to the front door beside the large roll-up door beside it. Once inside she flipped on a light and led him to the center of the vast structure.
“Canoes and kayaks on this side.” She pointed out the location. “Camping gear on the other.”
The inventory was clearly laid out for easy access.
“There’s a trailer on the other side of the building that’s used to transport everything when needed. I didn’t notice. Do you have a hitch on the Jeep?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Her gaze encompassed the room. “Any questions?”
“Nope. You’ve covered everything.”
Except why she didn’t like being back in Golden, what was up with her family issues and why the Tremaines pushed her buttons. It wasn’t his place to ask, even though he wanted to. He was here for one thing only, to get the dirt on James Tate and report back to his brothers. The Harper family dynamics were none of his concern.
Grace headed for the door. “Let’s get back to the office.”
As they started to leave, Deke noticed a few posters hanging on the wall, one featuring people water rafting and another of a campground at dusk, a fire flaring in a circle pit. He tried to picture Grace in either setting but had to admit he couldn’t, not with her buttoned-up look.
“So what are the odds I can get you up the mountain or out on the lake?”
She snorted. “Zero to none.”
He chuckled. “Good to know.”
They walked back to the Jeep, Grace’s expression resigned as she climbed in. “Let’s get this over with,” she said.
* * *
WHY ON EARTH anyone would enjoy traveling around in this hunk of metal was a mystery, Grace decided as Deke drove her back to the office. Every dip and bump jostled her and jarred her teeth. Thank goodness for the seat belt preventing her from sliding off the leather seat every time he took a turn. Her heels were not the best shoes to keep a good purchase on the floor and she just knew when they got back, her clothes would carry the odor of gas all day. She swore she’d gotten a bug in her teeth. A bug! Someone save her from the great outdoors.
Before long they pulled into the parking lot. As soon as Deke cut the engine, she swung down from his death machine. She shook her shoulders, smoothed her hair and faced him head-on. “Next time we take my car.”
