She gave him a sheepish grin. “Honestly? Not really. But I do owe you an explanation.”
“You owe me nothing,” he insisted.
Leaning back, Charlie Grace gazed into the night sky, a tapestry of shimmering stars that seemed infinitely vast compared to her dim situation. Everything seemed big compared to how small she felt right now. “It’s over between me and Jason,” she told him. “I had planned to end things tonight, before…well, before everything exploded into the worst moment of my entire life.”
“Worst moment ever?” Nick echoed, raising an eyebrow.
In the distance, a frog’s methodic honking could be heard over a chorus of insects.
“Okay, perhaps I’m exaggerating a bit. I’ve had my fair share of worse moments,” she admitted, stealing a glance at him before letting a mischievous grin blossom across her face. “But you have to admit, that was a classic bombshell.”
Returning her grin, Nick leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting upward. “True, it was pretty spectacular.”
A surge of feather-like light flooded through Charlie Grace at the shared humor, dispelling the heaviness that had plagued her since the gazebo fiasco. “The silver lining is that I’m free now. If there were someone else I had my eye on, I could pursue that relationship without any guilt.” She turned to face him directly. “And, well, there is someone else.”
“Oh?” Nick responded, his interest clearly piqued.
“Yeah, he’s a hotshot from L.A., a production designer with a passion for wildlife photography. Oh, and he has an undeniable weakness for rib eye steaks and Rocky Mountain oysters.”
“I’m already liking this guy,” Nick teased, a sparkle in his eyes.
Charlie Grace turned fully towards him, a newly discovered joy suddenly radiating from her being. She pushed her earlier embarrassment aside and reached for his hand. “Me, too. I happen to like him a lot.”
28
In the flurry of events of the past days, Charlie Grace almost forgot that Lizzy Cayman was due in from Seattle. This morning, at the crack of dawn and before she could jump in the shower, Albie called reporting his niece had safely arrived from Seattle. He planned to drive her out to Teton Trails when he shut the newspaper office down for lunch.
True to his word, the dusty yellow Volkswagen van rumbled up the gravel driveway a few minutes past noon.
After parking, Albie climbed out, beaming. He hurried around the van and opened the passenger door. Charlie Grace couldn’t make out the conversation as he invited his niece out of his vehicle, but Albie seemed excited as he pointed toward the barn, the main lodge, and finally in her direction. She gave them both a welcoming wave before making her way to greet them.
The pretty young woman wore white jeans and a blue peasant-style top that showed off her bare shoulders. Charlie Grace would kill to have her thick, deep brown hair. “Welcome to the ranch, Lizzy.” She extended her hand. “I’m Charlie Grace, the owner.”
Lizzy gave a half-hearted nod and scanned the ranch with a raised eyebrow. “So, this is it, huh?” She shook her head. “It’s sure not Seattle.”
Charlie Grace nodded, undaunted by Lizzy’s skeptical expression. “It’s a different kind of beauty out here, but I assure you, the mountain air grows on you. I think you’re going to enjoy working with us here at Teton Trails. We’re a small, but close-knit team, striving to give our guests an unforgettable experience. You’ll be helping with making up the cabins and assisting my aunt Mo with meal prep.”
Lizzy turned to her uncle. “You said I’d be doing something more…challenging. Law school student here, remember?”
Albie didn’t seem fazed by his niece’s rudeness. He continued to beam as he placed his arm around her shoulders. “You’re going to love working with Charlie Grace and Mo. You can’t find nicer people anywhere.”
Likewise, Charlie Grace maintained her calm demeanor, despite the growing realization that Lizzy might prove to be a handful. “Well, Lizzy, I’m certain a break from the rigor of legal research might just be the ticket. Making beds might not be glamorous, but this job comes with a lot of rewards.”
“Yeah? Like?”
“A paycheck.” Without waiting for a response, Charlie Grace turned and headed for the main lodge. Several steps down the path, she turned to see Lizzy gaping. “Well, are you coming?”
Albie urged his niece forward, and they followed Charlie Grace.
“You’ll be expected to show up promptly at six o’clock am. You should be done by early afternoon each day,” Charlie Grace told her new employee after showing her around. “If you do a good job and make it to the end of summer without quitting, there will be a cash bonus.”
Despite the carrot she’d just dangled, it was her bet that this spoiled brat wouldn’t last until the end of the week.
She was wrong.
Despite the shaky introduction, Lizzy turned out to be a hard worker. Rarely did Charlie Grace need to tell her anything twice. She seemed to work particularly well with Aunt Mo and never complained about the early hours or the tubs of potatoes she was tasked with peeling every morning.
That didn’t mean Lizzy was a model employee. Albie’s niece did not go out of her way to take on anything not assigned to her. Rarely did she engage with any of the guests, nor did she smile much. But she completed everything Charlie Grace asked her to do and performed the tasks properly.
