Chapter one
“Areyousureyouwon’t stay with us?”
Adopting an indulgent grin, Ruger reached out and cuffed his brother-in-law lightly on the side of his head. “Skye was kind enough to offer me one of the rental cabins until I can find a place in town.”
“Okay, but if you change your mind…” Kol trailed off, leaving the invitation to settle between them.
“I’ll let you know,” he lied.
He appreciated the offer. Really, he did. But despite being mated and married for several years now, Kol and Remi still seemed to be in the honeymoon phase of their relationship.
Great for them. A bit nauseating for everyone else. He’d spent the past two days with them, and honestly, that had been enough.
Virtually everyone in the world had heard of Remington Raines.
At the height of his career, he’d been headlining global tours, playing to sold-out stadiums, and rubbing elbows withtop celebrities. Between tour buses and afterparties, though, someone had to keep the fame train well-oiled and on track.
And while far fewer people had heard the name Ruger Raines, for the past decade, he had been that someone.
From schedules to finances, venues to contracts, he had devoted himself to managing his younger brother’s career. It had been a wild, sometimes exhausting, ride, especially in those early years, but he didn’t regret a single moment of it.
But all things came to an end.
Now that Remi had settled into domestic life, he had stopped touring and preferred to play festivals and other smaller events—something he had once considered beneath him. He had also walked away from his record label and decided to start producing his own music.
Ruger still helped out here and there, but it wasn’t the full-time position it had once been. For a while, he had considered taking on other clients, but ultimately, his heart hadn’t been in it. Helping his brother succeed had been more about Remi than the job itself.
As he approached forty, he found himself craving a quieter, more predictable life. In recent years, it had also become harder and harder to return to his house in the city after visits to the small mountain town of Echo Falls, Colorado.
So, when Kol had told him Blackhaven Manor was looking for a new event coordinator, it had seemed like a no-brainer.
“I’m sure he’ll be quite comfortable here.” A beautiful female with sapphire blue eyes and a waterfall of golden hair appeared on the other side of the counter. “Ruger.”
Of course, he had met Skye Maddock on multiple occasions, including his recent interview. She still unnerved the hell out of him.
Not that he would ever admit that…out loud. “Skye.”
She smiled in acknowledgement but otherwise didn’t comment as her manicured nails clacked over the keyboard. A click of the mouse popped open the center drawer of the desk, and she selected an old-fashioned brass key from one of the cubbies.
“You’ll be in the new cabin across the lake,” she said with a radiant smile as she passed it across the counter. “It’s a bit of a walk, but I thought you might appreciate the privacy.”
Attached to a leather tag that had his room number embossed in gold, the key looked like a relic from the 1800s. Yet, there was a charm about it that couldn’t be replicated by swiping a plastic card through an electronic reader.
He slid it into the pocket of his dark-wash jeans with a grateful nod.
“I would,” he confirmed. Especially since he would be calling the rental cabin home for the foreseeable future. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” She paused and tilted her head before adding, “You should visit the vendor booths on the east lawn.”
Then she turned and disappeared down a narrow corridor behind the registration area without another word.
Ruger stared after her, his brow furrowed. Hedidwant to check out the vendors for the Fae Expo, but he had planned to settle into his cabin first, maybe grab some lunch, then familiarize himself with the castle and his new duties.
“Just leave your luggage here,” Kol told him as if nothing had happened. “I’ll have someone deliver it soon.”
“Thanks,” he responded distractedly, his gaze still on the empty space where Skye had disappeared. “Is she always so—”
“Weird?” Kol suggested with a quiet chuckle. “Yeah, pretty much.”
