“You’re hovering,” I tell Ma, who stands in the doorway of my childhood bedroom holding one of my old stuffed bears between her hands. “I can handle this.”
Ma cocks her head as she takes a step into the bedroom I’ve had since birth. It’s decorated for a teenage Lydia who still thought she might become a pop star, not the Lydia who has turned into a media relations and management rookie. I’m not one for the spotlight, and it took a little too long to realise that, but I can still be on the sidelines managing it, right?
“You have tomove inwith this client?” she asks, setting the bear down gently on my old desk, which is overflowing with boxes I brought home from my college apartment. “That doesn’t sound safe.”
“Trust me,” I tell her, zipping one of my duffle bags up. “It’s a totally standard contract. And some of these big namesneedthe extra help. Hence moving in.”
“But who is it?” she asks, brows pulling together in concern. “Your father and I want to make sure you’re safe.”
I press my lips together, packing the last of my clothes into my suitcase. “I can’t say,” I tell her, looking down at the files I’ve put together and plan I have for this mysterious mountain man.
Mom sighs, but her guess is as good as mine. The NDA protects his identity—that wouldn’t be the first time I’d heard of something like that. I knew a girl in college who nannied for a football star and his wife. She had an NDA that basically forbade her from talking about the couple or even admitting she worked for them. The only reason I know about it now is because she broke the contract, and the hell that came with it.
I haven’t even started work yet, but breaking the NDA before I move in would be a bad look for my career going forward.
“I’ll be literally up the mountain,” I say quietly, turning to her completely. “At least I’ll be close enough for dinner on Sunday.”
A smile curves Mom’s lips as she picks up my sweater. “I suppose that’s much better than you being all the way off at college,” she replies, meeting my stare. “But I do worry about this job.”
“I know.” Moving in with a strange man is probably not the smartest thing I could be doing, especially in the world we currently live in. And being in the middle of nowhere, on a mountain in a cabin surrounded by wilderness…
Yeah, definitely not so smart.
But the experience—and pay—kind of make it worthwhile.
At least I know the rangers who live out on the mountain if anything does happen. I’ve camped on the mountain before, so I know the drill: satellite phone at the ready and always on, my second set of car keys are hidden in my bags but easy to find, and I know the best route to hike to the road or find the next closest cabin.
It might seem extreme, but Darcy, my oldest friend and new sister-in-law, wouldn’t let me go home until I knew all the relevant safety measures after dinner with her and my brother.
“Look, I’ll only be a phone call away,” I add, moving to Mom’s side and wrapping an arm around her. “I don’t know what hours he’ll want me to put in yet, but there’s going to be a lot ofmanagement involved. I think some of those things can be done here, so we can spend more time together.”
Mom drops her head to my shoulder with a sigh. “I miss you, my sweet girl. But I am so proud of you. I hope you know that. You’ve done so well for yourself.”
Emotion tightens in my throat, making it hard to swallow. “Thanks, Ma. That means a lot.”
She takes my hand and squeezes it. “But good luck explaining all of this to your father,” she says, eyes shining with amusement.
I blow out an unsteady breath, shaking my head as I pull away. “I don’t think I’ll mention the wholeliving alone with a man on the mountainthing,” I reply, grimacing.
Mom reaches for me, her fingers warm as they brush my cheek. “He’s fiercely protective over you kids, but I think he’s finally warming up to the idea that you’re all finding your own ways. You’ll always be his little princess, though.”
When I left for college, him calling me his little princess used to make me roll my eyes. But now, it has tears burning their way to the surface, threatening to burst free.
Mom’s the first to pull away, handing me my sweater as she does. “It’s getting cold on the mountain,” she warns, blinking hard, voice tight. “I hope you have enough coats with you.”
I force my lips into a smile. “Yeah, more than enough. Plenty of sweaters, too. And thick socks. I have enough to last me a lifetime.”
Mom gives me a look as she takes a step back. “I hope you’re planning on coming home, Lydia. I know a lot has changed this last year, especially with your brothers, but there is always?—”
“Mom, trust me, I have no intention of staying any longer than my contract requires of me,” I reply, laughing. The thought of living on Jade Mountain forever, in a cabin with no working WIFI, sends literal chills down my spine. The ranchrarely has working, stable WIFI, but since my brothers started making serious changes and built the new wedding venue, the connection has been a little better.
My mother presses her lips together and gives a look that tells me she doesn’t really believe me. I even start mentally preparing for the long spiel I’m about to get aboutbeing open to what the mountain wants me to haveandallowing the universe to give me what I needbut I quickly hold up a hand to stop her.
“This is a job,” I state, crossing my arms as I do. “If I do it well, if I manage to get this client back to where he needs to be, then it could set me up for life. There will be so many opportunities waiting for me once it’s over. And some of these opportunities might even help the ranch. The connections I could make…”
The door to my bedroom opens before I finish, and my eldest brother, Foster, steps into my bedroom. Unlike most days, he’s not wearing his signature cowboy hat, but he does have on his boots and wedding band.
Seeing him get married is part of the reason why I realised I needed to find something for me. If he could do it, then so could I.
