As night falls thick and fast around me, I climb the steps to my summer home and don’t bother flipping on the light when I get inside. The space is small enough that I know my way around by feel, and after a week on the river I want nothing more than to rinse off and collapse into bed. This week was especially exhausting, and I can’t imagine how it would have been with a six-day trip instead of the four days I had to endure with Reese.
Most guests become dear friends over the course of my time with them, but every once in a while there are guys like Reese who catch a glimpse of a part of me that I’ve long tried to bury and want more. Next week I’m doing an all ages Desolation Canyon trip, but after that is an adult-only six-day stretch through Cataract Canyon. That one is fully booked by an almost equal number of men and women, which likely means a presumptive man or two will make a move.
I don’t want attention, and I do my best to make that clear. Somehow, there’s always someone who takes that as a challenge.
“Goody,” I mutter as I step into the dark shower, not bothering to wait for the water to warm up. All I need is to rinse off before I go to bed, and I just spent four days bathing in the chilly water of the Colorado River. I can handle a slightly cool shower, especially when Spencer’s news has left me exhausted.
I can’t lose Red Earth. Working here is the only life I know. The only one worth living, anyway.
Clean enough, I towel dry and fumble through my drawers for clean clothes, and then I’m in bed, falling asleep within seconds of hitting the mattress. But I dream of self-important men chasing me like some trophy while I have nowhere to hide, and nothing about my sleep is restful.
Chapter Three
Derek
“NormallyI’monetotrust your judgment, Derek, but this feels like a bad idea.”
Ignoring Hunter’s comment, I tug my hat lower and keep walking. True, there are a lot more people wandering the streets of Moab than I anticipated, but no one has a reason to expect me to be in Utah. I’m hoping that means I can enjoy a night out without being swarmed.
Just one night.
“I’m with Hunter on this one,” Janie mutters behind us.
I glance back at my assistant, wincing when I catch the anxiety in her eyes. She usually only comes to work meetings or filming locations, and she’s looking pretty overwhelmed. Funny, considering she’s spent her whole life in Los Angeles. A small town in Utah should be a walk in the park. Though, I wish she had worn something less…LA. Her short skirt and heels might draw some attention among the cargo shorts and tennis shoes surrounding us.
“We’ll be fine,” I assure both of them.
I’d believe that more if Hunter had let me come out on my own. He’s wearing his own hat, our sad attempts at trying to be incognito, but the two of us together aren’t exactly inconspicuous. He goes with me everywhere, and I’ve been discovered more than once by someone recognizing my bodyguard first. But it’s hard enough for him to let me go to my friends’ houses by myself, let alone out in public. I don’t think I could have set foot outside the hotel without Hunter strong-arming me back into the room.
I would say he’s overprotective, but the longer I spend in Hollywood, the happier I am that I hired him.
People can get…bold.
“Ten o’clock,” Hunter says, shifting closer to me as we walk.
I look where he directed, across the street and ahead a bit, and catch sight of a group of women who look to be in their twenties and are heading in our direction.My worst nightmare. Wincing, I tilt my head down and turn away from the group. They’re probably lovely women, but I’m not willing to take my chances.
I just want some food. Is that so much to ask?
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I glance at my watch to see who’s calling. Cole must have sensed my frustration from two states away. “Hey,” I say when I grab my phone and answer the call.
“Uh, when were you going to tell me about this mess with Shannon?”
It’s been almost two weeks since the disaster date, and I’m surprised it took him this long to ask about it. Granted, his rugby team has been on a winning streak and on their way to the championships, and with his wife only days away from her due date, he’s been preoccupied. He wasn’t at brunch earlier this week, or he would have gotten the whole story.
“When it felt necessary to share,” I mutter, glancing across the street to make sure the women haven’t noticed me. We’re walking in opposite directions, which means they have a chance of seeing my face but will hopefully pass without looking over.
Still, this town is busier than I was expecting, so I need to keep on my guard.
“Where are you?” Cole asks.
“Researching.”
“That didn’t answer the question.”
“I know.” I hate keeping secrets from him—he’s been my friend longer than anyone—but I’ve learned it’s easier to compartmentalize which information I share beyond those who absolutely need to know. None of my friends would ever give away my location, but on the off chance something goes wrong…
Cole sighs extra dramatically, and I pull my phone away from my ear to make a face at it, as if he’ll be able to see my distaste for his newfound emotion. He was like this when we met, which is one of the reasons I learned to trust him, but after he went through a few hard years and retreated into himself, I started getting used to him being the stoic one. Carissa has been a good influence on him, even if it means I have to adjust.
