“That’s not really on my radar,” I admitted. “The plants are important, but they’re not the deciding factor. I’m looking for a place that feels like home. Somewhere I can put down roots.” I smiled at my own unintentional pun. “The human kind, not the plant kind. I can always propagate indoors. The right place matters more than the climate.”
He seemed to absorb that, his jaw working slightly.
“How long are you visiting Iron Peak?”
“Not long.” I sighed. “I can’t afford to stay at the Summit House for more than a day or two. It’s a beautiful place, but my savings won’t stretch that far if I’m paying bed-and-breakfast prices.”
Something shifted in his expression. A flicker of disappointment that he quickly masked.
“What about you?” I asked, eager to turn the conversation away from my impending departure. “What got you started as a trail guide?”
He was quiet for a long moment, his gaze drifting to the trees beyond the spring.
“Spent more time in these woods than with people growing up. The mountains are in my blood.” He shrugged those massive shoulders. “Guiding just made sense. I get paid to do what I was already doing, anyway.”
“Did you always want to be a guide?”
“Started building something a while back,” he rumbled slowly. “A survival school. Bought land. Put up a structure. It’s… still a work in progress.”
“That sounds exciting. When are you opening it up?”
His eyes tightened, and he barked out a laugh. “When my partner comes back.”
Oh. There’s a woman in his life.
The burn of disappointment coursed through me.
Of course, there is. The man’s a catch.
Keeping my voice light, I asked, “When is she coming back?”
His brow raised in question.
“Your partner,” I clarified.
His jaw flexed. For a second, I thought he might ignore the question.
“Not a woman. And he’s not coming back.”
“Oh,” I’d wandered into dangerous territory. I could tell by how stiff he was all of a sudden.
“Guy bailed,” Grayson said, his voice flat. “Took some money. Left me holding the bill.”
“That’s awful.”
“It’s business,” he muttered, like that was the end of it. He shrugged one shoulder dismissively, but his eyes stayed fixed on the water instead of me. “You learn who people are real quick when money’s involved.”
The words felt like a wall sliding into place.
Grayson glanced back at me, something guarded settling over his features. “Enough about that. Tell me more about those plants of yours.”
But I didn’t like seeing him shut me out.
The old me would have kept my mouth closed and let this moment slip by.
But the new me, the one who was open to adventure, softly asked, “Did it cost you a lot?”
He let out a quiet breath through his nose. “Cost me plenty.” A pause. “Had to give up my cabin to keep the school.”
