At twenty-five years of age, she might not be as experienced, knowledgeable, or cultured as Dwight, but she always acted professionally with guests and could pull strings to allow Mr. Milton to do anything he wanted.
In addition, she could speak several languages. She might have failed out of college, but at least languages came easily to her, and she knew enough German to be able to converse with Mr. Milton in his native tongue.
Taking on the ambassador role for the week would mean delegating many of her responsibilities as event manager to her assistant. But Karen would do just fine. She had been doing the job long before Emberly had taken over, and knew every vendor, every supplier, every staff member, and every aspect of the ranch. She managed well, kept events flowing smoothly, and always took care of the logistics.
In fact, Dad had offered the event manager position to Karen first. But the single mom with two teenagers had turned down the promotion because she didn’t want it taking away from her time with her sons.
Emberly felt like she was constantly having to prove she was capable of the job, that she hadn’t just gotten it by default or because of her family. She’d done her best to create memorable and elegant events for each client, carefully lining up only the very best decorators, entertainers, activities, and transportation. She’d learned to make each event perfect, including seating arrangements, schedules, and even menus. She’d also shown herself to be financially savvy, keeping within budgets but still providing the best of everything.
Even with all her efforts, she knew staff still gossiped about her.
Expelling a long sigh, Emberly stood and smoothed a hand down her navy suit coat and matching pencil skirt. She’d taken extra care with her appearance today, even wearing heels, wanting to appear as qualified as possible when she met the KWB Group. But now, if she took on the role of ambassador, she would need to change into something more casual.
The walkie-talkie app on Emberly’s phone dinged with an incoming announcement. “The KWB Group is arriving.”
She glanced out the lodge window to see several BMW SUVs slowly making their way up the winding drive toward the lodge.
The group was early.
She wouldn’t have time to run back to her cottage and change. Maybe that was for the best since she needed to make a good first impression on Mr. Milton. If he knew she was the event manager and that she was taking on his ambassador role personally, hopefully that would make him feel more special.
She freshened her makeup, made sure every hair was in place, rolled the lint off her suit, then lightly spritzed on moreperfume. On her way out of her office, she stopped to talk to Karen about filling in for Dwight. Karen agreed that doing so was the right decision and assured Emberly she would take care of everything else for the week.
As the BMWs came to a halt in front of the lodge, Emberly waited with the ambassadors just inside the doors to welcome the group, her spreadsheets in hand.
The lobby was quiet, since most of the other guests were either still doing a morning activity or eating lunch. A large fire in the massive fireplace on the opposite wall crackled in the silence. Surrounded by stone from floor to vaulted ceiling, the fireplace with its long mantel was central to the lobby. Cozy leather chairs and couches were positioned beside side tables with log pedestals and glass tops. A chandelier made of antlers hung low and provided a warm and welcoming glow.
A guest services counter lined the opposite wall, with the managerial offices located on the rest of the first floor through the door behind the counter. The back wall of the lobby contained sliding glass doors and a patio that overlooked the lodge waterfall and Badger River. Eight suites filled the second floor of the lodge, and four more spacious suites took up the third floor. The Cliffside Dining Room was on the fourth floor, along with a wide balcony that allowed for a magnificent view of the waterfall from above.
The lodge, like everything else on the luxury ranch, had been built to wow the guests. Now, as Emberly watched the front door of the first BMW open, she could only pray that these guests truly would be wowed by the ranch.
A protection agent stepped out, surveyed the lodge and the road, then opened the back door of the BMW. A middle-aged man in a dark suit covered by a long wool coat slid out. He had a beard with threads of silver starting to show. His medium-brown hair had hints of silver too and was styled immaculately.
This had to be Mr. Milton, riding separately from those exiting the other BMWs. He didn’t look like the picture she’d seen online. But sometimes such pictures were older and blurry and didn’t do the real person justice.
She drew her suit coat around her more securely and then stepped forward so that the double glass doors opened. She exited onto the stone walkway that had just been shoveled and salted to keep it from being slippery for their guests.
Her heels clicked a staccato as she made her way toward Mr. Milton.
He was surveying the area too, just like his protection agent.
She hoped he liked what he saw so far. The rugged foothills covered in thick pine stood as a backdrop, as did the granite snow-covered peaks beyond. The lodge itself was surrounded by spruce and fir trees laden with snow. The other dwellings were tucked away, giving each home and cabin the feeling of privacy. The main barn and corral were the most visible buildings on the property, set in a cleared area. Like the rest of the structures, they were constructed of logs, giving them a rustic, natural aura.
“Welcome to Healing Springs Ranch, Mr. Milton.” She halted as she reached the front BMW and held out her hand to the distinguished gentleman.
Mr. Milton took a rapid step back. “Pardon. I am Braun.”
“Brown?”
“Yes. Braun.” Speaking with a heavy German accent, the middle-aged man peered into the car. “I am the personal assistant of the... ah, what shall we say...?”
“The CEO of KWB Group.” Another man in a tailored blue suit began to climb out of the BMW. He was decidedly younger, with fair hair and no hint of gray, and wore Aviator sunglasses that hid his eyes but not his handsomeness—pronounced cheekbones, slender nose, his narrow chin and chiseled jaw covered with a neatly trimmed beard.
As the man straightened, he appeared to be over six feet, neither too tall nor too short. He wasn’t bulky and brawny like her brothers, but he had a muscular build and clearly worked out regularly.
His air of confidence and authority belonged to a man with experience. If she had to pin an age on him, she’d guess he was in his thirties.
“Welcome to Healing Springs Ranch.” She held out her hand to the man. “Mr....?”
