Now, as she made her way toward Max, she tried to quell her irritation and talk herself into believing she would have fun showing him the ranch and helping him with various activities. How hard would it be to get him started on something and then to sit back and wait for him to finish? It would be like babysitting, except in this case, she would be taking care of a spoiled and rich grown man who needed a personal assistant to do anything of significance.
Her assessment was a tad harsh. From what she could tell so far, he was a decent man. She’d seen far worse—men who were rude and entitled and walked all over the ranch staff. At least Max had been respectful.
The snow had stopped, and only a light dusting covered the pathway. The trails that wound through the woods around the property would have more snow, but nothing that her sturdy hiking boots couldn’t handle.
The question was, did Max have the right gear? Or was he expecting to hike around the ranch in his three-piece suit and expensive leather dress shoes?
Even if he wanted the privacy, she knew she needed to stay in places that were visible to other staff. It was the ranch’s policy that employees, including ambassadors, avoid being alone with guests. Of course, there were times when that was impossible, but everyone was encouraged to stay professional and public.
As she stepped past the last of the spruce and started up the flagstone path to the cabin, Max slid her a quick glance as he typed on his laptop. “You look warmer than before.”
“I am.” A sweatshirt and leggings were her usual attire when she wasn’t working, which wasn’t often. But she had been making more time to see her dad after his fight against pancreatic cancer last summer. He’d been steadily gaining his strength back since he’d finished his last round of chemotherapy back in November.
Her dad had maintained good spirits and kept busy with low-level marketing for the ranch. But he still wasn’t completely himself, and that was the hardest part—seeing his decline and not being able to do anything about it. All she really could do was cherish him and Mom better and not squander however many days together they were given.
Emberly paused at the cabin steps and took in Max wearing a different outfit—jeans, a sweater, a heavy parka similar to hers, and boots that would help his feet stay warm. So he did have the right clothing after all. No doubt his personal assistant did all Max’s packing and made sure he had more than he needed for every possible occasion.
“Ready to see Healing Springs Ranch?” She forced cheer to her voice.
He paused in typing—probably responding to an email—and shifted to study her face with narrowed eyes.
Could he tell she wasn’t thrilled with this new role he’d thrust her into?
Slowly, he closed his laptop and set it aside on the swing bench. Then he began to put on a pair of gloves. “I am extremely ready.”
“Extremely?” She couldn’t hold back a scoff. “You don’t need to pretend to be exuberant with me.”
“I am not pretending any more than you are. Who would not beextremelyexcited about seeing a real American ranch?”
“You. I doubt you get excited about much.”
“I am enthusiastic about many things.”
“Maybe enthusiastic about your work. But it’s easy to see you don’t take time for much pleasure.”
“Then it’s a good thing I have you to transform me, since you are so obviously eager about introducing me to your ranch.”
Oh, he was good at sparring with words.
With a smug smile, he slid his sunglasses down from the top of his head, even though the cloud cover was still thick and gray. Did he hope to hide his true identity behind his sunglasses? It wouldn’t work here. Wearing the glasses would have the opposite effect in drawing attention, especially when there wasn’t even a hint of sunshine.
As Max loped down the stairs, she reached for his glasses, plucked them off, and then stuck them in one of the front pockets on his jacket.
His eyes widened, revealing the silvery green again, but this time they were filled with surprise, as if he hadn’t expected her to be so bold.
She stuffed her hands into her coat pocket. “We’re known for having celebrities who come here, so if you want to stay unnoticed, you’ll need to try to blend in.”
“Celebrities?” He arched a brow, his eyes suddenly sharp. “Is that what I am?”
Shoot. She wasn’t supposed to know he was a prince. She couldn’t forget that.
With a nonchalant shrug—or at least, she hoped it was nonchalant—she started back down the path. “I’m just saying that sunglasses are the surest way to make peoplethinkyou’re a celebrity, whether you’re one or not. So to give you the private week you’re hoping for, let’s ditch them, okay?”
For a moment more, he was silent, then his footsteps thudded after her. “So, where are we going first?”
She paused at the end of the walkway and waited for him to reach her side. As soon as he did, with his protection agent a discreet distance away, she started forward again. “We’ll hike around the ranch to an overlook. You’ll get a good view of the land from there.”
“Sounds perfect.” He fell into step with her.
