“How’d you like it?”
“I didn’t mind the travel, but mostly I loved talking on his CB radio. What does your grandpa think of this nomadic lifestyle of yours?” she asked with a teasing tone. “Or maybe you got the wander bug from him.”
“He actually passed away about ten years ago.”
Charlotte winced. Did Gunner have anyone else in his life? He hadn’t mentioned anyone. Maybe that’s why he was so footloose and fancy-free—no one tethering him to any one place. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“It was almost a mercy really. He’d had Alzheimer’s for years.”
***
Now why had he gone and told her that? He’d been careful to share as little as possible. Divulging led to emotions and emotions led to intimacy and, down the road, intimacy led to loss.
“I’m sorry to hear that. One of my friend’s grandmas had it. What a heartbreaking condition. She said it was like losing her twice.”
That pretty much summed it up. “Yeah.”
He’d cared for his grandpa at home for as long as he could—longer probably than he should have, as Grandpa wandered off one day while Gunner was working. It was then he came to the difficult decision to move him to a memory-care facility, which meant signing the house over. Gunner rented his own place, and Grandpa soon came to the point where he didn’t recognize Gunner, making those regular visits painful. He’d lived another four years, and though Gunner grieved his loss, he was relieved for his grandfather’s sake. The man was in heaven now, with all his faculties.
He swallowed against the lump in his throat. Not long after Grandpa had passed, Gunner moved on. Nothing to tie him to Frankfort anymore. Nothing to tie him anywhere. And look at him now.
He stopped and gazed at the beautiful sight. The sun burst through the forest, highlighting a waterfall that was about ten feet wide. The two-story drop made a good, loud roar. A finemist hung over the gorge, catching glimmers of light. If he didn’t travel, he’d miss sights like this one.
“Best view you’ll get around here. This is Stillwater Creek that eventually flows into the French Broad River and snakes around the outskirts of town. This will definitely be a photo stop for the guests. You might have to take a few pictures.”
“No problem. I can check cinches here too.”
“Good idea.”
He enjoyed the view and the pine-scented air for another minute, then said, “Ready to move on?”
“Whenever you are.”
He nudged Rogue forward, across a small summit, then down the sloped trail. The horse was quick to obey and sure-footed on the rocky switchbacks. Toward the bottom of the hill, the trail evened out a bit and finally gave way to a dirt path.
“So let’s talk about the other trail horses,” Charlotte said. “Like you mentioned, they’re all good, solid horses, but as you know they all have their own personalities. Firefly is a little reluctant when she starts out. She’ll need a firm hand at first, but once she’s on the trail she’s fine. Chowder tends to be lazy. Sometimes he wants to stop, but he’s responsive to commands to get along. I didn’t have any issues with the others.”
“I’ll pass that information to the riders.”
“We already talked about the waivers and paperwork.” She slanted a look his way. “I’m guessing you’ll make out pretty good on tips.”
He came to a stop at the creek bed. “Why’s that?”
“Well, I guess it might depend if your guests are male or female.”
Their gazes locked as she reined in beside him. “I imagineyou’ll do pretty well yourself.” Why had he said that? Just because she’d flattered him didn’t mean he had to return the favor. Heaven knew he thought she was a knockout, but saying so wouldn’t keep those boundaries in place.
She sure did have some pretty eyes. They were lighter in the sunlight. And if he wasn’t mistaken, that flush on her cheeks had nothing to do with the heat.
He tore his gaze away.
“Sorry,” she said a moment later. “I probably shouldn’t have stated the obvious, what with being your boss and all. I’m sure you’ll wow them with your spiel too.”
“No worries.” He should apologize for his words, too, but couldn’t bring himself to say sorry for paying a woman a compliment. Anyway, she didn’t seem offended.
He took a moment to appreciate the view of the water rippling across the pasture, then nudged Rogue forward. The horse navigated the narrow stream with no difficulty, but when he reached the shore he turned.
Stella stopped at the bank and snorted.
