Bree is skeptical. “I don’t think you did a very good job.”
I motion from head to toe. “What do you mean? I’ve got glasses on. My hair’s cut. Besides, who would expect Walker James to be out here changing light bulbs at a dude ranch?”
“We recognized you right away.” Izzy’s tone is matter-of-fact, her stance mirroring her sister’s.
Bree nods. “True. And you have a swagger that’s recognizable. You should at least have picked a shirt two sizes larger and loose jeans.”
I’m not surprised by her observation. Knowing what makes an artist appealing to the public is part of her job.
“Too late on the clothes, but I’ll try not to swagger.” I clear my throat, trying to deflect their questions with my own. “What are you doing out here at Wild Vista Ranch?”
The sisters ignore me.
“Why are you at the ranch, Walker? Because—“
“He’s hiding, Bree.”
“Ah. Why are you hiding here? Because you’re supposed to be at Nash’s in three weeks.” Bree loops her arm through her sister’s and just smirks at me.
“Fair.” I scan the path to make sure we’re still the only ones out here. “The owner is a family friend who said I could come here and detox from tour life.”
Izzy tilts her head, a look of amusement on her features. “There are resorts in Bali for this kind of thing.”
“True.” I scrub my hands over my face, the scruff of beard starting to fill in. “I happen to have a lot of excess energy, and this is a great way to channel it into something productive. Think of it this way. Nash owns a ranch, so when he comes off tour, he can pour his energy into running it.”
I look back and forth between the sisters, knowing they’ll understand where I’m coming from. “I don’t have that, so working on the land helps ground me while I hide in plain sight.” I purse my lips as I picture the most recent visit to my condo. “Even Tulsa’s getting hard to live in without people trying to spot me outside my building.”
Izzy smiles, reaching her hand out to touch my arm. “Your secret’s safe with us.” She chews her lip thoughtfully. “But I won’t lie to my friends if they ask.”
“Fair.” She has a point. “Who are they?”
“You just saw Kate. Mallory’s inside.”
I nod as if this were just a conversation. “Thanks, ladies. I appreciate your discretion.”
“Sure, Cam.”
“Bye, Cam.”
They head into the cabin while I make my way to my next job. My spirit is light for one reason, and it should be that my cover isn’t blown. But that’s not it at all.
I now have a name to go with the two black braids, and I already know it’s going to cost me.
Wild Vista knows how to treat its employees. Meals from the main dining hall are part of the benefit package, though I’m not getting paid to be here. Still, I don’t have to order room service or eat the same hotel food night after night.
Here, meals are served buffet-style, with the employee area in a smaller dining room right next to the buffet line. Makes things easy. Tonight’s dinner is traditional ranch fare: barbecue chicken, ribs, potatoes, beans, and a vegetarian chili.
I worked my ass off today. After changing out the remaining light bulbs, I added new shower heads to some of the cabins and then laid new fencing for the rest of the day. It’s honest work that completely drained me. After this, I’m going to head to my bunk early, pop in my headphones, and go right to sleep.
I decide to go back through the line for another helping of ribs. The dining room crowd has thinned somewhat, although I expect another wave will hit after the trail rides come back in. As I stand here waiting for the line cook to add a new pan of ribs, the hairs on my arms stand on end. I look over to see Mallory sliding her tray next to mine.
“Hey,” I say with a half-smile. “I was in your cabin earlier today. Changed out a bulb?”
She looks at me from underneath her thick liner, her blue eyes watching me with a guarded intensity. She smiles and nods but doesn’t respond, her braids tempting and looking delicious.
“Still working okay?” I ask, grateful that those ribs aren’t quite ready. There’s plenty of other stuff available, so she must be here specifically for the barbecue, like me.
“Yes. The bulb works just fine,” she says, her voice cool and deliberate, each word placed with intention.
