Someone was cleaning my room.
Jesus, I was paranoid.
“Hello?” I called, stepping inside.
A woman with a brown ponytail poked her head out of the bathroom. “Oh, hi. Housekeeping.” She camefully into view, mop in hand. “Sorry, I thought you had left.”
“Just the cabin, not the ranch.” I glanced around. She’d already stripped the bed. I opened the drawer of the nightstand and found it empty. “You didn’t happen to find my earbuds, did you?”
“Purple case?” she asked. I nodded, and she reached into her pocket. “Here you go. I was going to turn them in to the lost and found at the lodge.”
I slipped them into my bag. “Thanks. It’s great to see another woman around. I was beginning to think women were going extinct.”
She laughed. “I’ve been around the whole time. Housekeepers tend to be more invisible than cowboys. Maybe it’s their hats.”
“Right.” I smiled. “Do you mind if I take a quick look in the bathroom to make sure I grabbed everything?”
She shrugged as she plugged in the vacuum. “It’s empty but go ahead.” She hit the button, and the vacuum roared to life.
I stepped over the cord on the way to the bathroom. Empty, like she said. I hadn’t noticed anything missing when I’d showered last night, but every time I packed my things, I felt like I was leaving something behind.
“Thanks again!” I shouted over the vacuum. She nodded and waved in return.
The smell knocked into me as I crossed the threshold. Vanilla and citrus. My hand clenched my pursestrap so hard my nails bit into my palm. Slowly, I looked down, already knowing what I would find.
A postcard. The photo was of a waterfall this time. I picked it up, my hand shaking.
YOU’RE MAKING A MISTAKE
I scanned the yard and treeline, but saw no sign of anyone. My heart in my throat, I turned slowly to look at the housekeeper.Her?No, it couldn’t be. That was ridiculous. But I couldn’t force the words out to ask.
It took her a moment to feel my eyes on her, but then she did a double take and turned off the vacuum. Her brow furrowed. “Are you all right?”
She wasn’t my stalker. She was the housekeeper. I was being silly.
“I…” I cleared my throat. “Did you see anyone just now?”
“Other than you? No. Is everything okay?”
I forced a tight-lipped smile. “Everything is fine.”
I shoved the postcard into my bag and jogged down the porch steps.
Everything is fine. Everything is fine.
I pretended I couldn’t smell it. I pretended it wasn’t there in my bag, a companion to every step I took.
MaybeI felt someone’s furious gaze following me down the path.
But I pretended I didn’t.
“Finally. A horse.”I nabbed an apple from the basket and held it out on my flat palm to the only horse cooped up in the stables on this gorgeous summer day. Alibi, according to her nameplate on the stall door. She bobbed her head as she lipped it up. “What do you say, girl? You want to be my getaway ride? We can live in the mountains and everything will be fine.”
“You’re not going to get very far on a lame horse,” Jeremiah’s amused voice said from behind me. “Alibi has a bruised frog.”
“A bruised what?” I leaned back to look her over. Admittedly, I was no horse expert, but she seemed okay.
“The frog is part of her hoof. Probably stepped wrong on a stone last night. She’ll be all right in a day or two.” He set aside his pitchfork and rubbed her nose. “You want to tell me what you’re doing here when I told you to wait for me at the lodge?” His voice was as unruffled as ever, but a muscle popped in his jaw.
