“I can relate,” I said, though I hadn’t felt very brave in recent years.
He laughed, a deep, easy sound. “You’ll fit in just fine.”
Then he showed me the equipment room, where there were neatly organized racks of helmets, harnesses, and neatly coiled ropes, running his hand along one shelf. “You’ll be responsible for daily safety checks. We’re obsessive here.”
“I appreciate that.” I eyed the color-coded tags. “I can be safety-obsessed too.”
“Good. That’s what I like to hear. You’ll lead beginner and intermediate hikes most mornings, trail rides three afternoons a week, and rock climbing rotations depending on demand.” He pinned me with a serious look. “If you see a guest pushing beyond their limits, you shut it down. I don’t care how much they paid.”
“I won’t hesitate,” I said, meaning it. This wasn’t my first rodeo. I’d worked at summer camps and as a nature guide in Oregon. The clientele here might’ve been in a higher tax bracket than I was used to, but I was pretty certain I could handle them.
Outside, he led me along a winding path that dipped toward the river I’d once thought of asours. My and Cormac’s. A group of guests passed, laughing, one woman waving enthusiastically at Javier.
“Do you know everyone staying here?”
“I try. People remember how you make them feel, and our guests like to feel important.”
We stopped at an overlook, the land dropping away into jagged, uncompromising peaks. It wasn’t lush like the forests back home. There was no soft green canopy, no gentle shade. Here, the earth was stripped bare and sun-bleached, only stubborn trees clinging to the soil. Far below, a river cut through like a blade, carving its path without apology.
It was beautiful in its brutality, tugging loose memories of scraped knees, windburned cheeks, and the happiest days of my childhood. I’d been sure those days had been sealed off behind adulthood and responsibility. For a long time, I’d believed I’d never stand here again. Yet, here I was, boots planted in the hard, craggy dirt, sky stretching endlessly overhead, so blue it almost hurt to look at.
That river…I’d raced to it more times than I could count. Not this section, though. Cormac had taken me to areas only the family ventured to. In the shallow, narrow parts, we’d waded to our knees, splashing one another. Other times, we’d soaked in the natural hot pools. We’d fished and swam and cooled our toes. And some days, when summer had begun to wane and we’d try our best not to count the days until I’d be leaving again, we’d whisper, “To the river and back,” as a promise.
“I still can’t believe I get paid to be here,” I said quietly.
He chuffed. “Probably not enough for all the work you’re going to be putting in. You have to love it for it to be worth it.”
“I do.” I turned to him, determination steeling my spine. “I will.”
We continued our tour of the grounds, Javier introducing me to two other guides and pointing out trailheads. By the time we circled back toward the main building, I was past ready to get started.
I followed him to his office and signed the last of the paperwork, my wrist aching by the time we reached the final page. Javier was midsentence, explaining something about schedules, when a light, decisive tap sounded on the door.
“I hope you’re finished, Javier,” a familiar voice said. “I’m here to steal Zara from you.”
I was out of my chair before he could answer, a smile breaking across my face.
Elena Kelly stood in the doorway, elegant and beautiful, her silvery-blond hair swept into a perfect knot at her neck.
“Come here.”
The second I was close enough, her arms wrapped around me in a fierce, enveloping hug, squeezing the breath right out of my lungs.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she murmured. “Soglad.”
“Me too.”
She pulled back, holding me at arm’s length, blue eyes sharp and assessing as they swept over me from head to toe. “I can’t believe you’re a grown woman. Weren’t you just a tiny baby?”
I laughed. “Only twenty-six years ago.”
Elena and my mother had been best friends during college, and despite living in different states, they’d maintained their friendship all the years since. They’d been present for each other’s milestones, cheered for victories, and supported one another through grief and difficult times. At this point, they were family.
Javier lifted his hands in surrender. “I’ll release her into your care,” he said with a smile. “Zara, take the rest of the day to settle in. We start early tomorrow.”
Elena drove us to the family area of the ranch, far from the resort. The guest cottage I’d be living in was tucked behind Elena and Lock’s house. Close enough, I wouldn’t feel alone, but separate enough for it to feel private.
“It’s not much,” Elena said as she unlocked the door. “We built it for my parents when we first moved here. After they passed, it’s mostly stayed empty, aside from the occasional guest.”
