She nodded. “Then I’ll bring the coffee. It’s the least I can do.”
“Thanks, Miss Harper.”
“I think after tonight’s events, you can call me Grace.”
“Deke.”
“I remember.”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Grace.”
She opened the door. “If you don’t feel well during the night, don’t hesitate to come over and wake me up.”
“I can handle this.”
“Then have a good night.”
He nodded again and stepped outside to make his way to the cabin. As he walked across the loose gravel, then the damp grass, his eyes lit on a firepit between the two cabins, visible in the moonlight. The cool night air felt good on his heated face.
Dipping his good hand into his jeans pocket to remove the key he’d slid there after Grace had found it, he unlocked the door. He turned on the light switch and made his way around, familiarizing himself with his temporary home. When he’d finished, he went outside to bring in his duffel from the back of the Jeep Wrangler. By now, his head ached along with his hand. He found pain reliever in the bathroom, popped two and finally sank down on the couch in the living room.
Blowing out a breath, he muttered, “Great first impression, Matthews.”
Getting cut might temporarily throw a snag in his plans, but thankfully Miss Harper—Grace—hadn’t told him he was fired before he started.
Grace. Even the name suited her. She was tough and caring, a surprising combination that he’d do well not to let get the better of him. He was here to lose himself in work, not notice his new boss.
THE NEXT MORNING, the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee greeted Deke as he walked into the office. Just what he needed after a miserable night of tossing and turning. His palm had throbbed, despite the pain relievers. After staring at the ceiling for hours, he’d gotten up at dawn to take a much-needed run through the woods. No sleep meant his mind was too busy obsessing over things he didn’t have the power to change, mainly Britt’s senseless death.
When he’d made his way along the path that skirted his side of the lake before veering off to the woods, he’d gotten his heart rate high enough that all he concentrated on was breathing. He’d returned to the cabin, soaking wet and winded, then cleaned up the mess he’d made on the back patio. He couldn’t deny that the incredible scenery, tall pines and the water lapping the dank soil beside the lake, calmed his spirit. More so than Atlanta or even his childhood home in Florida. He needed to get his head in the game, not keep dwelling on the past. His brothers were depending on him to find information on James Tate and he was determined to carry through.
Grace was on the phone but pointed to the cup waiting for him on the counter. As he removed the lid, a burst of steam escaped before he took his first slug of the morning. Inwardly sighing, he hoped the caffeine would soon do its magic.
“Yes, sir, we have available openings for that date.” A frown pinched her pretty face. “I can’t promise that Nathan will be leading the group, but I will certainly put him as your first choice. Thanks so much for booking with Put Your Feet Up vacations.”
She jotted a few notes before looking up. “We’re getting busy.”
“Good to hear.”
She took her soda can and rose from the desk. Again, she’d dressed in a power suit. Yeah, he recognized one when he saw it. Today she wore a navy waist-length jacket and pants, with a white blouse. High-heeled pumps completed the look. Since he didn’t have to dress professionally for this job, he’d chosen a T-shirt, jeans and boots for comfort over presentation.
“How’s the hand this morning?” she asked, nodding in that direction.
“Better.” He’d tended to it when he got back from the run, happy the cut wasn’t going to give him problems and that the bruised fingers were no worse than last night. “Not as deep as you would have thought.” He held up his palm. “Just a large bandage today.”
“Good. I felt really bad about what happened.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“No, but it is my uncle’s place.”
“Serves me right for fumbling around in the dark.”
She sized him up. “Why don’t I think that’s the case?”
“What do you mean?”
“I doubt you’re the type that fumbles around. You came in here yesterday knowing exactly what you wanted and didn’t back down.” She took a sip of her drink, then said, “Somehow you made arrangements with my uncle to rent his place, which rarely happens. What are you, some kind of wizard?”
He chuckled at the suggestion. “More like a fact finder. I research, then apply the knowledge. In this case, Golden jobs and rentals.”
“Hmm. A very cerebral approach to things.”
“Guilty as charged.” He took another bracing gulp of his coffee. “So, care to fill me in on the inner workings of the vacation business?”
“For your research?”
“If you want me to do a good job.”
She lifted the hinged section of the counter and waved him into the office area. “I made some notes,” she said as he passed by.
There was that cherry scent again. It seemed to have taken hold of his senses. Shaking off the notion that Grace was the one to conjure some sort of sorcery, he took a seat beside the desk and waited for her to get started.
She set her can aside and with nimble fingers took a printed paper from the top of the desk. “I pulled together a schedule. Memorial Day weekend is usually swamped with guests at the cabins, but most families do their own thing. I have two hikes scheduled for Saturday, a canoeing session on Sunday and a group zip-lining on Monday.” She pulled a map from the folder, circling an area in red. “The hikes will be relatively easy. They’re both at the same park, Crystalline Falls. It’s a gradually inclining path from the footbridge up to the falls. Beautiful scenery. About a mile up and back.”
“I passed the entrance to the park when I was driving around town the other day. I’ll head out there later and check it out.”
“Since it’s Thursday, you have time to familiarize yourself with the terrain.”
“Got it. Sunday’s excursion?”
“Canoeing on Golden Lake. It’s a bit tricky. Boaters will be out in full force because of the long holiday weekend, but most of the locals know to watch out for tourists. The canoes are stored at our warehouse just south of town. I’ll take you over there so you can see the inventory.”
“The canoes aren’t in the water?”
“Not yet. Uncle Roy will tow them over when he gets back to town. There’s a ramp and dock about a hundred feet to the north of our cabins, along with parking. We usually launch from there.”
“I’ll have a look later today.” He read the next activity on the list and looked up. “I have to admit, I’ve never been zip-lining before.”
“Don’t worry too much. All you do is escort the group to Deep North Adventures. We have an agreement worked out with them, along with the company that offers river tubing packages and another offering horseback riding, to book our guests at a discount. They have trained staff to safely handle their equipment during the entire experience.”
“I