Coming to Ouray was supposed to rejuvenate her. Instead, it felt more like a chore. That cruise ship was sounding better and better all the time.
Rubbing her arms, she surveyed the surrounding mountains. Though the town lay bathed in shadows, the sun’s fading rays radiated from behind the western slope. Glancing eastward, her breath caught in her throat. The gray, volcanic-looking mountains that seemed to hug the town were now painted the most beautiful, yet indescribable color. Shades of orange, rose and yellow blended into one harmonious hue that was unlike anything she’d ever seen before.
“Grace?”
Turning, she saw Kaleb coming up the block. Couldn’t she go anywhere in this town without running into him?
Gravel crunched beneath each step as he continued toward her, looking annoyingly handsome. “Enjoying the alpenglow?”
“The what?”
Hands on his hips, he nodded in the direction of the colorful mountain. “Alpenglow. It’s a phenomenon that often happens this time of night.”
She readily focused on nature’s beauty. “What causes it?”
He shrugged. “Something about the sun reflecting off particles in the atmosphere. I tend not to question it. I simply enjoy it.”
“I can see why.” It had that same captivating quality as a rainbow. A supernatural splendor that commanded one’s attention.
“Were you visiting your mom?”
The colors had begun to fade by the time she faced Kaleb. “That was my intention, but she wasn’t home. Roger said something about a vacation Bible school meeting.”
“Yeah, that was tonight.” He dragged the toe of his work boot over the dirt road. “Did you and Roger have a nice visit?”
Visit? They barely conversed. But getting the impression that Kaleb was rather fond of Roger, she said, “I suppose. Yeah.”
“He’s a good man. A fellow vet, too. But then, I suppose you already knew that.”
She did not, but was too exhausted to offer anything more than a nod.
“Hey, I hate to cut this short, but I need to get back to camp. New job tomorrow.” She had to make herself smile. “Gotta get a good night’s rest so I can make a good impression on my boss.”
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” His grin set off a strange and unwanted fluttering in her midsection. “Don’t forget to make sure any food you’ve got at your campsite is secured inside a cooler or something with a latch. Bears like to wander down the mountain at night and help themselves.”
She puffed out a laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”
His smile evaporated. “Not at all. I’m surprised Bud didn’t say something to you when you checked in.”
The fluttering morphed into a whirlwind. “Let me get this straight. While I’m asleep, bears are going to be roaming around my campsite?”
“Possibly.”
She surveyed the rapidly darkening sky, sweat suddenly beading her brow. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Despite the fatigue nipping at her heels, she broke into a jog.
Controlling bosses, working with her stepfather and now bears. With all that on her mind, she’d never get any sleep.
At this rate, Ouray was turning out to be the worst idea her sister ever had.
Kaleb pulled his Jeep into a parking spot alongside Mountain View Tours shortly after noon the next day. As promised, he’d taken Grace on her first tour to Yankee Boy Basin and, so far, it had been a fantastic day. “My goal is to create a memorable experience for each of our guests. One they’ll talk about for the rest of their lives.”
And judging by Grace’s reaction, he’d achieved just that. The look of unequivocal reverence as she took in the snow-covered peaks that stretched as far as the eye could see was something he’d never forget. Her genuine interest and appreciation for every little thing, from the old mines to the cascading waterfalls to a grosbeak’s sweet song, reinforced his belief that he’d made the right decision in hiring her.
Now he shifted the vehicle into Park, glancing toward her in the passenger seat. “Unfortunately, the previous owner didn’t feel the same way, so I’ve got an uphill battle.”
“Which is why we need to appeal to folks from the moment they walk into Mountain View Tours, if not before.” She gathered her things and exited the vehicle.
He climbed out, liking the way she used the word we, as if they were one, focused on the same common goal. Yes, the sooner he could bring Grace up to speed and put her to work, the better off his business would be. Memorial weekend, the unofficial kickoff of the high season, was only a few weeks away, and there was still much to do.
Meeting her at the front of the Jeep, he stared down at her. “And how do we do that?”
“I have a few ideas, though you may not like them.” She wasn’t afraid to meet his gaze. As though issuing a challenge.
Like he’d back down from a challenge. “Try me.”
“Okay. You said you want to create a memorable experience for your guests.”
“Yes.”
“What if we added a tagline?” She shifted her weight from one foot to the next. “Something like, ‘Mountain View Tours... Memories in the making.’”
He let the phrase tumble through his brain. “Okay. Yeah. I’m kinda liking that. Tells people exactly what our goal is.”
“Just like a tagline is supposed to.”
“That would look good on my new brochures, too.” Rubbing his chin, he took a step back. “Which reminds me. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about designing brochures, would you?”
“Sure. I’m pretty good with websites, too.”
He couldn’t stop smiling. “Grace, you may just be the best thing that ever happened to Mountain View Tours. So what other suggestions have you got?”
Clasping her notepad and camera against her chest, she took a deep breath. “I think you need to consider sprucing up the front office. Something as simple as a fresh coat of—”
“No.”
“Why no—”
“We discussed this yesterday. The rustic look stays.”
She took a step closer, her gaze narrowing. “For your information, it’s industrial, not rustic. And it only works if it’s done right.” She pointed toward the building. “That’s not it.”
Hands on his hips, he put himself toe-to-toe with her. “So what? My building, my business, my decor.”
After a momentary staredown, she took a step back. “You asked for my input.”
Something he’d think twice about next time.
Exasperation mounting, he started toward the building and pushed through the front door, the heels of his work boots hammering against the concrete floor. “Sami, would you please tell Grace the office looks perfectly fine.”
Sami glanced up from behind the counter. “Grace, the office looks perfectly fine. If you like drab and uninviting.”
Behind him, Grace choked back a laugh.
He