It didn’t help that she was already feeling small because of embarrassment. It also didn’t help that Caleb had a good-looking grin that matched an extremely handsome face. When Nina had applied for a job on the ranch she’d pictured rugged men in cowboy hats roaming around the property on horses. Not the clean-shaven, dark-haired man wearing short shorts in the middle of the woods in front of her.
Not those baby blues focused solely on her.
Half of the reason she’d taken the job was to curb excitement like this.
Not that this was anything more than an awkward situation.
Still, she couldn’t imagine being in the presence of the triplets if they had been identical. It would, she suspected, be intimidating to say the least.
“Well, nice to meet you, Nina,” he said after their hands had fallen. “I’m sorry I interrupted. I usually stop here to cool off.”
Nina was already backing away in the direction she’d originally come. She shook her head and waved off the concern.
“It was my fault,” she tried. “I was just trying to familiarize myself with the trails before guests started arriving. I should have stayed on the path.” Caleb looked like he was going to say something but she was already retreating into the tree line. “Enjoy your dip,” she called. Then she turned on her heel and hurried back to the dirt trail.
It wasn’t until she had passed the one-mile marker that she slowed enough to catch her breath. Instead of seeing the humor in the situation, Nina couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d almost cost herself a chance at a fresh start.
She balled her hands into fists, resolve to be the perfect employee flooding through her. Not only would she stick strictly to the rules, she decided, but she would also avoid the man who had caught her breaking them.
A branch snapped somewhere off to her side. Nina’s blush surged back up her neck, heating her skin, at the thought of Caleb following her. However, as she paused to look between the trees, she saw no one.
Nina finished the trail with a little more urgency in her step, all the while reasoning that the outline of the man she thought she’d seen was just her imagination.
Simply a ghost from her former life.
The Wild Iris Retreat was a new build on the Nash Family Ranch but it by no means looked out of place. Four cabins were spaced out for privacy and were placed near a network of trails that led to the best fishing on the land, the horse barn for riding lessons or trail riding and a field where, according to Dorothy, one had the best views of the stars.
The main building that housed the Retreat’s operations, as well as Nina’s office and apartment, was the only part of Wild Iris that had been original to the earlier generation of Nashes. After a flood had forced Dorothy’s grandparents to build a new house a good five-minute drive up the road, the old family home had sat in ruins until the idea of the Retreat had been born. It was now standing tall, repurposed and very much alive. While it wasn’t as cozy as the cabins near it, Nina couldn’t help but favor it above the others.
It reminded her of her mother, if she was being honest. Warm, worn and beautiful.
Nina jogged around to the back door and pulled the key from the waist of her athletic shorts. She slipped her shoes off and carried them through the back hallway to the stairs that branched off what used to be the old living room. The second floor was modest, converted into a studio apartment. It had been created for the manager of the Retreat. Dorothy had wanted the guests to have full access to them without the need to trek up the road to the main house or even farther to two of the Nash sons’ houses.
The Nash sons...
Caleb.
Nina stepped into the shower, trying to physically move away from the embarrassment that had overtaken her again. She remembered a time when she had been great at first impressions. Charming, according to her father, intriguing as a compliment from her mother. At a young age Nina had decided she wanted to use those traits to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Maybe become an inspirational speaker for nonprofits too, traveling the state to talk at schools and other organizations.
But then everything had changed.
Nina’s mood darkened until nothing but the echo of sadness pinged in her heart. She finished her shower, dressed in a pair of jeans and a button-up, and walked downstairs to the front of the house. Another key unlocked the two spaces of her living quarters and the business side of the retreat and soon she was trying her best not to stew on how cruel life could be sometimes while settling in behind her desk.
The Wild Iris Retreat could be one of many things for guests. If they wanted to relax while feeling like they were in the wilderness, the retreat had beautiful scenery and peace and quiet for them to enjoy. If guests wanted to feel like they were a part of the authentic ranch life, there were horses to ride, trails to adventure on, and a small town where everyone knew everyone else to visit. It could be anything and Nina was there to create more options for it and future guests.
The retreat would be opening in two weeks. Nina had already been there for seven days. In that time she’d worked alongside the manager of daily operations, Molly, and the cook, Roberto. Molly was married to the horse trainer and both lived just outside of the ranch. Nina only got the option to live in the old house because Molly and her husband had had no interest in the space upstairs when they had their own home already. Roberto lived in Overlook but because of the set meal schedule didn’t need to be around 24/7 either. So it had been Nina’s perk alone to savor. Not only did she not have to deal with the hassle of finding a place to live, her commute had been reduced to nothing.
She brought up her email and read through a few informational ones from Molly and then reached out to local stores asking about any events they might have coming up. It was her job to stay up-to-date with the small town’s entertainment so she could always have options for guests who wanted to explore locally. She’d already spoken to a few business owners but at least half of the town’s shops didn’t have email addresses listed. Or websites, for that matter. If she was going to talk to them, she’d have to do it in person. By the time her email refreshed and a new message popped up in her inbox, Nina was still thinking about going into town and making small talk. She clicked on it, wondering how to be polite but keep her distance as she met the locals, as an image loaded on the screen.
Nina’s breath caught.
It was a picture of her. And not just any picture.
She was standing in a stream, back to the camera, but obviously not wearing a top. It was from that morning. No less than a few hours ago.
Her blood went cold at the text in the body of the email.
And everyone thought you were a nice girl.
* * *
CALEB STOOD BACK and looked at his handiwork. His truck was gleaming. The pollen was seeping into the mud. He’d thought about going into town and running through the automated car wash at the gas station but had needed the water hose to cool off. He’d decided against using the stream and instead had run the rest of the trail hot. By the time he’d driven home, on the exact opposite side of the ranch, Caleb had been desperate for quick relief. He’d stripped down to nothing but his short shorts and rinsed himself off before working on the truck.
By the time he was done his skin was already dry.
The pleasant day had turned angry. If he hadn’t already been tan from living his free time outside, Caleb might have burned beneath the constant shine and heat. He doused himself once more before cutting the water off. He’d use the time between now and when he was dry to finally fix the porch swing he’d been meaning to repair for the last year or so. He’d never used it much but his mother had insisted. If there was ever any