Autumn Skies: 3 (A Bluebell Inn Romance) Page 5

  She turned her search toward overcoming the problem. What did she have to do? She immediately discounted counseling. Been there, done that. Most of the advice was about changing the way you think. Okay, she could work on that. But it seemed so passive. She wanted to do something. She wanted these feelings gone, and she sure didn’t want another panic attack in front of a handsome guest.

  Finally, she stumbled upon an extensive article from a psychology site that recommended turning guilt into helping others. Guilt made a person feel helpless—this she knew—while action, specifically helping others, made a person feel useful and purposeful.

  Okay. Here was a plan she could get behind. Maybe it was self-serving, helping others to help herself, but hey, two birds, one stone. She would try to be more outwardly focused, on the lookout for how she could help others. That was really just the Christian way of life anyway, wasn’t it? Love God, love others, and all that.

  Having a plan made her feel better. She set her laptop aside, suddenly weary, and turned off her lamp.

  Her thoughts immediately turned toward the conversation she’d had with Wyatt as they walked into town this morning. She enjoyed talking to him, bantering with him. Grace had never been talkative like Molly, but she’d always been quick on her feet with conversation. With Wyatt she’d met her match. He didn’t say much, but what he said counted. He’d kind of flirted with her. And maybe she flirted back a little.

  She hoped to see him the next day. And a few minutes later she drifted off with a smile.

  Chapter Nine

  Grace heard footsteps on the stairs, and from her position behind the front desk, she tensed in anticipation. But a moment later the small family who’d been staying in the room next to hers appeared.

  “Good morning. Checking out?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the father said.

  Grace made small talk as she completed the checkout process then handed them the receipt.

  “Do you need directions, or are you all set?” she asked the father since their toddler was busy spilling juice on his mother’s shirt and wiggling to get down.

  “I think we’re good to go.”

  Remembering her pledge to be more helpful, she asked, “Can I get you some muffins or coffee to go? They’re orange spice today, and it’ll just take a minute.”

  “No thanks. We’re running a little late as it is.”

  “Well, let me get the door for you.” She scurried from behind the counter. “Have a safe flight. We hope to see you again soon.”

  Once the family was out the door, Grace went back to the computer. She’d already bookmarked the top five commercial property sites at which to list the inn. She felt good about their chances of selling the inn on their own. She just needed that listing from her sister.

  She texted Molly, who was due at the inn soon to clean rooms. Do you have the listing written yet? I’d like to get it uploaded today.

  A moment later Molly texted back. It’s finished. But I already left the house. I’m at the coffee shop. I’ll have Adam email it to you. Want a frappé?

  I’ll wait to hear from him then. And no thanks.

  She hoped managing the listing wasn’t too time-consuming. Potential buyers would have questions before they’d travel here to tour the inn. But presumably a lot of them would be financial questions she could turn over to Levi. Not that he didn’t have enough on his plate at the moment too.

  With most of the guests checked out, she turned her attention to her own business. Several spaces were available downtown—that would be the ideal location. But all of them had been empty a long time, and there were good reasons for that. Renovations would be expensive.

  There were also small homes on the outskirts of town that could work. But, again, converting them into retail space would be costly.

  Levi had mentioned business grants. She did a little research to see what was available and found he was right. There were even grants specifically for the rehabilitation of old buildings. But upon reading further, she saw that many steps would have to be taken to have a chance at one of those grants. She read until she was completely overwhelmed and was glad for the distraction when Molly breezed in a while later, latte in hand.

  “Good morning!”

  “Morning. Adam hasn’t sent me that listing yet.”

  “Oh! I forgot to ask.” She pulled out her phone, her face sinking. “It’s dead. I forgot to charge it last night.”

  “You can use my charger upstairs. I’ll text him.”

  “I need to call him anyway. I forgot to defrost the chicken—he’s grilling tonight. Are all the guests out for the moment?”

  “All except Wyatt.”

  “Ooh, it’s just ‘Wyatt’ now, huh? And is he the reason you’re wearing makeup today?” Molly’s gaze sharpened on Grace. “Is that a trio palette you’re wearing?”

  Grace rolled her eyes, making herself busy with the realty website. It was just a little neutral eye shadow and mascara. And okay, a little eyeliner. Also lip gloss.

  “By the way, Levi was getting all up in your business last night, but I called him off. You’re welcome.”

  Grace’s lips slid into a rueful smile. “One hot guest and brother dear gets all bent out of shape.”

  A throat cleared.

  Grace looked up, her smile falling flat.

  Wyatt stood at the bottom of the steps. Of course he did.

  Her face went nuclear. Darn the man. How did he get down those stairs without a single creak? It hadn’t been done since 1920.

  “Good morning,” Molly said to Wyatt gleefully.

  “Morning,” he said, but he was staring straight at Grace, that enigmatic expression present and accounted for.

  “I think I’ll just . . .” Molly slipped past Wyatt and went upstairs.

  Grace lifted her chin. “Do they teach that in security school?”

  “Teach what?”

  “How to enter a room without making any noise whatsoever.”

  “It’s an important skill to master.”

  No doubt he’d already learned all kinds of things about Grace and her opinions. She’d really thought she was better at that whole aloof thing.

  He came closer, shrinking the space, making Grace glad for the desk between them. Whenever he was near the air seemed to crackle between them. She’d never experienced that with a man before. Most of her dates—and her boyfriends—had been a little lackluster. Had made her wonder what all the fuss was about.

  She wiped her palms down her khakis, glad she’d taken a little extra time to get ready this morning. And yes, she could admit, if only to herself, that Wyatt was the reason behind the sudden concern with her appearance.

  Since he was studying the map on a nearby wall, she took a moment to study him. He was dressed to hike in boots and sturdy jeans, a backpack slung over his shoulder.

  Remembering she was the innkeeper, she wandered over. “Is there anything I can do for you this morning? Besides embarrass myself, I mean.”

  His lips twitched just a little. “You seem to be making a habit of that.”

  “Not my usual MO, I assure you.”

  He turned to her. “What is your usual MO?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Hang around in the background, all low-key, feet on the ground instead of in my mouth.”

  His gaze fell to her feet, and she was suddenly very glad Molly had talked her into a pedicure last week.

  His eyes tracked back up to hers—those brown eyes. “Pretty feet, though.”

  She realized they were standing close, that countertop nowhere near. “You are flirting with me.”

  “If you couldn’t tell I must be losing my touch.”

  She locked her gaze on the map, her heart having forgotten its usual rhythm. She’d always been direct. She just wasn’t used to getting as good as she gave.

  “Do you, um, need help finding someplace? I know the area pretty well. Even the far-lying regions. Though the best hikes aren’t far at all. I guess that’s w
hat makes Bluebell so popular. And like I said, you really don’t want to miss Stone Gap Bridge.” One handsome guest, and she’d turned into Molly. She closed her eyes in a long blink.

  “Maybe we can go there together.”

  Grace blinked. “Um, I do guided tours.” It was true she hadn’t done one yet. In fact, she’d planned to hire someone for that.

  The corner of his mouth curled up as he looked back to the map. “That’s not really what I had in mind. But for now, I’m trying to find a place I’ve been to before.”

  “You’ve been here before then?”

  “Long time ago. Camping, east of Bluebell, I think. I remember a creek nearby and a waterfall, small one. There was a rock formation that was about thirty feet high. Lots of pine trees in the area. Any of that ring a bell?”

  She wondered what he was looking for. “Well . . . we have three creeks running east. Lone Creek, Pine Creek, and Lost Creek.” She pointed them out on the map. They all ran into the lake. “How big was the waterfall?”

  “Just a few feet high, maybe ten feet wide. It was a long time ago.”

  “I can’t think of anything like that nearby. That’s pretty small. It might even be dried up this time of year.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  “How far of a hike was it from town, do you know?”

  “I think it was about a half day’s walk—maybe a full day. Honestly, it could’ve been even farther.”

  “Okay . . . well, I’d recommend following each of the creeks from the lake. Some trails take you partway, but once you get past the touristy stuff, you might be on deer trails or even hacking your way through the forest. Also, Lost Creek is pretty wide. You get far enough away and tributaries flow into it.” She pointed them out on the map. “The maps won’t be very helpful after a certain point. If it’s that far away, you should probably look at camping along the way. All the trekking in and out of the mountains will cost a lot of time.”

  His breath leaked out slowly. “This is going to be harder than I thought. I’m kind of on a schedule.”

  A frown crouched between his brows. It wasn’t much, but for a guy with his poker face, it said a lot. She didn’t know why he wanted to find this spot so badly, but it was obviously important to him.

  She knew the area like the back of her hand. The mountains had been her escape whenever life got stressful or chaotic. Molly was scheduled at the front desk at ten, and tomorrow was Grace’s day off. She wouldn’t even charge him, because she sensed this was a great opportunity for her too.

  Ordinarily she wouldn’t even consider it. Hiking alone in the woods with a strange man? No thanks. But her intuition told her she was completely safe with Wyatt.

  “I can do it,” Grace said finally. “I can help you find what you’re looking for.”

  Chapter Ten

  Wyatt hadn’t really wanted an audience as he faced his biggest fear, but he could always send Grace back home once he found the spot.

  Despite her uncertain proposition, he didn’t doubt her knowledge of the area. He also knew he might not have time to find the spot without her assistance. And he didn’t have the equipment to go whacking his way through the forest or even for camping.

  Did Grace often go traipsing through the mountains with strange men? He hoped not. “How much would you charge for something like that?”

  She rubbed her lips together. “Um, I was going to do it on the house this time.”

  “And why would you do that?”

  “Well, honestly, it would be my first guided tour. It’ll be good experience for me.”

  “I still want to pay you something.”

  She waved him off. “I insist. I’d like to do this. And I have good camping equipment too.”

  “I don’t doubt any of that, and I could sure use your help.” But there was something more in her expression, something he couldn’t quite gauge.

  “But?”

  He sensed her attraction, but he didn’t think that was her motivation. If he did, he’d turn down her offer to be his guide. A little harmless flirting was one thing, but let’s face it. She was too young for him—in years and in life experience.

  That offer he’d extended before had been impulsive—an aberration. But she had those sweet blue eyes and that proud little chin, and he couldn’t help but wish she were just a few years older, a few relationships wiser.

  Maybe she really was seeking to build her résumé, so to speak. Maybe she was desperate to get away for some reason. Maybe some idiot boy was hounding her.

  Maybe her reasons didn’t even matter. “No buts. If you’re game, so am I. And I appreciate your help.” The smile that broke out on her face made his heart buck.

  “That’s great. Oh, I didn’t mention I’m on duty for a couple more hours. Is that all right? I have tomorrow off though, so we’ll have the better part of two days. With any luck that’ll be enough.”

  “With any luck.” He glanced at his watch. “I can wait awhile.”

  Grace glanced up the stairs. “I might be able to leave a little early. I’ll need to get our gear together too.”

  “I can grab breakfast in the meantime.”

  “Perfect.”

  He gave her a nod and made his way through the living room and to the dining room. His day had just taken a big turn—for the better or worse remained to be seen.

  * * *

  As soon as Wyatt disappeared through the French doors, Grace bounded up the stairs. She found Molly in Wyatt’s room, making up the bed. Grace slipped inside and closed the door.

  Molly gave her a curious look. “What’s up?”

  “Are you almost finished cleaning?” Grace worked the sheets across the bed from her sister.

  “I just got started.”

  “Right. Well, you think you can keep an ear out for the phone?” There wouldn’t likely be anyone coming in until later in the day since check-in wasn’t till three.

  “Why?”

  “I have a guided tour, with Wyatt.” No need to mention it was unpaid.

  Brows raised, Molly looked at her. “I thought you weren’t doing the guided tours?”

  “I’m making an exception. And we’ll be camping tonight, so we won’t be back until late tomorrow. I didn’t want anyone to worry.”

  Molly paused, the coverlet still in her hands. “Overnight? With someone you don’t know? Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  “Well, he needs a tour guide, and I haven’t hired anyone yet. Besides, I thought you liked him.”

  “I do like what I know of him—which isn’t very much. Grace, what do you know about him? Walking across town with him is one thing, but being in the mountains all alone with him is quite another. You’ll have very little cell phone access.”

  Grace stiffened. “I can handle myself, Molly. Jeez. I never expected you to go all Levi on me.”

  “There’s Levi and then there’s common sense.”

  “I have plenty of common sense. And my bear spray. I may not know him well, but I trust him. He’s a security officer, by the way. I’m sure those people go through rigorous background checks. Plus he’s an EMT. I couldn’t be safer.”

  Molly still seemed uncertain as she continued to adjust the covers. “That makes me feel a little better, I guess.”

  “You have all his personal information in the computer. Really, I wish you’d just trust me a little. I have good instincts about people, and I’m telling you, he’s one of the good ones. Now, can you watch the desk for me or what? I’d like to have our equipment together before he finishes breakfast.”

  “Fine.” Molly fluffed the pillows. “You’re going to leave me to tell Levi about this aren’t you?”

  “Would you?”

  “He’s already suspicious of the guy.”

  Grace rolled her eyes. “Levi was suspicious of Adam.”

  “Good point.” Molly set the pillows at the head of the bed, giving Grace a put-upon look. “Go on. Get out of here.”

  “
Thank you.”

  She was already halfway out the door when Molly called, “But you better text me when you have a signal!”

  Chapter Eleven

  Grace was nervous about spending the better part of two days with Wyatt—but not for the reasons Molly had stated.

  Having him behind her as they hiked was unsettling. She kept wondering how she looked in her jeans and if her hair was coming loose from her ponytail. Since when had she cared about such things? She’d never been like other girls. Hadn’t fussed over who she was going to prom with or what she was wearing to this party or that event. She didn’t even bother with makeup most of the time.

  What was it about this man that made her care? That made her want to keep those chocolate-brown eyes fixed on her? She hated herself a little right now for that. And for single-handedly getting herself into this overnight camping trip. Her conflicting feelings made her dizzy.

  It would be fine. He was obviously set on finding this particular spot, and the least she could do was help him do that.

  She led the way on the marked trail following the rippling water of Lone Creek. The path was wide, paved, and ascended slowly into the hills. Towering deciduous trees rose above them, and a thick undergrowth sheltered the small critters scurrying about the forest floor. She breathed in the earthy smells of leaves, pine trees, and moss and caught a whiff of Wyatt’s clean scent in the mix.

  She stepped over a fallen tree, taking the time to hitch her backpack higher on her shoulder. Wyatt had taken the bigger of the two and managed the move like his pack weighed no more than a feather.

  “Enjoy the paved path.” She started off again. “It goes on for about four miles, then becomes a footpath.”

  “And after that?”

  “A deer path, more or less. It’s been a while since I’ve been out that far, though, so it might be overgrown. How long ago was it you were here before?”

  “I was just a kid. But I have a good visual memory of the area. I’ll know it when I see it.”

  They continued in silence, her footfalls and the chattering squirrels filling the quiet. She wondered again what drove Wyatt to find this area. But that was his business.