Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
B efore the dust had even settled behind Lucy’s SUV, a man stepped from the barn and waved his hand. “Reid! Could use your opinion on something if you’re free.”
“I’ll be right there,” Reid yelled before turning back to Olive. “One of our wranglers needs me. I’ll get Hannah to show you to your room, and I’ll take care of this. We can finish the tour later.”
“That’s fine.”
When Reid placed his hand on her back, Olive felt a tiny shiver race up her spine.
Handsome, smart, and rich men like Reid Harrison had that effect on women. For many, he was the perfect man. But Olive was immune to those kinds of charms. She’d trained herself to be that way.
Besides, one of the few verses she remembered from her dad’s stint as a pastor was, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting.”
Being the pastor at a small Indiana church had been her dad’s last job. The whole thing had seemed out of character for him, and Olive still questioned what had really been going on.
They stepped back inside the house, and Reid paused. “Hannah, can you come down here a minute?”
A moment later, a woman wearing a dark blue pantsuit came down the stairs.
If Olive had to guess, the woman was probably close to thirty. She had light-brown hair that fell well below her shoulders, and she wore it down instead of pinned behind her. She had soft features and big blue eyes.
“Yes, Mr. Harrison?” She paused in front of them, the picture of professionalism.
“Hannah, this is Olive. I know you’ve already prepared a room for her, so I’d like you to get her settled, please.”
Hannah glanced at Olive, quickly sizing her up. Then her expression softened again as she turned to Reid and nodded. “Of course. Yes, sir.”
“No need to call me sir,” Reid told her.
Olive watched the exchange with curiosity.
Hannah clearly had a crush on Reid. It was obvious by the way her cheeks turned pink. By the way her pupils dilated. By the way her voice became higher pitched.
But if Olive had to guess, Reid was clueless.
“I’ll go take care of this issue with the horses,” Reid said, turning to her. “Then I can meet you for dinner. How does that sound?”
“It sounds perfect.” Olive kept her voice prim and proper, careful to stay in character.
“Great.”
To Olive’s surprise, Reid leaned forward and brushed her cheek with a kiss.
The action seemed so natural that she didn’t feel the awkwardness she expected. She wasn’t expecting the flush warming her cheeks, however.
The good news was that Reid was committed to selling the idea they were dating. If not, her job would have been ten times harder.
When Olive looked back at Hannah, the woman’s eyes darkened.
She hoped this woman’s feelings for Reid wouldn’t be a problem.
Olive and Hannah waited in the entry as Reid stepped back outside. As soon as he was gone, the atmosphere changed from warm and professional to icy and unwelcoming.
This was going to be fun . . .
“You’re a very lucky woman.” Hannah observed Olive as if trying to figure out if she was worthy of Reid’s affection. “Mr. Harrison is a wonderful man, and I’m happy for him.”
Her words lacked sincerity, but Olive pretended not to notice. “He is a wonderful man. I’m so thankful we met and hit it off like we did.”
Hannah’s fake smile remained stiff. “I bet you are. Let me show you upstairs. I already took your suitcase up there earlier.”
“I appreciate that.” In truth, Olive would prefer to handle her bags herself. But she was playing a role here. She should be used to being pampered.
As they started up the staircase to the second floor, Hannah asked over her shoulder, “So where are you from, Olive? Can I call you that or do you prefer I call you Ms. Abernathy?”
“Olive is fine. And I’m from California.”
“I’ve never been there. But there’s no place that compares to Wyoming, if you ask me.”
“Where are you from, Hannah?”
“Montana. I worked at Yellowstone National Park for a couple of summers with their National Park Service Academy. I loved the area so much that I looked for other jobs so I could stay in the Rocky Mountains. When I saw the job opening here at the Thunder Ridge Ranch, I applied, and I got it. I’ve been here ever since.”
“How long has that been?”
They reached the second-floor, and Olive followed Hannah across the landing.
“I’ve been here three years now,” Hannah said.
“What is it like to work for Mr. Harrison?”
Hannah threw her a look. “That sounds like a trick question.”
They paused in front of a doorway carved in rich oak.
“My apologies,” Olive said. “I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. But how a boss treats his employees says a lot about a person.”
“So you care about his character?” Hannah’s voice contained a slight edge. She seemed to realize her tone and quickly corrected herself. “Mr. Harrison is a wonderful boss. I’ve so enjoyed my time here. I think this ranch is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.”
“It’s good to work a job you enjoy.”
Hannah stared at her another moment as if trying to read her, trying to figure out whether or not she liked Olive.
Olive still wasn’t sure what the woman’s conclusion was.
Then Hannah turned away and opened the door. “I hope you’ll be comfortable here. Your room has an attached private bath. And if there’s anything at all you need, just let me know, and I’ll try my best to accommodate you.”
“I appreciate that.” Olive glanced around. “Where did you say you put my suitcase?”
“It’s in the closet. I unpacked it for you and put your clothes away.”
Olive must have given her a look because Hannah quickly continued. “That’s what Reid—Mr. Harrison, I mean—has me do for all his guests. Did you prefer I not do that?”
Olive was careful to keep her expression placid. “It’s fine. Thank you.”
Thankfully, nothing in her suitcase would give away her true identity. She had a backpack with her as well, but she kept that locked—thank goodness. Though her computer needed a passkey, she didn’t want people riffling around in her personal items. As Tevin had taught her, even the best security systems had vulnerabilities if someone who knew what they were doing was involved.
“I’ll leave you to get settled.” Hannah stepped back. “But I’m so glad to have you here.”
Olive wasn’t so sure about that. Not at all.
After Hannah left and shut the door, Olive glanced around.
The room was what she expected to find at a luxury cabin—except it was even better.
The walls were made of logs, but some type of white filler had been smeared between the logs, giving the room a softer, more romantic look. A four-poster bed stood in the center of the space with a white bedspread and multiple white and sage green pillows atop it. A matching sage blanket had been tastefully strewn over the corner.
A chest of drawers and a dresser stood on opposite walls. Since her room was in the corner, grand windows on two walls displayed the vast outdoors.
She paced to the open door on the interior wall and stepped inside.
The bathroom just might be the showstopper. White tiles stretched across the floor. A clawfoot tub stood against one wall. A heated towel rack hung on another wall with white, fluffy towels draped there. The shower rose in the corner, and a beautiful wooden vanity with a white stone top rounded out the space.
Olive felt as if she’d stepped into a spa. And she liked it.
She ran her finger down the edge of the bathtub. She could get used to living like this.
Except she couldn’t.
She couldn’t get used to anything. That was the truth. One day she could be enjoying luxurious accommodations, the next she could be staying in the shady part of some obscure town. It was the nature of her job, and she’d learned to live with it.
She didn’t get used to places. She didn’t get used to people.
Jason’s image flashed into her mind again. She was doing everything she could to get the man out of her thoughts. But it wasn’t working.
There was no future for them together. There was no need to pretend like there was.
She’d been taught to be mentally stronger than her emotions. To disassociate.
She’d had to use all her training tenfold since running into Jason.
Letting out a burdened sigh, Olive paced back into the bedroom and to one of the windows. A glorious display of the mountains stood in the distance, just like she’d envisioned.
Back when her dad had been a preacher—which he’d been for less than a year—he might have called this God’s country. Right now, Olive was inclined to agree.
As she pulled her gaze away from the mountains, she glanced below and saw two people talking in a nearby pasture.
She squinted. Was that Reid?
She stepped back from the window, not wanting to be seen.
Then she peered out again, careful to remain out of sight.
Yes, that was definitely Reid. He was talking with a man she hadn’t met yet. He wore typical ranch clothing—jeans and a cowboy hat. Olive couldn’t see his face very well, but she’d guess him to be older—the skin around his jowls seemed loose.
Whatever their conversation was about, it appeared heated. They both stood close and gestured wildly.
She narrowed her eyes as she watched, curiosity growing inside her.
There was definitely more to Reid Harrison than he’d let on.
Olive planned on uncovering all those secrets.