Chapter 3
What had she gotten herself into?
Emberly’s boots crunched along the pathway as she returned to Max’s cabin. Through the snowy spruce branches, she spotted him already waiting outside, pushing back and forth in the log-framed porch swing, his laptop open in front of him.
She tugged at her beanie, pulling it so that it covered her ears. Then she zipped her black North Face parka higher.
Had she made a mistake in agreeing to this arrangement with Max? Essentially, she’d told him she would be exclusively available to accompany him wherever he wanted to go or assist him in whatever he wanted to do.
Did she want to be at his beck and call?
The good thing about it was that he had seemed reluctant to take time out of his work schedule to do activities.
She’d seen men like him come to the ranch on business and then spend most of their time in a conference room.
In reality, Max would probably do a couple of activities before getting busy with his work, and then her job entertaining him would be over.
He’d been right that she was proficient in all things having to do with the ranch.
She knew this place better than most people, even her family.
As the event manager, she had to stay on top of everything that went on.
She not only hired and trained all the ambassadors and assigned them to incoming visitors but also arranged special events for businesses and oversaw reunions, weddings, celebrity stays, and more.
Even though she was a college dropout, she’d been trying to prove to her family that she could be successful without a degree.
Here was her chance. All she had to do was play the role of tour guide to a prince for a week, and in exchange, he’d agreed to endorse the ranch on an international level.
She hoped the KWB board members would also promote the ranch, but having a prince’s words of praise would help even more.
Although Max had been ready to get out and explore and hike around the ranch right away, she’d told him she needed an hour to wrap up some miscellaneous details of her job.
She’d popped into the office and told Karen about her arrangement with Max.
Emberly hadn’t mentioned Max was a prince, but she had indicated that the wealthy man had a great deal of influence, which would be a boost to the ranch.
After tidying up as many loose ends as she could, she’d gone to her cottage near the lodge to change into clothes more suitable for traipsing around.
Now, as she made her way toward Max, she tried to quell her irritation and talk herself into believing she would have fun showing him the ranch and helping him with various activities.
How hard would it be to get him started on something and then to sit back and wait for him to finish?
It would be like babysitting, except in this case, she would be taking care of a spoiled and rich grown man who needed a personal assistant to do anything of significance.
Her assessment was a tad harsh. From what she could tell so far, he was a decent man. She’d seen far worse—men who were rude and entitled and walked all over the ranch staff. At least Max had been respectful.
The snow had stopped, and only a light dusting covered the pathway. The trails that wound through the woods around the property would have more snow, but nothing that her sturdy hiking boots couldn’t handle.
The question was, did Max have the right gear? Or was he expecting to hike around the ranch in his three-piece suit and expensive leather dress shoes?
Even if he wanted the privacy, she knew she needed to stay in places that were visible to other staff.
It was the ranch’s policy that employees, including ambassadors, avoid being alone with guests.
Of course, there were times when that was impossible, but everyone was encouraged to stay professional and public.
As she stepped past the last of the spruce and started up the flagstone path to the cabin, Max slid her a quick glance as he typed on his laptop. “You look warmer than before.”
“I am.” A sweatshirt and leggings were her usual attire when she wasn’t working, which wasn’t often.
But she had been making more time to see her dad after his fight against pancreatic cancer last summer.
He’d been steadily gaining his strength back since he’d finished his last round of chemotherapy back in November.
Her dad had maintained good spirits and kept busy with low-level marketing for the ranch.
But he still wasn’t completely himself, and that was the hardest part—seeing his decline and not being able to do anything about it.
All she really could do was cherish him and Mom better and not squander however many days together they were given.
Emberly paused at the cabin steps and took in Max wearing a different outfit—jeans, a sweater, a heavy parka similar to hers, and boots that would help his feet stay warm.
So he did have the right clothing after all.
No doubt his personal assistant did all Max’s packing and made sure he had more than he needed for every possible occasion.
“Ready to see Healing Springs Ranch?” She forced cheer to her voice.
He paused in typing—probably responding to an email—and shifted to study her face with narrowed eyes.
Could he tell she wasn’t thrilled with this new role he’d thrust her into?
Slowly, he closed his laptop and set it aside on the swing bench. Then he began to put on a pair of gloves. “I am extremely ready.”
“Extremely?” She couldn’t hold back a scoff. “You don’t need to pretend to be exuberant with me.”
“I am not pretending any more than you are. Who would not be extremely excited about seeing a real American ranch?”
“You. I doubt you get excited about much.”
“I am enthusiastic about many things.”
“Maybe enthusiastic about your work. But it’s easy to see you don’t take time for much pleasure.”
“Then it’s a good thing I have you to transform me, since you are so obviously eager about introducing me to your ranch.”
Oh, he was good at sparring with words.
With a smug smile, he slid his sunglasses down from the top of his head, even though the cloud cover was still thick and gray.
Did he hope to hide his true identity behind his sunglasses?
It wouldn’t work here. Wearing the glasses would have the opposite effect in drawing attention, especially when there wasn’t even a hint of sunshine.
As Max loped down the stairs, she reached for his glasses, plucked them off, and then stuck them in one of the front pockets on his jacket.
His eyes widened, revealing the silvery green again, but this time they were filled with surprise, as if he hadn’t expected her to be so bold.
She stuffed her hands into her coat pocket. “We’re known for having celebrities who come here, so if you want to stay unnoticed, you’ll need to try to blend in.”
“Celebrities?” He arched a brow, his eyes suddenly sharp. “Is that what I am?”
Shoot. She wasn’t supposed to know he was a prince. She couldn’t forget that.
With a nonchalant shrug—or at least, she hoped it was nonchalant—she started back down the path. “I’m just saying that sunglasses are the surest way to make people think you’re a celebrity, whether you’re one or not. So to give you the private week you’re hoping for, let’s ditch them, okay?”
For a moment more, he was silent, then his footsteps thudded after her. “So, where are we going first?”
She paused at the end of the walkway and waited for him to reach her side. As soon as he did, with his protection agent a discreet distance away, she started forward again. “We’ll hike around the ranch to an overlook. You’ll get a good view of the land from there.”
“Sounds perfect.” He fell into step with her.
As they walked along the path, he surprised her by asking about Colorado’s history as well as her family’s history of the ranch. She’d thought he was being sarcastic when he’d mentioned being interested in the ranch, but his questions were genuine.
The truth was, she loved talking about her family’s history, how her ancestors had originally come to the West in the 1860s to look for gold but had ended up ranching instead. Two of the original McQuaid brothers, Wyatt and Flynn, had built ranches on adjacent homesteads.
“Wyatt’s firstborn son was Tyler McQuaid,” she explained as she stepped up the rocky trail. “When he grew up, he married Flynn’s daughter, Flora.”
“He married a cousin?” Max didn’t sound winded behind her, even though they’d reached a more strenuous portion with a steeper incline. “I did not realize Americans engaged in the practice of marrying cousins.”
“We don’t. But Flora wasn’t really a McQuaid. Her mother, Linnea, was pregnant when her first husband died. During the long journey by covered wagon to the West, Linnea fell in love with Flynn and married him.”
“And Flynn took care of her child?”
“Yes, Flynn never had any children of his own and adopted Flora, so she grew up a McQuaid. But technically, Tyler and Flora weren’t related by blood.”
“I see. So when the two married, they merged their ranches?”
“Merged and expanded.” Emberly stepped carefully through the slushy snow to the next rock. “The ranch continued to grow over the years. Each new generation of McQuaids purchased more land in Park County, and now Tyler, my oldest brother, is hoping to do the same.”
“Tyler?” Max was still right behind her, and every once in a while, she caught sight of his protection agent a dozen or so paces behind. “So your brother carries on the family name?”
“Every firstborn has been named Tyler Wyatt. But in order to make things less confusing, my dad goes by T.W., and Tyler’s son—my eight-year-old nephew—goes by Wyatt.”
“I understand the reasoning. Family names are important in my lineage as well.”
She wanted to ask him about his name, but she also knew she could look it up online later and learn everything she needed. Besides, she didn’t want him growing suspicious again.