Chapter Five
Zara
By morning, I felt more human than zombie.
On my drive out to the ranch, I nibbled on Phoebe’s pastries, getting more and more excited about what was to come.
I’d be spending the summer working as an outdoor adventure guide for guests at the resort side of the ranch. It was pretty much my dream job.
If only I hadn’t spent four years getting my accounting degree and busting my butt to become a licensed CPA.
It wasn’t like being an adventure guide was a career, anyway. This was just a summer thing before I found a real job. In an office, at a desk, staring at a computer all day…
I shook off the thought. There was no sense going there now. Not when the sun was shining, horses were grazing at the fence line, and some of the most beautiful country I’d ever seen was outside my window.
I parked in the staff lot and found my new boss’s office in the main resort building. I knocked once, then again when I didn’t hear anything over the hum of voices somewhere down the hall.
“Come in,” a voice called.
I pushed the door open, and Javier Morales rose from behind his desk, gracing me with an easy smile.
We’d met through several video calls. On screen, he’d been handsome in a rugged, distinguished way, with salt-and-pepper curls and crinkles around his eyes.
In person, he was tall and broad-shouldered, looking like a man who belonged outdoors instead of an office.
“Zara,” he said warmly, his Spanish accent faint but unmistakable. “At last, in three dimensions.”
I laughed, some of my nerves loosening. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”
He crossed the room and shook my hand. “Welcome to Kelly Ranch. How was your drive?”
“Excruciating,” I said honestly. “But I’m glad to be here.”
“We’re glad to have you.”
He gestured for me to sit, but only a few seconds passed before he was on his feet again. “Actually, paperwork can wait. Come. You should see where you’ll be working before I bury you in schedules and liability waivers.”
We stepped out into the hallway, sunlight pouring through massive windows framing the landscape like art.
“I know you spent time here in the past, but this side of the ranch is more curated than what you’re probably used to,” Javier said as we walked. “The guests want wilderness—but not too much wilderness. They like to feel brave without actually being uncomfortable.”
“I can relate,” I said, though I hadn’t felt very brave in recent years.
He laughed, a deep, easy sound. “You’ll fit in just fine.”
Then he showed me the equipment room, where there were neatly organized racks of helmets, harnesses, and neatly coiled ropes, running his hand along one shelf. “You’ll be responsible for daily safety checks. We’re obsessive here.”
“I appreciate that.” I eyed the color-coded tags. “I can be safety-obsessed too.”
“Good. That’s what I like to hear. You’ll lead beginner and intermediate hikes most mornings, trail rides three afternoons a week, and rock climbing rotations depending on demand.
” He pinned me with a serious look. “If you see a guest pushing beyond their limits, you shut it down. I don’t care how much they paid. ”
“I won’t hesitate,” I said, meaning it. This wasn’t my first rodeo. I’d worked at summer camps and as a nature guide in Oregon. The clientele here might’ve been in a higher tax bracket than I was used to, but I was pretty certain I could handle them.
Outside, he led me along a winding path that dipped toward the river I’d once thought of as ours. My and Cormac’s. A group of guests passed, laughing, one woman waving enthusiastically at Javier.
“Do you know everyone staying here?”
“I try. People remember how you make them feel, and our guests like to feel important.”
We stopped at an overlook, the land dropping away into jagged, uncompromising peaks.
It wasn’t lush like the forests back home.
There was no soft green canopy, no gentle shade.
Here, the earth was stripped bare and sun-bleached, only stubborn trees clinging to the soil.
Far below, a river cut through like a blade, carving its path without apology.
It was beautiful in its brutality, tugging loose memories of scraped knees, windburned cheeks, and the happiest days of my childhood.
I’d been sure those days had been sealed off behind adulthood and responsibility.
For a long time, I’d believed I’d never stand here again.
Yet, here I was, boots planted in the hard, craggy dirt, sky stretching endlessly overhead, so blue it almost hurt to look at.
That river…I’d raced to it more times than I could count.
Not this section, though. Cormac had taken me to areas only the family ventured to.
In the shallow, narrow parts, we’d waded to our knees, splashing one another.
Other times, we’d soaked in the natural hot pools.
We’d fished and swam and cooled our toes.
And some days, when summer had begun to wane and we’d try our best not to count the days until I’d be leaving again, we’d whisper, “To the river and back,” as a promise.
“I still can’t believe I get paid to be here,” I said quietly.
He chuffed. “Probably not enough for all the work you’re going to be putting in. You have to love it for it to be worth it.”
“I do.” I turned to him, determination steeling my spine. “I will.”
We continued our tour of the grounds, Javier introducing me to two other guides and pointing out trailheads. By the time we circled back toward the main building, I was past ready to get started.
I followed him to his office and signed the last of the paperwork, my wrist aching by the time we reached the final page. Javier was midsentence, explaining something about schedules, when a light, decisive tap sounded on the door.
“I hope you’re finished, Javier,” a familiar voice said. “I’m here to steal Zara from you.”
I was out of my chair before he could answer, a smile breaking across my face.
Elena Kelly stood in the doorway, elegant and beautiful, her silvery-blond hair swept into a perfect knot at her neck.
“Come here.”
The second I was close enough, her arms wrapped around me in a fierce, enveloping hug, squeezing the breath right out of my lungs.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she murmured. “So glad.”
“Me too.”
She pulled back, holding me at arm’s length, blue eyes sharp and assessing as they swept over me from head to toe. “I can’t believe you’re a grown woman. Weren’t you just a tiny baby?”
I laughed. “Only twenty-six years ago.”
Elena and my mother had been best friends during college, and despite living in different states, they’d maintained their friendship all the years since.
They’d been present for each other’s milestones, cheered for victories, and supported one another through grief and difficult times. At this point, they were family.
Javier lifted his hands in surrender. “I’ll release her into your care,” he said with a smile. “Zara, take the rest of the day to settle in. We start early tomorrow.”
Elena drove us to the family area of the ranch, far from the resort. The guest cottage I’d be living in was tucked behind Elena and Lock’s house. Close enough, I wouldn’t feel alone, but separate enough for it to feel private.
“It’s not much,” Elena said as she unlocked the door. “We built it for my parents when we first moved here. After they passed, it’s mostly stayed empty, aside from the occasional guest.”
“I love it.” Dropping my suitcase, I turned in a slow circle.
The space was small and bright, with picture windows everywhere, framing views of the barn in the distance and open land beyond. Months in a beige, forgettable apartment, this was a breath of fresh air.
“It’s perfect,” I added. “I’ve been living in the blandest place imaginable. This feels like a gift.”
Her gaze softened, just slightly. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. Even after the summer ends. There’s no time limit.”
But there was. Already, September loomed, heavy and inevitable. I didn’t like how quickly the thought made my stomach dip.
“I know,” I said carefully. “But this is just a break.”
She huffed a laugh. “If you think Javier is going to make your new job a break, think again, honey. He’s fair, but incredibly tough. I’ve seen his guides dragging their bodies back home after a long day…”
I grinned. “That doesn’t scare me. Sounds like the other guides should toughen up.”
She tilted her head. “Oh dear, I see your father in that evil little smile. Zadie’s sweetness didn’t cancel out Amir’s black soul, did it?”
I burst out laughing. I knew my dad’s past was more than a little checkered, but Elena had been there to witness it up close and personal. “Post-divorce me is trying to get more in touch with that side.”
She slipped an arm around my shoulders, drawing me in. “A little grit is good. It keeps your head above water when things get rough.” Her voice gentled. “Just don’t forget you’re allowed to have a tender heart with the people who would never hurt you.”
I leaned into her, missing my mom acutely in that moment. “That group feels a lot smaller than I used to think.”
She hummed, unconvinced. “You might be surprised.”
Then she straightened, crossing the room to the refrigerator. “Now, back to business. I stocked you with a few groceries, but I will not allow you to cook your own dinner your first night here. Get settled. Unpack. I’ll see you at five.”
My eyebrows shot up, though I wasn’t sure why I was surprised Elena was taking charge. She had always been a force of nature. “Five? Okay. Thank you, Elena.”
She nodded once, decisive. “Of course. You’re always welcome at my table. Don’t wait for an invitation. None of my children do.”
Lock and Elena Kelly’s house hadn’t changed much since I was a kid.
A few toys were scattered across the living room floor now, evidence of grandchildren, but the bones were the same.
Warm and comfortable, the kitchen was still the heart, anchored by the massive table Cormac had once told me was magic.
I arrived right at five, and was greeted by Lock, who was even bigger than I remembered.
His arms were tree trunks, and his chest was as broad as the doorway, but he folded me into the gentlest hug before shuffling me into the kitchen where his wife was preparing dinner.
Elena didn’t stand on ceremony and put me right to work chopping vegetables.
She moved around me, seasoning chicken and checking her rising dough, folding me into the scene like I was a regular guest.
“Is anyone else coming?” I asked.
“It’s a crapshoot these days with everyone married with kids.
Well, everyone but Maccie. But he’s busy with his new girlfriend, so who knows?
Maybe he’ll settle down soon too.” She lifted a shoulder.
“I make more than enough, though, just in case. If there are leftovers, Lock takes them for lunch.” She bumped my shoulder with hers. “He won’t retire.”
I laughed. “My dad won’t either.”
That made her groan. “Don’t I know it. Those two are bad influences on each other. I swear, they’re waiting each other out.”
Lock wandered over and kissed the side of her head. “Says the woman who still works forty hours a week.”
Elena frowned. “Why in the world would I retire before you? You expect me to sit at home all alone every day? I’d get into so much trouble.”
He slipped his arm around her waist, resting his jaw against her temple. “You’d rather us get into trouble together?”
She tipped her head to the side, peering at his scruffy face. “You know very well that’s exactly what I want.”
“Hmmm.” He pressed a kiss to her cheekbone. “I’ll think about it.”
Feeling like I was intruding on an intimate moment, I dropped my gaze to study the carrot I was chopping, my stomach churning.
Jackson and I had never been like this, even as newlyweds.
Even before things had gone so far south we had no hope of bringing them back, I’d known our relationship wasn’t right.
Not right for me, at least. I had always wanted this type of intimacy—to look at my husband the way my mom did my dad, and Elena did Lock.
I couldn’t really remember why I’d settled for him, except he’d asked, and I’d been so sad about so many things, I’d said yes. The night before our wedding, when I’d had too many doubts to ignore, I’d been on the edge of backing out.
Then Cormac had to go activate my stupid, stubborn pride.
If not for overhearing that conversation, I would ha—
“Hey! Is everyone dressed? I’m here.”
My knife paused midslice.
As if I’d conjured him by thinking about him for the second time in as many days, Cormac strolled into the kitchen, devastating me right down to my toes.
It wasn’t how much older he looked, or how ridiculously handsome he was in his navy-blue suit, or even the way his thick brown waves fell almost to his shoulders.
The moment his pale-blue eyes landed on me, the light vanished, and his easy smile turned off like a switch had been flipped.
All because I was standing in his parents’ kitchen.
He couldn’t even hide how much he didn’t want me here.
I’d never been able to figure out what I’d done to make him hate me this much, but my stupid, stubborn pride had been reactivated.
This summer I’d find out.
Come hell or high water.