Chapter 1 #2
Sure, working at Rough Terrain Adventures had been fun back in high school, but no way would she be able to spend her days side by side with Parker after what had happened. That kind of humiliation wasn’t easy to forget, especially when she’d just been shattered by her cheating husband.
Nope. Some other kind of work would come along. It had to. She didn’t want to blow through her savings, so she needed a source of income. Shelby might be on the small side, but she knew the right opportunity would open up in time.
Less than an hour after hanging up on Parker Colton, her doorbell rang.
Frowning, since she wasn’t expecting anyone, she opened the door to find her old friend, Lakin Colton, on her doorstep.
Still a stunning beauty, Lakin wore her brown-black hair long and straight.
Her brown eyes sparkled with friendliness.
“Genna!” Lakin exclaimed, pulling her in for a hug. “It’s so good to see you again.”
Smiling, Genna invited her in. Tall and athletic, Lakin dressed to hide her curves. She wore her long, dark hair straight.
“You haven’t changed a bit,” Genna said.
“Neither have you!”
They chatted for a while, Lakin full of enthusiasm for a hotel renovation project she was doing with her boyfriend Troy. It took a few minutes, but Lakin finally got to the reason for her surprise visit.
“I understand my brother called you to talk about coming to work at RTA,” she said. “They’ve kind of been floundering since I left.”
Genna stiffened. “He did,” she replied. “I turned him down.”
“But why?” Leaning forward, Lakin regarded her earnestly. “You know that business better than anyone outside of my family. We need you, you’re looking for work. The pay is decent. So why on earth would you say no to what seems like the perfect fit?”
Not wanting to go into the sordid details, Genna shrugged. “I just don’t want to,” she said.
Naturally, Lakin shook her head. “That’s not a good reason. Now, what are you not telling me?”
Before Genna could think up a nonresponse, her doorbell rang again. This time, Lakin and Parker’s cousin Spence stood outside. “We need your help,” he said, not bothering with pleasantries. “We can even bump up the salary, if that would help.”
“Why do I feel like you Coltons are ganging up on me?” Genna asked, only half joking. “Surely you can find someone else?”
“You’re already trained!” Lakin and Spence replied in unison. “And our family knows and trusts you.”
The doorbell chimed yet again. “This is getting ridiculous,” Genna muttered, going to answer. Sure enough, two more members of the Colton family had arrived. “Abby and Sasha,” she said, stepping aside and gesturing them to enter. “Did you all plan this or is it a spontaneous gathering?”
Seeing Lakin and Spence there, the two new arrivals burst out laughing. “Definitely not planned,” they said. “We all just really would appreciate you coming to run the office at RTA. You’re perfect. We heard you’d turned the job down, so we stopped by to see if we could change your mind.”
Now resigned, Genna crossed her arms. “The only person not here is Parker,” she said, not bothering to hide her irritation. “Is there a reason for that?”
Spence shrugged. “I think he’s a little upset that you hung up on him. What’s up with that anyway?”
Though she felt her face heat, she refused to air her dirty laundry to Parker’s family. Clearly, he hadn’t told them anything about what had happened a year ago. Therefore, neither would she.
“Everyone, I’m very sorry, but I’m just not interested,” Genna said. “I hate that you wasted your time coming over here, but me working at RTA just isn’t going to happen.”
Spence looked at Lakin, who nodded. “Do you happen to have a pen and paper I could use?” he asked.
Perplexed, she went into the kitchen, grabbed a pen and the pad she jotted her grocery list on and brought it out for Spence. “Here you go.”
He jotted something down before handing the paper back. “We can pay you that,” he said.
The number he’d written was far higher than she’d expected. “You must really want me to work for you,” she said. “I’m not sure what to say.”
“Just say yes!” Lakin exclaimed. “You know you want to.”
Though Genna knew no such thing, she was also well aware she couldn’t make that amount of money working anywhere else in Shelby.
“I’ll think about it,” she said, hoping this attempt at compromise would be enough.
Apparently, it wasn’t. No one made a move to leave. Abby and Sasha exchanged a quick glance. “We’re sorry,” Abby said. “But we really need you to agree to take the job before we go.”
“No pressure,” Lakin added, clearly tongue in cheek.
Spence shook his head. “This is serious. At least, to our family. Rough Terrain Adventures is important to us. And to the town.”
She almost took pity on them. Almost. She understood where they were coming from and, if not for the fact that she’d have to work alongside Parker, she would have accepted their offer the moment she’d seen the salary.
“I don’t like being bullied,” she finally said. “And the more you all try to pressure me, the less likely it is that I’ll accept your offer. I need some time to think.”
“How long?” Spence asked, appearing worried.
“I can let you know by morning.”
Spence nodded, the others murmured their agreement, and they all trooped toward her front door. Only Lakin lingered. She waited until the others were gone before turning to face Genna. “There’s something you’re not saying. What is it?”
In years past, Genna might have blurted out the truth. Now, she simply shook her head. “I’m sorry, Lakin. I promise to decide quickly. I’ll call Spence the second I know.”
Expression crestfallen, Lakin nodded. “It’s just that I feel so guilty. They’re all acting as if me leaving is a death knell for our business. I’m finally doing what I’ve long dreamt of and, while I know they don’t begrudge me that, apparently RTA is having difficulty functioning without me.”
“I’m sorry.” Genna gazed at her old friend. Lakin would be shocked if she knew the reason for her hesitation. Lakin clearly adored her brother and Genna refused to say or do anything to change that. “I’ll let you know as soon as I decide.”
Lakin nodded. “I’m sorry for the intrusion.” Tugging on her long braid bashfully, she smiled. “I promise I’ll still love you, no matter what you do.”
“Right back atcha,” Genna said. “Isn’t it nearly the end of the season anyway? Snow will be starting soon.”
“That’s true and, yes, it does mean some of our adventures will be coming to an end until spring. But there are a lot of snow enthusiasts. We’ve added snowmobiling, ice fishing, ice-skating and snowshoeing to our ski trips.”
Which ensured RTA didn’t have to close down for winter. In other words, Genna would still have a job.
Once Lakin had also left her house, Genna locked the door behind her and then sank down onto her couch.
This shouldn’t be so difficult. She’d loved working at RTA back in the day and imagined she would still.
She’d worked with Lakin and knew how things ran, so there wouldn’t be a long learning curve.
Not to mention the salary. Considering that she’d been out of the work force for a number of years and had a huge gap in her résumé as a result, she felt positive she couldn’t make that amount elsewhere.
And she definitely needed to find a job.
Those were the pros. And there was only one con. Parker.
It has been a year, she told herself. The man probably didn’t even remember much about that night and, if he did, he obviously wasn’t embarrassed about the way he’d ghosted her. Maybe she was making too big a deal out of nothing, getting worked up too much inside her own head.
Still, while she understood they were probably used to getting their own way, the fact that the Colton family had descended upon her en masse spoke to their own desperation.
While she’d found them all showing up on her doorstep unbelievably pushy, she got where they were coming from.
When you truly cared about something, you went all out.
The fact that she couldn’t make a simple decision really bothered her. She needed to go ahead and accept the job offer. After all, since she’d be living in Shelby, she couldn’t avoid Parker forever.
Instead of waiting until morning, she decided to drive over to RTA and let Parker know in person. His reaction to her would go a long way in helping her decide if they could manage to work together.
She grabbed her car keys and headed off before she could talk herself out of it.
As she approached the RTA building, a sprawling log cabin just outside the center of town, her heart rate accelerated.
Pulling into the drive, she parked. She took a moment while sitting in her car to eye the place. The large cabin with the metal roof looked welcoming, especially the numerous porch areas with railings. Someone had placed potted flowers around the spaces and this gave off a cheery, summery vibe.
As the number-one tour company in town, RTA was extremely popular.
Their customers came from all walks of life.
Tours included rafting and camping along mountain rivers, hiking the glaciers, helicopter skiing, seaplane trips to out-of-the way fishing spots, and other sorts of outdoor adventures.
Right now, in peak tourist season, they were open seven days a week.
Like all the other tour companies, RTA tended to close down during the heaviest snow, December through February, though they had added a few snowmobile adventures to their already large catalog.
Each of RTA’s ten or so employees was extensively trained in their own area and knowledgeable about whatever activity they were assigned. Prices were high, but reasonable, and they were usually booked out six to nine months in advance.
If she took the job, Genna would be in charge of coordinating all this. It sounded incredibly complicated and fast-paced, but since the guides—including Parker—spent most of their time out of the office on adventures with clients, she’d have a lot of alone time.
This knowledge reinforced her decision to accept the job. She remembered the reservation software, the way they used GPS to keep tabs on their guides and their guests. She had the organizational skills to manage all of it.
Now to face Parker and let him know she’d be coming to work on Monday.
Pushing the door open, a little bell on top announcing her arrival, she looked around at the apparently empty office. A man popped up from behind the counter. “Sorry, I was trying to fix the…” His words trailed off as he took in her presence.
To her dismay, Parker Colton looked even better than she remembered.
If anything, his dark brown hair seemed shaggier, his blue eyes sexier, and his unshaven face gave him a rugged, bad-boy appearance.
At six-two, he towered over her and his muscular body made the room seem smaller somehow.
If she’d never seen him before, she suspected her knees would have gone weak.
Even being prepared, the first sight of him felt like a punch in the stomach and she struggled to catch her breath.
“Genna,” he said, his gaze searching her face. “It’s good to see you.”
“Is it?” Remembering she’d be working with him, she had to rein in her snark. “Uh, anyway. I just stopped by to tell you that I’ve decided to accept your job offer.”
“You do?” Confusion flitted across his handsome features. “What changed your mind?”
“Spence, Lakin, Abby and Sasha. They all came to visit.”
“And convinced you to work here?” He crossed his arms. “How?”
“The salary. It’s too good to pass up. Even if I have to—”
“Work with me?” he finished for her. “It’s okay, I get it.”
Deciding it would be safer and more professional not to go down that road, she nodded. “I can start this coming Monday.”
To her surprise, he groaned. “Monday? That’s an entire week away. Is there any chance you could start right now?”
“Today?” Not sure how to react, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She hadn’t dressed for work, though from what she remembered, RTA issued all employees several green work shirts emblazoned with the company logo.
“Yes. Today. You’re already here, so why not?” He swallowed hard. “Please.”
Was that a trace of panic she detected in his tone? She glanced at her watch, as if she actually had some place else she was supposed to be. “Fine,” she finally said. “You might as well tell me up front. How bad is it?”
He smiled, his amazing blue eyes crinkling in the corners. Everything inside her went still for a few heartbeats before she remembered to breathe. Did this man have any idea of his effect on her? Somehow, she doubted it, because if he did, no doubt he’d use that to his advantage.
“Come take a look,” he replied. “Lakin had everything pretty organized, but since she left and all the rest of us have been trying to alternate between being guides and keeping the place running, it’s gotten way out of hand. How much do you remember from when you worked here before?”
“I’m sure it will all come back to me.” The moment she walked behind the counter, Parker handed her a three-ring binder. “Lakin made notes about everything. We’ve all been referring to them constantly, but once you get into a routine, you’ll probably have them all down pat in no time.”
He reached under the counter and pulled out a cardboard box. “New work shirts are in here. Find your size and take as many as you need.”
Standing this close to him, his scent brought back instant memories of that night she’d spent in his arms. The masculine combination of outdoorsy evergreens and something less tangible made her briefly close her eyes as she battled a sudden longing.
No, she told herself, straightening and making a show of rummaging through the box of green shirts.
No attraction, no love affairs, none of that.
She’d decided to focus on herself and figure out what she wanted from life.
Parker Colton with his bedroom eyes and magnetic smile would be nothing more than a coworker from now on.
A couple of cars and a small tour bus pulled up out front.
As people began exiting, milling about in the porch area, Parker smiled again, his relief evident.
“There’s my next tour group. I’ll leave this in your very capable hands.
” After grabbing a clipboard with a checklist from the counter, he took off, the bell over the door tinkling merrily behind him.
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed a green RTA shirt out of the box and hurried off to the bathroom to change.