Page 1 of Hearts Don't Lie
Mac checked her smart watch after entering the Piñon Grind. She nodded to Kai behind the counter and held up two fingers to let her friend know “the usual” while simultaneously pushing back the long wavy strands from her ear and tapping on the earpiece.
“Hey. I know. I’m running later than I expected. Had to drop Stowe off at camp. Homer got loose again. We finally found him in the dirty laundry. I’m convinced that damned rabbit does this on purpose, knows when my son has to be somewhere. Do you want something else? I just ordered.”
Cori laughed on the other end of the call. “The usual is good, thanks. Just letting you know I booked a three-day, leaving tomorrow morning.”
“I thought we were booked solid.” She inhaled deeply, savoring the aromas of coffee and cinnamon, observing the whir of grinding beans and frothing milks, taking in the conversations and laughter. As usual, Kai’s massive coffee loft—a combination of whitewashed brick walls, honeyed wood, and glass, filled with natural light that made the space feel airy yet welcoming—was humming with activity.
“We are, but I called Jess in to cover. She jumped at the chance. Said she could use the extra hours.”
“Okay. She’s taking it?”
“Um… no. You are, with Chase.”
What the hell? It wasn’t like Cori to screw up. “No, I’m not. My schedule is full until Stowe goes back to school. Have someone else take it.” Mac handed Kai cash and offered an apologetic smile.
“Youwere.” Cori took an audible breath before launching into the explanation. “The guy asked for you. Called in as soon as I opened up. I told him you weren’t available.” She spoke faster. “He insisted. Kenna Eliot. No one else. ‘Nonnegotiable,’ a private trip, to include Elks Pass and Chasm Incline. I explained we don’t send our women guides out on private tours and tried to send him elsewhere, but he said no. He said he was willing to reconsider and compromise. Seriously. He said that. Can you believe it?”
“Cor—”
Cori kept talking. “He said it was fine to send someone else with you. He hadn’t thought of that, agreed it was smart policy. He also said it didn’t matter because once you realized who he was, you’d insist the trip be a one-on-one.”
“Oh, he did, did he? Pretty arrogant,” Mac said with a hard edge to her tone.
“Then he asked again what it would take to book the trip. I said $10,000. It was the first amount that popped into my head. Uh… He freaking paid it! He didn’t even hesitate other than to ask me if I was ready to take his credit card info.” There was a pause, and then she mumbled, “I should’ve asked for more.”
“What the hell, Cor?” Mac asked, dropping her change in the tip jar and moving to the pickup area, now seething, trying to keep her voice down in the sea of customers. It alarmed her that some guy was asking for her specifically, assuming her time could be bought by paying ten times their normal rate for a three-day trip. She hated nothing more than being expected to yield to another person’s demands. “No can do. Not even for a million. And even if I agreed… Stowe…”
“Got him covered.”
“Thanks, but he has camp and practice.”
“Beckett and I will stay at your place because of Homer. Besides, Beck has practice with Stowe. It’s just easier. Mike and the girls won’t mind for a few nights.”
“This is a huge inconvenience.”
“Seriously? You’re saying this to your bestie? Tsk-tsk. Weak argument. It’s not like I haven’t pitched in before or you haven’t done the same. Running Stowe back and forth to camp is no issue either.” Cori got back to what clearly excited her. “Ten thousand dollars! Who pays that? We provide the best experiences, but ten thousand?”
Some rich, high-and-mighty jerk. Dammit.They rarely had people who were a pain in the ass, but sometimes…
“Emory isn’t on call for the next three days, so she offered to fill in as we need her, which frees up Van, who’ll take your bookings until you return. He’s happy to do so. Your client said he’d have his credit card company cancel the transaction if you weren’t up for the trip.”
“He actually said if I wasn’t up for it?”
“Uh-huh. Kind of an in-your-face comment, right? I sent him down to Elevation for clothing and the other personal items he needs since he basically has nada. I made some suggestions and strong recommendations.”
This is becoming fishier by the minute.“Who demands a multiday trip and arrives wholly unprepared?”
“I know, right? Chase is available to go with you, and if you do decide to do the one-on-one, he’ll just take you out and then pick you up at the Flag Creek trailhead. If he ends up not going with you, he’ll give us the breathing room we need while you’re gone. He’s packing all the gear as we talk. It’s late July in Colorado, friend,” Cori said. “In case you can’t hear it, I’m drumming my fingers with impatience. Your decision?”
Ten thousand dollars. Intrepid Adventures—their wilderness guided-tours and -trips business in Piñon Ridge, which they had launched soon after Stowe was born, could really use the extra money or Mac wouldn’t even be considering it. Besides being her partner, Cori was her best friend, Stowe’s honorary aunt, and all-around godsend.
“Did you explain to this guy that the hike is really challenging in parts, as in damned difficult? The majority of the terrain is Class 2, but Class 3 is mixed in. Loose rocks, narrow climbs, big drops. The chasm alone takes three to four hours to scale,” Mac argued. “Five to seven miles each day. Piñon Ridge is at 9,600 feet, and we’re going to hike unmaintained trails, sometimes no trails, and gain between one thousand and two thousand feet in elevation each day.”
“I did.”
“Then there’s the altitude sickness.”
“I explained that to him too. He assured me it won’t be a problem. He will ‘abide by the guidance given.’ His words.”
