“Well, the truth is…I am checking some guests in. Can I call you back?”
There was a short pause. “Sure. I’ll be here.”
She thanked him and closed off the call, then returned to her new guests. “I’m sure you’re ready to tackle seeing the sights. Please let me know if there is anything you need. Dinner will be at six right here.”
“Excellent,” Tom said. He turned to Ava. “I think we’re going to unpack and then go for a drive.”
Charlie Grace suggested a quick trip north along Jackson Lake. “You might even loop down through Colter Bay. The drive only takes about an hour. Of course, add an extra hour for stops. You’re sure to see a lot of wildlife, and there’s no prettier place for photos. Especially if you stop at the various overlooks.”
“Thanks, we’ll do just that,” Tom said.
Charlie Grace bid her new guests goodbye and headed for the house. She hadn’t taken time for a shower earlier this morning and desperately wanted to freshen up before the barbecue tonight…for the guests and no one special, she told herself.
From her closet, she pulled out a pretty daffodil-colored top she’d picked up in one of the clothing boutiques in Jackson a few weeks back. Unlike most women, she wasn’t a fan of shopping. Thankfully, her girlfriends could be counted on to help her select things that framed her figure and enhanced the faint lavender hue found in her eyes.
After her shower and getting dressed in the top and a matching skirt, she gazed at her reflection in her bathroom mirror. The image that stared back confirmed what she’d often been told. She was blessed with a great complexion and nice features. She didn’t have to resort to cosmetics to accentuate her looks. Yet, despite all that, Charlie Grace couldn’t resist the temptation of her bathroom drawer, where she searched for a touch of mascara and lipstick to enhance her appearance.
Satisfied with the final result, she studied herself in the mirror once again and couldn’t help but feel pleased with what she saw.
She didn’t need any man to validate her. But deep down, she couldn’t deny a secret little thrill that came with the possibility of catching a particular guest’s eye.
About an hour before the scheduled dinner time, she was delighted to see Nick Thatcher’s car driving up the lane, approaching the parking area. He pulled into a vacant space and cut the motor. Seeing her, he waved and headed her way.
“So, I was just going to grab my camera and hike down to the end of the meadow. I hope to catch a few shots down along the riverbank while we have this fabulous light. I know you’re likely busy with everything, and it looks like you’re dressed for dinner, but if you can slip away…”
“I’d love to. And I’ll change.”
The minute she said the words, she chastised herself. She had a mountain of things she should be doing and had no business joining him. Still, the immediate elation she felt was nothing she wanted to quash. “Yes, let me run to get my camera.”
He grinned. “You found your mom’s Canon?”
She nodded with enthusiasm. “It was right where I’d stored it away.”
Charlie Grace exchanged the skirt for a pair of jeans, grabbed her camera, and was back in a jiff after telling Aunt Mo she’d be gone for a short while.
“Go, sweetheart,” her aunt urged. “It won’t be a problem.”
She leaned and gave the older woman a little kiss on the cheek, feeling slightly breathless. “Okay, if you’re sure. I mean, Ford has everything under control.”
Aunt Mo was more than amenable to her taking a few minutes for herself. “Yes, we’re good. Go. Everything here’s fine.”
With that blessing, she joined Nick on the porch of his cabin, now wearing a cute pair of jeans and boots, with camera in hand.
“Ready?” he asked, looking at her with an intensity that made her shiver.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
As they headed across the meadow in the direction of the river, Charlie Grace couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation mixed with trepidation—a fact that begged a question.
She had a business to run. A daughter. A boyfriend.
What in the world had gotten into her?
21
With her camera slung around her neck. Charlie Grace walked with Nick through the marsh grass along the bank of the river that meandered through the northern end of the property.
“This evening light is amazing.” Nick’s voice was reverent with a tinge of excitement. “I was afraid we might be too late, but these long shadows are just what I was hoping for.”
