Page 8 of Wild Child
He lifted an inquiring eyebrow. “Taking the horse out with you on the trail, I presume?”
“Yep. Alone outside? Best birthday ever.”
He glanced at the clock.
2:25.
“Stay until three, and you can have the rest of the day off. Deal?”
I hesitated. What did it matter? These were the slowest hours of the day, and we closed at 4:00 on Wednesdays anyway. No one had come in for over an hour. Still, Maverick and Bethany owned this place, not me.
“Sure.”
He nodded but made no move to go. Instead, he hesitated. His gaze lingered on mine and I had the distinct feeling he was stalling with his question.
“What’s the news from Pineville Outfitters?”
My heart skipped another beat. Pineville Outfitters was a store owned by our neighbor and family friend, Daniel. Two years ago, he opened up a position for a new employee to help run the rental and retail portion of the Outfitters shop, and I had applied. It would be my best shot to my ultimate dream: an outdoor guide.
“I’ll take you, Ellie,” Daniel said at the end of my interview, “because I know you want to be a guide. Prove yourself first. Work in the store for a while, then learn. We’ll get you in the mountains on paid hikes once I know you’re not going to kill anyone.”
College had been a dramatic fail that I had not yet recovered any interest in, so I poured my focus into every outdoor educational opportunity I could find. Professional mountain climbing with JJ. Memorizing the best trails for horseback riding. Avalanche training. CPR. First aid. My life focused around sculpting my resume to one single goal: overnight outdoor guiding. I wanted to be paid to live in the mountains all year round.
And it was just about to happen.
Any day now, Daniel would confirm my first overnight guide with paying clients. Then Mav could hire more help for the Frolicking Moose, and I’d spend my time outside, where I belonged. The money would open up travel opportunities so I could get out of Pineville and see the world.
Which had been my plan all along, although this path was a different route.
“Daniel has booked three overnight guides for the summer so far,” I said to Maverick. “Two in August, one in July. I should get all three. There could be one sooner. He wasn’t sure when. Said the client hadn’t decided yet.”
Maverick nodded, but I could see his thoughts whirl. He didn’t like the thought of me alone in the mountains with people he didn’t know. The very nature of me taking someone else into the forest meant they had no idea what they were doing. I could outlast and outlive any of them. Besides, I was better with a knife than most men. Three years of self-defense lessons with Benjamin Mercedey gave me a leg up. I’d saved my own life twice at college.
Shane squirmed in Mav’s arms, but Mav didn’t seem to notice. His thoughts brewed deep today, which meant something was definitely up.
“Why?” I drawled.
Maverick shrugged. “No reason, just wondering.”
“Liar.”
He rolled his eyes. “We’ll need to onboard someone else to pick up the hours, or we might give them to the new girl Dahlia if she wants them. Dagny dropped her hours to weekends only while doing an internship with a construction company after graduating in the winter. I’m just thinking ahead.”
Fair enough excuse, but I wasn’t buying it. Mav shook it off and gave me his usual roguish smile, even if something belied it.
“Have fun on your ride and be safe.”
“Always.”
Shane blew me a sloppy kiss as they headed out the door. The Frolicking Moose fell into quiet again. The scent of vanilla and coffee combined when I bit into the first piece of cupcake. Sweet things weren’t my preference, and neither were cupcakes, but I appreciated the subdued party.
Attentionalsowasn’t my thing, not even on the first birthday of my twenties. A milestone, for sure.
One I should be celebrating with Devin.
The traitorous thought passed through my mind so sneakily I almost didn’t hear it. As soon as I realized he’d snuck back in, I turned him away again.
Three years ago, Devin made his choice. The first year, he stayed away. Hadn’t returned once. After finishing recruit training in San Diego, he’d flown his parents out to see him at his assigned duty station in North Carolina twice. He ghosted this town. Almost two years passed before he returned. I made myself scarce for the two weeks he’d been here, thanks to Millie’s inside knowledge on his schedule. A backpacking trip by myself through the mountains. It had been redeeming. I returned the morning he left and didn’t once see him.
