Dorothy had smiled with her, laughed at Nina’s attempt at humor and even praised her work ethic.
Preparation had been key.
Meeting one of her sons while taking a topless dip and then immediately accusing him of being a creep?
That certainly wasn’t the key to anything other than a world of embarrassment.
“I’m Caleb Nash,” he continued while she continued to scramble for the right thing to say to make the last five minutes disappear. He was still grinning, which only made everything worse. “I’d prefer Caleb and not Tom, if you please.”
The burn of embarrassment that had crawled up her neck was now a steady flame across her cheeks. Still, Nina couldn’t just stand there any longer without saying a word. On reflex she cleared her throat and pasted on a smile that felt tight.
“I’m sorry,” she said, hoping she sounded at least marginally regretful. She still wasn’t convinced the man hadn’t been trying to enjoy the free view. Nina might have liked Dorothy but she had yet to meet her sons. One, she knew, was the sheriff. The other two were a part of the triplets. Past that she hadn’t heard anything about their jobs or personal lives. Dorothy had kept close to the topic of work. “I guess it wasn’t the best idea to go exploring. I thought for sure I would be alone.” She strode forward and stretched out her hand. “I’m Nina. Nina Drake.”
Caleb’s grip was strong and warm. Not that she expected the man in front of her to offer anything less. His arms and legs were toned and muscled, both threatening to break out of the tight shirt he wore and the shorts he barely had on. Even without the show of muscles he just seemed like a man who was sturdy. Well over six feet and broad shouldered, he made Nina feel more than petite next to him.
It didn’t help that she was already feeling small because of embarrassment. It also didn’t help that Caleb had a good-looking grin that matched an extremely handsome face. When Nina had applied for a job on the ranch she’d pictured rugged men in cowboy hats roaming around the property on horses. Not the clean-shaven, dark-haired man wearing short shorts in the middle of the woods in front of her.
Not those baby blues focused solely on her.
Half of the reason she’d taken the job was to curb excitement like this.
Not that this was anything more than an awkward situation.
Still, she couldn’t imagine being in the presence of the triplets if they had been identical. It would, she suspected, be intimidating to say the least.
“Well, nice to meet you, Nina,” he said after their hands had fallen. “I’m sorry I interrupted. I usually stop here to cool off.”
Nina was already backing away in the direction she’d originally come. She shook her head and waved off the concern.
“It was my fault,” she tried. “I was just trying to familiarize myself with the trails before guests started arriving. I should have stayed on the path.” Caleb looked like he was going to say something but she was already retreating into the tree line. “Enjoy your dip,” she called. Then she turned on her heel and hurried back to the dirt trail.
It wasn’t until she had passed the one-mile marker that she slowed enough to catch her breath. Instead of seeing the humor in the situation, Nina couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d almost cost herself a chance at a fresh start.
She balled her hands into fists, resolve to be the perfect employee flooding through her. Not only would she stick strictly to the rules, she decided, but she would also avoid the man who had caught her breaking them.
A branch snapped somewhere off to her side. Nina’s blush surged back up her neck, heating her skin, at the thought of Caleb following her. However, as she paused to look between the trees, she saw no one.
Nina finished the trail with a little more urgency in her step, all the while reasoning that the outline of the man she thought she’d seen was just her imagination.
Simply a ghost from her former life.
Chapter Two
The Wild Iris Retreat was a new build on the Nash Family Ranch but it by no means looked out of place. Four cabins were spaced out for privacy and were placed near a network of trails that led to the best fishing on the land, the horse barn for riding lessons or trail riding and a field where, according to Dorothy, one had the best views of the stars.
The main building that housed the Retreat’s operations, as well as Nina’s office and apartment, was the only part of Wild Iris that had been original to the earlier generation of Nashes. After a flood had forced Dorothy’s grandparents to build a new house a good five-minute drive up the road, the old family home had sat in ruins until the idea of the Retreat had been born. It was now standing tall, repurposed and very much alive. While it wasn’t as cozy as the cabins near it, Nina couldn’t help but favor it above the others.
It reminded her of her mother, if she was being honest. Warm, worn and beautiful.
Nina jogged around to the back door and pulled the key from the waist of her athletic shorts. She slipped her shoes off and carried them through the back hallway to the stairs that branched off what used to be the old living room. The second floor was modest, converted into a studio apartment. It had been created for the manager of the Retreat. Dorothy had wanted the guests to have full access to them without the need to trek up the road to the main house or even farther to two of the Nash sons’ houses.
The Nash sons...
Caleb.
Nina stepped into the shower, trying to physically move away from the embarrassment that had overtaken her again. She remembered a time when she had been great at first impressions. Charming, according to her father, intriguing as a compliment from her mother. At a young age Nina had decided she wanted to use those traits to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Maybe become an inspirational speaker for nonprofits too, traveling the state to talk at schools and other organizations.
But then everything had changed.
Nina’s mood darkened until nothing but the echo of sadness pinged in her heart. She finished her shower, dressed in a pair of jeans and a button-up, and walked downstairs to the front of the house. Another key unlocked the two spaces of her living quarters and the business side of the retreat and soon she was trying her best not to stew on how cruel life could be sometimes while settling in behind her desk.
The Wild Iris Retreat could be one of many things for guests. If they wanted to relax while feeling like they were in the wilderness, the retreat had beautiful scenery and peace and quiet for them to enjoy. If guests wanted to feel like they were a part of the authentic ranch life, there were horses to ride, trails to adventure on, and a small town where everyone knew everyone else to visit. It could be anything and Nina was there to create more options for it and future guests.
The retreat would be opening in two weeks. Nina had already been there for seven days. In that time she’d worked alongside the manager of daily operations, Molly, and the cook, Roberto. Molly was married to the horse trainer and both lived just outside of the ranch. Nina only got the option to live in the old house because Molly and her husband had had no interest in the space upstairs when they had their own home already. Roberto lived in Overlook but because of the set meal schedule didn’t need to be around 24/7 either. So it had been Nina’s perk alone to savor. Not only did she not have to deal with the hassle of finding a place to live, her commute had been reduced to nothing.
She brought up her email and read through a few informational ones from Molly and then reached out to local stores asking about any events they might have coming up. It was her job to stay up-to-date with the small town’s entertainment so she could always have options for guests who wanted to explore locally. She’d already spoken to a few business owners but at least half of the town’s shops didn’t have email addresses listed. Or websites, for that matter. If she was going to talk to them, she’d have to do it in person. By the time her email refreshed and a new message popped up in her inb
ox, Nina was still thinking about going into town and making small talk. She clicked on it, wondering how to be polite but keep her distance as she met the locals, as an image loaded on the screen.
Nina’s breath caught.
It was a picture of her. And not just any picture.
She was standing in a stream, back to the camera, but obviously not wearing a top. It was from that morning. No less than a few hours ago.
Her blood went cold at the text in the body of the email.
And everyone thought you were a nice girl.
* * *
CALEB STOOD BACK and looked at his handiwork. His truck was gleaming. The pollen was seeping into the mud. He’d thought about going into town and running through the automated car wash at the gas station but had needed the water hose to cool off. He’d decided against using the stream and instead had run the rest of the trail hot. By the time he’d driven home, on the exact opposite side of the ranch, Caleb had been desperate for quick relief. He’d stripped down to nothing but his short shorts and rinsed himself off before working on the truck.
By the time he was done his skin was already dry.
The pleasant day had turned angry. If he hadn’t already been tan from living his free time outside, Caleb might have burned beneath the constant shine and heat. He doused himself once more before cutting the water off. He’d use the time between now and when he was dry to finally fix the porch swing he’d been meaning to repair for the last year or so. He’d never used it much but his mother had insisted. If there was ever any one thing true about Dorothy Nash it was her love for porch swings.
Caleb went around back to the shed and grabbed his tools. He was walking across the side yard when an unfamiliar car came barreling up the road. He cursed beneath his breath at not having changed out of his obnoxious shorts as soon as he’d gotten home and hoped once again it wasn’t anyone from the department.
No such luck. It was the only person he would have liked to avoid more than his brothers. Caleb dropped his tools on the wraparound porch and groaned.
“Well, howdy-do there, Mr. Nash!”
Jasmine “Jazz” Santiago came out of the car smiling for all she was worth. As a transplant from Portland, she had done a fine job of fitting into Overlook, the department and even the ranch on the occasions she’d stopped by over the last five years. Tall, thin and with a complexion she once had called smooth mocha, she was one half of their mismatched detective pair. While Caleb erred on the side of contemplation and quiet, Jazz was blunt and always ready to be heard. Even now she cut the engine and bounded toward him, laughing.
“I’d always wondered what you really did on your off days,” she continued, motioning to his bare chest and shorts, and then pointing toward the tool box. “I never would have guessed you were working on an audition for one of the Village People.”
Caleb groaned again.
“First of all, that’s a throwback,” he said, leaning into the teasing. “If I was auditioning for anything it’d clearly be something Magic Mike-related.” Jazz laughed as Caleb searched out his shirt. He tugged it over his head while Jazz inspected his freshly washed truck. She seemed to approve. “Now, other than coming out here to roast me, what’s up?”
Jazz switched moods in a flash. Work mode crinkled her brow together. She met his stare with severity.
“I tried calling but the sheriff told me just to go ahead and come out here. I was already out test-driving Brando’s new car so it worked out easier.” Brando was Jazz’s husband and the fact that she hadn’t brought him along felt even more foreboding. Caleb felt himself go on alert. Not only that but Declan was a stickler about privacy. Even more so about privacy when his staff was off the clock. That he’d sent Jazz out wasn’t a good sign. She pulled her phone out and swiped until she got to the picture she wanted. “When’s the last time you went out to the Overlook Pass behind Nancy Calder’s house?”
Nancy Calder had been a staple in the community for longer than Caleb had been alive. Her father opened the local grocery store thirty years ago. Now, her son ran it. She had a farm with some acreage out near the Overlook town limits, but after turning ninety she’d moved out of state to be with her daughter. Part of her land was rented out to cattle farmers but no one lived in the house. Overlook Pass was a bridge just outside of her property line that had been given historic status. No one used it for transportation but tourists liked taking pictures of it and fishing the water beneath it. The last time Caleb had visited either place had been with his ex, well over a year ago. He said as much to Jazz.
She handed her phone over.
“Apparently no one has been out there for a while.”
The picture was all wrong. Where there should have been an aged but beautiful bridge there was now bits of charred wood and nothing else.
“What the—” he started, anger threatening to become hotter than the weather. “Did...did someone burn it?”
Jazz nodded.
“The fire chief is heading that way now to investigate but, so far, there’s no way to know if this happened recently or a while back. Which may or may not be related to this.” She took back her phone and swiped to another picture. “Last night there was a house fire out on Brookewood Drive. They’re still investigating if it was arson or not. It might not be connected but Declan’s telling everyone in the department to keep their eyes open, just in case.”
Caleb didn’t blame his brother for the department-wide warning. Or the urgency with which he’d deployed the caution. Overlook had a fair amount of forest stretching around it. Arson was always a threat everyone took seriously. One match could make a devastating difference. Plus, Brookewood Drive was a five or so minute drive from the burned bridge. He would have done the same thing in Declan’s place.
Once Jazz had said her piece she hopped back into her car and raised a cloud of dust as she left on the dirt road. Caleb returned to his toolbox but he didn’t feel the same ambition to attend to the broken swing as he had before.
The burning of an unused bridge was something he’d take over a home or business burning down any day. Yet he couldn’t stop the stab of loss in his chest. His father had loved that bridge. He’d taken Caleb and his siblings there at least once a month to fish when it was the season. It had become a routine that Caleb had hoped at a young age they’d keep as he got older. Although that plan had changed due to circumstances no one had seen coming, Caleb still thought fondly about their time there.
Now it was just another part of his father that had been chipped away by a senseless act.
Caleb abandoned the toolbox and showered off. He returned his missed calls—Declan and his mother, the only people who ever seemed to call him nowadays—and decided to live dangerously and crack open a beer with his lunch. He was about to go out to the porch to enjoy it when another car crept up and stopped just behind his truck. This time he was ready for possible company. His short shorts had officially been retired. Now he was in his favorite pair of blue jeans and sporting a beige Stetson cowboy hat he’d bought himself for Christmas.
The driver’s side door swung open just as he placed his full beer down on the porch railing. For the smallest of moments Caleb didn’t recognize the woman barreling toward him. Then, as her petite frame got closer, he fully remembered seeing that very same scowl only hours beforehand.
Nina Drake most certainly looked like she had a bone to pick.
“Well, how do you—” he started, hoping to keep whatever fuse she had unlit by making a better second impression than he had the first. However, Nina wasn’t having it. Her cheeks were flushed red and her chest was rising and falling much faster than was normal. She crossed her arms and interrupted him with fire in her eyes.
“And here I thought you were a nice guy,” she said, voice high. “There I was feeling bad for our little misunderstanding earlier, but now? Now I should report you to the authorities!”
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Caleb raised his hands in defense, of what he wasn’t sure. His eyebrow slid up in question.
“Excuse me?”
Nina was close enough now that he could see the freckles across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose—barely there in the shadows of the trees but undeniable in the full force of the sun. Her nostrils were flared, her fists were balled. Caleb almost took a step back, worried she was readying for an attack.
“Not only were you watching me at the water, you took my picture,” she said, voice dipping into nothing but ice. “And I came here to make sure you delete that picture or I will go straight to the sheriff and your mother.”
Caleb lowered his hands. Any amusement he’d felt was long gone.
“I told you, I wasn’t spying on you. I’ve been going to that spot on my runs since I was fifteen. I was just as surprised to see someone there as you were. And I sure as hell didn’t take any pictures.”
A small look of relief passed across Nina’s expression. It was quickly replaced by one he’d seen in the eyes of countless people during his career in law enforcement.
Fear.
“Nina, what happened?” Caleb pressed. “What pictures are you talking about?”
She hesitated for a moment. Then met his eyes with concern crowding every bit of dark brown she had in them.
“Someone took a picture of me at the stream today. And they sent it to the Retreat’s email.”
Caleb’s reaction was immediate. He felt every muscle in him go taut.
“What?” he asked through his teeth.
“I can show you on the computer back at the office if you want. That email isn’t attached to my phone and I... I didn’t want to forward it. I didn’t want to look at it anymore.”
Her eyes broke contact. She looked down at her hands. It was such a vulnerable action that Caleb had a hard time not venting his disbelief that someone would do such a thing and anger at the person who had right then and there. But then the lawman side of his brain started to kick in.
Reining In Trouble (Winding Road Redemption Book 1) Page 2
