So, while she had agreed to cut back on the whole swearing thing, she had a job to do. Like it or not, she had to lead the Funkleman family to their destination, whatever it took.
And she had to do it soon.
Paige shifted a wary gaze back to the horizon where a hearty thunderhead, swollen and black, encroached on Castle Peak, merely a few miles away. They had maybe another two hours before the clouds built and unleashed hell right on top of them. Thunderstorms above tree line brewed horror stories. No protection. Nowhere to hide. Just you and the millions of volts of electricity zinging across the sky. One cloud-to-ground current could take out an entire group.
What about that, Miss Customer Service Trainer? What would you say to that?
“Woo hoo!” Hal dumped half of his third water bottle over his head and shook like a drenched dog, jowls swaying and everything.
Oh no he didn’t. She plowed toward him, steam clouds rising from her mouth. “What did I tell you about wasting water, Hal?”
“Can’t help it. I’m parched.” He eyed her with a sheepish grin. “You got plenty more in your pack, Miss Paige. Am I right?”
It is inappropriate to argue with a customer. If they say something you don’t agree with, find a way to redirect them instead of firing back.
Redirect. Redirect…. She had to redirect before she sucker-punched the man. He was so not worth getting fired over.
“All right, guys!” Pivoting, she shifted back into cheerleader mode. “We need to hustle. Gotta get up there before noon.” Which meant…“No more breaks. We’re gonna keep moving.”
Sweat slicked Hal’s sideburns against his ruddy skin. He doubled over and peered up at her. “I ain’t movin’. I can’t. I might bust a lung.”
Every client said that at least once during a climb. She studied the others behind him. Brenda, his lovely wife, gasped like a beached trout. Surprisingly, her teased blond hair still stood about eight inches above her forehead, though her Mary Kay makeup had melted. The three boys, whom she liked to think of as Larry, Curly, and Moe, plodded behind their mother in typical, sullen teenager fashion.
Okay. So. Cheerleader mode wasn’t working. It was time to level with this guy. She had never failed on a mission to get a client up a mountain, and not even Hal Funkleman would stop her from showing this family how it felt to stand up there and look out over the vastness of an endless beauty. It was power. It was fear. It was the reward. That moment made every step, every aching muscle worth it.
Assume the stance. She posted her hands on her hips exactly like a drill sergeant would and stomped over to Hal. “Stand up. We’re going.”
His jaw dropped and exposed four silver fillings.
Pretending not to notice the ice in his stare, she gestured to Brenda and the Three Stooges. “Come on. This way. Step around him and keep hiking.” One by one, his family obeyed, casting apologetic glances at the head of their household. Apparently, they feared her more than him. That was a good thing.
Hal pushed off his knees and stood at full height, his grizzly-bear-like body towering over her. “Are you crazy, lady? I can hardly breathe up here. You’re gonna kill me.”
“This will so not kill you.” She smiled. “It’s good for you. Just take deep breaths and walk slowly. As long as you keep moving, you’ll be fine.” She’d taken three-hundred-pound clients up to the lake, and nearly cried at the look of accomplishment on their faces when they saw the view.
The man faked a hacking cough.
Brenda glanced back with worry furrowed into her forehead, but Paige swept her hand through the air in a silent command for her to turn around. That’s right, Brenda. Keep on movin’. Nothin’ to see here. She’d take care of Hal, no problem. He might be a big guy, but how tough could he be?
Let’s find out. She stepped up until they stood toe-to-toe, like two cowboys about to duel. Except she didn’t have the belt buckle or the boots or the stubble on her chin. But that’d never stopped her before. She’d held her own with plenty of Hal Funklemans. If she could handle Shooter, she could handle Hal.
“I’m not goin’ nowhere.” He glared down at her, cheeks splotched, lips crusted with spit, eyes crazy with the stress of physical exertion. “No, sir. I don’t take orders from people like you.”
“People like me.” Women. He meant he didn’t take orders from women. That’s it. For two hours, she’d babied him, smiled, and encouraged him. You’re doing great, Hal! Looking good! Keep it up! She’d given the customer service method her best effort—for Bryce and Avery—and it didn’t work. No amount of customer service training could change the fact that she was responsible for what happened out here. Screw being nice. She’d have to resort to what she did best: tough love.
Paige pushed up the sleeves of her thermal. “See those clouds over there?” She pointed above Hal’s head. “Those are called thunderheads.”
He assessed the clouds with a shrug. “Yeah. So?”
“Have you ever stood above tree line during a lightning storm, Hal?”
“Sure haven’t.” He tugged on his belt as it seemed to have slipped, exposing the fact that his flannel shirt had been tucked into plaid boxer shorts.
She averted her eyes back to his. “Let me tell you something about lightning. One cloud to ground strike at this altitude could fry your body like a piece of bacon.”
At the mention of bacon, Hal’s eyes lit.
Okay. Bad idea distracting the man with pork. She tried again. “I mean, it’ll stop your heart instantly, burn your skin to a crisp.”
“Like bacon.” Hal nodded, his eyes gleaming with a frightening hunger. “You know what? I got some jerky in my pack. Seems like a good time to stop for lunch, don’t it?”
If you feel yourself losing your temper with a customer, be sure to stop, smile politely, and count silently to ten. Refrain from lashing out.
Was she starting to lose her temper? Yes. The answer flashed in the heat of her cheeks like a glowing neon sign. Inhaling a cleansing breath, she tried it out. One, two, three…oh screw it. They were engaged in some kind of weird chauvinistic power struggle, and he couldn’t win. Not out here. “What I’m trying to say is, we don’t have time for jerky, Hal. We’re not stopping.”
His chin tipped upward in defiant child fashion. “That’s not your call.” He shimmied out of his backpack straps and let the thing fall to the ground with a thud. “I believe we’re the ones payin’ for this here hike.”
“And I believe I’m here to make sure everyone gets to the lake alive.” Her jaw ground out the words. “That means we have to bag this thing by ten. Get off the trail by noon. Before we get struck by lightning. Got it?”
Hal’s eyes searched the sky above her head. “Don’t look too bad to me.” As if proving he wasn’t the least bit concerned, he plopped down. Well, as much as a heavy-set man can plop. It was more like a grimacing collapse that ended in a wince. “A little rain never hurt nobody.” He pawed through his pack. When he pulled out the bag of jerky Paige could’ve sworn she saw tears of joy in his eyes.
Wow. This guy was unbelievable.
If a disagreement arises, gently sway the customer using positive tactics. Listen first, then reiterate your point of view.
Yeah. Right. Maybe that worked with reasonable people. She had half a mind to swipe that bag of jerky out of his greedy hand and tie it to a stick so she could lure him up the mountain like a carrot leading a donkey. “I’m not talking about a little rain, Hal,” she spat. “I’m talking about an electrical storm.” Memories shivered through her. “Trust me. I’ve been there. Lightning so close you can hear it zing in the air. The hair on your head and arms standing straight up—”
“And you didn’t get struck down, didya?” Obvious disappointment tugged at the corners of his mouth.
If all else fails and you feel you can no longer serve the customer, remove yourself from the situation for a moment. Gain some perspective and go back to the customer when you’re ready.
Paige g
rinned. Now that she could do. At least the training day hadn’t been a total waste. “You know what, Hal? Forget it.” She spun away. “You go ahead and take a long lunch break. We’ll see you in a few hours.”
“You can’t leave me by myself! What if I see a bear? A mountain lion?”
She glanced over her shoulder. Smile politely. “If I were you, I’d make sure my hands didn’t smell like jerky.”
And with that, she blazed up the trail to join the others.
Acknowledgments
After I finished writing Something Like Love (Book 2 in the Heart of the Rockies series) I couldn’t imagine never telling Julia’s story. She was one of those characters who worked her way deep into my heart. I’m so grateful to my editor, Megha Parekh, for giving me the opportunity to devote a whole novella to Julia, and for helping me tell stories that matter. I appreciate the whole team at Forever more than I can say.
To my agent, Suzie Townsend, thank you for reading the entire manuscript in one weekend and for loving it, too. I am so grateful to be working with you!
To my readers, I so appreciate the support and excitement you’ve shown over the Heart of the Rockies series! Your reviews and social media posts and kind e-mails of encouragement continue to bless me and keep me going. Thank you for letting me share my stories.
While writing this book, I was under a bit of a tight timeline. Thank you to my incredible husband Will and my resilient boys AJ and Kaleb for giving me the space to write so I could make my deadline, but also for making me take breaks to laugh, play, and enjoy life. I don’t know what I would do without you.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
About the Author
A Preview of MORE THAN A FEELING
A Preview of SOMETHING LIKE LOVE
Acknowledgments
More from Sara Richardson
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Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by Sara Richardson
Excerpt from More Than a Feeling copyright ©2015 by Sara Richardson
Excerpt from Something Like Love copyright © 2015 by Sara Richardson
Cover design by Brian Lemus
Cover copyright © 2015 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First ebook edition: November 2015
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ISBN 978-1-4555-9151-0
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