The next morning Valerie woke after some of the worst dreams she had ever had, but they faded like mist, leaving only an unsettled feeling. It all stemmed from this problem, but Kyle and Ryan had told her to stay put and wait for them to tell her what to do next. They were going to take this total lack of information to the elders.
The room at Grandma’s Inn was a shoebox. On her way out, Valerie left a message for Kyle or Ryan at reception and got into her rental. This time she drove along a different road, not one that led straight to Sun Valley, but one that took her out passed the local farms. She loved the open air feel of them and with the clouds racing up across the sky, she felt she could finally breathe again.
After a while she pulled over and parked the car. Getting out, the wind whipped her curls in her face but she didn’t care. She zipped up her jacket and leaned against a wooden pole fence, letting the wind blow her care away.
She was standing like that, with her eyes shut when suddenly someone spoke to her.
Valerie opened her eyes and looked into a friendly face. The man was tall, broad shouldered and had hazel eyes, so light that they looked golden. His hair was brown with natural highlights, so Valerie guessed he spent a lot of time in the sun.
“Hi,” he said. “Are you lost?”
“Nope, well maybe a little,” Valerie said. “Sorry is this your fence? I’m not intruding am I? I just couldn’t breathe in the car.”
He shook his head. He had ridden up on a horse that he was still sitting in the saddle of. It scratched the ground with a hoof. “I just thought you might need some help. I’m Wyatt by the way,” he said and offered a hand.
“Valerie,” she said shaking his hand.
“Oh, so you’re the assessor huh?” he asked and then he smiled, “Don’t look so shocked, it’s a small town and news travels like the wind.”
Valerie shivered at the thought of everyone knowing that she was with the big bad corporation.
Wyatt sighed, “Why don’t you come in. Jess, my fiancée, would love to meet you. Besides, she makes the best hot chocolate in the state.” He smiled at her and offered a hand.
“But my car?” Valerie asked.
Wyatt shrugged, “Well, if you’re worried about it you can drive and I’ll ride.”
Following a man on horseback was interesting but it turned out that had she driven just over the rise ahead, she would have come to Wyatt’s gate on the right anyway. He opened it for her and she drove in and down to the ranch house.
It was a double story, with a wraparound porch. The place looked lovely, painted a cheery yellow with a deep green roof. Normally she didn’t like colors like that on a house, but it suited this place down to the ground. An old man was sitting on the porch doing something with a piece of wood.
“You brought a stray home?” the old man asked Wyatt.
“Now Charlie, be nice. This is Valerie,” Wyatt said as she got out of the car.
Charlie peered at her with old but bright eyes and shook his white dandelion hair, “Well, it’s your funeral.” And he stood up, making his way down the steps and across the yard with quite a turn of speed.
“Don’t mind him,” Wyatt said, “He doesn’t like strangers is all.”
“Which is going to make turning this place into a B&B interesting in the spring.”
Valerie turned and saw a short, curvy woman with her dark hair tied up on her head in a bun, standing in the doorway. She had clear blue eyes and the same kind of olive skin that Valerie had herself. She smiled broadly.
“You’re Valerie?” she asked, “I’m Jess. It is so good to meet you.” And she pulled Valerie into the house and straight through into the living room.
Valerie found herself deposited on a candy-striped sofa, a mug of hot chocolate pressed into her hand and Jess seated in front of her in a red velvet wingback chair. She was also holding a mug. Marshmellows bobbed in the chocolate.
“So it’s a pity your bosses didn’t say anything interesting last night. Did you get a mail or something perhaps with more details of what they want to do with Sun Valley?” Jess asked conversationally.
Valerie was shocked. How did everyone in this place know everything?
Jess smiled, “Wyatt and Kyle have been best friends forever. He was here last night, moaning about you. So I’m thrilled to finally be able to put a face to the name. You’ve made a lasting impression on him.”
“Oh. Good,” Valerie said weakly.
“It’s not all bad,” Jess said, “For him to be this angry he must really like you.”
“What? Kyle doesn’t like me,” Valerie said shaking her head. “He hates my guts. All because I answered an ad in the paper two years ago. And I only took the job because I love houses and buildings and travelling. Well I did, right up to this trip.”
“Please don’t judge us all on Kyle’s example. I know what it’s like to answer to a boss, I used to be in advertising,” Jess said smiling. “Which firm do you work for?”
Jess was so friendly, and genuinely hospitable, so Valerie told her. “It’s a conglomerate Petersen-Snow,” she said.
Valerie had heard of people going pale, but she’d never actually seen the color drain out of someone’s face, until now. Jess dropped her mug and pushed her chair back. It clattered on the floor, spilling the last of her hot chocolate on the wood.
“Oh, no,” she said backing away.
Valerie stood up. “What did I say? Jess, are you okay?”
Wyatt came into the room then and seeing Jess’s face he rushed to her. Jess grabbed his arm and with obvious terror on her face, she turned to him and said, “It’s all my fault.”