cooking on the brand-new stove that was delivered to Bailey’s kitchen. There was also a trio of women armed with cleaning supplies who’d be coming once a week, as well as two men currently pounding away on her roof.
He’d said he was going to be hands on, and he hadn’t lied. Or wasted his time on trivial things, like discussing those hiring decisions with her. He hadn’t answered her calls either, which meant he knew she wouldn’t appreciate his behavior.
Breakfast was delicious. And Ava—the best cook in town, who hadn’t been able to get a job outside of that sleezy sports bar where she made appetizers for ass-pinchers—was so happy with the hire that she couldn’t stop hugging Bailey between servings. As if it were her idea.
As if she’d be able to afford to keep her once Locke left for greener pastures, no matter how much she wanted to.
“Are you okay, Bailey?”
“I’m fantastic,” she said swiftly. Ms. Littleton didn’t need to know about her injured pride. “But I am hoping you’re going to use this mayhem as an excuse to finally go on a pink jeep tour.”
The jeeps were a staple of Sedona. Their drivers took tourists through town and off the beaten path, showing them ancient ruins and heritage sites as well as the red rocks of the Coconino National Forest. Bailey knew most of the guides personally, so her timid guest had nothing to worry about. Not because they were perfect gentlemen, but they knew better than to mess with one of her guests.
“Oh, I couldn’t.” Ms. Littleton clutched her purse and shifted anxiously in her sensible pumps. She really did remind Bailey of a nervous bird. “I wouldn’t want to be one of those tourists the locals always complain about, tromping about their neighborhood with a Hawaiian shirt and a camera.”
“Are you kidding? We love tourists,” Bailey assured her, laughing. “And you’re far too fashionable to own a Hawaiian shirt, so we’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Her plain yellow sundress and white button-down blouse weren’t going to stay that pristine in the jeep, but Bailey wouldn’t give her another excuse to get out of it by telling her to change.
She stood, brushing the dirt off her knees. “I’d be bad at my job if I kept you to myself after you’ve come all this way, and I’m not bad at my job. There’s so much to see here, Ms. Littleton. Sedona can be a magical place,” she added, thinking about Stax and her angry spider.
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” Ms. Littleton intoned majestically.
“Is that a quote?”
“Arthur C. Clarke, dear. A very famous science fiction writer.”
Bailey smiled. She liked that. “He’s got a point. Even in the bars around town, there are ongoing arguments about whether the effects of this place have to do with geology or the spirit world. Whether it’s a gateway to the divine or just a pile of pretty rocks, that sort of thing. But we do all agree it’s definitely something. Maybe that’s why your friends told you to come here. Maybe you need to explore it for yourself to find out.”
“You are good, and you make a very intriguing point.” Ms. Littleton’s eyes twinkled with excitement behind the yellow frames of her glasses. “I am interested in experiencing that vortex energy I’ve heard about. Do you really think I should?”
“I really do. In fact…” Bailey pulled out the brochure she’d folded up in the back pocket of her shorts for this occasion. Her gardening gloves made her fumble. “Oops. Sorry about the dirt. I saved this for you because I thought you might like it. There’s an astronomy group that meets up a few times a week in the canyon. This one is happening tonight. After you take your tour, maybe you’d like to check it out? You already know the stargazing here is out of this world. And you might find a few likeminded observers to talk to who have the answers you’re looking for.”
“You saved this for me?” She held it as if it were something fragile before placing it carefully in her purse. “That settles it. I guess now is as good a time as any to see what I can see. I doubt I’ll be out that late.”
“I’ll wait up for you if you are, so don’t worry,” Bailey promised. “And have fun.”
“Thank you, Miss Bailey. I’m so glad I decided to stay here.”
“So am I.”
She started down the walk, then hesitated and looked back