Chapter Six
Jaxson
She hated me, not that I blamed her. I'd been completely incompetent in listing the cabin. Ariella was right. I had neglected to put that it didn't have electricity but only because it never crossed my mind. I needed to make it up to her, and the most logical way was to help her with the fridge and generator. While I intended to loan her one for the short term, the truth was she needed one until the place was hooked up to the grid.
"I promise what I'm offering isn't a handout. It's just me doing something neighborly," I said, trying to reason with her. "We are neighbors, Ariella. I'm going to be seeing a lot more of you whether or not you like it."
She groaned and ran a hand through her long brunette hair. I kept my attention on the road as I drove us down the mountain and into town. It would be an all-day event, and I didn't even bother asking if she had other plans. I assumed she didn't, other than getting her car towed out of the ravine and fixed up.
Ariella stared out the window, her voice soft and barely audible over Isabella's loud singing. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Of course," I said. I wanted to keep her talking, to learn about her, what she was doing in Breckenridge. "I hope I'm not keeping you from other plans you might have had for today."
"Just some unpacking and retrieving my car. I need to call a tow truck, but my phone is still dead," she said. "There wasn't a phone in the house, so I'm going to need another favor."
"Another favor?" I joked with her. "You mean you're going to owe me pretty soon."
She groaned under her breath.
"It's not that bad," I said. "Besides, I talked to Declan last night when I got home. He should have it in the shop later this afternoon."
"Thank you."
She'd never been here before and was probably trying to escape something or someone. Most people who ventured to the middle of nowhere did so because they had secrets to hide. I was overthinking it.
I'd been in the military in my younger years and had seen a lot that left a lasting impression. In my day-to-day work for Eagle Tactical, I dealt with all of it, everything from kidnappings and ransom drops to human trafficking. We worked closely with the local police department and county sheriff.
"You never told me what you do for a living." I wasn't trying to pry, but I was curious all the same. It came with the job, digging into people's lives.
"Yeah, I guess you could say I'm unemployed at the moment. I had an interview yesterday afternoon at Blue Sky Resort, but I'm not sure when I'll hear anything back. Any chance Lincoln is looking to hire a waitress?"
Lincoln kept the overhead on his restaurant as low as possible, which meant he wasn't usually open to new hires. "I can ask him, but you'd have better luck at Blue Sky, especially this time of year."
"Any chance you know the owner?" she asked. "Maybe you could put in a good word for me?"
"Daddy, I'm hungry," Isabella whined from the backseat.
I glanced back at Isabella over my shoulder and then at Ariella. "Can you open the glove box?"
"Yeah, sure." She leaned forward and unclasped the glove box, revealing a bag of pretzels. "How old are these?" Ariella laughed and pulled the baggie out.
"A week or two max. It's fine." I snatched the baggie from Ariella, opened it, and handed it back to Isabella. "Here you go. We'll get lunch in a bit, Izzie."
She munched loudly as she ate her pretzels in the backseat. Her feet were kicking but just missing the seat. I glanced back at Izzie. No doubt she was bored with being in the truck and needed time to run around.
"We'll be there soon," I said, trying to assure her it wouldn't be too much longer in the truck.
Ariella glanced out the side window, quiet and lost in her thoughts.
"I'm sorry. You were saying?" I hated how quickly I could get distracted.
Ariella shifted in her seat, staring at me. Her undivided attention entirely focused on me. "I was just wondering if you knew the owners of Blue Sky Resort. I really need a job."
The emphasis on really made my stomach clench. How bad off was she? I hadn't seen her belongings, and I assumed everything she owned was in her car since she bought the cabin fully furnished. Another reason I had believed the owner was looking for a second house, a temporary getaway for a vacation.
"I don't, but if they don't hire you, let me know, and I will ask around." She wouldn't be without a job for long. The community of Breckenridge was small but tight-knit and helped one another out.
"Thank you."