“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 over her shoulder. “If you could keep an eye on my things while I’m gone? There’s so much activity here today, and my notebooks are priceless. They contain some of my first communications with you-know-who.”

Ms. Littleton had mentioned her contact more than a dozen times in the few days she’d been here. An alien prince. It sounded—yes, a little outside of the norm—but also sort of romantic.

“Will do.” Bailey watched her disappear down the sidewalk, hoping the woman would trip into some real-world fun while waiting for her extraterrestrial royal romance.

She couldn’t help feeling responsible for her guests’ happiness. They’d chosen her small piece of paradise, lacking in amenities as it was, and she wanted them to leave fully satisfied with the experience.

And she did love their stories. Kaya called her nosy, but it made her feel connected. Part of something bigger than herself. This inn had heard so many stories over the years, and after she was gone, she would be one of them. It was a comforting thought.

As for her guests, if, after hearing their particular tale of woe or glory, she gently guided them in a direction they may not have originally planned but desperately needed? Well. It was no fancy chocolate on the pillow or hot stone massage, but she worked with what she had.

She’d done her best with old lady Enchanted as well. The Enchanted Inn had called to her as soon as she’d seen it. There you are, it had said. Welcome home.

Young as she was at the time, Bailey had cynically chalked it up to hunger pangs and a slight case of heat stroke. Still, she’d managed to impress the grumpy old skinflint who owned the place. Pikeson had agreed to let her stay on a pallet in the storage room for a day or two, if she did yardwork and straightened up the front porch.

Tags: R.G. Alexander Three Sinful Wishes Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net