My alarm went off at three forty-five. For a second, I didn’t know where I was. The ceiling looked wrong. Panic flared sharp and fast before memory caught up. Cabin. Orchard. Val-du-Lys. I swung my legs out of bed and pulled on the clothes I’d laid out the night before. Hoodie. Jeans. Boots that already felt stiff and unfamiliar. Outside, the air was cold enough to wake me fully, the sky was still dark as I made my way toward the rows. By the time I reached them, my watch read 3:50. Ten minutes early. I was by myself for about seven minutes before people started arriving. A broad-shouldered guy with a shaved head stood beside a stack of empty crates, stretching his arms. A second man leaned against a ladder, sipping coffee from a dented thermos. A woman with her hair pulled into a tight bun was tying her boots. They all looked like they belonged. I hovered at the edge until the woman noticed me.
“You must be the new one,” she said, straightening.
“Yes,” I said. “I’m Claire, nice to meet you.”
“I’m Elise,” she said. “First tip—gloves. Even if you think you don’t need them. You will.”
“I’ll remember that,” I said with a smile.
The guy with the shaved head stepped closer. “I’m Jonah. Pace yourself. Everyone starts too fast their first day.”
“I was planning on proving myself,” I admitted.
He laughed. “That’s what gets you wrecked by noon.”
The man with the thermos tipped it toward me. “Marc. Watch the ladder feet. Loose dirt will take you out quicker than the height.”
“Good to know,” I said, mentally cataloging everything.
Then someone leaned against the ladder beside me and smiled. She looked about my age, maybe a couple of years older. Sun-kissed skin. Dark hair pulled into a loose braid. She radiated a calm confidence that made the early hour look easy.
“I’m Soleil,” she said. “You showed up early. That’s either brave or a mistake.”
“Still deciding,” I grinned. She was sassy and I liked it.
She grinned too. “Rule number one: don’t try to impress Asher.”
I blinked. “I wasn’t planning to.”
“Good,” she said. “Because he’s handsome as hell, but completely off-limits.”
I snorted before I could stop myself. “Noted.”
“He doesn’t date employees,” Soleil continued. “Ever. Not even casual. Not even once. Saves everyone the trouble.”
“That seems… healthy,” I giggled.
“More like a boundary carved in stone,” she said. “Trust me.” I guessed she was talking from experience.
She studied me for a moment. “So what brings you to Val-du-Lys?”
I’d expected the question. Still, my stomach tightened.
“I liked the idea of a quiet job,” I said carefully. “Free housing. Good pay. It made sense.”
Soleil nodded, accepting it without digging deeper. “And when you’re not doing this?”
“I’m working on my master’s.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “In what?”
“Criminology.”
“That’s intense,” Elise said from nearby.
“Depends on the case,” I replied.
Footsteps crunched along the dirt path before anyone could ask more. Asher emerged from between the trees, clipboard tucked under one arm. The effect was immediate. Conversations quieted. Everyone straightened. Soleil pushed off the ladder and grabbed her gloves.