Wolf Bite (Wolf Cove #2) (6 page)

Chapter Six

“How much more is there left to do?” I glance over
my shoulder at Tillie and another staffer, Bellamy—Bell for short—as they
stretch a crisp white sheet over the master bed.

“What’s the matter? Not as exciting as watchin’ the big, bad
wolf fire people?” Tillie says, throwing a smirk over her shoulder. She’s been
casting off little snipes like that all afternoon. I can’t help but feel like
some of them are directed at me, simply through association. Or maybe I’m just
overly sensitive to anything negative Henry-related.

“Starving,” I murmur, dragging the duster along the dark
corners where the walls meet the ceiling, catching any last remaining cobwebs
along the way. I’m not exactly dressed for heavy-duty cleaning. I peeled off my
jacket and untucked my blouse, making it a little easier to help.

“Well, it’s no wonder. You shoulda eaten when they brought
over dinner.”

“I wasn’t hungry then.” I was too worried about Henry and
what is happening back at the hotel. I’m still worried, but hunger pains are finally
winning out.

“There are probably some scraps left, if those savages
downstairs haven’t devoured it all. Or you could make a run back to the hotel
in the truck.”

Driving alone on that road? No thanks. “I can wait a bit
longer.” I toss the duster into the cleaning supply bucket and scan my phone
for a text from Henry that I already know hasn’t come. I’ve been at this house all
afternoon. It’s now after 9:00 p.m. and the sun is beginning to set—Alaskan
summers are still something to get used to—and Henry hasn’t called or messaged
me once. I’ve been managing his e-mail as best as I can from my phone, though
I’d rather be on my laptop.

What did his father say after I left? Has the media heard
about the wrongful dismissal suit yet? How fast do things like that spread?

I know nothing, I remind myself. Absolutely nothing, should
anyone ask.

Which reminds me...

Pulling my personal phone out of my pocket, I open up the
text thread from Jed. I really don’t want to message him, but I told Henry I
would and it’s a good idea to get it over with now. Still, I won’t acknowledge
his last message to me, about how he’s been thinking about me. So instead, I go
for casual conversation:

How are things back home?

I have no idea if he’s still up, given Pennsylvania is four
hours ahead. He has always been a night owl but he has a full-time summer job
that he has to be up early for so I don’t know if—

Three dots start bouncing on the screen.

Same ol’ Greenbank. Nothing much has changed.

A second message comes shortly after:

Way more exciting up there, I’ll bet.

I bite the inside of my mouth to hide my smile, even though
he can’t see me.
You have no idea.

It has its moments. The grand opening is this weekend so there
are all kinds of magazine reporters and other important people. Working lots.

I need to do damage control for that text Henry sent on my
behalf, but I don’t want it to be obvious that that’s what I’m doing.

How are you managing with your boss?

Fine. He’s so busy, I barely see him. Honestly, I was just
kidding about what I said before. I mean, he’s an asshole but he barely even
looks at me.

I can’t bring myself to add the last part, about how I was just
trying to make Jed nervous. That makes me sound weak and like I want him back.
I know now, without a doubt, that I don’t want Jed back, ever.

Oh, good. I’m glad. You had me worried. You’re such a sweet girl,
Abigail. I wouldn’t want anyone taking advantage of you.

I can’t keep the snort from escaping me.
Someone like
you, Jed?
Asking me to hold out and save myself for him, that he was just
“sowing his wild oats.” Now, seeing it from the outside, it makes me sick. It
makes me grit my teeth with anger.

“What’s up?” Tillie asks, dropping the pillows into their
cases.

“Nothing.” I put my phone away, no interest in carrying on
the conversation. My purpose for texting Jed is over. I take in the bedroom now
that it’s dressed, so to speak. “This place looks amazing.” The housekeeping
staff that’s been working here all day have done an incredible job,
transforming the cabin from a dusty, desolate space to a cozy and rustic
getaway. Yesterday, it was empty except for a few random dusty dressers and
side tables. Today, each room has a bed—pulled from the excess supply room at
the hotel. John, the old man who drives the ferry, showed up with a dark
leather couch and armchair set and a harvest table around dinner time, hauled
all the way from a furniture store in Homer. Between the new furniture, the
crisp towels and bedding, a few new lamps and rugs and other accessories, you’d
never know that it was all but abandoned only twenty-four hours ago.

“Paige warned us to bust our asses and make this place
shine. God knows what would happen to us if we didn’t. Probably be ridin’ the
ferry with our belongings, just like Rachel.” Tillie fluffs the pillows with
firm smacks before dropping them onto the bed to arrange them neatly, the bitterness
in her voice obvious.

“It seems like a lot of people are angry about Rachel.”

“Honestly? It’s a great big ol’ pile of bullshit is what it
is. I mean, come on! This is the hotel industry for God’s sakes!
Everyone
sleeps
with
everyone
, especially round here. Put a bunch of hot-blooded men
with attractive women in a village of cabins and what do you expect!” Tillie’s
southern twang really kicks in when she’s passionate about something. I would
probably enjoy listening to her, if it wasn’t Henry’s head on her pike.

“She didn’t sleep with a coworker. She was with a guest.”
Do
not defend. Do not defend.

“And who do you think Wolf is sleeping with up here, because
don’t tell me he’s not gonna get his dick wet the entire summer. If it ain’t
his staff, then it’s the hotel guests, too. And how does that look? Man runs
the whole damn chain and beds his paying customers, but goes all big brother on
his staff when they’re off shift. It all reeks of hypocrisy, if you ask me. ’Specially
when his own assistant is using the spa and pissing guests off, and gets off
with nothin’.”

I feel my face turn bright red.

“Oh, you thought people wouldn’t find out about that?”
Tillie laughs. “Darlin’, there are no secrets within these walls.”

I’m guessing that’s not entirely true, because if they knew
what was going on within the walls of Cabin One, Tillie would flat-out say it.
But still... this is what Connor meant when he said I was above the law.
Oh
my God!
Do they know that Katie gave me a Brazilian wax?

I turn to gaze out the window at the peaceful water and
empty dock, taking a moment to let my face cool. I’m going to murder Katie if
she told people!

Clearing my voice, I offer, “I didn’t get off with nothing.
I got written up.”

“Did you get put on a boat and shipped off after spending a
pile of money on a plane ticket to get here?”

Point taken. It isn’t fair that I got off, and the only
reason I got off is because I’m sleeping with Henry. This is why Tillie’s not
entirely friendly with me today. I guess I can’t blame her.

“So, is someone actually staying here?” Bell asks, fussing
with the eyelet lace on the duvet.

I offer her a smile, a silent thanks for changing the topic.
“No. It’s all for the media this weekend. They want to see the history behind
Wolf Cove and why Mr. Wolf chose this location to build the hotel.”

“There are a lot of them comin’ in. Talk about a dog and
pony show. I guess with William and Scott Wolf coming in, too, it’s only
expected.”

“What do you know about Scott Wolf, anyway?” I ask, faking
mild curiosity. If anyone knows anything, it’ll be the queen of gossip, Tillie.

“Oh, he’s a real piece of work. Has a major Henry Wolf
complex. He’s older than Henry and yet his baby brother gets all the love.
Rumor has it Scott lost his everlovin’ mind when their father told them that Henry
would be takin’ over the hotel chain. I guess he’d rather have that than the
gold mine and thinks he should have first dibs. Spoiled brat, if you ask me.”

Bell snorts. “Wow.”

“Wonder why their father is handing it over. I saw him
earlier. He doesn’t look very old.”

“Who knows. Doesn’t want the headache, maybe?”

So Tillie doesn’t know about the cancer. The only reason for
that would be that they’ve kept it secret.

And yet Henry divulged it to me.

Tillie straightens the end table, eyeballing it against the
other one. She’s suddenly more chipper, which usually happens when she’s
dishing out gossip. “Either way, Scott has not taken it well. He owns a stake
just like his brother, and I hear he’s been fighting against Wolf Cove the
entire time. Probably out of spite because his brother inherited all the land. Then
again, I also heard that the strife is more about Scott’s wife than it is about
any mine or hotel.”

“Scott’s married?”

“
Was.
She’s an ex now, and apparently Henry helped
with that, if you know what I mean.” She waggles her eyebrows.

Ugh. Please tell me that’s wrong.

Tillie grabs the bucket of cleaning supplies, her sinewy arm
flexing under the weight. “Come on. I think we’re done up here.”

I trail her down the rustic stairs—the steps made from logs
split in half—that overlook the grand room, doing my best to push away the
uncomfortable conversation from upstairs. The crackling fire in the massive
stone hearth helps.

“So? What do you think, boss?” Connor asks, stooped over to
shift the burning log with an antique iron poker, his back muscles shifting
beneath his t-shirt.

I think that, though I was drunk and it was dark the first
night I met him, the weeks of outdoor work in Alaska have honed his body even more.
But I don’t say that. “It looks like it’s actually usable.” Everything is
clean, the wood polished, the furniture rearranged. Once they close the windows
that have been sitting open all day to air it out, and let the fire warm the
place, it’ll be cozy.

“Yeah?” Connor’s eyes dip down to my blouse. “Here, you
should come by the fire and warm yourself. You look cold.”

Only five minutes after my last embarrassing moment, I find
my cheeks flushing again. I cross my arms over my chest, silently cursing the
lack of any padding in this bra. Had I thought ahead, I would have run back and
changed, or at least grabbed a sweater. Thankfully I found a safety pin to
secure my shirt, so I’m not flashing anyone anymore.

I wander over to stand next to him, holding my hands in
front of the flame, because I
am
cold and I
do
need to warm
myself up.

“We’re done here, Connor,” Tillie calls out. “Let’s wrap it
up.”

“Yeah, well, you’re gonna have to wait. Paige asked me to
burn a fire for a few minutes. She wanted to give it that freshly used look and
smell.” He turns back to the fire. “We’ve got two trucks here. You and Bell go
ahead with Ronan. I’ll drive Abbi back with me.”  

Tillie’s eyes narrow for just a moment before a wide smile
stretches across her beautiful face. “No, that’s okay. I can stick around for a
bit. Abbi’s the one who’s starving, right, Abbi?” There’s something decidedly
insincere in her manner, something disingenuous behind those eyes.

“It’s okay. I can wait. I’m supposed to leave with the last
crew,” I explain. “Mr. Wolf’s orders.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want to anger Mr. Wolf. Connor, can you
help me get these things into the truck?”

“Ronan’s out there.”

With a glare and a small huff, she spins on her heels and
heads out the door. She’s obviously pissed about something.

Connor seems oblivious or unfazed. To me, he says, “Pretty
amazing, don’t you think? It’s kind of cool that the old man built—”

My work phone chirps with a text. It’s an instant reaction,
lifting the phone to my face. It’s also incredibly rude. I smile an apology to
Connor as I read the text from Henry:

Take the morning off and meet Belinda in the lobby at 11. She’ll
prep you.

I frown. Of all days to give me the morning off, I would
think it wouldn’t be on the day of the grand opening. I quickly type out a
response:

Are you sure? It’s going to be really busy. I can be there early
to help.

I’ll be tied up with my father and Scott all morning.

Ugh. I think I’m okay with not facing either of them again,
especially after today’s introductions.

K.

I hesitate, but then I quickly punch out:

Do you want to review the schedule one more time, tonight? I know
you’re stressed about it
J

On second thought, I erase the smiley face before sending.
That screams “code for sex” if someone were to read this.

I’ll be fine. See you tomorrow, Abbi.

My shoulders sag with frustration at his refusal. I really
wanted to see him tonight. But then I remind myself that he’s been with his
father and Scott all night. I don’t blame him for not being in the mood.

“Trouble in paradise?” Connor asks, earning my wide eyes of
panic.

“What are you talking about?”

He shrugs. “Just that look on your face. You look
disappointed about something.”

“It’s nothing. I’m just... I can’t seem to do anything
right,” I lie.

“Yeah. I’ve heard that about him.”

Man, does Henry have a bad rep. How much worse is it going
to get if people hear about Kiera’s claims?

A horn blasts several times outside, followed by Tillie’s,
“Come on! We’re waiting!”

Suddenly, I’m exhausted. Today has been a long day. Tomorrow
is going to be even longer. “We should get going. I think this looks plenty
used for Paige.” I push the glass door shut and pull the lever to close off the
chimney, cutting off the air circulation and effectively smothering the fire.