Lee: Emerson Wolves—Paranormal Erotic Wolf Shifter Romance (2 page)

BOOK: Lee: Emerson Wolves—Paranormal Erotic Wolf Shifter Romance
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As they made their way around the large building, Lee noticed that the kitchen area that he’d suggested be set up was well underway. Sandwiches were in the coolers right now, but he knew that in a few days, when people started to show up to work, there would be hot food as well as some cold for the employees. All of it was a perk to working here. He had also suggested to Dawn that she open a little shop one day and have some of her jams for sale in it, along with her scones and breads.

His dad moved to the large desk at the front of the building when they were nearly finished with their self-guided tour. Martha Brooks was running the phones today. Lee had heard from Hunter that Mary Peacock and Claribel Sharp had been taking turns working the desk for Dawn. The women had come from Hunter’s pack, but he knew that they loved working for his brother and his wife.

He was startled when the phone call that had just come in was for him.

“I just found out that you’re in town.” He could hear the hurt in Sloan’s voice. “You go and see your brother before me? How could you?”

“I haven’t seen Ellis or Dawn at all since I got here. I thought they were down there.” She told him she didn’t know anything anymore. “I’m sorry, honey. I just got in a few hours ago and had the plane bring me here instead of home so that I wouldn’t have to worry about this the entire time I’m home with you guys.”

“Good save.” He laughed with her. “I’m just bored, if you want to know the truth. Your dad and I have put in as much garden as we dare already, but I want to get out there and dig the places up for my tomatoes. Did your dad tell you that we have first leaves already? They’re beautiful.”

“No. He’s been hounding me about a grandbaby.” His dad popped him in the back of the head. “And he’s abusing me too. I tell you, I’d be better off just staying away sometimes.”

“Oh no, don’t do that. What would I do without my family around me?” He didn’t answer her but smiled. “I’ve been thinking about some things that I’d like for you to look into. I have this place here in town that I want to convert into something…I don’t know, bigger. Like a steakhouse, but not.”

“You mean something more than the diner in your town, and with bigger ticket items.” She told him that was about right. “I ate a late dinner last night at this place where I was staying called simply
Parfaitement Fait
, or Perfectly Made in English. I had a stuffed trout that was so good I tried to go back and hire the chef. They told me that the chef had gone for the night, and all I got for my troubles was some drunk blowing his drunk-assed breath on me.”

Her laughter made him smile. “And what would you have hired him for? You’re not thinking of being my competition, are you? I’m hoping so. Because I have to tell you that sounds delicious. Actually, everything sounds good to me. I’m always starved.”

“You’re eating for two, so small wonder. And no, I’m not going to be competing with you in anything. I like to keep my own little corner of this world pissed off Sloan free. And the guy I talked to last night, I had a feeling…well, he didn’t strike me as the one who had made the meal. There was something…I don’t know. I knew that he was lying and he had no idea what I was talking about. He said I was to have had trout almandine and that I had it wrong. Like I said, he smelled of liquor too.”

“Let me make a few phone calls. I know the restaurant. I don’t know what I can do, but I can find out for you. Perhaps we can persuade him to come here and open our venture.” Lee said nothing. He had thought when he went to school that he wanted to be this great cook. And now that he’d been working for Sloan and Hunter, he’d discovered that while he loved to cook, he was more into making the place work than being the chef. He enjoyed what he did more than anything he’d ever done before. Being a food critic for some really important newspapers was a dream he’d never even considered, but he loved it as much as he did figuring out problems at some really nice restaurants.

“Just let me know. Dad and I will be there by tonight. I’m telling you now so you won’t be disappointed that I will be there for dinner, but I need to go to bed. I think I’ve been up for three days straight.” She told him that they’d expect him for dinner, and that maybe Ellis and Dawn could make it back as well, and that he should ask them. “I’ll see what I can do.”

After hanging up, he told Dad what they’d talked about as they made their way to Ellis’s house. The building that Dawn was in was close to the house, so they opted to walk. As soon as they were in the yard, Lee stood back and stared.

“Yeah, nice, huh?” He glanced over at Ellis as he came out of the barn just behind him. His brother looked very relaxed and happy as he continued. “We weren’t sure that we wanted it this big, but the more we thought about it, the bigger the house got. There’s room if you want to stay tonight. I know that Dawn would love it.”

“Sloan and the rest of them are expecting all of us for dinner.” Ellis nodded and took him to the house. “Christ, this is gorgeous. What the hell? Did you win the lottery?”

“No. We ran into some unexpected money.” Lee nodded. He’d heard about the inheritance from Dawn’s family, and that they had accepted her into their family with open arms. “When we showed them the house we were building before we left for our honeymoon, they were happy. But when we got back, there were more rooms on the framing, as well as a whole upper level that we’d had no idea about. Her grandparents said that when they come to visit they want to burden us with their presence.”

Lee laughed and so did Ellis. He was taking them in the front of the house just as Dawn came from the back of it. He hugged her tightly, ignoring the growls coming from Ellis. Dawn looked wonderfully happy too.

“You’ll stay for dinner?” He told her what he’d told Ellis. “Oh. I guess we should go. The family has been excited for you to come home for weeks now. I’m so glad that you’ve made it home safely. How long will you be here?”

“I’m hoping a couple of months. I have some projects here that I can take care of, and two on the burner for Sloan. But I’m hoping everything can be worked on from here.” She asked him about his house. “I’m hoping to get it done too. Mostly it’s just moving stuff in that I’ve already ordered. There are some decisions that I need to make. Most of them are things that I could probably have taken care of over the phone, but I wanted to be there too. I miss you guys.”

“We missed you too. I guess you’ve been to the plant?” He nodded. “I’m so nervous. Not about the lines that you helped me get set up, but all of it. I’m so worried that I won’t be very good at this.”

Ellis laughed before talking. “Yeah, those nearly two million dollars in orders mean that she’s going to fail big time. I mean, who would want to buy her things anyway?”

“You have that much in pre-orders?” Ellis told him that was just on her website. She had nearly double that for stores wanting to carry her line. “Holy shit, Dawn, that’s wonderful. I’m very proud of you.”

“I’m nearly sick with it.” Lee looked at Ellis over her head when he hugged her again. He mouthed the word
Basil
and he nodded.

Her uncle, a man by the name of Basil Combs, had been found criminally insane by the courts. Other charges were pending: kidnapping, murder, as well as abuse to a corpse. But those were on the back burner until they could figure out the names of all the women, some dead and others still coming forward, that had in some way been harmed by the man. Basil’s mother had been murdered as well, and they were still trying to pin that on his list. The man had been taking women or children from their homes for decades. His “wife,” Neva, had been one of many that had been brought into the house as a play-thing, and had ended up living out the rest of her life with him. He’d also kidnapped Dawn’s mother, and had made her daughter’s life a living hell when she’d told him off. Life, as far as Lee could see it, was a never-ending line of people shitting on one another to get to where they wanted. Thank goodness his family wasn’t like that.

As they boarded the plane a few hours later, Lee was dozing in the seat when his dad touched his arm. He had to stare at him for several seconds before he realized that he was talking to him about the phone.

“You okay, son?” He nodded and took the phone from his dad. “You look like you’ve not slept in about a month. You sure you should be going to dinner tonight?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just really tired.” He put the phone to his ear just as the pilot was telling them they were ten minutes from landing. Lee said his name in the phone as he started to pull on his seat buckle.

“Mr. Emerson? Is this Lee Emerson, the food critic? I’ve heard so many things about you.” Lee told him that he was in flight, and that he needed him to tell him why he’d called. “Sir, there is a problem with the request that I have in for Mrs. Emerson. She called my restaurant just today requesting the information on the chef that had cooked the night you were there. I’m sorry, sir, but the chef said that the person you were asking for is no longer with the restaurant.”

“I see. Can you tell me why?” He said that he wasn’t sure. That as the owner of the restaurant, he had given full control over the kitchen to his chef. “And so you have no idea that the man you left in charge was drunk when I saw him just before leaving? Nor that the meal that I had that night was one of the best that I’ve ever eaten?”

“Drunk? Oh no, sir. That couldn’t have been our chef. He no longer drinks.” Lee looked at Ellis when he touched his arm. They were at the airport, but he wanted him to take his time with the call. “He said that when he spoke to you, you were confused about the food that you were served. Are you sure you had the right restaurant?”

“I’m sure. And you can be sure of this…if he fired this person that cooked for me, then you have made the stupidest decision you have ever made when it comes to running a restaurant. And I’m going to write up an article on it and say that, too. Not only did the staff look relaxed and happy, but the food, all of it, was outstanding. I noticed that when I was speaking to him that the entire kitchen staff looked like they were ready for him to explode. And he did, twice, while I was there.”

“I assure you, sir, that I’ve never heard of anything like this from this restaurant. You can be assured that I will look into this. There are some…well, I won’t bore you with the details, but I’ve noticed some issues on the paperwork on that particular place. I’ll take care of it.” Lee told him he’d better if he wanted to remain in business for long. “If I do find that you are correct, I will get back with you.”

“You do that. But I have a feeling that the next time I talk to you, you’re going to be telling me that you’re going out of business and that it was all because of the chef you have now. If I were you, and you know my reputation if you’ve heard my name, I’d be looking into the chef you have now and start asking questions. You’re about to get a rude awakening.”

 

Chapter 2

 

Kimber sat in her apartment and thought about what had happened just a few short hours ago. She’d not just been fired, but she’d also had her name placed on the list. The list that would prevent her from getting any kind of restaurant job in this country. Kimber knew that she’d not even get a job washing dishes now. She looked up when Fern said her name.

“What are you going to do, dear?” Kimber told her she had no idea. “Poor thing. You can’t seem to get a break, now can you? What will you do for money? I don’t have any, but if I did, you’d be welcome to it.”

“I know that. I’m sorry about this.” Fern waved her off. “I’m glad that Hannah isn’t here to see me like this. I feel like such a failure.”

“No, you’re not. You just trusted those people to have your back. I bet that he had them say those things so that you’d look bad.” Which was true. “And those people are going to be sorry for firing you too. You was the best there was. But don’t you worry none about me. I can go and live with my daughter and her brood. They’ve been wanting me there anyways.”

“I’ve called my aunt. She’s…she’s not a nice person, but I have to have some help. I guess we’ll have to stay with her for a few weeks. Just until I can find us a place to live.” Fern nodded and told her that family was good to have around when stuff like this happened. “Yes. I suppose it is.”

Only Great Aunt Kimberly wasn’t one that you would normally depend on when things were bad. She wasn’t even sure that anyone would want to go to her when things were going well. She was, far and away, the coldest woman that Kimber knew. Also the meanest. And asking her for help had been harder than she’d thought it would have been.

After Fern left, her meager belongings all packed up, Kimber started looking around for things that she could sell. There was no point in waiting to be evicted, so she’d talked to Fern immediately and had set up with her landlord that she was going to have to go soon. Since she wasn’t going to be able to return, not with the cost of things and her situation, she couldn’t put her things in storage. Not to mention, she’d never be able to afford the rent on a storage facility.

She was putting together a handwritten flyer when her little girl came home. Hannah had lived in France her entire life. Kimber was from the US and was only here because of her schooling. It had been her mom’s last wish, sort of, to have Kimber come here and do what she wanted to do no matter what. Kimber had worked very hard to do the best she could, and had still failed her.

Her daughter had citizenship in both countries until she was eighteen because of her birth situation. But right now, all Kimber could think about was how she had failed her daughter in two countries.

“Will we have a house?” Kimber told her that she was going to work on that. “But we might have a yard, right? Somewhere I can play if I want to?”

“Yes. I’ll make sure that we have some yard. I’m not sure how much.” Hannah nodded, but she still looked unsure. “I’m waiting for my great aunt to call me back. If we could stay with her for a little while, we can save up our money and maybe buy us a little house somewhere. Somewhere there are children your age.”

“I guess we’ll have to sell our stuff, too. We can’t take it with us.” Kimber told her no, but she could take a few things. “I don’t have much anyway. Not that it matters…I can only play with one thing at a time.”

Kimber felt her heart twist in her chest at her little girl’s words. She’d tried so hard to make it better for her and had failed so badly. So many things, nearly from the very beginning of her finding out that she was pregnant with her, had gone wrong.

“I’ve got someone to buy the couch and chair that we have. I think there might be enough money after we get the tickets to get one of those reader things for you.” Hannah brightened, then shook her head. “I can swing it, Hannah. And I want you to have it. We’re going to be broke for a while after we get to the United States, and it might be the last time I can get you something really nice for a while.”

“I love you, Mommy.” Kimber held her daughter while she cried. They both were crying when the phone rang, and when she reached for it, she nearly hung up again when she heard her great aunt’s voice.

“So, you’re coming home with your tail between your legs, are you? Failed, just like I said you would, didn’t you? Well, I’m hoping that you know that every day I’m going to be telling you that.” Kimber nodded to the phone, too hurt to answer her. “And I’m supposing that brat of yours will be living here too. What am I supposed to do with a child running around breaking my things?”

“She’s very well behaved. And I’ll replace anything she might break.” Her aunt asked her how she was going to do that. “I don’t know. But I’ll make sure you’re paid back for all of this.”

“I never said I’d take you in yet. I have to think on it. Do you have any idea how much this is going to cost me?” Kimber said nothing. Her aunt was the richest person she knew and had more money than Midas, her mom used to say. But she was as tight as a virgin on her wedding night. “When do you thinking of scurrying home? Soon, if you’ve been fired from that restaurant. I told you that wouldn’t work out, didn’t I?”

“Yes, ma’am, you did.” It was on the tip of her tongue to tell her she was always right because she made sure she was, but said nothing else. What would be the point? And she needed her to help her, even for a little while. The silence at the other end of the phone did nothing to help her nerves.

Kimber had no idea what she’d do if she turned them down. They’d be living on the street if she did. Kimber didn’t even have a car that they could live in. When Hannah got up and moved to her room, Kimber leaned her head back on the couch. One thing she’d learned in dealing with her aunt was to not rush her. It would do Kimber little good, and it would just piss her aunt off more.

“I’m guessing you don’t have a pot to piss in, do you, Kimber? Not even the plane fare to come and sponge off me and my money.” Kimber wanted to tell her that she’d have it, but didn’t know if she would. She and Hannah only had five days left on their lease for the month. “Answer me, girl, when I talk to you.”

“I don’t have it.” She listened to her aunt go on about rainy days and saving for it. Then she went on to ask about the brat of a daughter and if her father was going to take her. “Hannah’s father is dead. I’ve told you that before. He didn’t even know about her.”

“Should have, don’t you think? When you have sex, you should expect there to be an issue. Have you never heard of precautions? Don’t they have that sort of thing there?” She told her that they did. “Oh, so you wanted to find yourself in a family way, did you? Never thinking, I’ve told you that all your life. Your mother was the same way. Her head in the clouds and never thinking of the consequences.”

Hannah came out of her room again. She had her bank and a small mallet that had been in the kitchen. When she sat before her, Kimber started to cry harder, hard enough that her aunt could hear her this time.

“Stop that blubbering right now.” Kimber tried, but it was difficult. “I’ll expect you to pay me back, with interest, for this. There are no free rides, not even for you. And rent. You’ll pay me rent each and every week until you have enough to get out on your own. Where you should have been all along.”

“I’ll sign a contract if you wish.” Her aunt laughed and said that was a sure thing. “I don’t have long here. Only a few days.”

“There are tickets for you at the airport already. You have to be out on the seven-thirty flight day after tomorrow.” She asked her if she meant her time zone or hers. “Mine. Why do I care what your time is? Don’t make me have to pay fines because you couldn’t get yourself ready in time. And there will be money delivered to you sometime tomorrow. I’m assuming that you’ll be there since you’ve been fired from your job. Make sure that you’re dressed befitting of my family. I will not have you coming here in those rags you wear.”

After she hung up, two things occurred to Kimber. First of all, her aunt had taken care of things before she’d called her back, and second, that she’d been keeping an eye on her. And even though it sounded like she cared, Kimber knew it was because she would want to know when she was failing.

Hannah asked her if she’d break her bank for her.

“All right, but only because we won’t be able to take it in the luggage.” Hannah nodded and Kimber brought the little hammer down on the bank. There were a few dollars in it, but mostly change, and all of it would have to be exchanged before they left here. “That’s your money, Hannah. And as soon as Mrs. Fitzpatrick pays me for our furniture, we’ll go and get dinner. We should celebrate one time before we leave.”

Mrs. Fitzpatrick had bought not only her living room things, but her bed, as well as the dressers that she’d had to dump on the floor. By the time her son came to get the things, Hannah had packed most of the things she was going to take. The fifty-three dollars that she’d had in her bank was sealed up in a zip bag and deep in the pockets of her suitcase. It was a pitiful amount of things that they were both going to be leaving with.

After they had their dinner of burgers and fries, Hannah had gone to bed and Kimber lay out on the floor beside her. She had several million things running through her head, and a list that was growing longer with each beat of her heart. Along with getting to the airport, she had to contact Hannah’s school and make arrangements to get her transcripts, and she also had to get her daughter’s medical records, along with her own. Then there was the bills that she was going to owe, small things, but she’d have to make arrangements for them to be paid and get Hannah the reader. There was enough to buy it, but little left over for much in the way of food for their trip. Kimber fell into a fitful sleep when the sun was coming up again.

~~~

Lee opened his eyes and smiled. He was home. And he was going to stay here for a while, too. After talking to Sloan and Hunter, he told them that he just needed to relax for a little while. A month if possible.

“I think you should stay for as long as you want. The baby will be coming soon, and I’d really like to have you here.” Lee had thought that a good idea too and told Hunter that. “And I heard about your restaurant that you’re opening.”

He had only glanced at Sloan and she laughed. He wasn’t ready to even talk about that just yet. But when Lee went up to bed, his house just too far to navigate to, Sloan told him that she had a building in mind. Lee had started to tell her that he didn’t want it, but she only patted him on the cheek.

“It’s not anywhere near being ready to use. There is some work to be done, but I’m going to have it done with the idea that it’s going to be a nice place.” He nodded. “Maybe I’ll have found your chef by then, and you and he can run it.”

He had gone to bed thinking that if anyone could find him, it would be her. And that was the last thing he’d thought of all night. Getting up, he made his way to the shower and then down to eat some lunch. He’d not realized it had been so late. And he found out that it was later than even that when his dad told him he’d been asleep for two and a half days.

“You must have been right up there with exhausted.” Lee nodded, his mind still trying to wrap around the fact that he’d slept so long. “You got plans? I’m about to head myself over to the diner and see Mabel. She’s got herself some new recipes that she wants me to try out for her. And some fine apple pie that Dawn baked for her. I’m telling you, a man could die content with daughters as good to me as mine are.”

“I’m going to head over to the house. I need to make some decisions about some stuff. Carpet and things.” His dad nodded and moved out of the house just as Lee’s cell phone rang. Answering it, he knew that whoever was on the other line was going to be disappointed if they wanted him to do anything today.

“Mr. Emerson?” He said it was. “This is Margo Stanton. You spoke to the owner of
Parfaitement
Fait
the other day. I might have some information on the chef you were looking for.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Stanton, but I’m no longer in France. I do hope that the owner has had a change of heart and taken the chef back.” When she started crying, all Lee could think about was why now. “I assure you that if he doesn’t, it matters little to me.”

“He was drunk. And I lied for him. We all did.” Lee frowned, not sure what she meant, and he told her that. “He told me that if I didn’t tell the owner that he was sober and that he’d cooked your meal, I’d be out as quickly as Kimber was. I need my job, Mr. Emerson. So me and three other people lied to keep ours…and now it seems that we’re all going to be out of work. The real owner, a person from the United States, is closing us down, telling us they no longer need us open.”

“Perhaps it would be best if you told me what you’re talking about. I’m sorry, but what does this have to do with me, and who did you lie about? And while you’re at it, who is Kimber?” The woman cried harder and Lee closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he really didn’t want to have to fuck with this too. “What do you mean, you’re all going to be out of work?”

“The restaurant, it’s being closed down as of day after tomorrow. Some of us think it’s because of what happened with Kimber, but now we’re not so sure. Word has gotten around about the review that was posted, and how someone had said on one of those social pages that the place had gone to hell. Will you post a retraction so we can stay open?” Sloan came into the kitchen with him and he told her what was going on. Or as much as he knew was going on. He asked for a computer, and she told him there was one in Hunter’s office he could use. It took him nearly ten minutes of the woman crying to figure out what she was talking about.

BOOK: Lee: Emerson Wolves—Paranormal Erotic Wolf Shifter Romance
13.53Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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