He shrugged.
“Maria was such a sweet girl. She and I worked late a lot of nights. I’d make us hot chocolate and cookies, then sit with her at the main desk.”
“Gerri told me she died in the fire.”
“Yes, it was horrible. I still miss her. Caleb, he’s one of the owners, wants this scholarship to be an ongoing event.”
“Caleb Hanson?”
She spread a thin layer of butter on the sliced bagel. “Do you know him too?” Her knife dropped. “Wait a minute, you’re the guy that’s helping them with the brewery?”
“Guilty.”
“Restaurants and breweries. What else do you do?”
He finished his coffee, folded his magazine, and placed it in the pocket in front of him. This woman’s face was so friendly and open. Either she was an excellent actor or interested in him. That surprised and pleased him.
They spent the rest of the short flight talking about his various business adventures. When they landed, he turned on his phone, and it vibrated like pop rockets.
He checked the notifications—seven texts, three voicemails, and five emails, all from his accountant and attorney.
Shit.
He walked with her to baggage claim. His phone vibrated and then he followed her outside.
“I need to rent a car. You’re welcome to come with me if you have no other way to the resort,” Dominic said.
She scanned the cars at the curb and waved to a truck. The driver moved the truck closer to them.
“That’s Dash. He’s the head of maintenance at the resort. Let us give you a ride there.”
The driver scowled at Dominic. Shifter. Cougar. And not happy with sharing his space. “Er, I’d rather have a car.”
Dottie pulled open the door as the driver got out and put her bag in the back. “Nonsense. We have a shuttle service, and if you need a car, you can borrow mine.” She nodded to the driver. “Dash, you don’t mind, do you?”
Dash didn’t answer but dipped his head a bit.
“Great, it’s settled. Dominic Kingston, this is Dashiell Miller. Dash, this is Dominic Kingston. He’s here to help us with the auction, so be nice.” She nudged the cougar shifter as she slid into the front seat.
“I’d rather rent a car,” Dominic said to Dash.
“It’s whatever you want, but I’m going to the same place you are. Another car doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
Dottie sat in the seat, examining her makeup in the mirror. Dash watched her. As if sensing his gaze, Dottie lowered the window.
“I want to get back in time to make dinner. So, can we please get a move on, gentlemen?”
There was no way to get out of it.
While Dottie and Dash talked about the resort, he checked his emails and listened to the voicemails. It was difficult to understand the garbled messages, but the emails couldn’t have been clearer. Christopher Stevens was suing him for a quarter of a million dollars.
He sank against the back seat and closed his eyes.
How early did the bars open around here?
Chapter Four
Opal
Opie let out a slow breath. With the wind blowing the overhead limbs, the shadows changed. She focused on the pattern of light peeking through the leaves, waiting for the right combination of light and shadow.
Click.
“Okay, let’s move to the side yard.”
The Rochester House was a new historical bed-and-breakfast in Rio City. They hired Opie to take pictures for their brochures. It was an easy job, but boring.
“We’re good to go,” Zari said.
Opie nodded and moved to the side of the house.
The next round of pictures went well, and they finished the shoot earlier than she’d expected. While they were packing up the equipment, her phone rang.
“Hey, Wednesday. What’s up?”
“Eliza wanted to know if you wanted salad or soup for lunch today.”
Opie zipped up her camera bag and handed it to Zari. “That’s nice of her to ask, but I don’t get why she’s asking.”
Wednesday clucked her tongue. “You forgot, didn’t you?”
Opie’s eyes widened. “Nah, I didn’t forget, but just in case you did, why don’t you tell me, and I’ll see if you’re right.”
“Oh, man. Now you sound like me. Since the twins were born, my memory is shot.”
“How are those little cuties?”
“They’re growing like weeds.” Wednesday muffled the phone and said something Opie didn’t understand. “Now, about lunch, we invited you to come to finalize the details for the auction tomorrow night.”
Opie waved her hand in the air to get Zari’s attention and mouthed the word “Calendar.”
“What?” Zari whispered.
Opie exaggerated her mouth as she mouthed, “Calendar.”
Zari’s eyes opened wider. She dug through the camera bag and pulled out the calendar they used for scheduling.
Opie flipped through the pages searching for today. “Um, er, yeah…” She pressed her finger against the page.
1:00 lunch at Libre Volare—auction 8 pm Saturday.
She rolled her eyes to the sky.
The chair of the Rochester House Historical Committee wanted these pictures fast. She hinted at a bonus if Opie could get them to her by the end of the weekend.
“Opie? Opie, are you there?” Wednesday asked.
Opie sighed. A promise is a promise.
“Yeah, I’m here, and I’m looking at the information on my calendar. I’m running a little late, so I may not be there until one-thirty. And tell Eliza I’d like soup and salad and maybe even a sandwich.”
Wednesday laughed. “Okay. See you soon.”
The two friends ended the call.
Movement from the front of the house caught Opie’s eye. A Mercedes G-Wagon pulled up alongside the Rochester House. The dichotomy between new opulence and old opulence was too much for her to pass up. She got her camera bag, took out her camera, and ran across the street for the perfect shot. It wasn’t until after she took the picture, she noticed two men sitting in the front seat talking. She didn’t have time to get releases from them. Software could blur their faces.
Zari called to her.
Twenty minutes later, she pulled into the Libre Volare parking lot. It was gorgeous. The campus was extensive and had many side businesses making it possible never to leave the resort after check-in.
The Hanson’s idea to make the resort more of a shifter sanctuary had made this place even more popular than before. It was always booked.
It had been good for her too. She and Zari shot at least one wedding or function a month. Weddings were the most stressful shoots, but they paid well and filled in her time between other gigs.
The door to Eliza’s restaurant, Tres Corazónes, stood open, and she found the girls waiting for her inside.
Wednesday waved her over and pointed to a chair. “I hope you don’t mind, but we got hungry.”
Opie noticed the half-full plates and felt a little guilty. “I don’t mind. I ran over from the last job. You saved me some, right?”
Eliza placed a serving of salad on her plate while Tatum handed her a platter of sandwiches.
“I never let any of my friends go hungry,” Eliza said. She used a ladle and filled Opie’s bowl with a thick soup. “I hope you like mushrooms and barley.”
Opie inhaled the heavy, earthy smell from the soup and closed her eyes. “I may never leave here.”
With as much as the Hanson brothers had done with the concept behind the resort, the Hanson women, Tatum, Wednesday, Eliza, and Sky did even more to make everything else work. Eliza opened her restaurant and wanted to add a lounge. Sky and Wednesday created a spa that would make The Incredible Hulk into a pussy cat. Sky’s boutique sold top of the line clothing made from local artists and sellers from around the world. And Tatum worked in the emergency room at the local hospital.
“You’re always welcome,” Sky
said. “Don’t leave here without me paying you for the pictures you did for us. I’m in love with all of them. Tell me your secret to get adolescent boys to smile. Wyatt never smiles for me the way he did for you.”
Opie tapped her temple. “It’s all in here. Trade secrets.”
The women laughed, continued eating, and shared stories.
Opie loved these women. There was something special about the four women eating with her. Their bond was unusual and something she’d envied for a while.
“Are you still living close to the university?” Wednesday asked.
Opie nodded. “Yeah.”
“And what about your family? Do they still live in Colorado?” Wednesday pushed her plate away and rested her elbows on the edge of the table.
“I can’t convince them to come down here. It would be easier, but Daddy is stubborn. My baby brother is transferring down here next semester, though. That will be nice.” Opie gave her plate to Eliza, who cleared the table.
“Anywho,” Wednesday redirected the conversation, “Opie, we wanted to go over everything for tomorrow and give you a chance to see the layout of the ballroom. We’d like to get pictures of all the participants and the audience.” She scanned through her journal, pulling a pencil from behind her ear.
“Whatever you need.”
“Great,” Eliza said, coming back to the table. “I need to check in with my sous chef—” she cleared her throat, “—I mean the resort chef. I keep forgetting Dottie isn’t with me anymore.”
“Oh, is she back from her trip?” Tatum gathered her dishes and pushed back her chair.
Eliza nodded. “Dash picked her up at the airport before lunch.”
Tatum’s phone vibrated. She checked the screen, then said, “I’ll see you guys at dinner tonight.”
“Everything okay?” Wednesday asked her.
“Oh, yeah. That was a text from Hank. Hard to tell he retired. He and Sybil still keep showing up to work every day.” She waved as she walked out the door.
Wednesday put her hand on Opie’s arm. “I know we only paid you for tomorrow, but would you be able to come to the dinner tonight? We’ll pay you in food.”
Eliza and Sky wanted her to come too.
“What is the dinner about? Is it formal?” Opie asked.
“Formal?” Eliza scoffed. “No, it’s a barbecue we’re throwing for the guests before we head over to the Winter Fest. Think of it as a thank-you dinner. Gerri will be there too.”
“Gerri? Who’s Gerri?”
Sky leaned across the table. “Gerri Wilder runs the Paranormal Dating Agency. She’s like a goddess or something. Barbara Wolfe introduced us to her, and she’s the one who made this auction into the success it’s going to be. The hits on our website quadrupled when we posted pictures of the participants.”
“Are you kidding me?” Opie asked.
“She’s put together a bazillion couples, shifters, aliens, vampires. I wouldn’t be surprised if she hadn’t mated a few humans together,” Eliza said. “Do you know her?”
Opie let her head drop to the table. “Yeah, we met about a year ago. She helped me get that job with The National Landscape.”
“I loved that story,” Sky said.
Opie sat a little taller. “Thank you. It was an incredible opportunity. She gave me the name of the writer. I think she wanted to match me up with someone back then.”
Wednesday said, “If Gerri wants to introduce you to someone, pay attention because he’s going to be great.”
Wednesday smacked her forehead with an open palm and faced Eliza and Sky. “I forgot to tell you two. Barbara’s coming in tomorrow afternoon and can only stay overnight. Did you know that Hank knew Barbara back in the day?”
They shook their heads.
Opie sat back in her chair. “I haven’t seen Barbara Wolfe since spring break senior year. Several of us went to Blue Creek.” She smiled. “That was an awesome vacation.”
Wednesday scrunched her face. “You went to Blue Creek for spring break?”
“Yep. She had one of her mating parties,” Opie said.
“And you didn’t find a mate?” Wednesday said.
Opie shrugged. “Just wasn’t in the stars for me, I guess.” She rubbed her hands on her jeans and avoided Wednesday’s scrutinizing stare.
“Wait a minute. Gerri wanted to set you up with someone, it didn’t work out, and you didn’t find anyone at the mating party? What’s wrong with you?” Wednesday asked.
Opie twisted her mouth and inhaled a quick breath through her nose. Yeah, what was wrong with her? She hadn’t been with anyone since that stupid hook-up in New York. Was she giving off the wrong vibe?
Her stomach twisted. “Why don’t you show me where this shindig is happening. I brought my camera so I can get a couple of shots of the set-up.”
The ladies walked to the main building and into the ballroom. Balloons covered almost every inch of the floor. Potted indoor trees waited on the side. The two-person decorating team fussed with tablecloths and napkins while Cameron Hanson and another man worked on a runway.
Opie recognized the man working with Cameron but was at a loss as to why she knew him. He wore a tight t-shirt that left nothing to the imagination. His close-shaved hair and scruffy facial hair gave him a rugged appearance. But this appearance felt off to her, and she didn’t know why.
“Since when do we put our guests to work?” Sky went over to Cameron and kissed him.
Cameron shrugged. “I didn’t force him to work. He found me after lunch and wanted to do something. It turns out he’s handy.”
Eliza went to Cameron and kissed him and whispered something in his ear. Then she turned to the other man.
“I still can’t believe you agreed to do this, Dominic.”
He wiped his hands on his jeans and shook Eliza’s hand. “It’s good to see you, Eliza. Still bummed you didn’t take my offer, but Cam told me your new place is doing well. Congratulations.”
“It is thanks.”
Opie took out her camera and snapped a few shots while the others continued talking. A tingle ran up her back, and she stopped, turned to the second man, and saw his eyes on her. His gaze felt like a laser beam. Instead of feeling uneasy, butterflies tickled her stomach, and warmth flooded every part of her.
She licked her lips as she met his stare. He was not listening to Wednesday, who stood next to him talking. His focus was on her. The surrounding noise softened, and her heartbeat grew louder. Her breath slowed and deepened, and the urge to touch him almost overtook her. Instead, she brought up her camera, adjusted the lens, and clicked.
Opie was uncomfortable staring at him, but the camera lens gave her the ability to see everything about him at once. It was the horse inside of her that saw the magnificent black thoroughbred inside his soul.
“You’re just the person I’ve wanted to see.”
The voice next to her yanked her out of her brain fog. “Excuse me?”
The petite silver-haired woman standing next to her said, “Opal.”
The two women hugged.
“Hi, Gerri. It’s good to see you again. I never thanked you for helping me with the job.”
Gerri put her hand on Opie’s arm. “I got the autographed magazine you sent. That was enough.”
“Not really. That trip was incredible. I loved every minute. And it’s opened so many doors for me. You must let me take you out to dinner while you’re here.”
“That sounds wonderful, but I’ll take you out. We’ll call it a business expense. I still have someone in mind for you.”
Opie harrumphed. “I don’t have time to be with anyone right now. Not even looking.”
The other woman narrowed her eyes, and Opie felt the urge to apologize like last time.
“Nonsense,” Gerri said. “Like I told you before, that’s the best time to find someone.” She noticed Opie’s camera. “When I heard that Opal Ibarra was taking the pictures for this event, I knew it would be good. I have some i
deas I want to run by you.”
The slamming of a door distracted them. Opie scanned the room for the hottie working on the runway, but he was nowhere.
Gerri scanned the room too. “Shit. I wanted to introduce you to someone.”
Wednesday continued to talk about her ideas for the next night, but Opie had a hard time focusing. Where did he go, and why did he seem so familiar? And why was heat building between her legs? She refused to be led astray by muscles and another damn alpha male.
Sky called him a guest, so maybe she’d see him again.
“Opie? Opie, are you listening?” Wednesday snapped her fingers in front of Opie’s face.
Opie startled. The voices in her head could fight it out later.
“You are definitely someplace else,” Wednesday said.
“I guess. I must be tired. Let me get my shots and call it a day.”
“Sounds perfect.” Wednesday moved to the table and sat across from Gerri. She brought out her notebook, and the two worked on the auction. Eliza and Sky excused themselves, and Cameron continued working.
With no one paying attention to her, she walked around and took pictures of the workers setting up the room. She took one of Cameron and one of Gerri with Wednesday.
Ten minutes later, she gathered up her bag, said goodbye, and headed home.
Outside the ballroom, Mr. Muscles paced close to the door, while he talked on the phone. He did more yelling than talking.
“I don’t fucking care what he does. I pay you good money to keep this from happening,” he yelled. His aggressive voice shocked her.
“I can’t come back tonight. I will be there by Monday at the earliest.” He stopped in front of the door. He balanced the phone between his head and shoulder while he rubbed the inside of his hand. His eyes were closed, and it appeared that he was counting.
She inched around him, hoping not to draw his attention, but bumped into a table, knocking off the vase. The carpet saved it from breaking but couldn’t prevent the distraction.
He spun around. “I have to call you back,” he grumbled into the phone.
Her eyes widened. She froze. “Um, er.”
Cold ran down her chest to her belly, shocking her. Water from the vase, which she now held upside down, drained onto the floor via her torso.
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