Page 89 of Wolf It Down, Knot Me Up

“Well, that’s part of my reason for coming up here. The storm was extremely destructive last night. Such a nasty thing. It left half the town of Rusty’s Bend without power. The power team has scheduled your lodge in a week’s time for a visit.”

My eyes widen, breath rushing out. “A week? That’s way too long. Surely they can send someone earlier.”

Roman clears his throat.

The mayor glances at him for a moment, then swings his attention my way. “Miss Rose, I understand your concern, being here alone. A young woman in the mountains can be scary and⁠—”

“She’s not alone,” Roman interrupts.

The mayor’s gaze flicks to Roman again, and a coldness flashes behind it.

“That’s very kind of you, Mayor, but I’m fine, honestly.”

He grins at me. “Yes, yes, of course you are. But, Miss Rose, just in case you need a safer place, I have asked a favor of Rusty’s Motel in town to offer you a room until your power is restored, free of charge. The storm did horrible damage everywhere.” His condescending tone is impossible to ignore. “But anyway, the offer stands.” He tucks his hand into the pocket on the inside of his jacket and produces a card for the motel, which he holds out to me. “It’s the least I can do for your grandmother.”

“Thank you, but I’m fine where I am,” I say, refusing to take the card.

“Well, seeing as I’ve taken up enough of your time, I’ll be off. Take care.” He returns to his car, and in seconds, he’s driving the way he came.

“Okay, what was that about? Since when is the mayor the errand boy for the electric company? And a week?” I gasp loudly, watching the dust settle from the driveway in the distance.

“That guy’s up to something,” Roman adds. “You can see it in his eyes. Anyway, we may need to invest in another backup generator and use them at a minimum to make them last.” He kisses me on the brow. “Let’s get those groceries inside.”

He takes four bags, while I’m left with the lightest one, and once we’re in the kitchen, he closes in behind me, arms around my middle, lips on my ear. “Are you okay if I catch up with the other two and see how the cleanup is coming along?” He kisses my neck.

I melt against him and stay there for a few moments, letting the tension of the mayor’s visit fade. “Yep, all good. I want to call my grandma anyway.”

He goes out the back door, and I put all the groceries away, when my phone rings in my bag. I fish it out and don’t recognize the number. “Hello?”

“Miss Rose, this is Mr. Colby. Do you have a moment to speak?”

My gut twists because I remember the parole officer well. Drawing deep for a cheery response, I say, “Of course. How can I help you?”

“I’ll be straight with you and won’t waste your time. I’ve been notified that the circumstances at Crimson Pine Lodge have changed since I last visited.” He pauses, and the sound of shuffling papers comes through the phone. “Your grandmother will remain in the hospital for at least another week or two, I believe, and the second in charge, Ethan, has left for personal reasons.”

A tightness in my chest squeezes until I can barely breathe. “Where did you⁠—”

“Which then means,” he cuts over me, “with no approved, trained supervisor at the location for the three men in our program, they can no longer remain there unsupervised. It is disappointing that this has just come to my attention instead of allowing me to plan for it ahead of time.”

Ice slithers through my veins.

“But I’m acting on behalf of my grandmother, and they are under my supervision. I’m here every hour of the day, running the lodge.”

“Miss Rose, with all due respect, the rules must be followed as a condition of their placement, and you are not trained or named in the contract of the program.”

“Then I’ll do it. It can’t be that hard to get qualified.” My heart is racing, and an awful ache stirs in my stomach.

“You don’t qualify at this point in time, and I don’t have time to hold your hand through the training. If your grandmother wanted you included, she should have added you to the contract and ensured you received training for our reintegration program.”

I exhale loudly, panic curling in my chest.

“Look, I understand your frustration, but my priority is ensuring that the three men in our program pass with flying colors so they don’t return to prison.” For the first time, he sounds gentle, almost caring. “And I’m giving you a courtesy call to inform you that I have arranged for the program participants to be relocated to another approved halfway location. Effective immediately.”

“Wait, today?” The room sways with me.

“Yes, they will be collected today, and I recommend that you advise them to be ready for transport.”

“No, wait, not today. Just give them another day or two to get prepared. They’re also still working on logging. There’s got to be⁠—”