The Finder (Wolves of the Northwoods Book 1)

by A J Manney

“What kind?” Emma asked. He looked up at the board and then back at her.

  “The darker the better,” he said. Emma nodded and rang him up. He handed her a fifty, and Emma went to make change. “Keep the change,” he said. Emma looked up at him in surprise. Then her brain kicked in. He must not want the coins. He just wants the dollars. Some guys were like that. She counted out the forty-six dollars and put it out to him. He looked down at her and frowned. “Keep the change,” he said again. Emma dropped her hand.

  “Oh, I thought you meant just the coins,” she said; then felt stupid when he just looked at her. She held the money in her hand, unsure what to do with it. “Helen,” she said, turning to Helen. “Do we have a tip jar or anything?”

  Helen turned in surprise to look at her and shook her head. “We’ve never needed one.”

  “Now we do,” Emma said with a smile as she lifted up the cash. Emma’s heart was racing. Forty-six dollars split two ways was twenty-three dollars. She could maybe try to find a thrift store on the way home and buy a few shirts and maybe something she could take to work for lunch each day. She tried to keep the excitement off her face but knew she had failed when she turned back around. She felt Garrett’s intense eyes boring into hers, like he was reading her soul. She turned away and held out the money to Helen.

  Helen smiled. “That’s great. I know just what we can use that money for. You’ll love it,” she said as she walked away.

  Emma’s disappointment hit her hard. She blinked back sudden tears and turned to grab a rag from the sink and wipe down a back counter so no one would see. Stop it, she told herself sternly. It’s fine. I’ll just wait until I get paid. It won’t be much longer. Feeling more composed, Emma put the rag back and turned back to the counter. She was surprised to see Garrett still standing there. When her eyes met his, she was shocked at the anger she saw there. Had she angered him somehow? Knowing she needed to keep him happy as a customer, she walked over to the register. “Can I get something else for you?” she asked.

  He leaned in closer, towering over her. “Next time I say keep the change, keep the change,” he said in a low voice. Then he spun around and left the store. Emma stared at the door after him, wondering yet again, What just happened?

  The rest of the afternoon sped past. Then it was time for her trip back to the library and her walk to Hope House. She had another lesson with Olivia and enjoyed her time with both Olivia and her mom. After dinner, she went to her room. Her roommate sat on her bed with headphones in as usual. Emma didn’t even bother trying to say anything to her. She decided to throw on her other shirt so she could wash the cat shirt from today. She walked over to her dresser and pulled open the drawer. When she saw it was empty, she just stared into it. After a moment, she slowly closed the drawer. Not wanting her roommate to see her crying, she turned and left the room. She made her way to the shower area and moved inside one of the shower areas, pulling the curtain closed behind her. She sat down on the bench against the wall and allowed herself a moment of weakness. She let the tears fall for just a moment or two before she made herself stop. She would be fine. She would get paid, and then she would get what she needed. She just had to wait it out. And she would have to come up with a plan to hide her stuff. Maybe she would just get a backpack to take back and forth with her to the coffee shop each day. That way her roommate couldn’t steal her stuff.

  Emma stood up and walked out of the shower area. She grabbed a towel and took it with her and made her way to the laundry room. She really hoped nobody was in here right now. When she saw it was empty, she quickly started the wash, threw in some of the provided liquid and ducked into a corner to take off everything she was wearing. She was now down to only one pair of underwear, her bra, a pair of socks, black leggings, and the world’s ugliest cat shirt. She kicked off her shoes and pulled off her socks. Quickly wrapping herself in a towel, she dropped her clothes into the wash and set it for the smallest fastest cycle. Then she sat down to wait, feeling all kinds of awkward. Thankfully, nobody came in during the washing cycle. However, she wasn’t so lucky during the drying cycle. Several women came in together and did their wash. She heard them laughing and didn’t bother glancing over at them. She knew what she looked like, sitting there only in a towel. She was mortified, but she had no other choice. The second her clothes were finished, she grabbed them from the dryer and fled back to the showers.

  She changed back into her clothes and made her way to her room. She climbed into bed silently, set the alarm for four, and lay down. Sleep didn’t come easily for her, even though she knew she had an early morning. She was frustrated, embarrassed, and discouraged. What would Helen think when she saw her wearing the cat shirt for the third time in only a few days? And what would Emma do without any toiletries? No hairbrush, no shampoo, no deodorant, no toothbrush.

  Worry kept Emma up most of the night. When her alarm woke her up, Emma felt as if she had never gone to sleep. She rolled out of bed and headed for the showers. She got all the way there when she remembered she had nothing to take a shower with. She stopped behind the counter of sinks for a moment, feeling tired, cranky, and dejected. She noticed the hand soap. Grabbing it, she headed for the shower. After a hot shower and being washed up with hand soap, she felt better than she had before she had taken a shower. She walked over to the counter and looked at herself in the mirror. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get the tangles out, then piled it in a high bun on top of her head. She looked at herself in the mirror. It was as good as it was going to get.

  She dropped her towel in the dirty bin and left for work. Between the shower and the cold walk, she was more than awake when she got to Sip and Drip. If Helen noticed the shirt, she didn’t say anything to her about it. Emma quickly donned an apron and got to work. The morning went fairly quickly, and soon it was time for Emma’s break. She used her time at the library to look up more business ideas.

  When she got back to the shop, she was surprised to see Garrett leaning against the wall outside the shop. She took a deep breath and forced herself not to be intimidated. Easier said than done.

  Chapter 8

  She was surprised to not see Liam with him. When she got closer, she saw that Garrett wasn’t alone actually. The scary-looking guy was leaning against the wall a few shops down. Emma slowed her steps when she got closer to the shop.

  Garrett straightened from the wall and turned towards her. She noticed absently that he had something draped over his arm, but her eyes were drawn to his. He stepped into her path before she could reach the door to the shop. “It’s too cold to be walking around without a coat,” he said. He held out a coat to her. Emma just stared at it in silence. She looked back up at Garrett in confusion. “It’s for you,” he said. Emma glanced back at the coat. It was incredibly stylish. It was a plaid print of browns and blacks with a little cream and dark burgundy mixed in with a belt that tied around the waist. The whole thing looked incredibly posh and really expensive.

  Emma blinked, still confused. “I can’t...” She took a step back from him. He moved forward with her.

  “Take the coat and wear it,” he ordered.

  Emma put her chin in the air. She wasn’t sure what his game was, but she wasn’t going to be bossed around. “No,” she said.

  She looked up at him and saw a myriad of emotions cross his face for a moment before it became stormy again. “You will wear the coat when you’re outside,” he said in a low, intimidating voice that reeked of power. Emma had a feeling a lot of people jumped at will to that voice.

  “Why? You don’t even know me. I don’t know you,” she said, desperately trying to understand him. He didn’t say anything; he just stared her down. Emma knew when she was beaten. She needed to get back to work, so she finally gave in. “Okay,” she said simply.

  Garrett looked down at her and narrowed his gaze, but he didn’t say anything. He held it out to her, and she took the coat. “Now can I get back to work?” Garrett didn’t say anything; he just nod
ded. Emma stepped past him and moved in the direction of the shop. He stepped ahead of her and opened the door for her. On her way through the door, she stopped and looked up at him. He looked down at her. “I’m not sure why you did that, but thank you,” she said softly.

  He only nodded again, and Emma breezed past him. “Emma,” he said from behind her. Emma turned back to face him and he came close to her. He bent towards her slightly and said in a low voice that nobody else but she could hear, “There’s money in the pocket. Buy some clothes.” Then he turned and left. Emma was left staring after him, speechless.

  She turned and walked back behind the counter to the back room. Curious, she put both hands in the pockets. One hand closed around cash. She pulled it out of the pocket and her eyes widened. It was all hundred-dollar bills. She started counting before she heard Helen coming. She quickly shoved the money back in the pocket. She hung the coat up carefully, admiring it for a moment. It really was the most beautiful coat she had ever seen, let alone owned. It must have cost a small fortune. Emma’s mind was whirling as she pulled her apron on and went back out front.

  “Hi, Emma,” she heard before she reached the counter. She looked up to see Kevin, the police officer from the other day.

  “Hi, Officer,” she said. “What can I get for you today?”

  “It’s Kevin,” he corrected. He looked at her and waited.

  “Kevin,” she said, relenting. “What can I get for you?”

  He placed his order and paid, and Emma went to make his drink. Helen spent a few minutes talking to him. Emma took a few orders and finished making drinks. When she was free, she heard her name called. She turned in surprise to see Kevin was still there. “So, are you new to this shop or new to the area?” he asked.

  Emma tried to keep a neutral expression on her face. “I’m new to the area,” she said.

  “How do you like our city?” he asked.

  “It’s great,” Emma said with a real smile.

  “Where do you live?” he asked.

  Emma was saved from having to reply when the door opened and a few customers came in. She’d never been so grateful for the interruption. “Welcome to Sip and Drip,” she called out. “Excuse me,” she said, turning to Kevin with what she hoped was a natural smile.

  “Catch you later,” he said with a smile and a wave.

  Emma breathed out a sigh of relief when he left the store. She jumped back into her work. The time passed quickly. After work, she made her way to the library. Using the paper from the printer and a pencil from the lady at the library desk, she sat down at a table to put her plan on paper. She couldn’t wait to talk to Helen about what she was thinking. She had no idea if Helen would go for it, but she wanted to give it a try. When she finished, she folded up her paper with a smile on her face. She couldn’t wait to talk to Helen tomorrow. She walked through the library towards the front door and was shocked to see Liam standing against the wall, looking at a magazine. When she got closer, he straightened and put the magazine down.

  “Cat girl,” he called out by way of greeting.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “Can’t I just come to the library to catch up on my reading?” he asked innocently.

  “No. You’re not the type to spend time in a library. When was the last time you were in a library before today?” she asked as she crossed her arms.

  “Fine,” Liam said with a frown. “I’m here to walk you to your car.”

  “Why?” Emma asked in confusion.

  “Can’t a guy just walk a girl to her car? It’s called being gentleman-like,” he said. Emma wasn’t buying it. She just stared at him. “Fine,” he finally caved. “Garrett told me to do it.”

  “Why?” Emma asked again. It made no sense. Why were these guys so worried about her? Her mind started whirling. She didn’t know how she was going to get out of this. First of all, she had no car; and there was no way she was letting Liam walk her to Hope House. Not only was it humiliating, but it was also a long walk. He was wearing a designer suit and shoes, not clothes suitable for walking. “Um, I just need to go to the bathroom. Then I’ll be ready,” Emma said, hoping he would believe her.

  He nodded. “I’ll wait right here for you,” he said. Emma turned away with a grin on her face. He was way too trusting. She made her way back into the library in the direction of the bathrooms. Then she zigzagged her way through the shelves in the library until she came to the back exit she had discovered the last time she evaded Liam at the coffee shop.

  She opened the door and peeked out. She didn’t see him anywhere. She slipped down the sidewalk and walked down the street that Sip and Drip exited to. She made it all the way to Hope House without being discovered. She was cold by the time she got there and wished she could have worn her new coat, but she had left it at the shop. There was no way she was taking a chance of it being stolen. The coat and the money inside would be too much of a temptation to her roommate. She wasn’t planning on spending the money, but she also couldn’t allow it to be stolen. She needed all of it when she returned it to Garrett.

  Emma made her way into Hope House and straight to the dining area. Her stomach growled hungrily when she entered the room. She got in line and waited her turn, grimacing when she saw tonight’s dinner. She wasn’t really sure what it was. Some kind of casserole and lima beans. She couldn’t stand lima beans.

  She took her plate to the table and sat down to eat. The meals up to this point had been really good, but this one was really struggling. She tried gagging down a few bites because she was so hungry, but it was pretty bad. Thankfully she saw a fruit bowl on the counter. She grabbed an apple and sat and ate that. When she was just about finished, Amy and Olivia showed up at her table. Emma smiled at them.

  “Hey, how’s it going?” Emma asked.

  Amy smiled and Olivia waved at her. “I found something that might work in the afternoon and evenings,” Amy said.

  “That’s great,” Emma said.

  “Yeah, it’s a start,” she said, looking hopeful. Emma’s heart went out to the both of them. Why was life so hard for some people and so easy for others?

  On the way back to her room, she decided to check the free room again and see if she could find anything. She nearly squealed in delight when she saw that there was an entire box of travel-sized toiletries. Someone must have just dropped off the donations. Emma was so incredibly thankful. She looked through the box and found a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, a razor, and even a hairbrush. She was the most excited about a small bottle of body wash. She opened the cap and sniffed—vanilla, her favorite. She breathed it in and smiled.

  In another box she found some feminine products and a new pack of underwear. She nearly cried when she saw the underwear. She dug through the clothes that had been dropped off and found two shirts that could maybe work. She pulled all her goodies together and tried to figure out what she could do to keep these from being stolen this time. She went to the shower room and looked all around, trying to find a place to hide her stuff. When she found nothing there, she decided to try the laundry room. She found nothing there either. She made her way back to the room. She decided to hide everything under her bed and hope her roommate didn’t find her hiding spot.

  Emma woke the next morning excited to get to work. She couldn’t wait to share her ideas with Helen. After her shower, she dressed in the t-shirt she had found yesterday. She grimaced at the fit. It was bigger on her than she thought it would be, and the yellow was uglier on than it had been in the box. Emma stopped herself. It didn’t matter. It was a shirt, and more than she had yesterday. She piled her hair on top of her head in her signature look for work and finished getting ready.

  She made it to work a few minutes early, but Helen was there and let her in. “Good morning,” Emma said when Helen opened the door.

  “You’re here early,” Helen said.

  Emma nodded. “I had something I wanted to run past you,” Emma sa
id tentatively.

  “Go for it,” Helen said, waving a hand at Emma while she continued getting products ready.

  Emma took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

  Chapter 9

  “So, I've been thinking about what we talked about the other day and how we can ensure that this business stays open for years to come to honor your husband’s legacy, and I think I came up with a few ideas,” Emma said and paused, waiting to see Helen’s reaction.

  “Okay. What are your ideas?” Helen asked.

  Emma thought she sounded a little reserved, but she hadn’t said no. So, Emma was going to go for it. “So the coffee here is awesome, but...” She stopped when Helen put a hand up.

  “When have you even tasted the coffee here?” Helen interrupted her.

  Emma blinked at her. “I, uh haven’t yet.” Emma’s mind quickly scrambled to the few dollars she had. She would have to use them to get a cup today. Maybe she could just do a small hot coffee.

  “I thought you liked coffee?” Helen asked.

  “I do,” Emma responded.

  “How come you never drink any while on shift then?” Helen asked.

  Emma wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “I didn’t want to spend the money on it,” Emma finally said.

  Helen turned and looked at her. “You get free coffee whenever you work. Didn’t I ever tell you that?” she asked. Emma’s eyes widened and she shook her head. She would have remembered that for sure.

  “I’m sorry, Emma. That’s on me. You can drink coffee while you work. Any drink is fine. Just be sure that it doesn’t interrupt you from serving people.”

  “Of course. Thank you so much!” Emma was excited to try some of the drinks she had been making.

  “What drink do you want to try first?” Helen asked.

  “A white chocolate raspberry vanilla latte,” Emma said without hesitating.

  Helen laughed, then paused. “Wait, I don’t think we have a white chocolate... What did you say?”