“Why don’t you take the farm manager position?”
Her eyes widened. “Why would I do that?”
I shrugged. “You clearly care about the team if you’re coming to me with this, and it was obvious you know what you’re doing out there. Plus, I could tell the other workers already look up to you. It would be easy for you to slide into his role.”
She didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure about that, Ellie?”
The more I thought about it, the more sure I was.
“Absolutely. As of now, you’re the new farm manager.”
Her eyes got wide again as she slowly shook her head. “That is not what I was expecting.”
I shrugged again. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do about you being down an employee. Well, two if you count yourself.”
She waved a hand. “We’ll figure it out.”
My smile was wide as I looked at her. I could see she was already thinking like a manager. Already planning what her next move would be and how she’d make things better. My belief in this solution was only growing.
“So, we’re good here?” I asked.
Sophie smiled. “Yeah, we’re good. I’ll tell all the workers about the change in my title.”
“If you need any help with anything, come to me, okay? I’m here to help.”
Sophie’s smile grew before she tugged me into her arms. “Thanks so much, Ellie. You have no idea what you’ve done for us.”
I hugged her back as I let her words sink into my head.
I really was making a difference.
I really was making the right choices.
I really was an alpha.
Sophie bounded off to go talk to her co-workers while I made my way back to the McCoys. My eyes wandered around the space and I was greeted by more friendly smiles than ever. But when my eyes landed on a pair of men, my instincts automatically twitched to life.
On the outskirts of the party stood Craig and Paul, his mate, Annalise, close by. I didn’t know if the two men knew each other well or not, but I had a bad feeling about this. I tried to remind myself that they’d lived in the same pack together for years and there was nothing strange about them talking, but something told me it was more than that. Something told me to watch out for the both of them because, if they were working together, there could be trouble.
I kept those thoughts to myself as I reclaimed my seat next to Abraham. The siblings were talking and laughing, and I was enjoying watching them, not necessarily a part of the conversation.
“Ellie, did Abey really threaten to lock you in your room?”
That question was from Del, of course. The biggest pot-stirrer of them all. If there was something uncomfortable that you’d rather not talk about, leave it to Delilah to bring it up.
“Um. He might have said something like that.”
I shot a glare at Bea, knowing she must have been the one who told Del and now everyone knew.
“Abey! You can’t lock her in a room!” Evey said, her little hands fisted on the table in front of her.
Abraham sighed. “I wasn’t really going to lock her in a room.”
“You sure as shit weren’t,” Del piped up. “You saw what she did to old Tom the other day? This one’s a hellcat. I’d love to see you try to lock her in a room.”
I bit my lip and looked down at my lap to keep from laughing. Abraham nudged me and leaned close. “You think this is funny?”
I shook my head quickly. “Nope.”
He dipped his head closer and whispered, “Liar.”
That was all it took.
My head fell backward as I laughed so hard, the sound echoed around the clearing. When I’d finally regained some control, I turned my teary eyes toward Abraham. He had this look on his face that he sometimes got. It made my insides twist and my heart pound.
“I don’t think you’re a hellcat,” he said.
I had to bite my lip to hold back another round of laughter. “You haven’t tried to lock me in a room yet.”
His lips curved into a lopsided smile. “I’ll have to remember that.”
A while later, we were all around the fire listening to Del perform. Abraham’s arm was wrapped tight around me as he rocked us to the beat. Between the heat of the fire and the warmth from the man behind me, I almost fell asleep.
Finally, Del set aside her guitar and several pack members rose to their feet. Abraham leaned down to speak in my ear, “We should probably say goodbye to everyone.”
He pulled me from my seat and led me over to a small group of departing werewolves. We gave everyone hugs and promised to see them soon.
As the crowd thinned, I noticed Jimmy and Fran making their way toward us. I hadn’t seen them much during the barbecue, but it was clear they’d been seeing a lot of each other. Jimmy was leaning close to Fran, his head dipped to speak in her ear while she giggled.
Huh. I hadn’t seen that coming.
When they reached us, Fran stepped up to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. I was shocked frozen for a moment before I returned her hug.
“Ellie, I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done. My yard looks great and I’ve never been happier.”
I didn’t miss the way her eyes drifted to Jimmy when she said that last line.
“Yeah, and thanks for talking to the Anderson kid for me,” Jimmy added. “He’s comin’ by to clean up my place sometime next week.”
I’d gone ahead and sent Austin a text about Jimmy’s yard after we talked. I guessed he’d already gotten in touch with him.
“That’s great, Jimmy!”
He shrugged. “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t have gotten my act together if it wasn’t for you.” His eyes slid to Fran, and I knew he’d meant that in more ways than one.
“It was nothing,” I said.
He reached out and pulled me into a hug next and I just barely got my arms around his big frame. When he pulled away, he grabbed Fran’s hand, and they took off for the pack houses.
Abraham wrapped an arm around my neck and pulled me close. “I see you’re not just an amazing alpha, but also a matchmaker.”
I turned to look at him. “Wouldn’t that be amazing? If I just went around hooking up the pack with their future mates?”
He laughed and kissed the side of my head. “One thing at a time, El.”
Chapter 24
“Quit fidgeting, El.”
I tugged at the sleeve of my blouse once more. I couldn’t help myself. Today was the first day at my new job and I was nervous as hell.
The two weeks it had taken for construction had initially seemed to trudge by, but the last few days had blown past me. One minute I was leisurely preparing for my new role, and the next I was racing to do more research and order more books online.
I was a mess.
“I’m sorry. I’m just nervous.”
Abraham walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I leaned back against his broad chest and stared at our reflections in the bathroom mirror.
“You look beautiful and you’re gonna kill it today. There’s no reason to be nervous.”
My worried eyes met his. “What if I can’t do this job? What if I suck at it? What if I make Callie regret hiring me?”
He squeezed me and shook his head. “None of that is gonna happen. You’re smart, and capable, and resourceful, and nothing is too difficult for you. You’re gonna nail this like you do everything else.”
I sighed and felt more tension leave my body. “I wish I had that kind of faith in myself.”
“If you could see yourself through my eyes, you’d already know how amazing you are. How you can literally do anything. I’ve seen you handle change after change without breaking a sweat. Think about how much you’ve accomplished in the last few months and you’ll know you can do this too.”
I watched
his blue eyes and read the sincerity in them. He really believed I could do anything. Maybe I could believe him too.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I needed to reach deep for the woman that rose to the top of her last firm. The woman who did what it took to do the job no matter what it was. I knew she was still in there and I knew she’d never let me down in the past. I needed to trust her.
When I opened my eyes again, Abraham’s deep blue gaze was still focused on me. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on my cheek. “Better?”
I sighed. “You always make everything better.”
He smiled and squeezed me again. “Come on. Let’s get some breakfast and get on the road.”
Abraham was driving me to work. He’d said he wanted to show me the renovations himself. I hadn’t seen the office since the day he’d taken me there, and it was just a shell then. He’d insisted on keeping it from me until it was done, and now, he wanted to be there when I saw it.
The kitchen was a hive of activity as we dodged other pack members on our way to the food. Knowing I was too nervous to keep much down, I only grabbed a bowl of oatmeal and a banana. Abraham gave me a disapproving look, but thankfully, didn’t comment.
We ate in relative silence while I mentally went over everything I’d learned in the past few weeks to prepare for my first day. I’d been working with Callie and she’d been showing me the more personal side to environmental law. I’d learned about the people it affected and not just the law and legal jargon. It made me even more anxious to get started and make a difference.
When Abraham finished his breakfast and my oatmeal was cold, we handed our dishes off to Aubrey and made our way outside. I only had my briefcase with my laptop inside, but Callie had assured me that was all I’d need. Even so, I felt under-prepared.
Abraham grabbed my hand and entwined his fingers with mine. “I can hear you worrying from over here.”
I sighed. “I’m just hoping I’m prepared for today. Callie said I didn’t need much, but how could that be the case? It’s a brand-new office. Won’t I need like pens and staplers and stuff?”
He squeezed my hand as he led me to his big black pickup truck. “The office is fully stocked with all of that stuff. All you need to bring is your computer and your fine self.”
I rolled my eyes, but my lips stretched into a grin.
We climbed into his truck and he fired up the engine. I couldn’t see Callie’s silver Prius, so I assumed she’d already left for the office. Nervous butterflies raced in my stomach as we drove down the driveway and headed toward the highway.
“El, you need to take it easy. You sound like you’re having a heart attack.”
“You know I’ve only ever had one job before.”
He turned to me with a frown. “Yeah? Not even as a kid or anything?”
I shook my head. “My parents supported me. I didn’t need to work. After I got sent to boarding school, all I focused on were my grades. College was the same thing and by the time I got to grad school, I didn’t have time for another job. Hildebrandt & Moore was the firm I interned with and then they eventually hired me. I’ve never worked anywhere else.”
He nodded slowly as he navigated the light morning traffic. “Huh. So, this is kind of a big deal for you, then?”
I blew out a deep breath. “A huge deal.”
He reached out and picked up my hand. My palm was probably a little sweaty from nerves, but he didn’t seem to mind. “It’s okay to be excited and nervous, but I want you to go in there knowing you’re gonna be amazing. Know that they’re lucky to have you. Know that you could go anywhere with your skill set and work ethic, but you chose to work for Callie. She and everyone else should be grateful they got you.”
My lips twitched with another smile. If you asked Abraham, he’d probably tell you I invented the wheel, too. His unwavering belief in me was quickly becoming my very foundation. It was so easy to build on the compliments and praise he heaped on me.
“Thanks, baby,” I said.
His hand squeezed mine. “Don’t forget, I did make your office soundproof.”
I laughed. “Then I guess I’ll be seeing you for lunch?”
He grunted. “You bet your sweet ass you will.”
My smile was bright as the butterflies died down inside me.
I knew then that everything would be okay. Even if I wasn’t great at this job at first, I would learn and adapt and become the best I could be. It was what I’d done with the alpha position and it was what I’d do with this one. Like Abraham said, I was great at my last job. There was no reason I couldn’t be great at this one too.
He wound his way through the city streets until he reached the office and found a parking spot on the street. When the truck was off, he squeezed my hand again. “You ready to go in?”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
He kissed the back of my hand and released me as we both climbed from his truck. He rounded the front and picked up my hand again before leading me across the street and to the office. The door had been repainted a really pretty mint green, and they’d installed a new, modern door handle.
I gripped my briefcase in one hand as Abraham opened the door and ushered me inside. My jaw fell open as I tried to take in all the changes.
The floor was a beautiful shiny hardwood that looked like it had just been waxed. There was a small sitting area off to the side with tons of potted plants, and a long hall down the middle of the space. The walls were painted a crisp white and there was art hanging intermittently.
I headed down the hall, taking in the other closed door and wondering what was behind them. That could wait, though, because I needed to see my office first.
Abraham had been hinting that he did something special in there, but he wouldn’t say what. No amount of cajoling on my part could get a single word out of the man. He’d insisted I had to wait until my first day to see it.
When I reached the office I remembered being mine, I grabbed the doorknob as Abraham spoke up behind me.
“Listen, El, if you don’t like what we did with your office, it’ll be no trouble to change it. I thought you might like this, but if you don’t, that’s totally okay.”
I turned to look at him. “What did you do?”
He shrugged, his cheeks darkening. “I just gave the designer some information about you and, together, this is what we came up with. But, like I said, we can change it to whatever you want.”
Now I was even more curious. Why was Abraham so nervous? What was behind this door?
I turned back to my office and twisted the knob. When the door opened, I stood frozen in the hallway, my eyes widening as they tried to take in everything all at once.
The walls were still a plain white and the floors hardwood, but that was where the ordinary ended.
There were colorful tapestries hanging from every wall, and bright, textured chairs sitting in front of my large desk. A desk that was painted in gold glitter and shining from across the room.
I stepped inside as my eyes zipped around the room, finding more things to look at.
There was a large shelving system that was shaped like a great oak with each branch holding a set of books. Beside it was a floor lamp that looked like a golden palm tree. The rug beneath the desk was a white shag, and even the filing cabinets had been painted a shiny brass color.
I stood there, trying to absorb the room when Abraham stepped up beside me.
“So,” he said, rocking on his heels. “What do you think?”
I turned wide eyes toward him, unable to find the right words. Or any words, really. The office had completely robbed me of my faculties.
Abraham sighed. “It’s too much, isn’t it?” He sighed and ran a hand down his face. “I thought I could make this office remind you of your place back in Raleigh. You had so much in
dividuality and personality in that apartment, and I wanted to bring a little piece of that here for you.” He sighed again. “Maybe I should have asked you first.”
I shook my head and reached out a shaky hand to grab his arm. “Abraham, I love it.”
He whipped his head toward me, a smile tugging at his lips. “Really? Are you sure? Because we can change anything you want.”
I shook my head, tears gathering in my eyes.
He’d done all this for me. He’d remembered the kind of wild colors and design I’d had in my old apartment and tried to replicate it for me here. I’d never been more grateful to have him in my life.
I turned and launched myself into his arms and he caught me with a laugh. Reaching up, I pressed kiss after kiss all over his handsome face. He laughed harder while he tried to catch my lips with his own. Finally, I relented, and I stopped long enough to kiss him with all the gratitude I felt so deeply inside me.
When I was out of breath, I pulled away and smiled up at him. “Honestly, it’s perfect. It’s everything I’d want in an office.” I grabbed his hand and clutched it to my chest. “Thank you so much, Abraham. You didn’t have to do all this for me.”
His eyes got soft. “Of course I did. I love you.”
My stupid eyes filled with tears again, but I blinked them back. “I love you too.”
A knock on my open door broke the moment between us. I turned to find a tall man with black hair and bright green eyes standing in the doorway.
“Are you Ellie?”
I stepped away from Abraham and toward the man. “Yes. You must be Matt.”
Callie told me they’d taken on a new scientist to help with some of their field research and this had to be him. He was good looking in a sort of generic way, with his crisp suit and his perfectly styled hair.
He nodded and stepped into my office with his hand outstretched. “That’s me. Matt Miller. So nice to finally meet you, Ellie.”
I shook his hand for what felt like just a second or two longer than necessary. When I had my hand back, I turned to Abraham. “This is my fiancé, Abraham.”
Matt’s green eyes slid from me to the large man beside me. He smiled wide and held out his hand again. “Nice to meet you, man.”
Rise Page 20
