Page 23 of Home to the Hollow

“Are you the scamps that chose our sugarplum? Let me see you, gentleman. Stand and be counted.”

As if by magick, the nickname makes me blush and sets me off at the same time. The cats ignore my flustered state as they rise on their hind legs to greet him. Both Jekyll and Hyde offer opposing paws to him, and my jaw drops. Jekyll lets out one of his trademark yowls, and Hyde makes a low ‘Mrrrrp’ as Wolfie walks around them, inspecting their forms like an art connoisseur.

“I… they don’t normally…”

Looking up from where he’s checking parts of them I’ve been studiously avoiding, he winks at me. “I’m a vet, sugarplum. Animals love me.” When he stands again, he picks up the basket and blanket he’d been holding inside. “The good news is that they seem healthy, though I’d like to do a full exam later in the month once you’re fully settled. The bad news is that Hyde is a girl, and they aren’t fixed.”

I blink for a moment, feeling the blush on my cheeks get even redder. How could I fuck up something as simple as gendering my fucking pets? Goddess, I must look like an absolute fool. Why didn’t those idiots tell me?

Holy hell, this town is making me lose my marbles. I seriously just asked myself why my cats didn’t tell me their gender.

“Um… well, I’m not going to do that to them. They’re a bonded pair, it seems, and I don’t feel like I should make that decision for them. It feels like I’d be intruding on their privacy.”

His grin spreads further, and he nods, which I don’t expect. “I agree! So many people want to prevent their companions from living normal lives to make it easier for them. I applaud your willingness to allow them autonomy, sugarplum. I’ll help you get what supplies you may need when I do their visit.”

Breathing a sigh of relief that I seem to have passed that unintentional test, I nod. “That sounds good. Should we have lunch? I don’t want to keep you all day.”

“Oh! Yeah, we should. I have a slow day today, but I bet you’re itchin’ to get to your studio and work a little. Word at the diner is that you’ve stripped the house pretty bare.”

My nose wrinkles and I sigh. Bloody country gossips—as much as I love Niecy and Gene, they’ve been keeping everyone informed about everything I’ve been doing. It’s a good thing that I didn’t ask about any of the sketchy stuff I’ve found in the house. I have no idea who or what could be involved in this mystery of mine. I can’t play my hand before I see the table and count the cards.

“I am. I want to make sure the equipment is installed properly so once I get my feet under me at school, I can start lessons and showings there.”

Wolfie grabs my hand again, leading me to a golf cart nearby. “I’m going to take us out to a spot the tourists don’t get to see, if you don’t mind. We’ll eat there, and if it’s late when we finish, we can do the stables tour later. Eliot instructed Fidelia to make you a badge, a parking decal, and shirts and have ‘em delivered to your house so next time you can just text me and head on over.”

As I plop down in the cart with my bag, I wave at Jekyll and Hyde. They’re clearly electing to slink around here, and I can’t say that’s a bad idea. If Eliot really put me on the payroll officially, people will need to get used to them being around while I’m here. Plus, who knows what secrets they can ferret out and lead me to later? I’ll bet those two are better sleuths than they let on.

“So, Eliot’s folks still hold the reins—literally. He’s the go-between for the staff and the family, but he can’t pry the title out of his daddy for anything. It makes him crazy because he has tons of innovative ideas for modernization that would not have included back handed deals like the one with Agatha’s family. He’s got contacts in the Middle East, which I’m sure you know is a hotbed for sheikhs with money to burn on luxury items like racehorses.”

I snort. Idefinitelyknow that. “Yep. I’ve been around that scene enough to know how shark infested those waters are, though. There’s a lot of protocol involved, and he’ll need a cultural liaison to help the deals go smoothly and not get outwitted by their London barristers.”

He navigates the cart over bumps and hills before he turns and gives me that sexy megawatt smirk. “Word on the farm is that he heard a certain sugarplum might help with that. I think that’s why he was eager enough to get you squared away on his payroll—even starting out as a horse helper—before some other founding family approached you for their own business dealings.”

Motherfucker. Talk about sharks in the goddamned water.

Wolfie is telling me that every family in the Hollow will try to lure me out of art and teaching for globe trotting consulting. That’s not my plan and I’d better make that clear now.

“Well, I came here to settle down for a while, Wolfie. I’ve lived the life of the glamorous fixer for years, and when I moved back to the States, I set that aside for other dreams. That eventually led me back home to the Hollow. They’ll be disappointed if they think money will get me to hop on their jets to negotiate their troubles.”

“I told Aldous that yesterday, but he was quite smug in his assertion that he and the mayor are very persuasive. Though, he had Poe and Parker with him and when he schemes with those sphinxes in his arms, my brain goes straight to a Southern Dr. Evil, and I almost laugh in his face.”

The image that flits through my head is hysterical and I giggle, doubling over as he finally pulls the cart to a stop beneath a tree with an old rope swing under it. The meadow is lovely and far enough out from the commotion of the main area of the farm that I doubt anyone would even know we’re here. I wipe my eyes as I take in the bucolic scenery that horse country offers with a sigh. I didn’t know how much I missed this amount of green until just now.

Wolfie climbs out, spreading the blanket in a spot under the tree that looks made for it, and sits down the basket. I watch him fiddle with the food and drinks with a smile, his touch of compulsiveness for neat presentation very fitting for the town he lives in. He stands, raising one arm as he scratches his stomach, and the butterflies start in mine as I watch.

Good goddamn, he’s hot.

Holding his hand out, he helps me out of the cart, and I flush again. His lips brush my knuckles so quickly I think I imagine it, but the wink he gives me after confirms his flirting. I suck in a breath, completely caught off guard when a quick bang for posterity isn’t the goal, but I follow him to the vast blanket. Lowering myself to the ground, I settle, and my eyes flit around nervously.

I didn’t mention that I’m a picky eater and this might have been a terrible plan.

* * *

“So,the whole thing ended up being acomplete disasterand my mother was furious with me as if I’d arranged the popular kids pulling one of the meanest pranks in the history of the Hollow,” I finish sheepishly, sipping a glass of the champagne he was kind enough to bring.

Wolfie grins, shaking his head and his sun kissed skater cut falls in his eyes. “I hadno ideayou were part of the ‘Cotillion Catastrophe’. People talk about it at the start of every season, but they only whisper. They never mention names before some old biddy shushes them as if speaking it aloud could will it into existence again.”

My face turns bright red. “Well, I’m sure they’re terrified that some dumbass kids will try to re-create it. Edgar, Ophelia, Benjy, Reese, Jillian, Amy, Blake, Dylan, and their cronies on the football and cheer squads made sure that it was legendary. I know I’ll never forget it.”

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