against the floor with a sharp thud. She turned to go up the stairs, but paused and turned back. “Thanks, Des,” she said briefly.
“No problem,” said Taye’s second-in-command softly. “Anytime.”
Tami thought as she followed Connie up the stairs that Des might be the strong silent type, but his brown eyes spoke volumes about his contempt for Dick. And maybe warmer feelings for Connie? Tami wasn’t sure.
“So, is that guy going to follow us up here?” she asked the co-pilot.
Connie climbed the last step and started down the hallway, limping more noticeably. She snorted. “Dick? No men are allowed up here without permission. Not even Faron Paulson, who is the deputy sheriff in charge of our safety. Even Stag doesn’t come up to visit Sherry unless one of the other girls brings him up.”
Tami took that in without really understanding it. “Stag? Is he engaged to Sherry?”
Connie stopped in front of a door and paused for a minute to shift weight off her bad ankle. “Not exactly.” There was a hint of dark humor in her voice. “Stag is one of the wolves. He says Sherry is his mate. Sherry isn’t ready for that, so he stays in the basement and hangs around to guard us.”
Tami was still unenlightened when Marissa, whom she had almost forgotten was beside her, snorted. “Now that Krissy and Alyssa are in a different room, maybe she’ll come around. At least Stag isn’t as annoying as Dick-Dick.”
“Dick-Dick?” said Tami blankly.
Marissa laughed. “Dick the Dick. His mom named him Richard Dickinson. Everyone calls him by his nickname, Dick. With a last name like Dickinson, well, the guy didn’t have a chance, especially since he acts like a dick most of the time. If you ever see him heading up these stairs, just yell. One of the wolves will run over here like a bat out of hell and toss him out. And enjoy doing it.”
Everyone kept talking about wolves. Tami didn’t get it. “Okay.”
Marissa winked and went past them down the hall. “I’m going to talk to Becca, and then find Faron. See ya.”
Tami nodded.
Connie rapped once on the door and led the way into a sparsely furnished apartment. Two women were there, a slender brunette and a soft-bodied, pretty blonde. “Dixie, Jodi, this is Tami Casper.”
The blonde woman wearing a too-big skirt and crew-necked sweater smiled warmly and shook Tami’s hand. “I’m Dixie Bush. I’m so glad you could come.”
The brunette’s long legs showed quite a bit of ankle below her too-short jeans. Since most of their luggage had been lost in the crash, all of them were wearing whatever they could find. It didn’t seem to bother Dixie or Jodi their clothes weren’t designer perfect. Jodi took Dixie’s place and shook hands. “I’m Jodi Lane, and I’m looking forward to working with you.”
“Thanks.” Tami tried to look more comfortable than she felt. Knowing she needed help in healing her emotional scars didn’t make it easy. But both these women seemed professional in spite of their mismatched clothing. Everyone who survived the crash had emotional scars of their own and knowing that made Tami feel a little bit better. “I know you didn’t have much warning about me coming. When should we get started?”
“Whenever you’re ready,” said Jodi promptly.
Tami said, “Tomorrow?”
“Great.” Dixie smiled brightly. “That will give you a chance to settle in and get to know everyone. If you’d like to go and visit the library or stores this afternoon, the wolves can take you.”
“I’ll show you to your room,” Connie said, “and introduce you around.”
Tami said good-bye to Jodi and Dixie and followed Connie to an apartment at the far end of the hall. The dog, Snake—what a name for a dog! Better than Fluffy, though—plopped down right outside the door, his tail beating a happy rhythm against the wall. Maybe he and the other dogs she’d seen at Taye’s place were what people meant when they talked about the wolves?
“No problem,” said Taye’s second-in-command softly. “Anytime.”
Tami thought as she followed Connie up the stairs that Des might be the strong silent type, but his brown eyes spoke volumes about his contempt for Dick. And maybe warmer feelings for Connie? Tami wasn’t sure.
“So, is that guy going to follow us up here?” she asked the co-pilot.
Connie climbed the last step and started down the hallway, limping more noticeably. She snorted. “Dick? No men are allowed up here without permission. Not even Faron Paulson, who is the deputy sheriff in charge of our safety. Even Stag doesn’t come up to visit Sherry unless one of the other girls brings him up.”
Tami took that in without really understanding it. “Stag? Is he engaged to Sherry?”
Connie stopped in front of a door and paused for a minute to shift weight off her bad ankle. “Not exactly.” There was a hint of dark humor in her voice. “Stag is one of the wolves. He says Sherry is his mate. Sherry isn’t ready for that, so he stays in the basement and hangs around to guard us.”
Tami was still unenlightened when Marissa, whom she had almost forgotten was beside her, snorted. “Now that Krissy and Alyssa are in a different room, maybe she’ll come around. At least Stag isn’t as annoying as Dick-Dick.”
“Dick-Dick?” said Tami blankly.
Marissa laughed. “Dick the Dick. His mom named him Richard Dickinson. Everyone calls him by his nickname, Dick. With a last name like Dickinson, well, the guy didn’t have a chance, especially since he acts like a dick most of the time. If you ever see him heading up these stairs, just yell. One of the wolves will run over here like a bat out of hell and toss him out. And enjoy doing it.”
Everyone kept talking about wolves. Tami didn’t get it. “Okay.”
Marissa winked and went past them down the hall. “I’m going to talk to Becca, and then find Faron. See ya.”
Tami nodded.
Connie rapped once on the door and led the way into a sparsely furnished apartment. Two women were there, a slender brunette and a soft-bodied, pretty blonde. “Dixie, Jodi, this is Tami Casper.”
The blonde woman wearing a too-big skirt and crew-necked sweater smiled warmly and shook Tami’s hand. “I’m Dixie Bush. I’m so glad you could come.”
The brunette’s long legs showed quite a bit of ankle below her too-short jeans. Since most of their luggage had been lost in the crash, all of them were wearing whatever they could find. It didn’t seem to bother Dixie or Jodi their clothes weren’t designer perfect. Jodi took Dixie’s place and shook hands. “I’m Jodi Lane, and I’m looking forward to working with you.”
“Thanks.” Tami tried to look more comfortable than she felt. Knowing she needed help in healing her emotional scars didn’t make it easy. But both these women seemed professional in spite of their mismatched clothing. Everyone who survived the crash had emotional scars of their own and knowing that made Tami feel a little bit better. “I know you didn’t have much warning about me coming. When should we get started?”
“Whenever you’re ready,” said Jodi promptly.
Tami said, “Tomorrow?”
“Great.” Dixie smiled brightly. “That will give you a chance to settle in and get to know everyone. If you’d like to go and visit the library or stores this afternoon, the wolves can take you.”
“I’ll show you to your room,” Connie said, “and introduce you around.”
Tami said good-bye to Jodi and Dixie and followed Connie to an apartment at the far end of the hall. The dog, Snake—what a name for a dog! Better than Fluffy, though—plopped down right outside the door, his tail beating a happy rhythm against the wall. Maybe he and the other dogs she’d seen at Taye’s place were what people meant when they talked about the wolves?
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