Sarah waved a hand, still stirring the sauce. “You’re not interrupting anything. Mylo’s got the soup under control, and we’re good for now.”
Holden’s eyes flicked toward me again, and I had to stop myself from flinching. We barely exchanged words when we crossed paths, yet every time he looked at me, it felt like he saw straight through me—like he knew something I didn’t.
Even when he wasn’t looking directly at me, I could feel the weight of his gaze. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, leaving a tension between us that I couldn’t explain. Something unspoken and heavy lingered in the air. I wanted to ask him what his problem was, why he always seemed ready to bolt whenever I was near, but I bit my tongue and stayed quiet.
You’re the employee; he’s the boss,I reminded myself.
“You can talk in front of Mylo,” Sarah said casually, stirring the pot on the stove. “Unless it’s a big secret?”
Holden grunted, clearly not interested in continuing the conversation with me there. “I’ll catch you later.”
I watched as he turned and walked out without another word, the door swinging shut behind him. The second he was gone, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
What. The. Hell.
I exhaled, realizing I’d been holding my breath the whole time.What the hell is wrong with me? Why do I get so tense around him?He barely noticed me... apparently hated me, and yet here I was, acting like an idiot every time he was in the same room.
“Don’t mind him,” Sarah said, breaking the silence. “He’s... complicated.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” I muttered, wiping my hands on a towel. “Does he always act like this?”
Sarah gave me a sideways glance, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Only when he doesn’t know how to handle something.”
I frowned, and glanced toward the door where Holden had disappeared. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She shrugged, not offering any more details. “Let’s just say Holden’s got a lot going on. It’s not personal.”
I let out a short laugh, more for show than anything else. “Yeah, well, complicated doesn’t even begin to cover this.”
I probably shouldn’t speak so freely about her brother-in-law, but seriously, what was with him?
Sarah chuckled, but there was a softness in her eyes when she looked at me. “Give him time. He’s got a lot on his shoulders. Just don’t take it personally, okay?”
Sure feels personal,I thought but didn’t say. I wasn’t going to get into it. Whatever his deal was—not my circus, not my monkeys.It was probably... definitely best to keep my headdown and stay out of his way. The last thing I needed was to piss off the guy in charge.
I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure I believed her. Iwantedto. But there was something about Holden that made it hard to believe he’d ever let anyone in—least of all me.
It seemed like every time I was near him, the guy acted like he’d rather be anywhere else. The tension was so thick I could feel it in the air, like an invisible wall between us. I could swear it was just me.Maybe he didn’t like something about me—maybe my scent was off or something.I mean, alphas were picky like that, right? But still, it made me feel wrong, and no matter what I did, the guy barely looked at me, let alone spoke to me.
It was driving me crazy.
I tried to play it cool, keep my head down, and focus on the job, but it wasn’t easy. Especially when every time he walked into a room, it felt like all the oxygen got sucked out. I caught him a few days ago, staring at me from across the lodge, and the second our eyes met, he spun on his heel and disappeared before I could blink. Then there was another time—he was coming down the path, spotted me, and immediately turned around, detouring in another direction.
What was his deal? Did I do something to piss him off?I’d barely said two words to the guy.
I wiped down the counter, trying to get my mind back on track. Sarah was talking me through one of her recipes, her voice light and cheerful as usual. She had this way of making everything feel... easy. Like no matter what, things would turn out fine.
“So, once the sauce thickens, you’re going to lower the heat,” Sarah said, demonstrating as she spoke. “Let it simmer for a bit, and then it’s good to go.”
I nodded, trying to keep my focus on her, but my thoughts kept circling around Holden. I couldn’t shake it. There wassomething about the way he looked at me—something tense and... guarded. Almost like he was trying to figure me out, but not in a good way. More like he was waiting for me to mess up.
I pushed the thought aside, forcing a smile as Sarah glanced back at me. “Got it. I think I’m finally starting to get the hang of this.”
“You are. Trust me, you’re a great addition to the staff.” Sarah’s smile softened as she changed the subject. “Anyway, I was thinking... You’ve been doing really well here, and we’d love for you to stay long term. But I know this place isn’t for everyone. So, I thought maybe you could use a little break to enjoy the area, fall in love with the place.”
“Uh, what do you mean?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
She grinned. “Horseback riding. Have you ever been?”
