“Shut it, Fisher.”
“So that’s a yes.”
“No, she’s not.Not anymore.”
“Uh huh, and does she know that?”I ask.
I can picture him blushing right now.
“Not yet, but she will soon,” he promises and I grin.
“Good luck with that.”
He sighs and I smile.Bishop has been my best friend forever and I know him better than he knows himself sometimes.I’ve never seen Bishop into someone before though.
“I’ll let you get back to work,” he tells me and I laugh.
“I’m here if you need any advice.”
“What advice could you give me?You’ve been single just as long as I have,” he whisper hisses at me and I know that this Alba must be close by.
“I know things,” I tell him and he barks out a laugh.
“Liar.”
I grin and I know that he’s doing the same.I’ve missed this.I should call him more often.
Maybe I will go up to Clearwater to see him.
“I’ll talk to you later,” he says and then he hangs up.
I laugh, tossing my phone onto the bed and wandering over to the window to look out at the town.
For a moment, I have doubts about opening a resort here.If there’s no one coming through, then it’s possible that this next resort of mine will be a flop.
Doubt and something akin to fear settles in my gut, but I push it aside.I’m good at what I do.I’m successful and smart.I won’t fail.
Studies show that this town is poised to be one of the next big tourist destinations.There are a ton of hiking trails, fishing spots, and lakes nearby, along with scenic views and drives.The thing that really drew me to this place is the wolf sanctuary that this town was named for.I know that if we can market it in the right way, it will draw people to town.People will flock here to relax, reconnect with nature, and slow down a bit.It just needs a little help, and I’m going to be the one to get it there.
Now I just need to find the perfect spot for my resort.
I set my bags down on the bed and stretch.
Time to get to work.
TWO
Vera
“Mila!I swear to God!”I yell as the young wolf takes off, running away from me.
I could swear that she’s laughing at me as she goes, and I chuckle, shaking my head.I head back towards the four-wheeler, grabbing the rest of the wolves’ food and heading to the feeding area.
The rest of the wolves are already eating, and I head a few feet away from them to spread out the rest of their food.All of the wolves here have been brought to this place because they wouldn’t survive in the wild by themselves.Most have been injured in some way or were born with defects, and we took them in.
I check the area, making sure that everything looks right as I feed the wolves.This whole thing is so routine that I think I could do it in my sleep.I grew up here at the Wolf Valley Wolf Sanctuary.My parents inherited it from their parents, who inherited it from their parents, and so on and so on.
I inherited it six months ago when my parents passed away.My mom went first.She died of breast cancer.It seemed to happen so fast, and I was still reeling from losing her when my dad had a heart attack.I came back to find him on the kitchen floor.He was already gone.
