"I can pay you," she said, exasperated, and abruptly turned on her heel. She released the door so quickly he nearly fell through it, but recovered by the time she turned around, holding the backpack in one hand and a stack of cash in the other. It had to be at least five grand, probably ten. "How much do these yuppies pay? I'll double it. Just let me sleep in a little." She tossed him the cash and slid back into bed, making a sleepy noise as she rolled back up in the sheets.
It took every ounce of strength he had to not follow suit or at least tuck her in. He dropped the cash on the mattress next to her. "Manual labor will be good for you. Now get your ass out of bed. You've got ten minutes. If you're not downstairs by then, I will dump ice water on you and your first chore will be cleaning it up."
"Okay." She yawned and rearranged her pillow. "See you downstairs in ten."
Simon ground his teeth and left, catching the door before he slammed it, and stalked down the stairs to the kitchen. He pasted a smile on his face for the newly-awake guests, a married couple on something called a babymoon, and engaged in friendly conversation though he kept an eye on the clock. At eight minutes, he excused himself and filled up a bucket of water from the sink, dumping ice into it.
When the guests laughed and asked what he was doing, Simon's smile turned more genuine. "We have a reluctant employee. She has trouble with mornings."
So at least they were on his side as he hauled the bucket upstairs. He stood outside Zoe's door at nine minutes, and as soon as his watch said ten, he shouldered the door open. She blinked and looked at him, yawning. "It's not —"
He tossed the water on her and she yelped. Scrambled up as ice and water and sheets flew everywhere, and glared at him, mad as a scalded cat. Simon struggled to keep his expression even as she muttered curses and the soaked t-shirtclung to her body. "Like I said, Zoe. Your first chore is now to clean all this up, put the sheets in the washer, get dressed, and come downstairs to finish preparing breakfast."
Her chest heaved with indignation and her green eyes looked dark as emeralds as she scowled at him. "You're mean."
"And you're late." He turned on his heel and strode out before the sight of her breasts made him change his mind. He whistled as he headed back to the kitchen, stowing the bucket under the sink, and finished pressing fresh orange juice for the guests.
A few minutes later, a great deal of cursing came from a giant wad of sheets and blankets and pillows as it staggered down the stairs and disappeared into the back of the lodge. Simon pulled a tray of muffins from the oven and set them out to cool, keeping his composure as Zoe strode into the kitchen and fixed him with an evil eye. "What would you like me to do?"
He directed her to the skillet on the stove. "Don't let the sausages burn."
The guests tried to hide their grins. Simon felt a little bad; Zoe still looked like she'd just woken up, though she wore the jeans from last night and another t-shirt. At least she put a bra on. He turned his attention to the radio on his belt so he didn't end up staring at her chest, and pulled a map from the drawer in the kitchen island. He placed it in front of the guests. "So, a light nature hike around the lodge after breakfast is a great way to start the day. I recommend this track," and he highlighted a short trail that wandered into a nearby meadow. "The birds are singing and Ethan said he saw a couple of foxes out early. Just keep an eye out for bears. The mama bears have been bringing their cubs around to eat. They're just black bears and are usually more afraid of youthan you are of them, but when the mama bears think their cubs are threatened, it changes the situation. So take bear mace with you and this air horn. That should scare them away. Just talk and make noise as you walk so you don't surprise them."
The man raised his eyebrows as he studied the map. "It's safe, though, right?"
"Of course. Just stay aware and make some noise. But Noah can go with you, if you'd like?"
"No, we'll be fine." The guest continued eating, studying the map with a frown. "We'll take a radio with us, just in case."
"Sounds like a plan." Simon checked how Zoe handled the bacon and sausages, leaning over her shoulder as she poked them with a fork. He kept his voice low. "When those are done, make yourself breakfast. Then please help Ethan clean up."
She grumbled something that even his bear hearing couldn't catch, which was probably just as well by the death glare she gave along with it. Simon tried not to laugh and instead tugged on the end of her ponytail. "Okay, sunshine. Have a good morning."
He took a large cup of coffee and retreated to his office, just behind the kitchen. He'd never been a morning person, until necessity made him one. Hopefully Zoe figured out how to get herself out of bed on time each morning, otherwise that bucket would get a lot of use over the next month. He paused in the doorway to the office, frowning in thought as the bear pushed for them to keep her in their sight. Keep her close. Of course, if she insisted on sleeping in, that gave him the opportunity to wake her up.
Simon pinched the bridge of his nose and shoved away the thought. Not a good idea. Definitely not a good idea. Hecould make it through the month without getting attached to her. A girl like her would never want to stay at the lodge, and he sure as hell couldn't move to the city. Even if the bear thought she smelled good and wanted to stay next to her, it wouldn't work. She didn't know anything about shifters or his bear, and it was best to keep it that way.
4
ZOE
Zoe fumed as she served the bacon and sausage to the guests, then as she cleaned the pans and followed Ethan's quiet directions on loading the dishwasher and bagging up the fresh muffins so everyone had snacks later. Ethan seemed like a quiet soul, thinner than Simon though he was just as tall, and after the guests wandered off on their hike, he pointed her to one of the stools at the kitchen island. Zoe sat, irritated and tired and hungry, and leaned her arms and head on the island.
Ethan fussed with another pan and mixed something up in a bowl. He glanced back at her. "Coffee?"
"Do you have any Zow?" The energy drink was sometimes the only thing that got her through the day. Maybe she could order a few cases of it. She'd need it, if Simon insisted on making her get up so damn early. She still couldn't believe he actually got a bucket of cold water and threw it on her. Even the worst group home she'd been in didn't do that. She closed her eyes and muttered a few interpretations of his family tree. Even that wicked twinkle in his eyes wasn't enough to make seven a.m. worth seeing.
Ethan laughed. "I have no idea what Zow is, so no, we don't. Try this." And he placed a mug of fresh coffee near her elbow, along with a little pitcher of cream and a dish of sugar.
Zoe managed to crack one eye open and sipped from the coffee, though she made a face and dumped in most of the sugar and half of the cream. Then she hid her face again, waiting for the caffeine to kick in. It wasn't an auspicious start for her first day on the lam. A delicious scent filled the kitchen, like vanilla and nutmeg, and she lifted her head to look around. Pancakes.
Ethan slid a short stack in front of her, along with a bottle of warm syrup, and said, "Breakfast is served. Don't expect this every morning, young lady. Just your first day at the lodge."
"Thanks." Her stomach growled and Zoe mustered the energy to prop herself up and eat. Maybe sugar and coffee together would keep her awake. Since Simon apparently had a long list of chores for her to complete. "How do you weed a garden?"
He smiled, light brown hair tousled across his forehead, and flipped a pancake in the skillet. "Maybe we'll tackle that later this afternoon. Not sure I want to turn you loose against the vegetables without you knowing what to look for."
"Well," she said, pointing her fork at where Simon had disappeared. "Someone told me to weed the garden."
