Tuesday Teaser July 10, 2018 Gina’s Wolf, Part 18

I don’t have a lot new that moves the story forward this week, because I got some excellent feedback at my last local critique group meeting so have been busy making some revisions.  I just want to say how much i love these gals in Word Weavers. They are always complimentary, but never fake, and don’t hesitate to kindly point out where things can be made better. I would not be where I am today without Mary Jean Adams, Tina Holland, Michelle Kent, LF (who is a very private person and prefers to remain anonymous online), and Kat Smith. Word Weavers is down a few members and we are looking for other writers to join us. We write mostly romance, fantasy, sci fi, flash fiction, poetry and women’s fiction, so we are looking for female writers in those genres. If you are in the Fargo Moorhead area and are looking for a local crit group, shoot me an email at maddy@maddybarone.com. maybe you’d like to meet us and see if we would be a good fit.

Meanwhile, here is the next little bit in Gina’s Wolf. To make up for the shortness this week, I am posting a pic that is somewhat like the upper floor of the Limit.

Enjoy!

Chapter 7

The room Rose and Carla showed her to wasn’t large, and the bed dominated the furnishings, but there space on the floor for Cole to sleep on. There was even a thick rug, so he wouldn’t be sleeping on the hard, wooden floor.

“You’re in the guest section of the house,” Rose said breezily. “Stone and the other men from the clan are on either side of you. Taye and Carla are on the third floor, with their daughter, Patia. Sky and I are in a room on the other side of the mezzanine.”

What Gina had seen of the house exceeded her expectations of grandeur. The large kitchen led to a small dining room that opened to grand rooms meant for paying guests. A wide staircase swept up from the ground floor in a magnificent curve of polished wood to a second level where the guestrooms were.

President Todd’s mansion was comparable in granduer, but not as warm or friendly. Even high-ranking guests didn’t stay in the house. But here, the second floor had six rooms which were normally rented out. The Wolfe family were a different kind of guest; they had all the rights and privileges of family, not paying boarders. Everyone took it for granted that she was included in the Wolfe family. It made her feel funny, in a warm way.

“Do you have any luggage?” Carla asked.

Gina shook her head. “I, uh, that is, I hadn’t planned on, uh…”

“That’s okay. We’ll find you some stuff.” Carla waved that off. “You know I’m dying to hear the whole story about you and Colby, but you must be exhausted. Do you want a shower before you go to bed? That’s fine. I’ll run get one of my sleep shirts for you, and my daughter has extra clothes she can share. You’re about the same size. I’ll be right back.”

Cole’s mom turned toward the door but paused and whirled back around to give Gina a hard hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. Be right back!”

She was back in three minutes with an armful of clothes and a girl with long rumpled hair the color of a walnut shell.  Not a girl, Gina realized. In spite of her slender built, she must be around twenty, only a year or two younger than she was.

“I’m Patia,” she announced ebulliently. “Cole’s sister. Are you really his mate?”

Gina’s mouth fell open.

“Hypatia,” her moth said warningly. “Gina has been walking all night. She needs to rest.”

“I know, I know.” The girl smiled, showing off dimples. “I just had to meet her right away, before…” Her smiled dimmed. “Before I go visit Ray.”

A flash of memory struck Gina like a fist. She had met a handsome young man named Ray at the coffee shop where she worked. He was on the train the day her stepfather’s men came. Gina clamped her jaw tightly. They had shot him along with every other man on the train.

Patia’s smile bloomed again, a little forced. “We have to talk tonight. I can give you all kinds of ammunition to use against my brother when he does his impression of a dictator. Which, I’m sure you’ll find out, is almost all the time. But really, he’s a sweetheart. You’ll want to kill him just about every day. I do. But the rest of the time will make up for it.”

“Thank you.” Surprised and a little grateful by Patia’s words, Gina smiled. “I think I’ve already found out that I’ll need some ammunition.”

Patia laughed. “So you haven’t accepted him yet?”

All three of the Wolfe women seemed suddenly very interested in the answer.

“Not yet. I barely know him.”

“You will,” Patia said, some of her sunny effervescence back. “Get to know him, I mean. You know, even when I want to strangle him, I love him. I bet you will, too.”

Want to strangle him? Already been there. Not knowing what to say, Gina just smiled.

Mrs. Wolfe ―Gina cut herself off. All these Mrs. Wolfes were confusing. If Gina accepted Cole she would be another Mrs. Wolfe. There are worse things to be, she reminded herself. For instance, one of many, many Mrs. Allersens. Carla shooed her daughter off to get dressed and laid out the clothes she had brought for Gina. She and Rose pointed out the bathing room at the corner of the mezzanine hall, wished her good sleep, and left.

Not sure of how much hot water was available, Gina showered and dried off in record time, scurried back to her room, changed into a crisp cotton nightgown trimmed in lace, got into the soft bed, and fell blissfully into sleep.