Moonstone: Gems of Wolfe Island One

“If you care about me, then you care about this dinner.”

He inhales, backs up until he hits the brick walls, slides into a sitting position, and strokes the dog’s head once more. “I do understand. You’re right. Go back to your dinner.”

“What about you? You have a job to do tonight.”

“Right. You’re right.”

“You’ll be back, then? To take our order?”

“You’ll be taken care of.”

I reach down and stroke his cheek. “See you inside.”

I walk into the kitchen. This time I get a few strange looks, but no one asks what I’m doing there. I make a beeline to the ladies’ room and wash my hands. Then back to the table.

The champagne sits in a silver ice bucket next to our table, and two flutes are poured.

“Hey,” Alicia says. “I was beginning to think you fell in.”

“I’m fine. Just a little tummy ache.”

She frowns. “I’m sorry. Do you want to postpone our dinner?”

Hmm… If I postpone the dinner, I can give Luke what we both want.

No. I’m not going to begin my new career by being unprofessional and lying to my co-worker.

Though I already lied about the stomachache.

That’s as far as my lying will go. Plus I don’t want to be responsible for Luke losing his job here. He’ll see reason. I look around. He isn’t in the dining room yet, at least not that I can see.

Alicia picks up her flute. “To you and your new career path.”

I clink my glass to hers. “Thanks.” I take a sip and smile as the bubbles tickle my tongue. I let them sit there for a moment, reveling in the dry citrus and woodsy flavor.

I think I like Champagne.

I swallow. “Wow. Delicious.”

“It is. One nice fringe benefit of working with the Wolfes is the amazing dinners we get treated to. They’re really good to their employees.”

“They’re just good people,” I reply.

“They are. And I’m so sorry, Katelyn, for everything you went through.”

“Did you know him? Derek Wolfe?”

She takes another sip. “Yes, but not well. He stayed in his own office for the most part and Reid went to him. I was often there to take notes if Terrence wasn’t available.”

“Terrence was his prior assistant?”

“Yeah. Recommended by Mr. Wolfe senior. That didn’t end well.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I don’t know the details, but I think Terrence was probably on Derek’s private payroll. Besides, if he were still here, you wouldn’t have this job.”

I sigh. “Alicia, I’m completely unqualified. I hope I don’t disappoint you and Mr. Wolfe.”

“You won’t. Reid’s a great guy, but he’s a businessman at heart. If he didn’t think you had the brains to learn the job and do it well, he wouldn’t have hired you, no matter what Zee wanted.”

“You think?”

“I know. Don’t get me wrong. Reid has a total soft spot for Zee, who’s amazing, by the way.”

“I know. I literally owe her my life.”

Alicia nods. “But even since Zee came into his life, Reid has been all business. They’re getting ready to put the final touches on the resort on the island, so he’s been really busy. They hope to open within six months.”

“The retreat center and art colony are already open.”

“True. They were able to use existing buildings for those so they opened sooner. They just needed staff. But the resort is going to be first class all the way. The ultimate luxury getaway.”

I widen my eyes. “On that island…”

“I know it must seem horrible to you, but the Wolfes wanted to take back the island. Turn it into something good. So they came up with the retreat center, run by Riley Wolfe Rossi.”

Riley. Derek’s daughter. Who he… I shake my head to clear it. “The model. Right.”

“The model who was also horribly abused by her father. She wants to help her father’s other victims and others who would benefit from therapy and counseling in the backdrop of a tropical island. Then the art colony for Roy and his wife, Charlie. They’re both artists. Rock and Reid are the businessmen, so they’re profit-driven, of course. The luxury resort and casino is their baby.”

“Still…that island…”

“I get it. I do. I don’t expect that you or any of the other women will ever go back there again.”

“I’d have stayed longer at the center if it were somewhere else.”

“Riley understands that. That’s why she put together the complex you live in. Zee, who was also a victim of Derek, as you know, will be spearheading that. After maternity leave, of course.”

I nod. I know all this. I never met Riley while I was at the retreat center, but we all heard her tragic and inspiring story. Riley’s not a counselor. She’s not qualified, and neither is her husband, so they left our recovery to the professionals.

“Alicia…”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t want to talk about my past, if that’s okay with you.”

“Oh! Of course. I was just—”