Chapter 11 #2
As she parked in front of the sprawling white ranch house with its wide, wraparound porch, Kymberlie took a deep breath.
Several cars were already parked in the small lot usually reserved for the ranch’s guests.
She recognized her parents’ SUV, alpha couple Bill and Mandy Jacobsen’s Subaru wagon, Tyler’s pickup truck, and a few other vehicles belonging to senior pack members.
Looks like they all showed up to watch me humble myself, she thought bitterly, turning off the engine.
Gabriel reached over and squeezed her hand. “You’ve got this.”
She nodded gratefully, drawing strength from his touch before grabbing a thick folder of paperwork and stepping out of the truck. The icy air stung her cheeks as they walked up the path to the house’s main entrance.
Before they could knock, the door swung open to reveal her parents’ faces, lined with concern rather than the disappointment Kymberlie had expected.
“Kymber, honey.” Her mother pulled her into a tight hug, surprising her with its warmth. “We’ve been so worried about you.”
“Hi, Mom,” Kymberlie managed, waiting for the lecture that would surely follow.
But her mother simply kissed her cheek and drew back. She smiled politely at Gabriel. “And you must be Gabriel. We’ve heard so much about our new fire marshal!”
“Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Tringstad,” Gabriel said, his polite tone laced with wariness.
He extended his hand, but Mom stepped in close and hugged him. “I’m glad you came with Kymber.”
She released him and turned back to Dad, who stood next to Mom, looking stiff and awkward. He pulled her into a quick, firm hug. “Good to see you, Kymmie.”
“Dad.” She returned his embrace, bracing herself for his I told you what would happen if you bought that dump.
Instead, Dad murmured, “Good luck with Bill and Mandy.” Then he squeezed her hard, cleared his throat and stepped back. “Gabriel, thanks for coming.”
The two of them shook hands.
“We’ve been keeping up with what’s been happening at the club,” her father said, confirming what Kymberlie had feared. “That was a tough break with all those extra renovations.”
“Gabriel was just doing his job,” she said fiercely.
Her father nodded. “That’s as it should be. Safety first, always.” He glanced at Gabriel with approval.
“We’d better head downstairs, honey,” Mom interjected. “Everyone’s waiting for you.”
Kymberlie’s anxiety, which had eased a little in her parents’ warm reception, ratcheted right back up to Red Alert levels.
As she followed her parents down the stairs to the underground space where the pack held its monthly meetings, Kymberlie took comfort in Gabriel’s reassuring presence right behind her.
The ranch house’s basement, with its comfortable furniture and warm lighting, was surprisingly full. Alpha couple Bill and Mandy Jacobsen occupied their usual spots on one of the big sofas at the head of the room, in front of a large whiteboard.
Police Chief—and pack beta—Mary Jaconbsen-Swanson and her mate Tyler sat next to Bill and Mandy. A dozen other senior pack members sat in chairs scattered around the room.
All eyes turned to Kymberlie as she entered. She was surprised in a good way to see several people give her a thumbs-up and encouraging smiles.
“Kymberlie,” Bill Jacobsen said, his voice neutral but not unkind. “Welcome. You too, Mr. Egan. Please have a seat, both of you.”
Kymberlie perched warily on the sofa placed across from the alpha and beta couples. Gabriel settled beside her.
Her wolf calmed down for the first time in days, comforted by the alphas’ presence and Gabriel’s arm around her shoulders. Her conflicting instincts—her wolf’s serene submission to pack authority versus her human half’s worries about this meeting—made her head swim.
“Bill, Mandy, Mary, Tyler: I appreciate you all taking the time to meet with me,” she began, proud that her voice didn’t waver. “I’m sure you’ve heard about my situation by now, but I wanted to explain it personally.”
Bill nodded for her to continue, his silver hair catching the light.
Drawing a deep breath, Kymberlie forced herself to speak calmly and clearly, laying out the situation with The Hair of the Dog—the building’s structural issues, the previous owner’s negligence, Great-Uncle Jack failing to note the numerous fire code and building code violations, and her resulting financial straits.
“I’ve been trying to handle it all myself,” she admitted.
“I thought I could fix everything without help, and prove to you all I didn’t make a mistake buying the place.
But I was wrong.” Each word felt like shards of glass scraping the inside of her throat, but she pressed on.
“I need a loan from the pack fund. Just enough to reopen my club and keep it running until Valentine’s Day.
If I can just reopen, I know I can book enough events in January and February to return to solvency. I wrote up a business plan—”
She opened the folder she held and pulled out the plan and financial spreadsheets she’d spent the past two days preparing. Her hands shook as she rose and passed the papers to her alpha. He accepted them with an impassive expression. His scent betrayed nothing.
“I know I can bring the club back to profitability soon,” she continued, the words coming faster now. “The Hair of the Dog has excellent reviews and a loyal customer base. This is just a temporary setback.”
Bill and Mandy exchanged a long look before Bill cleared his throat.
“We appreciate you coming to us, Kymberlie. And your honesty about your situation.” Bill glanced at the folder in his hands.
“Mandy, Mary, Tyler, and I need to review your plan and numbers, and discuss them privately before we can give you an answer.”
Kymberlie felt her heart sink. That wasn’t the immediate yes she so desperately needed.
In fact, it sounded like a polite no because the pack leadership didn’t want to see her cry.
She glanced at Tyler, the one pack member she hoped might be on her side, but he avoided her gaze. Oh yeah. I’m fucked.
“I understand,” she said, her voice wobbling despite her best efforts. She rose to her feet before anyone could see the tears threatening to spill. “Thank you, everyone, for your time.”
Then she turned, and all but ran up the stairs. Gabriel was a half-step behind her.
She held it together until they reached the front porch, the front door closing behind them with a soft click.
“You okay?” Gabriel rumbled.
“N-no.” A sob tore out of her throat.
No, I am not fucking okay.
I haven’t been okay since my place nearly burned down.
I’ve been faking it, and I just can’t do it anymore.
Gabriel’s arms instantly came around her. He pulled her against his broad chest. She buried her face in the front of his jacket and cried as his hand stroked her back.
“They’re going to say no,” she told him between sobs. “I could see it on their faces. I don’t know why I bothered to come here.”
“They said they’d think about it,” Gabriel murmured into her hair. “That’s not the same thing as a no.”
Kymberlie pulled back from him, wiping angrily at her eyes. “In pack-speak, ‘we’ll think about it’ is a soft no.” She managed a bitter laugh. “At least I tried, right?”
Gabriel cupped her face, his gaze intense. “This isn’t over yet,” he said fervently.
She was sure he was going to follow up with another suggestion for something she could try.
Instead, he just leaned in and kissed the tears away. “I have a feeling everything’s going to work out okay. Just wait and see.”
The drive back to town passed in silence.
As she turned down her street, she felt a strange sense of calm settling over her as she accepted she’d hit rock bottom. She was done. Finished.
“Maybe it’s time I faced reality,” she said as she pulled into her carport. “I’m out of options, out of luck, and definitely out of money.”
Gabriel’s expression darkened. “You’re wrong about that, Kymberlie. You’re not out of options. Not by a long shot.”
She wished she could believe him.