Penny looked horrified. “With the ticks? No, they’re better at home. Now, as I was saying.”
“Yes?” Valerie tried to look friendly although her defenses edged up.
“It would be best if we keep your relationship to Roger quiet,” Pennysaid. “I know you’ll understand our perspective. Simply until we come to grips with it as a family.”
“That’s for Roger to weigh in on,” said Valerie as calmly as she could. She had to admit it made things easier for her as the fewer people who knew, the less worry she had about being found out, but the rejection hurt.
“We love that you’re here,” Penny said warmly. “You have to admit it’s a change for us, though. There’s so much I don’t know about you! How do you think that looks?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, I do and it’s not good. We need to have some family healing before we present you properly to the world.” Penny turned to the door as if she’d concluded the conversation, leaving Valerie unsure of whether the family healing involved her—in her role as Roger’s daughter, of course—or not.
Penny turned back. “The timing for this is unfortunate,” she added. “It’s another change while we’re still grieving Dad.”
“Of course.” Valerie immediately felt guilty. How could she not be sensitive to this? She was grateful Penny didn’t bring up the memorial.
“I knew you’d understand.” Penny reached into her pocket and pulled out an envelope. “One more small thing. When you arrived, you mentioned that you don’t care about the inheritance. I told David and Roger that’s exactly the kind of selfless behavior I’d expect from a Badgerton.”
Valerie nodded, not wanting to speak until she knew where this was going.
“I’ve taken the liberty of drawing up a small contract confirming it. It’s so good to get everything in writing. I tell Sloane that all the time.” She handed over the document and a pen. “You can just sign it.”
Valerie took them, feeling a bit like the room was closing in on her. “I’ll look it over.”
“It’s very simple,” assured Penny. “You might as well get it done now.”Her expression didn’t change, but the temperature in the room dropped by a few degrees.
“Oh, my past boss insisted I read every contract twice and it’s ingrained in me now.” Valerie tried to keep her tone light, then glanced at her phone, needing to escape. “Will you look at the time? I’m due to meet Nico.”
Penny laughed. “I hope there’s no chance of a summer romance with the staff.” She picked up a white cardigan and tied it around Valerie’s throat. “Here,” she said, giving it a tug. “We might make a Badgerton out of you yet.”
Valerie put the letter in her pocket, wondering how to get out of signing a legal document that was probably worth millions. She supposed she could see Penny’s points. The family did need healing, and it was reasonable for her to want to protect her children’s inheritance. Although, viewed less generously, Penny was embarrassed by Valerie and being greedy about the money. Or worse, didn’t trust Valerie. She didn’t like this because she wanted to like Penny, who was being nice to her.
She made her escape, her arms weighed down with clothes and her heart with questions, and trying not to wiggle her shoulders with the feeling of Penny’s gaze burning into her from two closets back.
* * *
That night, Valerie showered in the washing cabin, a peaceful spa-like space with a full soaker tub hung with eucalyptus branches, a chaise for lounging, and dual sinks with a jumble of her products on the counter and none of Nico’s, since his were all in a drawer. There was an outdoor shower for those who preferred bathing alfresco. As she headed back, the night ate up the anemic gleam of her flashlight and illuminated only a small circle in front of her. The forest rangwith noise that resembled birds but Nico said was frogs. That seemed strange but she’d been in the city too long to recognize any animal noises that weren’t onomatopoeic.
She made sure to lock the door when she returned to her own place. Nico assured her it was safe, but she’d seen raccoons break into a sealed garbage bin and knew the capability of those horribly humanlike hands. Not to mention she was in the woods, demesne of serial killers.
The howls came the second she was in bed.
Valerie dropped the phone on her face as the chorus of mating frogs or whatever fell silent in the vicinity of an apex predator with no resemblance to the fanged but affable beasts of Disney movies. The eerie noise echoed through the woods and she ducked under her pillow. Valerie didn’t want to be a wuss. She didn’t want to play out the stereotype of the useless and ignorant city girl, but sometimes we have to accept that we are what we are.
She grabbed the phone and texted Nico.Are those wolves? No is the only acceptable answer.
His reply was no, but not a great one.Coyotes. There have been wolf sightings but not here.
They sound hungry.
We get them in the city.Leave it to Nico to point out something disturbing as if it should be a relief.
Not like this.
She waited for Nico to say coyotes were more frightened of her than she was of them, or something equally unhelpful, but a knock came at the door.
“It’s me.” Nico’s voice sounded from outside.
