Page 10 of Defended By the Lumberjack
"Sheriff's on the way," she tells the lot of us, and I know my day's going south pretty damn fast, but I'll be damned if I'm not going to defend my woman.
There's not enough room for all of us in Eddy's small office, so we've moved to a corner of the main lounge, where a fire crackles in the stone fireplace that takes up one whole wall of the room and a wall of windows looks out on happy skiers and snowboarders enjoying the winter landscape outside.
"Mr. Pendergrast is one of our bigger accounts." Eddy is explaining for Deputy Hawkins' notes that the weasel shit that deserves to get thrown off this mountain is the wallet behind a lucrative company contract for the lodge, footing an impressive expense fund for his employees and their families to enjoy the resort as part of their benefits package.
July's bottom lip trembles as she listens to her employer calmly explaining his personal interest in keeping the man happy.
"Clint? What's your stake in this?" Hawk directs his next question at my boss, using a casual tone that suggests the two men know each other personally.
Clinton nods toward me.
"Levi works for the company. Came by bright and early this morning to give me what for over ruining his girl's job. No clue what he was going on about, but glad he found a girl."
Clinton runs a gaze between everyone gathered for the occasion. His permanent scowl, scowling deeper when he looks at the stranger among us. Robert Pendergrast's face reddens.
"Came up to talk first hand with Jones. Make sure he understood how impressed the Murdocks were with his new house chef. Drop off a token of our appreciation for the young lady's hard work."
Chapter Six
July
Eddy's wife leans over her husband's shoulder and hands me a thick envelope.
"We were going to give this to you after closing tonight but since you're here now."
Pepper shrugs apologetically and I peek inside the envelope to find, not a termination notice and final paycheck, but several crisp, one hundred dollar bills.
"Clinton came up personally to make sure we weren't planning on letting you go," Eddy explains easily. "Left you a nice tip."
Nice tip is putting it mildly.
I stutter a timid thanks to Mr. Murdock but I'm not sure Eddy and Pepper's plans for my employment haven't changed now.
Deputy Hawkins scribbles some notes. Looks between us all and steps aside to make a call on his radio. The crackle of static and a dispatcher's voice addresses him by his first name, asking him what he needs.
"Can you send Tompkins up to the Ridge, Bette? I'm gonna need transport."
We all heard him. Even though he stepped across the room to make the call. Someone isn't driving themselves off the mountain tonight. My hand squeezes Levi's.
"Okay, so, that explains some things. Miss? What exactly happened between you and Mr. Pendergrast?"
All eyes land on me. My employers' filled with curiosity, Levi's soft and reassuring, Robert Pendergrast's narrowed and warning.
"Um...last night, I had a customer at a table that sent back every dish I sent out to their party. Word got back to me before the end of the night that he'd put in a complaint about me to the Joneses. I'm only head chef on a trial basis after we lost our full time lead so I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be employed here much longer."
Eddy looks back over his shoulder at his wife, an unspoken question on his face. Pepper shakes her head slightly.
"We never received a complaint about Ms. West. For the record." Eddy looks at me, but addresses Hawkins' scribbling hand.
"I had every intention of expressing my dissatisfaction before we left." Pendergrast says. "I mean, look at her, she's barely old enough to be out of school. No wonder she's willing to make passes at customers in exchange for a good review."
"I didnot!"
The deputy's hand pats me lightly on the shoulder as tears spring to my eyes.
I can't believe I have to sit here and defend myself against this creeper's gross accusations.
Levi edges forward on the seat, ready to beat the truth out of the lying scumbag on my behalf, but his boss level's a stern look at him that seems to remind him this isn't the place or time.
