32. Epilogue

Chapter thirty-two

Epilogue

" I don't like surprises," I grump at Easton.

He takes Grayson from my arms and follows me across the street to my shop. "You'll like this one."

Easton and I are nowhere close to being in the romantic honeymoon phase we were when this whole thing started, but maybe that's a good thing. Seeing the reality of who my partner is usually takes me way too long. For once, I got to see him for who he was, warts and all, right at the start.

After the dust settled from the failed attack on the mansion, the Andreevs went underground, and Neil, well, Neil is still being his usual elusive self. Easton isn't actively hunting him down, but I know if he ever comes within reach that'll probably be the end for him, and I've made my peace with it.

"I don't have my keys. You drove."

Expertly, he shifts Grayson to his other side, digs in his pockets and pulls out a set of keys.

I haven't been to the shop in weeks. I hate thinking about what it means for my business, how I'm going to have to bust my ass to build it up to where it was before. I don't have to work, Easton often reminds me, but I can't let go of my lifeline. It may never give me the lifestyle Easton can, but I'll never live on the streets as long as I keep it going.

Easton stops me as I move to unlock the front door. "Look, you know you never have to work again, if you don't want to. You're my Luna, and–"

I give him a look and he smiles. "But I know it's important to you, so it's important to me, so I had some improvements made."

"Improvements?" I ask suspiciously.

"Don't worry, I had a consultant."

"A consultant?" Now I'm really worried.

He sighs. "If you must know, I called Angie."

"You called Angie? And she approved everything you did in here?"

"Everything."

"Well then, maybe it will be okay."

He laughs. "Maybe."

I unlock the front door and find myself sucking in a breath. Everything is new–new tables, a new counter and computer. Even the paint is new.

"Easton, you didn't have to do all this."

Grayson drifts off to sleep on Easton's shoulder as I slowly make my way across the shiny new store front. It's still the same tiny place–even Easton Degarmo can't change that–but the room itself sparkles. I wander around, touching everything from display cases to the new computer. I won't have to worry about it "blue screening" in the middle of transactions.

"Oh, and the best part. Look behind the counter. Do you see that handle?"

I move to look where he points and find a handle attached to a cabinet that hadn't been there before. "Pull on it," he instructs from the other side of the counter. I pull on it and a large flat drawer slides out. I stare at it for a second, then it dawns on me what this is.

"Easton, did you have a crib built in?"

"Yeah, see," he comes around the counter and pulls the drawer all the way out, showing me how to lock it in the out position and places Grayson down in it. The boy will sleep like a rock, anywhere, but only during the day, of course. He doesn't move from the spot Easton places him in.

"Hopefully, we'll find a nanny, I mean a manny, soon, but until then you have a place to work and contain the kid if I can't contain him for you."

"Easton!" I can't help but reach out and kiss him. Now that I'm a mom, I've found I'm a slut for Easton doing dad things. This whole heir thing is going to happen way too quickly if I don't calm down.

"So you like it?" he asks.

"Is that even a serious question? Of course I like it. This is amazing."

He brushes the hair out of my face and presses his nose to my neck. "I figured I have a lot to make up for, so I thought I'd start with this."

"Easton, it can't be about making things up to me forever."

"It can, if you need it to be."

I shake my head. "No, it can't. Marriage isn't a game where we keep score."

"I'm not keeping score, or expecting you to. I'm just doing something I should have done a long time ago."

I take a deep breath and sigh. "Well then, thank you. I love it."

"Do you love it enough to try a turn in the woods tonight?"

I laugh and roll my eyes. Tonight is the first full moon since the doctor cleared me for activities and it would be perfect for whatever craziness goes on in the woods…if only my body would cooperate.

Despite Easton's coaching, I haven't been able to shift at all. Maybe it only comes out in moments of stress? Though, honestly, it failed me completely the day Grayson was born. I could have been taking out rats with giant wolf's teeth instead of cowering on the bed.

"Sorry, I'm pretty certain that one shift was a fluke. You've got the most human wolf wife around. I mean I could run, but you'd catch me pretty quick and I'm not sure I'm down with interspecies relations, even with my husband."

He laughs. "I like it when you say that."

"Say what?"

He puts a hand on my cheek. "Husband."

"Well, that's what you are. I'm not happy about how it all went down, but I'm glad we're here on the other side of things. Though I'd still wear the black dress again."

He laughs. Grayson makes a soft noise in his sleep, and Easton turns to check on him. He adjusts his blanket around him, pulls his pacifier out of his mouth, then touches his cheek before turning back to me.

"Why do you do that?"

"Hmmm?"

"You always touch his cheek before you turn away from him."

He laughs and touches my cheek like he did Grayson's. "Tracey used to do it to us when we were kids. She told us she wouldn't always be able to say I love you out loud, but she always wanted us to always know we were loved."

It has to be the postpartum hormones, because my heart is about to burst. I move closer to him and put my hand to his cheek. "I love you, Easton Degarmo."

His eyes grow big and he smiles. "Hey, I think that's a first for you, Mrs. Degarmo."

"Don't do anything that would make it the last."

He laughs and leans down to kiss me. "I don't make any promises."

THE END