1. Miranda

ONE

MIRANDA

The night was alive with the gentle hum of crickets as I made my way to Daxton and Savannah's camper. When I reached the wooden steps he had installed after the second time Savannah nearly twisted her ankle stepping out, a smile graced my lips.

We were all making this piece of land, and the old campers we'd bought, home.

As I knocked on the door, I heard Savannah say something to someone inside and assumed Kiera must already be here. I glanced at my watch, checking to see if I was late. I wasn't. Instead, I was early—which Kiera seemed to be too.

We were both excited about the book club Savannah had talked us into forming.

The door swung open, and Savannah poked her smiling face out to greet me. "Hey! Ready for our first book club meeting?" she asked.

I flashed her a grin as I stepped inside. "Absolutely. I can't wait to see what book you chose."

"Me, too," Kiera chimed in from where she sat at the dinette table in the corner. "I'm hoping it's something smutty and hard to put down." She wiggled her brows, and I laughed at the look Savannah gave her.

"It's definitely not—no judgment of your reading preferences, though," Savannah said.

"Are you wearing your amulet?" Kiera asked me as I sat across from her at the dinette table, her gaze zeroed in on my neck.

I tugged at the neckline of my flowy top to reveal it. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't be caught dead without it."

The two of us had worked hard to make these amulets for the guys and me once we learned Lucius had regained his ability to control a shifter's mind. They were our only protection when it came to his ability.

Even though it had been weeks since we'd last seen him, the danger he presented was still present.

"Good," Kiera said, settling back against her seat.

Savannah nodded while she moved to sit beside me. "Always wear it." She thrust a flier into my hands. "And—surprise! Someone dropped off this flier at the library yesterday for an Artisan Market on Main Street. I thought you might be interested in getting a booth."

As I glanced at it, my heart skipped a beat. The Artisan Market? I'd heard about it but hadn't considered it. Now that Savannah mentioned it, I wondered if it was something I should pay more attention to. It sounded like a great opportunity for more exposure for my store.

Before I could say anything, Savannah dropped another bombshell.

"Oh, by the way, I already signed you up. I paid for your booth, too," she said.

Her nose wrinkled when I glanced at her, and she smiled at me nervously.

I blinked, my mind racing to catch up with what she'd said. "Wait. You did what?"

"You're all set to go get your sell on at the market this weekend. Better get those lotions and serums ready!" She flashed me a cheesy grin.

I swallowed, the reality of the situation sinking in. "This weekend? As in, in two days?" My stomach twisted into knots the size of my fist. There was so much to do. Could I even pull this off in such a short period?

"You're welcome," Savannah said.

"Thank you. I—I don't even know what to say," I replied.

With the book club momentarily forgotten, my mind raced with a growing list of things to do and prepare. The next two days were going to be busy. While I was excited, I also felt overwhelmed. It was awesome of Savannah to have thought of me and my online shop. Honestly, this was a huge step in the direction I wanted to take Verbena Bloom Naturals.

It was just fast.

"This is going to be amazing!" Kiera shouted, clapping her hands together. "Your lotions and serums are going to fly off the shelves this weekend!"

A nervous chuckle slipped from me. "I hope so." Doubt tainted my thoughts. "This is uncharted territory for me, though. What if nobody in town likes them?"

Savannah waved my words away with a dismissive flick of her hand. "Why wouldn't they? Your products are selling like hotcakes online."

"Exactly," Kiera chimed in. "People are going to love them. Don't worry."

Their confidence was infectious, and I couldn't help the smile that twisted my lips. "Thanks. I appreciate your support."

"Of course," Savannah insisted.

"That's what friends are for, right?" Kiera winked.

I adored these women.

Female friendships didn't come easily to me. Either I found them to be too catty or too into tearing one another down with backhanded compliments. Not these two, though. These two were loyal friends. They weren't catty at all and loved supporting one another.

I was grateful for them.

"Let's talk this out," Savannah continued. "What are your thoughts on the booth? How do you want it to look?"

The next hour blurred into a series of us tossing ideas around. We had a solid start. Kiera offered to help me create more product stock for the event, and Savannah agreed to help in any way she could.

All I could think about was how this could change everything for me.

It could be the foot in the door I needed to have a thriving physical shop here in town. While my online sales were doing well, it would be amazing to have face-to-face contact with my customers. Even though I might not always seem like it, I was a people person. I just had a serious resting bitch face. However, helping people heal and take care of their skin naturally had always been a passion of mine.

The question was: Was I ready for this?

The thought of all those eyes on me, judging me and my products, assessing them. It didn't feel good. I attempted to force my negative thoughts away and heard my panther growl at me. She thought I was ready for this. Nothing but excitement rippled from her. I wished I felt the same.

With a deep breath, I focused on what Kiera was saying.

"Now that we've hashed things out and kind of know what you want to do, let's get to work," she said. "We've got a market to prepare for."

"What about book club? Shouldn't we talk about which book you picked?" I shifted my gaze to Savannah.

"We should have written all that down." She pulled out a pad of paper and a pen from the kitchen drawer. "We can worry about book club later. Right now, let's focus on making your booth a success."

A tiny bit of relief trickled through me. There were only a few days left until the market, and if I wanted it to be a success, I needed help.

"Thanks," I said, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Let's get to work, then."

"Let's go over your vision for the booth again," Savannah suggested, her pen poised and ready. "I can't believe I didn't think to write it all down. I was too excited."

"I'd like it to feel inviting and cozy, like stepping into an apothecary," I replied, envisioning rows of neatly displayed serums and lotions on a table.

Savannah nodded in agreement. "You should definitely go with earthy tones for the tablecloth, something that complements your products."

"A sage green could work," Kiera chimed in.

Excitement surged through me. "I like that idea. Maybe some natural wood shelves to display everything, too."

Kiera's eyes lit up. "How about some rustic crates positioned upside down? It'll give it that natural, organic feel you're going for."

"That could look cool," Savannah chimed in, still jotting everything down.

I nodded, already picturing it in my head. "I was thinking of setting out samples for people to try, too."

"Yes! It'll draw people in and give them a chance to experience your products firsthand," Kiera said.

"You're going to need a canopy to keep the sun off you," Savannah suggested, her hand flying across the paper as she wrote. "You could add those little white lights to the edges to make it magical and inviting. They're inexpensive."

"I like that idea," I said.

I released a long sigh. With all the details falling into place, I knew we could make my booth a success. While I might have my work cut out for me, with friends like these two, anything seemed possible.