Epilogue - Mia

As the last customer made his way out of Mariam's Diner, I wiped the counter down one last time, making sure it sparkled under the fluorescent lights, and then hung my apron up. Once I'd clocked out, I said goodnight to Mariam and made my way to the exit. It had been a long day, but thanks to the extra foot traffic in town from the event at the town square, I'd made decent tips.

Not that I needed the extra money.

Now that I'd moved out of the inn and in with Lorenzo, my financial situation was a heck of a lot better. My panther purred at the thought of him and our living arrangements. We both enjoyed the cozy camper, especially now that it had our distinctive touch. While I wasn't able to move all of my personal belongings in thanks to the small size of the place, I didn't feel a need to. For the first time in my life, I felt whole and content without needing much.

Honestly, it made me feel free.

As I stepped outside, the cool evening air met my skin and I realized how close summer was to being over. I'd have to see if the tribe wanted to book a tubing tour soon. If I talked to the girls about it first, they were sure to help me talk the guys into it. While Lorenzo and Daxton wouldn't be a problem, Neo and Ethan might.

As I approached my car, I thought of all the things we'd need to make the trip fun. Coolers filled with snacks, water, and beer. Sunscreen. Towels. A speaker for music. A grin sprang onto my face as I slid into the driver's seat, mentally mapping out every detail of our fun adventure. My grin faded the instant my car refused to start.

"Not this again," I groaned, slumping back against my seat.

I tried it one more time, but she still wouldn't start. Exhaling a puff of air, I reached for my phone. I dialed Lorenzo's number. He answered on the first ring.

"Hey. Need a ride?" he asked before I could say a word.

"How did you know?"

"I'm psychic," he said. "Just kidding. It's the second time this week you've called me after your shift to say the thing won't start. I had Neo order a new starter for it the other day. It should be here later this week."

"Aw, thank you."

It was nice having someone take care of me like that. Lorenzo was the sweetest.

"You're welcome. My panther and I can't stand the thought of you being stranded places anymore," he said. "I'll be there soon. Love you."

Hearing him tell me that he loved me would never get old.

"Love you, too," I said before hanging up.

True to his word, he showed up a few minutes later. I'd heard the purring of his motorcycle's engine well before I saw it. Shifter hearing was one of the many things that amazed me.

Lorenzo pulled up next to my car and cut the engine on his bike. When he took off his helmet, a mischievous smile tugged at his lips.

"Well, hello there, beautiful. This feels familiar, doesn't it?" he asked.

I laughed, shaking my head. "Yeah, it does. Second time this week, as you reminded me earlier."

"Actually, I had deja vu."

"Oh, yeah?"

He nodded. "It reminded me of the night I first saw you."

"How so? I thought you first saw me in the diner."

"Nope."

"When then?" I asked, curious.

"I was on Main Street, and you were sitting in your car just like this."

"And you didn't say hi? Our love affair might have started sooner if you had," I teased.

"I don't think you would have wanted me to say hi right then. Plus, I was a little busy at that precise moment."

My brows furrowed. "I'm still not following."

"I was the panther you saved that night when you honked your horn."

I stared at him. The pieces clicking into place. "Oh my gosh! That was you?"

"Yep." he admitted, amusement entering his stare.

"And the animals after you—they were under Lucius's mind control?"

"Yeah." He handed me a helmet. "Come on, let's go for a ride together. We can come back and get your car tomorrow."

I grabbed my purse and locked my car before taking the helmet from him. Once I had it strapped on, I climbed onto the back of his bike and wrapped my arms around his waist. The warmth of his body seeped into me, making the cool night air more bearable.

"Hold on tight," he insisted before speeding down Main Street, heading for home.

When we turned down our driveway, the glow of a fire by the pond was the first thing I noticed. Everyone sat at the picnic tables, talking and laughing while low music played through a speaker somewhere. Warmth filled me. I was glad to be home.

After we dismounted the bike and took our helmets off, we started toward the others. I paused when we were halfway there.

"You go ahead," I said, pecking his lips. "I want to get out of this uniform first."

"Need any help?" he asked, a mischievous look entering his stare.

"Tempting," I said, bruising my lips against his once more.

They were warm and soft against mine. His hands moved to cup my ass. One gentle squeeze was all it took for desire to roll through me. This man had a gift. He could turn me on like no one ever had before and cause my panther to go wild.

"Lorenzo, get over here," Ethan shouted. "I'm about to taste the moonshine we made."

The magical moment we were locked in evaporated as Lorenzo broke our kiss.

"Oh, this is going to be good." He smacked me on the ass, a grin spreading across his face. "I'm the moonshine master now."

He and Ethan had been working together on this latest batch. We all hoped it tasted better than his other attempts.

"Go get changed," Lorenzo said, pecking me on the lips. "I'm gonna go give it a try."

"You do that."

I loved that the two of them were getting along so well lately. Ethan had loosened up when it came to being my overprotective big brother. I was glad.

I mean, after all, he had given us his blessing.

Once I changed out of my work clothes and into something more comfortable, I gathered my hair on top of my head into a messy bun and headed outside to join everyone.

Lorenzo spotted me before anyone else. He stood, excitement flashing through the color of his eyes, and made his way to me, carrying a shot in one hand.

"Here," he said, holding it out to me. "You've got to taste this. I don't know how we did it, but it tastes like summer in a bottle."

"Oh, really? So, it tastes like sunscreen?"

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Not even close. Try it and see."

I took it from him and downed it. The sweet taste of fresh watermelon filled my mouth.

"Oh, that's good!" I insisted, pleasantly surprised.

"I know, right?" He interlaced his fingers through mine, walking me toward the others. "We're going to bottle the stuff and sell it."

"I've already said that I don't think that's legal," Ethan countered. He sat at one of the picnic tables with Miranda perched in his lap. "I'm not even sure we're allowed to be making it, to tell you the truth."

Lorenzo shrugged. "Never stopped me from doing it before."

"True, but selling it would be risky," Ethan said.

"So, we switch to making wine, then," Lorenzo suggested. "I'm sure we could figure out how to transfer those flavors into a wine. We could name it Summer Spritz Collection and have watermelon, peach, strawberry, and blackberry wines."

I shook my head. "No. Sounds too much like Summer Shits Collection. I don't like it."

"Damn, tell him how you really feel." Miranda laughed.

"Always." I grinned. My attention shifted to Lorenzo. "Pour me another?"

"Better watch this stuff. It's dangerous. It'll sneak up on you," he said as he poured.

I took the shot from him. "I'm a big girl. I can handle it."

"Really?" Ethan chided me. "I remember hearing you were sick as a dog after the girls' night out y'all had a while back."

I gave him a nasty look. "That was the old me. I'm different now." My panther made a noise, agreeing with what I'd said, and I lifted the shot into the air. "I'm a panther shifter now." I winked.

"A toast to that is in order," Lorenzo chimed in. "One more round for us all."

Once everyone had a shot in their hand, Neo made the toast.

"To the Ashen Tribe," he said. "We might have had a rough start when we first came to Crescent Creek, but we've overcome it all. We've carved out a fresh start for ourselves, put down roots, and expanded along the way. Cheers to finding home, love, and a life worth living for."

We all lifted our glasses to that.

"You know," Lorenzo said, his attention fixed on me a few minutes later. "I've been thinking."

"About?"

"Expanding our little family."

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. "Excuse me?"

"Yup, I think it's time for a… kitten," he said with a smirk.

"A kitten," I repeated.

He nodded. "What did you think I meant?"

"You know exactly what I thought you meant," I said, shoving him playfully.

"And your answer to that question would be no?" A slight grin twisted his lips, but curiosity pooled in his eyes.

"It would be a not right now," I replied, hoping my answer didn't hurt his feelings.

"I can handle that."

Kids weren't something I'd thought about yet, but now that he'd brought it up, I could see myself having them with him. Lorenzo would make a great dad. He'd be so loving, playful, fun, and protective.

"Back to the kitten," I said, circling back. "I think that's a great idea. Let's see how we do as kitten parents first."

"Did I just hear the word parents come out of your mouth?" Ethan demanded.

I snapped my gaze to him and smiled. "Yep, kitten parents. We're getting a kitten."

Relief washed across his face, and I laughed at the sight.

"Aw! I want one too," Savannah chimed in. "A black one."

"We can have a whole pack of kittens," Kiera said. "One for each of us."

"I don't know about that," Neo grumbled.

As everyone discussed whether they were getting a kitten or not, I leaned into Lorenzo's side and smiled. These were my people. My tribe. My family. This was exactly where I was meant to be, and I was so happy to have found my way here.