Epilogue - Sienna

Two weeks had flown by in a blur. Moving in with Ben so soon hadn’t been part of my plan, but life—and a busted water pipe—had other ideas. My landlord had been understanding enough to let me out of my lease early, given the extensive damage, and Ben hadn’t hesitated for a second to offer up the idea of moving in with him.

My fox had stirred with excitement at the suggestion, and I hadn’t put up a fight. Moving in with him had been easy and natural, like slipping into a life that had always been waiting for me. Ben strolled into the living room with a grin lighting up his face that immediately made me suspicious.

“What?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

He held up his hands. “Can’t I smile at you without you thinking I’m up to something?”

I arched an eyebrow. “Not with a smile like that.”

“Fair,” he admitted, his grin widening. “Come on. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“What kind of surprise?”

“The kind I think you’ll like,” he said, grabbing his keys.

A short drive later, we arrived at a local dealer, where rows of sheds stood neatly arranged, resembling tiny houses. I turned to him, confused.

“Did you bring me here to pick out a shed for your backyard?” I asked, unimpressed.

“I sure did,” he said, excitement in his tone.

“Wait, what?”

“For your dog grooming business,” he clarified, parking the truck and looking at me like this wasn’t the most shocking, unexpected thing he could’ve surprised me with.

My heart leapt, and for a second, I couldn’t find words. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious.” He nodded. “Since you’re no longer filling in at The Caffeinated Fox now that Cassie finally found someone for the position, I figured it was time to make your dog grooming business happen. So, go on—find the one you want.”

I stepped out of the truck, my fox buzzing with energy as I walked toward the rows of sheds. My gaze scanned over the length of the first one, but it didn’t feel right. The next one didn’t either. But then I saw it—a wooden shed with large windows and a charming design that called to me.

“This one,” I said, turning to Ben with a grin I couldn’t suppress. “This is the one.”

“Let’s get it ordered.”

As we stood there, talking to the dealer about delivery, I realized my dream of running my own dog grooming business wasn’t just some far-off idea anymore—it was real, and it was because of this amazing man.

Ben glanced at me as we made our way back to his truck. “You look happy.”

“I am,” I gushed. “This is huge. I can’t believe you just did that for me. I can give you the money I had saved for it now and then pay you the rest of it once I get up and rolling.”

“You don’t need to pay me anything. Honestly. I wanted to do this for you.”

“Ben, that’s too much,” I insisted.

“It’s not.” He popped open the passenger door for me, but before I could slide in, he moved to grab something out of the glove box. “Here. I got you this, too.” His lips curved into a soft smile.

“What’s this?” I asked, taking the rectangular box from him cautiously.

“Open it,” he said, his tone teasing but warm.

I lifted the lid, and my breath caught. Inside were sleek, beautifully designed business cards. The logo was perfect, and the cards all said Sienna’s Foxy Grooming, followed by my name and contact details in elegant lettering below.

“These are amazing,” I whispered, a lump forming in my throat.

“You like them?” he asked, cramming his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “We can always have something else designed, if you don’t.”

“I love them. The name. The logo. It’s perfect.” Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, and I blinked rapidly, trying to keep them at bay.

He smiled, locking eyes with me. “Good. I want you to start living your dream.”

“I am,” I said, my voice steady despite the emotions coursing through me. “I already have been—with you.”

I lifted to the tips of my toes and kissed him. Right there in the parking lot. This man was more than I could have ever asked for, more than I could have dreamed up for myself.

As we pulled apart, he flashed me a sly grin. “By the way, it’s karaoke night at Last Drop. You ready for me to cash in that raincheck?”

I laughed. “For someone who claims they don’t sing, you sure are persistent about it.”

“So, what do you say?” His grin widened. “Are we doing this?”

I rolled my eyes, laughing still. “Absolutely. Let’s go.”

We climbed into his truck and headed to Last Drop. The moment we stepped inside, I spotted everyone seated at the usual table in the back and shifted to toss Ben a look.

“You had this planned, didn’t you?” I asked.

“Maybe.” He shrugged, flashing me an adorable grin. “We couldn’t sing without having a supportive audience.”

“You’re impossible,” I teased.

Before I could say anything else, he kissed me. It wasn’t a fleeting, polite kiss. It was warm, full of passion, and oh so perfect. When we pulled apart, my fox and I both hummed with satisfaction.

“Just reminding you how great I am at kissing, because I’m horrible at singing,” Ben joked, his hand slipping into mine as we continued to the table in the back where everyone sat.

“I’m sure you’re not that bad.”

“You’ll see,” he countered.

I laughed, loving this moment. For the first time in forever, my happiness felt untouchable. There were no shadows of the past lurking, and no fears of the future causing panic to build in my chest—I was content and happy.

With my life.

With myself.

And in this moment—surrounded by my Misfit Shifter family and the man who felt like home—there was nowhere else I’d rather be.