Chapter 17

Pierce walkedinto the guest bedroom, checking the closet and behind the door. He moved into the bedroom that had been his own for the last five years, once he'd moved out of a tinier apartment and thought he might like a little extra space. It looked smaller without the king-sized bed and dresser taking up most of the floor. He retrieved a tie tack that'd probably fallen out of a drawer when it was being moved out.

"Everything is good on this side," he said as he headed into the empty living room. His voice echoed as he looked in the kitchen. "How about in there?"

"Just an expired box of cake mix that got left in the back of the cabinet," she announced as she closed the cabinet door. "I didn't know you like to bake."

"I don't, which is exactly why it's expired," he quipped.

Holly pitched the box into the trash can, the only thing remaining in the apartment. "Lucky for you, I do like to bake every now and then."

"What kind of confectionery delights do I have to look forward to?" Pierce asked as he tied up the trash bag and lifted it out of the can.

"Nothing crazy," she replied. "Just cookies and muffins. Maybe some brownies."

"So you're good in the kitchen, at the keyboard, and in bed. I definitely scored." He winked at her and dodged out the door, where she wouldn't have a chance to give him too much of a retort without potentially being overheard by their neighbors.

"It's going to be a long drive to Massachusetts, isn't it?"

Pierce made sure the door was locked before they headed down the stairs. "Definitely."

"Go to your left. No, your other left. There. Perfect." Rick put down his end of the dresser on the back of the moving van and then came around to help Jack push it in place. "Great job, buddy."

"I've had a little experience with it lately," Jack replied. "Are you going to come back and see us?"

"Of course," his grandfather replied. "And you'll have to come out to Cape Cod to see us."

"Do you think I can get Dad away from the firehouse long enough to do that?" Jack challenged.

"Not now that he's going to be the new chief," Pierce said as they walked up. He handed Jack a fifty-dollar bill. "Thanks for all your help."

Rick held out his hand. "Where's my share?"

"You'll get it after we unload this thing on the other end of the line," Pierce reminded him. "I think free housing just off the beach is payment enough."

"Hmm." Rick drummed his fingers on his jaw as he pretended to think. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"We'd better get going," Holly said as she checked her watch. "Lori said they should have everything ready by noon."

Pierce turned to his mate. She'd been working just as hard as he had over the past week to make sure everything was packed up and ready to go. She hadn't had to do any of the heavy lifting, of course, but being away from home for three weeks on top of being pregnant had to be taking its toll on her. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "There's no way we're going to miss our chance to say goodbye to everyone, even if it's also saying hello to some of them on my part. Honestly, nothing sounds better right now than sitting in a lawn chair and putting my feet up while I have a grilled burger and some potato chips."

"Yessss," Jack agreed. He turned and trotted toward the cab of the moving van. "I'm riding with you, Grandpa!"

Pierce and Holly got in his truck and drove out to the Glenwood packhouse one last time. It was a familiar drive, one he could make from any part of town without having to think about it. He felt a little wistful knowing he'd never be making it again, but he knew it would soon be replaced with a new drive as he got to know his new home. Adjustments would have to be made for both of them, but he knew it'd all be worth it.

"There they are! The couple of the hour!" Rex said as they pulled into the driveway of the Glenwood packhouse. He opened Holly's door and held out his arm. "My lady."

"Thank you." Holly flushed as she took his arm and stepped down.

"Pierce." Lori came to his side of the truck and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. "We're all so happy for the two of you, but we're going to miss you so much."

"I don't know if we're worth all of this," Pierce said as the Alpha and Luna escorted them around to the back of the house. The deck and yard were swarming with Glenwoods. Two grills were up and running, and numerous coolers held drinks. Three long folding tables had been set up to hold all the food and desserts. Children played in the sprinkler or tossed around a ball. It was a beautiful sight, making him realize how much he meant to the pack.

"Holly!" Dawn rushed up to give her new friend a hug. "It's not fair, you know. Just as I get to know you, it's time for you to leave."

"I'm sure we'll be back," Holly assured her. "I don't think I can keep him away from you guys forever."

"That's true. Or maybe we'll just rent a charter bus and bring the whole pack out to you. We could all use a vacation," she laughed.

"I don't think I can fit you into my house, but there's room at our clanhouse," Holly agreed.

"You call me if you have any questions about that baby," Dawn ordered.

Gage, Dawn's mate, reached out for Pierce's hand. "Congratulations on everything. It's all going to change when you have that little one, but only for the better."

"Tell me how you want your burgers done," Kane called from the grill.

His cousin Bennett stepped up beside him and looked at what he was doing. "Looks like you're just burning them all, anyway."

The police officer gave him the side eye. "It's called a char, thank you very much. It's what brings out the flavor."

"It's what makes it a hockey puck instead of a delicious, juicy burger," Bennett retorted. "Give me that spatula. I'll show you how it's done."

Their mates, Stephanie and Melissa, giggled nearby. "Maybe it's a good thing you're getting Pierce away from his brother, Holly," Melissa said. "Otherwise, you'd have to listen to stuff like this all the time."

Kane playfully stuck out his lower lip. "Hey, now. We're not that bad."

Melissa winked at him. "I guess you're tolerable."

"None of you are." Max walked up with Sarah at his side, and more hugs went all around. "Holly, I don't think I've officially said it yet, but thank you for what you did to protect our pack."

Holly shook her head. She was only a couple of weeks pregnant, but already Pierce could swear he spotted the glow of motherhood on her cheeks. "You really can't thank me when you guys were the ones who did all the work."

"Don't shortchange yourself," Sarah argued. "If you hadn't done everything you did, we might never have found out about Kyle's little project in the first place. You were pretty courageous, and I heard you were the one who actually clobbered him."

"That's not the kind of thing I usually do," Holly said, tenting her fingers against her forehead in embarrassment.

Max shook his head. "That's too bad because Pierce here might need a good clobbering every now and then."

"What? Who's clobbering who? I want in on the action," Brody said as he approached. He carried his daughter Evelyn on his hip.

Her strawberry blonde hair had been pulled up into two short pigtails and her big hazel eyes peeked out under a fringe of bangs. She reached out to grab the fist that Brody had playfully put up in the air. "No, Daddy. No fighting."

"No?" Brody asked.

Evelyn pressed her lips and emphatically shook her head. "No."

"Okay, then. Whatever you say. Do you want to go play with your cousins?" Brody put her down when she started wiggling and watched her run off toward the other children. "There you go, Pierce. A sneak peek into your future. Your whole world will be commanded by a tiny shifter."

"I'm looking forward to it," Pierce promised as he pulled Holly close. It'd been a sheer joy for him to share their good news with all the Glenwoods, and that joy only grew as everyone else seemed to share in it.

Robin slipped her hand into Brody's and beamed at the happy couple. "I think Joan and Jimmy wanted a chance to talk to you two. They're up on the deck."

"Sure thing." He guided Holly up toward the house. "Are you doing okay?"

"Do I look that terrible?" she asked with a laugh.

"I'm sorry. I just worry about you. You mean the world to me, and it took half of my life to find you. I want to make sure you're as happy as possible." He knew he sounded mushy, and his brother would probably make fun of him if he had the chance, but Pierce didn't care. "You've had to meet a lot of new people in a really short amount of time, and there's no shortage of personalities around here."

"Trust me, it probably won't be any different when we get home," she promised, brushing her hair behind her. The mark on her shoulder had left the faintest scar, which peeked out from under the boatneck collar of her top. "I've already given the good news to my sister and parents, and they've been blowing up my phone with plans and questions. Our roles will be reversed when we get home, and then I'll get to ask you if you're all right."

Pierce bent down to plant a kiss on her forehead. "I will be."

"There's still something wrong with the transmission," Jimmy was saying as they stepped up onto the deck. "I know I'll get it eventually, and then it'll be ready to go."

"You'll have to forget about your cars for a moment," Joan said as she spotted the new couple. "Our guests of honor are here."

"Ah, the happy couple!" Jimmy said as he got to his feet. "We're sad to see you go, but I wanted you to both know that you'll always be a part of our pack, no matter where you're at."

"Don't you think it's Rex's job to tell him that?" his mate asked with a smile.

Jimmy shrugged. "Once an Alpha, always an Alpha. Besides, I know for a fact that he feels the same way. I'm sorry we didn't have more of a chance to get to know you, Holly, but we'll be looking for all your future articles."

"That's very sweet of you, but please don't feel like you have to do that just for my sake."

Joan laughed. "Don't discourage him! It's about time he got his nose out from under a hood for more than five minutes and actually read a few paragraphs."

Jimmy turned his bright blue eyes on her. "As I recall, it was my car that first got your attention."

"Oh, Jimmy…"

"It's true," the old man said to Pierce with a wink. "I knew how to rev her engine."

Joan was trying to hold herself together and be polite, but she burst into another round of laughter. "And he still does! I guess that's our little tidbit of advice for you two before you leave us: you're never too old to enjoy each other."

"We'll keep that in mind."

"If the happy couple is looking for advice," a deep voice said from over his shoulder, "it would be to spend as much time together as you possibly can."

"Declan! It's good to see you. I wasn't sure when you guys were going out on tour again." Pierce introduced his mate to the rather famous Declan Ridgefield, lead singer of Wildwood, and his mate Tiffany.

"Actually, we've met before," Tiffany replied.

Holly had blushed at meeting a celebrity like Declan, but her countenance quickly turned to one of horror. "I am so very sorry about that. I was trying my best to get him to shut up, but he's pretty good at opening his mouth and sticking his foot straight in it."

"I could tell," Tiffany said with a laugh. "And don't worry. I could tell just how much he was embarrassing you. Looking back, I should've figured out what he was hoping I'd tell him. You and I could've teamed up and scared the shit out of him."

"That would've saved me a lot of time," Holly admitted. "I have to tell you, your food was delicious! We'll be sure to come in every time we return to Eugene."

Declan clapped Pierce on the shoulder. "Hey, I'm just glad to know you'll be coming back. And there's always a chance you might see us. Now that Tiffany's daughter Hailey is doing better and her twins are living with her full-time again, the band and I are talking about extending our touring season. Just a little," he added quickly at a look from his mate.

"Be sure to look us up if you're in the area," Pierce reminded him. "You could always take the ferry over if you play in Boston."

They continued to make their rounds through the party, checking in on Hunter's college studies and thanking Ava again for her help in wiping Kyle's memory. Conner had brought his mate McKenzie, and the two of them seemed to be just as in love as they had when he'd first brought her to the packhouse. Stephanie's daughter Annie had a mate now, as well, a young man who watched her every move with wide puppy dog eyes.

"I have to admit I'm a little jealous of them," Pierce said quietly to Holly when they had a moment alone and their plates loaded with food.

She polished off her burger. "Why is that?"

"Because finding their mates so early means they get to spend that much more time with them," he explained, poking a potato chip into a bit of dip. "I wish I'd found you a long time ago."

"I know. I've thought about that, too." She rolled her eyes up toward the trees, looking thoughtful. "I like to think there's a reason, though. If we already had difficulty getting together now, maybe it would've been even harder for us back then."

He shook his head. "I don't know. I was a pretty determined guy back then. I'll bet we wouldn't have been able to keep our hands off each other."

"We still can't," she reminded him as she reached over and rubbed his leg.

They spent a few moments chatting with Caleb and Jennifer. Sean and Angela had arrived just then and joined them, and Tammy had even managed to bring Carter to the party. Pierce could see just how well Holly was getting along with his pack. It made him a little sad to know they'd be leaving, but it also meant they'd always have a place to come home to.

The light was shifting, and Pierce could feel the change reflecting within him. He was feeling a little wistful, but it was nothing compared to the excitement that rippled through him for this new adventure. "I think it's about time for us to hit the road."

"Not before you say goodbye to us." Hayden grabbed his little brother by the back of the neck.

"I won't miss that," Pierce cracked before he punched Hayden in the arm. "You sure you're cut out to be the new fire chief? It's a lot of responsibility."

"Definitely," Hayden assured him, "although I wasn't expecting it."

"You should've," Rick said as he walked up. He'd snagged another hot dog from Kane before he burned it to a crisp. "You only had the best two references in the world."

"What about you?" Jessica asked her father-in-law. "What are you going to do with all your free time?"

"There's no such thing as free time," Rick replied. "I'll have plenty to do, first with getting everything moved into Holly's place and then fixing up the apartment over the garage."

Holly shook her head. "I never meant that you had to do all the work yourself."

He waved away her words. "I've been a homeowner for over forty years, so I know a thing or two. Besides, I've always wanted to try my hand at a bit of carpentry. You know I'll do a decent job because I'm the one who has to live with it. I'm on a bit of a time crunch, though. I want all that out of the way before the baby comes along. Then it's time to switch into full Grandpa mode."

Pierce ran his hand over his mouth to suppress a laugh. His father had always been energetic, but he could tell the old man was even more enthusiastic than usual. This move was getting him excited, too. It really was just what they all needed.

Rick yelped as Verna stepped up behind him and smacked his ass. "You're going have all those women in Cape Cod in a tizzy. They're used to old geezers who sit around and watch television all day, so they'll be falling all over themselves when you show up and start swinging tools around."

"Trust me, I'm not interested in any of that," Rick said, turning so that his backside no longer faced her.

As Rick and Verna carried on and Jessica and Holly cried over how much they'd come to like each other, Hayden pulled Pierce aside. "Hey, I just wanted to wish you good luck. Not that I think you're going to need it. The two of you are pretty good together, and I'm glad you've found her."

"Yeah, me too." Pierce turned to look at Holly, who was now hugging all of Hayden and Jessica's kids as well, telling them to come out for a vacation and how they could spend all week on the beach. "I think she's going to be a great mom."

"And you'll be a good dad, but don't be afraid to call me for advice," Hayden reminded him with a grin. "I've got three of them, so one of them is after me for something at pretty much any given time. I've got some good secrets that even Rick Westbrook probably hasn't thought of."

"I'll need them because I'm sure Dad is going to spoil the hell out of our little one. You sure you don't mind us taking him away like this?" Pierce was happy to have his father along for the move. It meant a lot to him that it was Holly's idea, that she wanted him there just as much as Pierce did. He still worried that he might be depriving Hayden or his kids by taking him all the way to the other side of the country, though.

"We'll miss him, of course, but it'll be a good excuse for us to take a good trip. Honestly, I think he needs this. If he stays here, he's just going to think about everything he's lost. All he can do out there in New England is gain new memories and new family," Hayden theorized.

Pierce nodded. "He'd hate it if he knew we were standing around planning his life out for him."

His brother grinned. "All the more reason to do it."

"I know those looks," Rick said once Verna had gone off to visit with Joan. "The two of you are up to something."

"Always," Pierce promised. "Are you ready to go?"

With one more round of hugs under their belt, Pierce and Holly got in the truck and Rick hopped up into the moving van. They rolled down the windows and waved until the packhouse was just a tiny speck in the distance.