Page 72 of Fastlander Fealty

It had been three weeks since the rodeo, three weeks since she’d told Rook off. Three weeks in the Fastlanders, and life had morphed into something incredibly beautiful.

This was the first big purchase she’d made since she’d opened her website back up to customers and began making signatures for clients again. She didn’t care about anything she’d left behind at Rook’s. He could keep all her old clothes. She had everything she needed here. This was another piece to her fresh start.

The home was still sparse on furniture, but there was a reason for it. She’d spent most nights with Owen, and furnishing this place had taken a back seat to fire-pit-nights, and dinner dates with Owen. She’d been on adventures in town with the Fastlanders, and even a wine tasting trip with the girls. She was getting used to bringing lunches up to Owen’s jobsite on Fridays.

The cadence of life here filled her with a steadiness she never even imagined could exist before.

And at the center of it all was Owen, who was cheering her on every step of the way.

She knew without the shadow of a doubt that when he got off work, and she showed him the printer, he would say they needed to celebrate. He would either cook for her, or take her on a date in town, and he would tell her, like he did every day, how proud he was.

That was just the type of man Owen was.

The Fastlanders were all very understanding of her needing space as she established her footing here, but they found this amazing balance with being there the second she needed anything too. And even if she found herself in unsteady moments, where old habits and thoughts and triggers popped up, she found understanding with these people. There was immense value in friendships like that.

For the first time in her life, Silver belonged.

“Knock, knock,” Owen said, pushing open the door.

“Hey!” she greeted him happily. So lost in her own thoughts had she been, she hadn’t heard the sound of his truck engine coming up the hill.

“Is that what I think it is?” he asked, reaching out to hug her in a greeting.

She nestled into his embrace. “I bought it today.”

A deep chuckle reverberated against her cheek as he tightened his arms around her. “I’m so damn proud of you.”

Her smile stretched her face. She had known he would say that. It felt good to make the man she respected proud.

“Hey, we have something going on outside,” he said.

The seriousness of his tone made Silver ease back to see his face. “What’s wrong?” Her mind immediately went to the Holland Pride.

“So ready to fight,” he said, stroking his finger under her eye. “Just come outside, and you will understand.”

Her hackles rose as she felt a weight outside she didn’t recognize. “Something’s happening,” she whispered.

Owen lifted his chin in the air and wrapped his hand around hers. “Everything is okay.”

But she didn’t feel like it was okay. It had to be the Holland Pride here to steal her happiness. That had been her fear, and now it was coming true.

With her chest full of turmoil, she allowed Owen to lead her outside to the porch of her own ten-ten, and she was stunned to find the clearing lined with people. No, not people. Shifters with bright eyes, and kind smiles. She recognized some from her research. Willa. Clinton. Bash. Damon, she knew. The Saw Bears were all here in a group. The Boarlanders, too. The Warlanders were setting up tables near the firepit. Even Lucia was here.

“What is this?” she asked in a squeak of a voice as she took in the coolers, and bags of food, and trucks full of people clogging up the driveway.

Gunner and his Fastlanders were standing by the firepit, looking over at her.

Owen spoke softly. “Once upon a time, this lioness shifter messaged a man I have looked up to for years. And he called me one day.”

“Mason?”

He gave a wave to a barrel-chested man walking toward them with his mate—the mother of Air Ryder. Mason nodded a greeting at Owen, and smiled at Silver.

“Over the weeks, he decided to take me under his wing, and mentor me quietly, because I was sure I was going to fuck this up.”

“Fuck what up?” she asked, stunned at what she was hearing.

“Making you happy. Making you feel secure. I watched you the last few weeks, and you have these stretches of joy that are so fun to watch, but you have this fear that the freedom you’ve found will be taken away from you at any moment. It’s like you’re waiting for Rook to come get you.”

---