Page 129 of Talk About… Rivalry

“The first of many,” I agreed, wrapping my arms around his middle.

The next three hours were a blur of setting up, Taylor managing the money and Bennett prepared to package the art people purchased. He even had a book ready to take down contact information and hand out my business cards when needed.

Leo’s mom stopped by to show her support, giving me an extra long squeeze. Our first time meeting at Leo’s grand opening she shed a few tears, apologizing for never doing more for me. Thankfully, we cleared the air quickly and she fell right into being a pack mama, giving us just as much love and spoiling as Mama Whitaker did. I was grateful our baby would have two wonderful grandmothers and a mom in their lives… something I never had.

With a promise to see us later, she was off, letting me handle the growing number of people filling the space.

Once the crowd moved in, time flew by. I sold more than half my stock in the first four hours. After that, it was more relaxed and gave me a chance to slip away with Leo to explore.

The air was tinted with the scent of kettle corn and fried food. Music filtered around the noise of the crowd. It was a burst of nostalgia, time spent here as a kid with the Whitakers.

Now, I spent it with my pack and I knew our baby, and our nieces and nephew would be able to experience it, too. That was everything to me.

This was the heart of Rockwood Valley, and I already knew that our little town was about to get even better. Some of our shops downtown would fill in with new storefronts, and with this running twice a year, I had a feeling everyone would be thriving.

“Are you happy?” It was a question Leo asked me from time to time. A confirmation that I was content with my pack and my life. Even though my answer hadn’t changed from that first heat with them, he still liked to hear it.

“Insanely happy,” I confirmed. He grinned down at me and pulled me closer, breathing in my scent that they still couldn't get enough of. His own cedar and citrus had me breathing out a sigh, then giggling as our baby kicked happily.

I moved Leo’s hand to my stomach, letting him feel the movements, something they all loved.

We decided to wait to find out the gender of the baby. Our nursery was a soothing mix of cozy and serene that fit the rest of our house. We bought baby blankets and onesies that we loved until we filled the space.

Our baby was going to be perfect and I couldn’t wait to meet them in a few more months.

We made our way back to the booth after seeing everything there was to offer. As the hours wore on and I made even more sales, I could barely stay on my feet.

Lack of sleep and a busy day had me ready to collapse.

When the final hour struck, the entire pack helped load up the SUV and we waited a bit longer for Maverick, Leo, and thesecurity team to close up the grounds. He’d hired night guards to ensure nothing got in the way of the next day’s events.

After a pit stop for pizza, we finally arrived back home. All I wanted was pack time, food, and maybe a long shower with one or more of my mates before we collapsed in my bed, where we all slept most nights.

I breathed in deeply as I walked inside, the mix of our scents embedded into the very foundation at this point.

“Still smell like home?” Maverick teased, wrapping his arms around me and tucking me into his chest.

“Always,” I said. “It’s absolutely perfect.”

The End

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