Page 84 of Can't Help Growling in Love
I lick the bite on her shoulder, satisfaction rushing through me. “Forever.”
Epilogue
JUNE
Two weeks later
“Do you want to keep these?” Tia shuffles into the kitchen of my house, a box of old cooking magazines in her arms. “There might be some useful recipes in here.”
I squint at the first cover, note the 1990s publication date, and point at the trash pile in one corner. “Nope, that’s fine. Thank you!”
She sets the box on the floor and comes back to me. “So, was this a great idea or what?”
Putting down the scrubber and the coffee mug I’ve been washing, I turn and hug my friend, careful not to touch her with my sudsy hands. “The best idea ever.” I pull back to meet her gaze. “Seriously. I don’t know how I’d do this without you guys.”
During their shift on the night of the full moon, Tia and Peter cooked up this lovely surprise despite the fact that they were busy running around, taking care of endless patients. I returned to work after my short break, and they announced that they’dhelp me throw a house reno party. I’d provide food and drinks, and anyone who had an hour or two to spare would come and volunteer their time to help me.
She pats my shoulder. “That’s the thing. You don’t have to do everything on your own. Sooner or later, someone else will need help, and you’ll be the one to provide it. That’s the best part of living in a small town like this. Everyone chips in.”
My throat closes up with emotion, but before I can squeeze Tia in another hug, she walks past me, returning to the attic to clean. Peter helped me pack up my room to move the rest of my personal belongings to Asher’s. He had to leave after, but I’d thanked him, too, grateful to have friends like that.
But it’s not just my people who showed up. Asher invited Marcos and Natalie, who both came to lend a hand, one after the other as they switched out their shift at the radio station. Marcos turned up carrying a long ladder, so he and Asher spent an hour fixing up the roof gutters, and Natalie helped me sand and paint the porch railing. She and Tia were happy to catch up, too, and we’ve made a deal to have a girls’ night out next week, since our schedules aligned.
Even Stella, Asher’s boss, dropped by with a carafe of delicious coffee and cinnamon rolls from the bakery, but didn’t stay long. Asher did spend some time talking to her and Natalie, and they agreed to meet formally and discuss how Asher could buy the station from her.
I just know he’ll be amazing at the job.
Asher walks into the kitchen as if I conjured him up just by thinking about him. And maybe I did. The bond between us glows golden, pulsing more strongly now that he’s near me.
He walks right up and wraps his arms around me, huffing my scent. “Mm. You smell like cinnamon.”
“I had another one of those rolls Stella brought,” I admit. “They’re fantastic.”
We all had pizza and big bowls of salad earlier, sharing the meal while sitting on the mismatched chairs, stools, and couch. It was such a perfect moment, friends coming together to eat great food and help each other out. I poured the coffee Stella brought, and then we returned to work, tackling another set of tasks.
He kisses me lightly, his tail wagging behind him. “Are you happy with how this party turned out?”
“I’m amazed.” I half turn to glance out the window, where Marcos and Tia are now chatting over what looks like a whole box of old canning rings. “And also not sure how I’ll ever repay them for this. But you’ve all made a huge dent in the list of things Gabe told us we should do.”
The contractor did an amazing job fixing up my basement. Then I paid him for a consult, and he put together another to-do list for renovating this house. For some, I’ll have to hire him or another specialist, like rewiring the second floor or cleaning the chimney. But there were smaller jobs that I could tackle myself, too, from knocking out the tile in the downstairs bathroom to updating the kitchen sink, and more.
I haven’t decided if I’ll sell the property after I’m done or rent it out, but I can’t wait to see this house all refreshed and finished. It was my home when I needed it most, even if it leaked a bit, and I want to see it serve someone else like it served me.
“What do you want to do next?” Asher rests his chin on top of my head so his words rumble through me. “I think Tia is leaving soon. She said something about her sister needing a ride.”
“We should wrap things up. Marcos has been here for three hours. We should tell him he doesn’t need to fix the entire house by himself.”
I say it as a joke, but I do worry—through the window, I see the man putting on a head lamp and going on his knees to peer under the porch. I mentioned that raccoons must have livedthere at some point while the house was vacant, and he seems to have taken that on as a personal mission.
“On it.” Asher kisses my forehead, then jogs outside to stop Marcos from crawling into the too-tight space.
I sigh happily and make a note in my phone to add Marcos to my Christmas shopping list. I don’t know him that well yet, but anyone willing to crawl through spiderwebs and old raccoon poop for me is getting a present this year.
I join Asher outside to say goodbye to our friends. When the rumble of Marcos’ truck fades into the distance, I sag against him, so grateful but also exhausted.
“Maybe we can do this again in the spring,” Asher murmurs, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
I glance up at him. “Hmm?”
