“But if I’d only—”
I cut off her argument with another kiss. “We’re not going to play the what-if game. The past doesn’t matter. Only the many years we get to spend together.”
She relaxed against me as the tension drained from her body. “Thank goodness for those shifter genes, huh?”
I’d never been happier about how long shifters lived than when I found Trinity. Before her, I’d expected my years to be filled with loneliness. But she’d transformed my future into something wonderful, no matter where we lived. “How would you feel about driving my truck out to New York so we could bring some of my stuff with me? And then I wouldn’t have to worry about exploring the area while you’re working.”
Her head jerked up, and she stared at me with wide eyes. “Would you really move to New York City with me?”
“Of course, I would.” I brushed my lips over hers. “Towns are just a place to live, but where we are doesn’t really matter to me. My home is with you, Trinity.”
The smile she flashed me was blinding. “You’re absolutely right. Which is why I think we should just make a short visit to New York so I can quit my job in person. And when we come back to Timber Ridge, I’ll get to work on opening up my very own restaurant. I already have the perfect chef in mind who will be excited to design a farm-to-table menu that will also include rare, hard-to-find proteins that shifters will appreciate.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” The blood started to pump harder through my veins at the possibility that my gorgeous mate was willing to leave her big city life behind for me.
“I’m one hundred percent certain.” She toyed with the hair at the back of my neck, her expression going soft. “You’ve changed my perspective of Timber Ridge. I love you, and you love it here.”
“I love you so fucking much, kitten.” It felt as though the admission was torn from deep inside my soul.
Her smile turned wicked. “How about you show me exactly how much?”
I might have just taken her, but I wasn’t going to turn down an offer like that. I was always more than ready to give my mate as many orgasms as she could handle. And maybe we’d get lucky this time around, and she’d end up pregnant with my pup.
Epilogue
Trinity
Butterflies swirled in my belly as I looked around the restaurant, searching for anything that needed a last-minute adjustment.
“Stop overthinking, kitten,” Damon whispered in my ear as he slid his arms around my waist, resting his hands on my very prominent belly. “Everything is perfect.”
He was right, but I couldn’t help it when the combination of my nerves and perfectionist tendencies were putting me on edge. Tonight was opening night for my restaurant, and despite my years of experience and reputation in the field, I was terrified of failing. Plus, I didn’t want to let anyone in the pack down.
To my surprise, it hadn’t taken long after Damon and I mated for me to feel at home in Timber Ridge. I’d already been close with Calliope, but her two best friends had embraced me, and they were just as much my family as my sister-in-law. They, as well as many others in town, had helped enormously when I decided to open Timber Treasures. Now it was time to prove that their efforts had been worth it.
“Time to stop procrastinating.”
Damon and I both turned to see Peppa, the chef I’d lured here from a five-star restaurant in Chicago, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. The lion shifter’s hands were propped on her hips, and her expression was filled with exasperation. “My kitchen is running like a well-oiled machine, and my staff is itching to start creating perfection.”
I had no doubt that what she said was true. Peppa had brought most of her kitchen staff with her, and I’d been amazed at their cohesiveness. They adored and respected the chef, following her orders to the letter and clearly enjoying themselves in the process.
Calliope had walked into the room in time to hear Peppa, and she giggled when the chef huffed and marched back into the kitchen. “The place looks amazing, Trinity,” my sister-in-law gushed as she faced me.
“I’m so proud of you,” Tane added as he came to stand beside his mate, placing a protective hand over her stomach, which was nearly as big as mine. Despite being four weeks behind her, I was larger because I was carrying twins. Little Drey—I’d given Calliope veto power over the names, but it turned out she loved my first choice—was due to arrive any day. Damon hadn’t wasted any time knocking me up. I was pretty sure it had happened in the first week or two that we’d been together. Calliope and I were both excited that Drey would be so close in age to Greenlee and Nyx. With the tendency for twins to come early, we couldn’t even predict who would be older.