Page 138

It’s not just biology.

It’s not just magic.

It’s this.

Love. Faith. Fire. Forever.

And I’ll spend the rest of my life proving she was right to choose me.

Epilogue One-Arliss

Penny’s home healing after popping out two of the cutest, chubbiest babies this side of the Appalachians, but she still managed to bark orders at us from her perch on the couch like the bakery boss queen she is.

“Keep Max away for at least two hours,” she’d insisted, waving a spatula like a scepter as Avery and I nodded solemnly like good little soldiers.

Apparently, Max’s contract with his grandma—the original Devil in the Jersey Devil’s family tree—requires him to log actual labor hours on the ranch during sanctioned community events or risk losing access to the property and the ranch's resources.

And since Max gave all the Crew a stake in the land, everyone is shall we say highly invested in keeping those hours logged and the matriarch appeased.

“But Penny might need something,” Max starts as we pass him at the rodeo staging area, his Devilishly red worry lines already in full formation.

“Max,” I say, in full don’t-test-me mode, handing him his gloves with a look. “Penny is fine. She’s got Mrs. O’Hare and Jed, who I’m pretty sure is wearing a Baby Bjorn with a baby goat in it, at her beck and call. Now you get your head in the game and win her that second place ribbon.”

“Second?” he growls.

I smirk. “Well, you know we can’t go flashing a certain growly secret around to the whole wide world.”

He narrows his eyes, but doesn’t argue. Victory.

I really am getting the hang of this Crew thing.

As Max stalks off muttering something about rigged competitions, I turn and catch sight of Kian disappearing into the back of the barn to shift.

My Bull. My man. My mate.

Still gives me butterflies, even though I have seen and touched every inch of the man.

I licked him, and now he is mine. So back off, beyotches.

I’ve already wished him luck, but I am still nervous as heck.

He’s volunteering as the mount for the bull riding segment again, since he’s the only one who doesn’t bow and break beneath Dante’s giant Bear Shifter form.

The others are doing this and that, it’s a lot to take in and I’m not even sure what’s what. But it’s so exciting to be part of something like this.

My nerves are frayed at the thought of the huge crowd forming for their showdown. But that’s for the guys to handle.

Meanwhile, Avery, Jezebel, and I are knee-deep in the controlled chaos that is rodeo day setup.

With Penny out of commission and Jed busy wrangling goats and dairy supplies, and being at the new mom’s disposal, the three of us are flying solo at the Devil’s Food Bakery and Dolly’s Dairy Products booths.

And because life loves a challenge, we’re launching the brand-new line of herbed goat cheeses today.

Mine.

Eeek!

So yes, I’m about one pastry away from a full-blown anxiety spiral.