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I sat there for a second, waiting for my brain to reboot.
Shani’s co-mates, who ran a highly successful construction business. Who’d supported her ambition of graduating from culinary school after successfully raising the pack’s pups. Who were, not to put too fine a point on it,loaded.
I realized with a jolt that I was still staring at her blankly, my mouth hanging open in shock.
“You’re serious?” I managed.
She raised a wry eyebrow. “You don’t have to soundquiteso skeptical, boss. I know I’m still a wet-behind-the-ears newbie compared to some, but I had a pair ofverygood teachers.”
“You’reserious,” I repeated, this time in wonder.
She smiled and nodded.
“Hold that thought for me, okay?” I raised a finger as I pushed my chair back and stood up. “Nat?Nat! You need to come out hereright now!”
On reflection, given the events of the last few months, I probably should have modulated my voice so it didn’t sound like SSG gang members were trying to batter down the doors. Nat came out from the back at a run, sliding to a stop and looking around wildly for the emergency.
“Sorry,” I said, lifting my hands as though to calm a wild animal. “Sorry! We’re fine. It’s Shani—she and her pack want to buy the restaurant!”
His mouth worked silently for a moment.
“You do?” he asked weakly.
“To be clear,” Shani replied, “Iwant to buy the restaurant, assuming you’re both dead set about offering it for sale. It’ll take a day or two of looking sweet and fluttering my eyelashes to convince my co-mates it’s something they want to do, too.”
Nat pulled out the nearest chair and sank into it shakily. “Oh my god. This is perfect.” He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it. “We need to make this happen.”
Shani’s grin lit the room. “I know I’m getting ahead of myself here, but I don’t suppose one or both of you would be willing to stay on for a bit in an advisory capacity? I’ve got a niece who’s a whiz at more than social media marketing, but she’s also young yet.”
“Maleeka wants to get into restaurant management?” I asked.
Shani chuckled. “Yeah, she caught the bug. I blameyoufor that, just so you know. I do want her to finish up her business degree, but she doesn’t have many classes left to go.”
Nat met my eyes. “I, for one, would be more than happy to stay on as interim manager while she does that.”
“And while she learns the ropes,” Shani added, still smiling. Her gaze fell on me, soft and inquiring.
I coughed to clear my throat, which still felt suspiciously tight. “You’ve already learned all my tricks,” I told her. “I’m willing to stick around for a bit to make sure you’re comfortable running the kitchen, but I think it might be best for both of us if I didn’t overstay my welcome. You’ll need to make the place your own.”
Her smile softened. “Ah, well, we can fight about that part after I talk to my alphas. Which I will do as soon as I get home tonight.”
My heart was doing a strange, thrumming thing that was making me feel a little lightheaded. “You do that,” I told her. “I can’t think of anyone else in the world I’d rather have at the helm, Shani.”
“Oh, my gracious—stop that right now. You’re going to make me all teary-eyed,” she said with a laugh.
I joined her, a bit wetly. “Sorry... I can’t help it. Go on, go home and disrupt your pack’s sleep schedule with the news that they’re buying you a restaurant.”
She pushed to her feet and rounded the table, wrapping me in a hug. “Will do, boss. I’ll let you know as soon as I have a solid yes or no answer.” She pulled back and raised a hand to half-hide her mouth, stage-whispering, “Don’t worry—it’ll be a yes. My eyelash-fluttering skills areexcellent.”
I laughed again, feeling lighter than I had in ages. “They’dbetterbe,” I threatened.
Nat and I watched as she disappeared into the back, gathering up her things and heading out of the employee entrance. When the sound of the heavy steel door closing behind her reached us through the silence of the empty restaurant, I turned and half-fell into Nat’s arms, after which I promptly burst into tears.
He clasped me against his chest tightly.
“Good tears, right?” he asked, murmuring the words into my hair.
I hesitated, prodding at the space that seemed to have opened up inside my chest. It ached... but more like the clean ache after an infected tooth had been pulled than the bitter ache of regret.