Page 37

CONNOR

We dropped Luna off at work, but she didn’t seem eager to let go as she headed inside. “I’ll see you after work,” she said over her shoulder, a subtle but meaningful change — she reminded us she’d be back.

Ash and I watched her disappear through the office door before he pulled back onto the road. We drove to the gym and parked in our usual spot. I wasn’t paying full attention, distracted by the idea Ash had hinted at, when I nearly bumped into someone.

My heart skipped a beat as I looked up. Phoenix.

The man I’d seen a few times last year, during the darkest months when Ash and I were lost in grief, unsure which way was up. My throat tightened, and my tongue suddenly became heavy and dry.

“Oh, sorry,” he said as I blurted, “Oops, sorry.”

We chuckled softly, and he placed a steady hand on my elbow to help me balance. The jolt was electric. I pulled away too quickly — if Ash hadn’t suspected anything, he would now.

“Connor, how are you?” Phoenix’s brown eyes were warm and calm.

“I’m good, thanks.” I forced a smile. “You know Ash?”

Ash leaned forward and shook Phoenix’s hand. “Good to see you back around town.”

This was a small town. We all knew each other, at least by sight. But inside the pack, it was more than that. I needed to move this along before my nerves showed.

“It’s good to see you again. Have a great day.”

Phoenix smiled and continued on his way. I glanced at Ash, trying to ignore the look of quiet curiosity he was giving me.

Back at the office, I reminded him, “You said you had an idea you wanted to run by me after we dropped Luna off?”

“Oh, yes.” He shut the door behind him and sat down on the other side of the desk. Ash spent most of his time here; I was usually operational on the floor.

“You know that space off to the side we’ve kind of quietly set aside for future expansion?”

I followed his gaze through the large window in his office wall. The area was mostly empty, with a weird little alcove tucked in one corner.

“I was thinking we could develop it into a cafe, and that nook could be a secondhand bookstore. Obviously, we don’t want to manage it ourselves. I thought maybe we could involve Luna.”

I looked back at him, impressed. It was a great idea — but would Luna see it as a handout?

“She’d need to be clearly labeled as our business partner,” Ash said firmly. “She’d need to know she earned it. Which she would.”

He’d clearly thought this through.

“I’m keen.”

“Oh, great! I had a whole spiel planned.”

“It’s wasted space and she’s wasted talent as an admin assistant.”

We agreed he’d pick Luna up from work to float the idea by her. I slipped away before the conversation could drift into other territory.

Ash brought Luna in just after 4 PM. I’d just finished with a personal training client, and the gym was quiet in that lull before the after-work crowd poured in. My chest warmed when Luna’s eyes met mine, and she smiled.

We opened the door and wandered over to the storage area, which was currently cluttered and far from cafe-ready.

Ash explained the idea. Luna listened quietly, scanning the space. It was a blank canvas — it would take time and careful planning to become a real business.

“We don’t have the time or inclination to manage another business ourselves,” Ash said. “So we wondered if you’d be interested in doing it?”

She was silent for a few moments. I felt the urge to fill the quiet, to assure her we weren’t just doing it to keep her happy.

But she spoke first. “So… you want to be my boyfriend and my boss?”

Ash nearly choked. “Boyfriend? I don’t think that’s adequate. And no, not your boss. Business partner. We have the space and the capital, but not the time. We’d be equal partners, and you’d have full operational control. There’d be contracts and everything.”

She looked thoughtful again.

“You know I haven’t launched a business before, right?”

“Neither had we when we started this place,” I said, hoping to reassure her.

“I’d love to. As long as we have clear rules.” She said it firmly.

“Absolutely. We can see the lawyer draft it up.” Ash agreed immediately — he’d been expecting that.

“Have you been calling me your boyfriend?” he asked after a beat, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

“I honestly wasn’t sure what to call you. In my head, I try to avoid it. And out loud, well, no one's asked.”

I caught Luna’s eye and smiled. There was something new in that smile — a quiet confidence, a spark I hadn’t seen before.

This could be precisely what we all needed—a fresh start, built together.

I squeezed her hand briefly, hoping she’d feel the same hope I did.

“Ready for the next chapter?” I asked softly.

She hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”

The gym around us hummed quietly, but in that moment, it felt like we were standing on the edge of something much bigger. Something real.

Whatever came next, we’d face it together.