Page 32 of Cold Foot Revenge (Wreck’s Mountains #7)

Roxy checked the time on her phone. The lockscreen was a picture Raynah had snapped of them the day they had decided to come back to the Rabbit Hole. It was them in the middle of the water, hugging, and smiling so big at each other. It was her favorite picture ever.

That moment had been so life-altering for both her and Dylan.

“How much longer,” Dylan asked, coming up behind her to nip her neck right where he’d put that claiming mark all those months ago.

“Ten minutes and the doors open.”

“Have you seen it outside?” Crystal asked nervously. “There’s a line around the building.”

She looked cute and classy in her server uniform tonight.

“Good. We’ve got this. Let’s make tonight a night this town will never forget,” Roxy said excitedly. “Is the kitchen ready?” she asked Dylan.

He spun her in his hands and gripped her hips. “Everyone is set.”

“I got the extra menus printed!” Pamela, Dylan’s mom called out, bustling in through the side door.

“Oh, perfect timing,” Roxy told her as she leaned into her quick hug. “Dylan, all of your dumb friends are outside, and they’re already taking shots.”

Dylan snorted and shook his head as his mom bustled away. She’d been a huge help in getting this place transformed.

There were no more stripper poles or stages in here anymore. The bar wasn’t even located in the same spot. Now it was in the next room. Damon had added an addition so they could make the restaurant side family friendly.

Roxy looked up at the exposed wooden beams in the rafters, draped with strands of lights.

She’d almost died here once, but it hadn’t looked anything like this.

Over the last few months of renovating it, she and Dylan had taken back every inch of this place and filled it with good mojo, and good people.

Nick waved from the opening to the bar near the kitchen. “We’re all good here, boss.”

Tonight, she would be working the bar with Nick.

They expected a huge turnout, and she’d been practicing something very different than pole tricks lately.

She’d been working on bottle spins and memorizing every drink under the sun.

Nick had softened, and twice this week had brought his son into the restaurant to say high to her and Dylan.

Her phone was always full of hilarious texts from the Cold Foot Girls on a big text loop, and calls from Pamela, who had become like a mother figure for her.

“I have a present for you,” Dylan said low. “Before we open those doors and I barely get to say hi to you for the rest of the night.”

“What is it?” she asked.

He handed her something she never thought she would see again. In his hand was a wooden box with a glass cover. And behind the glass was mounted that bejeweled coyote mask she had worn in another life. “Where did you find this?”

“I found it in the parking lot months ago. I had it mounted. I figured we could hang it in here if you want.” He pointed to a place on the wall right behind them that already had a nail sticking out of it. “It could be a reminder of how far you’ve come, and the good you’ve done.”

“Dylan,” she whispered, meeting his eyes as she rested her hands gently on the sides of the wood. She nodded, feeling all the emotions of the big moment. Her nerves faded to nothing as she watched the love of her life hang that mask in the restaurant they had poured their souls into.

“A picture for the newspaper?” someone asked behind them. A man stood there with a big camera, and Dylan pulled her close, careful to get the mask in the picture too.

“Ten, nine, eight,” Pamela called from the front door. She would be managing the host stand tonight.

“Seven, six,” Roxy called with her future mother-in-law.

Dylan was watching her with the softest smile on his face. “Five…four…”

“Three!” Crystal chimed in with Nick.

“Two…one!” Roxy yelled with the others.

Pamela pulled open the doors, and who was the first one there…

Garret.

Behind him came Raynah and baby Breah, Timber and Wreck, King and Katrina, Reed and Sasha, Cash and Harley, Tawk and Tammy. And behind them came the blue dragon himself, Damon Daye and his mate Clara.

The restaurant was flooded with people, and joy, and greetings.

Pamela and two other hosts sat tables and started a waiting list when the restaurant was filled.

Crystal and four other servers bustled around with bright smiles and glowing eyes because yes, she and Dylan were growing the Wolf Mask Crew.

They had drawn four new members since they had claimed this territory, and they were building the same family feel that Dylan had learned in Wreck’s Mountains.

“Look,” Dylan said, pointing to the front door.

Grit stood there, looking around the restaurant, in this territory for the first time since Grave and Leech had killed Bron, and nearly ended his life, right here, in the Rabbit Hole.

His gaze landed on Dylan, and he nodded with respect before he made his way into the room with the bar.

“I better get to work,” Roxy said softly to the man who held her heart.

“Hey,” Dylan murmured, pulling her back. “We’re really doing this.”

“This good life stuff?”

“Look around, Wolf Mask. Look at all of these people who travelled here, and showed up for us. You aren’t alone anymore. You never will be again. You have people.”

Roxy pushed up on her tiptoes and kissed him. “Thanks for making me safe,” she said, repeating her words from those months ago.

He leaned down and kissed her again. As she made her way to the bar room, he called from behind her. “Always.”

Roxy smiled to herself.

Truth.