Page 40 of Fetch Me A Mate (Shifter Mates of Hollow Oak #1)

ROWAN

R owan arrived at the inn before dawn, his truck loaded with the last of the materials.

Crown molding for the parlor, replacement boards for the front porch, hardware for the attic space that would become their home.

He worked in the pre-morning quiet, letting his hands speak the apology to the town that his voice couldn't manage.

By eight AM, he had the parlor trim installed and the loose banister tightened. By ten, the squeaky floorboard in the hallway was silent and solid. At eleven-thirty, he crouched on the front porch with his level and a stack of new boards.

"You know that step was fine, right?"

Diana's voice came from the doorway. He looked up to find her watching him work, coffee mug in hand, hair twisted up in a messy bun.

"It sagged."

"Barely."

"Enough." Rowan drove another screw into the board, testing its stability. "Guests shouldn't have to worry about uneven footing."

"Is that what this is about? Guest safety?"

He set down his drill and looked at her properly. "It's about doing the work right. Finishing what I started."

"All of it?"

"All of it."

Diana settled onto the porch swing, tucking her legs underneath her. "The inn's never been in better condition."

"Should be. You deserve a place that won't give you problems."

"Rowan."

"What?"

"The inn isn't the only thing that needs to be solid. We talked about this."

He tested the repaired step one more time, then gathered his tools. "I know."

"Do you? Because you're out here at dawn fixing things that weren't broken, like you're trying to prove something."

"Maybe I am."

"To who?"

Rowan leaned against the porch railing, looking out at the square where people were beginning their daily routines. "To everyone who's been watching to see if I'd stick around this time. To the Council members who offered me a job I didn't want. To myself, I guess."

"And what are you trying to prove?"

"That I'm not the same wolf who ran three years ago. That I can build something instead of just tearing things down."

Diana set her mug on the swing's armrest. "You've already proven that. The renovation speaks for itself. So does staying to fight for what matters instead of disappearing when things got complicated."

Rowan picked up the old step boards, noting the worn spots where countless feet had climbed toward shelter and warmth. "I need to ask Callum for help with something."

"What kind of help?"

"Security consultation. There's one more thing I want to do to make sure the inn stays safe."

"Safe from what? The pack's gone."

"Other threats. Future problems. I want to make sure nothing can touch this place or the people in it."

Diana stood and moved to stand beside him at the railing. "What did you have in mind?"

"Territorial wards. Official recognition of the inn's sanctuary status. Legal protections that go beyond town boundaries."

"That sounds complicated."

"Callum knows how to navigate supernatural law. He can help me set it up properly."

That afternoon, Rowan drove to the ranger station. Callum was reviewing patrol reports when he knocked, amber eyes lifting from paperwork with mild curiosity.

"Twice in one week. Either you're getting social or there's another crisis brewing."

"Neither. I need help with legal protections for the inn."

Callum leaned back in his chair. "What kind of protections?"

"Sanctuary status. Official recognition that makes it harder for outside forces to interfere with inn operations."

"Supernatural law or human law?"

"Both, if possible."

"Expensive. Time-consuming. Lot of paperwork." Callum studied Rowan's face. "But doable. What's your timeline?"

"Soon as possible. I want everything in place before Diana and I..." Rowan trailed off.

"Before you what?"

"Before we make things official."

Callum's smile was sharp with understanding. "Ah. Planning to propose?"

"Planning to ask if she'd consider it."

"She will."

"You sound sure."

"I've seen how she looks at you. Like you hung the moon and stars just for her." Callum pulled out a legal pad and began making notes. "Sanctuary status takes six to eight weeks through proper channels. I can expedite it, but it'll cost extra."

"Whatever it takes."

"Done. I'll start the paperwork tomorrow."

That evening, Rowan built a fire in the lobby hearth and waited. The fall had turned cold and Diana was upstairs, checking on guest rooms that hadn't seen occupants in months but were now ready for visitors. The inn hummed around him, solid and welcoming and finally, completely theirs.

His pocket felt heavy with the weight of Miriam's ring. She'd pressed it into his hand that morning, her eyes bright with tears and satisfaction.

"Henry's grandmother's ring," she'd said. "Passed down through three generations of innkeepers' wives. Diana should have it, if she wants it."

"What if she says no?"

"She won't say no, Rowan. That girl loves you like breathing."

Diana's footsteps on the stairs drew his attention. She descended slowly, her hand trailing along the banister he'd reinforced that morning.

"Everything secure upstairs?" he asked.

"Perfect. The inn's ready for guests whenever we want to start booking again." She settled beside him on the hearth rug. "What about you? You ready?"

"For guests?"

"For whatever comes next."

Rowan reached into his pocket, fingers closing around the small velvet box. "Diana."

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"I want to spend the rest of my life proving I'm worthy of that love. I want to wake up every morning in the attic space we're building together. I want to grow old fixing things around this inn and watching you make it the heart of Hollow Oak."

Diana's eyes widened as he pulled out the ring box and dropped to a knee.

"I want to marry you, if you'll have me. Be your partner in everything, your mate in the truest sense." He opened the box, revealing the simple gold band with its modest diamond. "Will you marry me, Diana Merrick?"

The fire crackled in the hearth. Outside, snow began to fall, dusting the square in white that caught the lamplight like scattered stars.

Diana looked at the ring, then at his face, then back at the ring.

"Yes," she said simply. "Yes, I'll marry you."

Rowan slipped the ring onto her finger with hands that only trembled slightly. It fit perfectly, like it had been waiting for her all along.

"When?" Diana asked, admiring the way the diamond caught the firelight.

"Whenever you want. Tomorrow, next month, next year. I'm not going anywhere."

"Spring," Diana said. "When everything's growing and new and full of possibility."

"Spring it is."

They sat by the fire as snow continued to fall outside, planning their future in the inn that had brought them together and the town that had finally, completely, welcomed them both home.