21. Ella
TWENTY-ONE
ELLA
E lla smoothed out her skirt, clutching her notepad as she knocked on Mayor Winslow’s office door.
“Come in,” the mayor’s familiar voice called out.
Ella stepped inside, offering him a warm smile as she approached. He looked up from his paperwork, his sharp but kind eyes meeting hers. “Ah, Ella. What can I do for you?”
She took a seat in front of his desk and set her notepad on her lap. Working for Mayor Winslow had been wonderful so far. He was as kind as he seemed, and he truly cared about the citizens of Shadowridge. He also gave her a lot of freedom, telling her he trusted that she was fully competent to do the job in her own way. It was nice to work for someone so down to earth.
“I wanted to run an idea by you—something that could help bring in more donations for the food drive and possibly even donations to get an early start on the summer drive for school supplies.”
The mayor leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in front of him. “I’m listening.”
Ella took a breath, excitement bubbling in her chest. “The Shadowridge Guardians have offered to throw a charity event at their compound. Kind of like a town party. They’ll invite everyone, have food, games, music, and make the entrance fee a food, coat, backpack, or a cash donation.”
Mayor Winslow’s brows lifted, intrigued.
“King thought it would be a great way to bring the community together while also increasing donations,” she continued. “The MC has a strong presence in town, and I think people would show up inhuge numbers. It would be totally family-friendly.”
The mayor nodded slowly, considering. After a moment, a wide smile spread across his face. “That,” he smiled, “is anexcellent idea.”
Ella beamed. “Really?”
He let out a chuckle. “Absolutely. The Guardians may have a rough exterior, but they’ve always been good for Shadowridge. If they’re willing to host the party, I say we make this happen.” He tapped a pen against his desk. “You’ve done a fantastic job, Ella. Honestly, I don’t know how I ever survived without you. Besides the food drive, you’ve been managing a million other things with such ease.”
Ella’s chest warmed at the praise. “Thank you, sir. I just… really want to help, and I’ve fallen in love with this town already.”
Mayor Winslow studied her for a long moment before leaning forward. “When I first hired you, I wasn’t sure how someone fromyourupbringing would fit in here.”
Ella’s heart stuttered. She knew what he meant. A lot of people from the social circles she came from knew nothing about charity or need, nor did they care. Unless it was to show up at a huge fundraiser in expensive couture and act like they wanted to help, they weren’t interested. It was one of the reasons why she’d never understood why her parents stayed around those people. Her mom and dad were different. They did care about others, and they didn’t make a big show for other people to know. Sometimes, she wondered if they would like it here in Shadowridge. But living somewhere different had been her dream. As long as they were happy, that’s all that mattered to her.
He gave her a small smile. “But you’ve proved me wrong. Youcare. Not just about the work but about the people. And that’s exactly the kind of person we need in this office.”
Ella swallowed hard, emotion tightening in her throat.
“That being said,” he continued, “I know you’re still within your ninety-day probation period, but I’d like to hire you permanently. Effective immediately. With a raise.”
Her mouth fell open. “I—what?”
He chuckled. “You’ve earned it, Ella. You work hard, and youcare. That’s what matters.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered, barely able to believe what she was hearing.
“It might be too soon for you to know if you’re staying permanently here, but the offer is on the table.”
Ella wiped at her eyes, laughing softly. “I’dloveto stay. I’ve already decided I never want to leave Shadowridge.”
The next several days blurred into one. Ella spent her mornings at City Hall, working on the logistics of the charity party. By the afternoons, she bounced between meetings with vendors, coordinated flyers and social media announcements, and checked in with King and the Guardians MC about the event setup.
And every night, she ended up in King’s arms.
Each evening when she arrived at the clubhouse, King was already waiting for her, sometimes leaning against his Harley, sometimes inside the common area, always watching her with that adoration that made her heart race. The moment she stepped into his space, he was there, taking her bag from her shoulder, guiding her inside, pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead before asking, “What have you eaten today, Little one?”
Every night, he took care of her. He made sure she ate a proper meal, even when she pouted because he wouldn’t let her survive on candy salad. He bathed her, washing her hair with strong, careful fingers, then sat by the edge while she played with bath toys that he’d bought her. He tucked her into his bed, settled in beside her, and wrapped her up in his arms as if he were afraid she might disappear if he didn’t hold on tightly enough.
It was almost effortless between them. They fit together and were exactly what each other needed.
And it wasn’t just him.
Whenever she had free time, she hung out with the other Littles, who she already considered her best friends.
They played hide-and-seek around the compound, giggled over coloring books and craft projects, and cuddled up together during movie nights in the common room. The clubhouse was filled with warmth, laughter, and love, and for the first time in her life, Ella didn’t feel like an outsider looking in.
She belonged .
Sometimes, she missed her parents. She still called them every few days. They always asked how she was doing, always reminded her that she could come home anytime. But every time she ended the call, she looked around at the life she had started in Shadowridge, the one she was building with King, and she knew.
She was home.
And as she stood in the clubhouse one night, watching King go over the final party details with Steele and Storm, she felt it deep in her bones.
Life couldn’t possibly get any better than this.