Epilogue
One Year Later
Aiden took off his apron and hung it on the hook next to the door. He took one last look behind him to make sure everything was all set for work in two days. He smiled. If someone had told him right out of college that one day, he’d be a baker slash chef in a small shifter village in New Hampshire and he’d be happy, he would have thought they were crazy.
Jamie came into the kitchen from the front of the bakery. He had a hunter green Tessa’s Treats hoodie on. He had designed the new logo for the store—a cartoon donut with a cherubic face pulling a tray of donuts out of a flaming oven. Iris loved it and immediately had T-shirts and hoodies made for the staff.
“Are you ready? We need to hurry up. Iris already texted.”
He grinned at his mate. “Yes, just finished.”
“What’s that smile for?” Jamie asked. He took a step closer and scrunched up his face as if studying Aiden.
“You’re so excited. We’ve watched Teddy before.” Iris and Deacon had named their son after Ted Jensen. They’d first gotten the OK from Heath and May since they were Ted’s biological kids. The Jenson siblings assured the couple it was more than fine with them and that Ted would love it. He did, indeed.
“But we never watched him overnight before. A baby sleepover! It’ll be fun.” This would be Iris and Deacon’s first night away without their son. They weren’t going far, though. They were spending the night in Portland, Maine in some new boutique hotel.
“How much fun can you have with a nine-month-old?” Aiden asked. He pulled Jamie up into a hug.
“You’ll see.” Jamie laughed.
“At least, there won’t be any fires to extinguish,” Aiden added. The last time they babysat Amber, she surprised the hell out of herself and her sitters by shooting tiny flames from her year-old fists.
“There is that. She is keeping Heath and Mac busy, isn’t she?”
Aiden laughed. The fiery red-headed little sprite was certainly doing that.
They loaded up into their truck with Aiden at the wheel. They were first going home for a quick shower. Then, they’d head right over to Iris and Deacon’s place for “Teddy time.”
“Well, I don’t know how exactly this happened, but it seems we’ve become the official babysitters of the Guardians,” Aiden said as he pulled onto their street.
“I know,” Jamie said. “May’s already planning on her first trip after her twins are born. She’s only four months along!”
“At least Piper and Leah are still on Team Child-free by choice,” Aiden said.
“For now. It’s only a matter of time. Baby fever is spreading,” Jamie said. “I love kids, I really do, but right now I still like having you all to myself. We didn’t have this for such a long time.”
Aiden squeezed his hand and held it tight. He parked and shut off the engine and turned to face his mate. “So, after they pick up the baby tomorrow, how about a little flying practice?” Aiden continually worked on his flying skills. He did maneuvers and agility work mainly with Deacon instructing him from the ground. Mac joined in as much as she could on aerial stunts and speed work. Jamie assisted with everything. There were no new threats to Grey Lake that they knew about, but he and the Guardians had to improve their skills for the next surprise.
He hadn’t heard a peep from Serena or any of her Guardians, including Quinn. Leah had limited contact with her twin. He rarely responded to her texts and calls. She was slowly coming to terms with the loss. It was good she had Finn and her other brother, Sam, to keep her spirits up.
“Flying? Just us?” Jamie asked.
“Just us,” Aiden said. “We can even pack a lunch and stop somewhere private.”
Jamie beamed. “Sounds perfect.”
Aiden pulled him in close for a kiss. “No.”
Jamie frowned. “No?”
“What we have here, you and me… this is perfect.” He rested his forehead against Jamie’s. “Finally.”