Epilogue
Tawny
Grand Opening!
The big day had finally arrived. After months of work, even with all the help from the work party and ongoing assistance from my mates, we were ready to open the doors of Pleasant Pages to the public.
My windows shone just as bright as every other store on Main Street, largely because I learned that they all used a service, a professional window washer who made sure they looked perfect all the time.
The books that had already been in the store had been cleaned and the shelves rearranged in a way that made sense to me.
After having just the two folding chairs, I’d recognized the need for more seating, and my mates and I made a trip to the city where I bought a couple of love seats and several comfortable chairs.
I wanted people to sit down and read their purchases or flip through something they were considering buying.
We had two distinct areas, new books in the front two thirds and used at the back, and while I didn’t want to compete with the coffeehouse down the street, I did keep a pot of regular and decaf for our customers, along with an electric kettle and assortment of tea bags. Just a little something cozy.
“You ready?” Rork came up behind me and pressed his lips to the mark he’d left on the back of my neck.
“I hope so. I don’t know how I’d have ever gotten it all done without your help.”
Flint and Craven flanked me, and together, we looked out the clean glass door where our window washer was giving one last polish for this special day. “It looks amazing, mate,” Flint said. “And you did almost all of it yourself. Is there anything else you need us to do before we unlock the doors?”
“Just say the word,” Craven added.
“I’m just glad you are all here.” And that Craven had a day job now, so we could all sleep in our puppy pile. “Thank you for being here to show me that not all alphas are bad.”
“Hey!” Rork objected, but he was laughing.
“Janis convinced me not to let the harm others tried to do to me in the past define my future.” Nobody had come after me, and with my mates at my side, nobody would or could.
“I see her out there,” Rork said. “Didn’t you want her to be first?”
“That’s right. Open the doors and let her in. Let them all in.” Please let people still want to buy books.
Craven marched forward and unlocked the door then called, “Mate, you’d better get over here. I don’t think Janis is going to be first.”
“What? Of course, she is. I…” I ran out of steam when I saw the petite woman with the long white braids in a corona around her head.
“Inga. You came!” I had sent her an invitation but gotten no reply and assumed she wouldn’t or couldn’t make it.
“Please come in. I hope I did a good enough job to ratify your faith in me.”
The former bookseller walked along the walls then worked her way into the center aisles with the new double-S curves I’d designed.
She was quiet for a long time while the rest of the customers came in and shopped.
Flint stood beside me at the counter, bagging purchases.
It wouldn’t be like this every day, I knew, but it was a great start.
Rork and Craven directed people to what they wanted and were generally helpful and hot.
It was incredible and beautiful, and topped off when Inga, accompanied by Janis, came up to tell me I’d healed her heart when I healed the store.
Funny thing. The store and a certain pack and all the nice people I’d met here had healed mine. Mostly my pack.