Cassie took Maddie inside, where the old cooks had returned to their jobs, and a new bartender and waitress were getting ready for their shifts. Cassie wasn’t going to be doing much of the bartending or serving herself, at least not for a while. Being six months pregnant made it hard to stay on her feet for extended periods of time.
“Wow, this is beautiful,” Maddie said. “It looks like you just took the old bar and gave it a facelift.”
Cassie nodded. “I tried to have it rebuilt as close to the old floorplan as possible. Obviously, the paintings weren’t here before. But I think they really add to the ambiance of the bar.”
“They really do,” Maddie said. “I can’t believe Alex painted all of these.”
“I know. He was hiding some real talent, huh?” Cassie said.
Maddie agreed, and continued taking pictures. A half-hour before the bar would officially open, she ran home to change, promising to be back for the party.
Cassie sat in one of the booths, looking around happily. Alex would have loved this. She was so grateful to him for leaving everything to her, so that she could rebuild.
The front door creaked open, and Max walked in.
“Hey baby,” he said, kissing Cassie warmly, then repeating, “Hey baby,” he kissed Cassie’s stomach.
“Hey,” Cassie said. “I’m just resting up before things get rowdy in here.”
“Are you going to be okay? Don’t overdo it,” Max said.
“I’m fine,” Cassie said. “I’ve got a good crew here. They’ll take care of everything.”
Max sat next to Cassie and nuzzled her. “Okay. I just want to make sure you and the baby can rest if you need to.”
Cassie nodded. “We’re good.”
They sat in silence for a few moments, and Max laced his fingers with Cassie’s, rubbing the inside of her palms with his thumb.
“This place is perfect,” Max said. “It’s going to be the heart of Persimmon Springs.”
“I hope so,” Cassie said. “Are you glad we stayed?”
Max smiled over at her. “Yes, I am. I don’t think I could have ever stayed away for long, anyway.
“I agree. This place gets in your blood. It becomes part of who you are,” Cassie said, smiling as they sat in silence for a few more moments. Life was so good here. Alex’s house had been sold, and the new art program at the elementary school was in full swing. Max had sold his house, too, and moved into Cassie’s larger house. They had turned one of the spare rooms into a nursery, where soon their little tiger cub would be growing up. And now, Cassie’s new bar was ready to go. Her life was full. She had good work, and good family. It was a life she could truly be proud of.
The front door suddenly burst open, and Zane and Drake came rushing in, boisterous and loud as usual.
“Is it happy hour yet,” Zane asked, letting out a whoop.
“Hey! We’re not officially open for another ten minutes,” Cassie said.
Zane just laughed. “Aw, come on. Don’t we get early bird passes or something? We’re practically family!”
Cassie rolled her eyes but nodded. “Fine. But behave yourselves.”
Zane whooped it up. “Didja hear that Drake? Time to party!”
Cassie laughed as Zane hopped into one of the barstools and started waving his cowboy hat around in the air.
“That boy is something else,” Cassie said. “I think he needs a woman to calm him down.”
“Yeah, good luck with that. We’ve tried to fix him up dozens of times over the years. He’s as wild as they come,” Max said, then lowered his voice. “Besides, you know he’s a dragon. It takes a special girl to deal with a dragon.”
“Or to deal with a tiger,” Cassie pointed out.
Max laughed. “Fair enough. But dragons are even wilder than tigers, and Zane’s about as wild as they come.”
Cassie smiled. “Well, I hope he has fun tonight. I hope everyone has a good time.”
“They will,” Max assured her. “You’ve built something amazing here. I’m so lucky to have you.”
Max leaned in and kissed her, and Cassie’s heart skipped a beat. All these months later, the butterflies he gave her weren’t showing any signs of slowing down.
“And I’m lucky to have you,” Cassie said. “Now let’s go party while I still have some energy.”
Max smiled, took her hand, and led her up to the bar, where he helped her hop up into the barstool next to Zane. Theo and Maddie arrived moments later, and they all shared a toast—beers for everyone except Cassie, who had a sparkling apple juice.
“To many more happy memories in this place,” Max said. Their glasses clinked, and then he leaned over to kiss Cassie. She felt the baby kicking at that exact moment, and she couldn’t help but think that the little one knew his parents were celebrating.
And oh, how much they had to celebrate. This was only the beginning of a lifetime of happiness.
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About the Author
There are bears walking among us. Sloane Meyers is devoted to telling their stories.
Sloane thinks we could all use a little escape in our lives. And what better way to shake up the ordinary than to transport yourself to the mysterious world of those who have an animal within them, roaring to be let out. Sloane brings you hot shifter males, and spunky, spirited heroines—with NO cliffhangers! Each book can be read as a standalone.
When she’s not busy crafting bear tales, Sloane enjoys a good glass of wine, preferably shared with good friends. She loves reading, baking, and pretending that she’s actually a music buff. On weekends, she spends a lot of time in the great outdoors, hiking with her own sexy alpha and adorable little cub.
You can connect with Sloane at her website, www.sloanemeyers.com, or by Friending her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sloanemeyers.
Lone Star Tiger (Shifters in the Heart of Texas Book 2) Page 8