Aside from the renovations on Sten’s house, he’d encouraged her to join him in his volunteer work, and she’d chosen to spend her time at a local rescue in Brooklyn while they grew their relationship, and she was having a blast.
It felt so good to be doing something worthy. Something important. Something she loved.
“She’s amazing as a rescuer,” Sten praised as he wandered past them, a tray of Arch’s chicken wings in his hands. He dropped a quick kiss on her lips—and Marty, Nina, and Wanda’s cheeks—before heading off to finish helping Arch.
“I love it,” Murphy chimed in. “It’s been so rewarding. I’ve always loved animals, but now that I can talk to them, it’s changed my life.”
“And theirs, too, I’ll bet,” Wanda said with a smile, wrapping her arms around Murphy and hugging her tight. “It must make talking a stray into trusting you a whole lot easier.”
That much was definitely true. The people she worked with thought she was just making cooing noises at the strays people called in who needed saving at the rescue, and they often teased her about how good she was with animals. They called her the Stray Whisperer—but she knew the truth.
She’d been given a gift. A gift she would never regret.
Nina scooped up Pancake to give him a kiss. “The animal kingdom is a happier, healthier fucking place with you in it, kiddo. Much respect for what you do.”
“And you, too,” Murphy reminded her with a fond smile. “You’re one of our best fosters ever, Vampire.”
Seeing how much Nina loved animals had given her the idea to ask her to try fostering, and with very little hesitation—mostly due to how easily she became attached and her fear she’d have a houseful of animals she couldn’t let leave—Nina had agreed.
“It’s some of the best shit I’ve ever done, isn’t it, Pancake?” she cooed to the dog, who flopped over on his back and let her scratch his belly. “But I don’t know if I would have done it if not for you, kiddo. What you said really stuck with me.”
When Nina had told her about her misgivings, and how she was worried she wouldn’t be able to let a foster go to a new home, Murphy told her what the rescue had taught her.
A foster was a soft place to land, an in-between place where they’d have someone to teach a stray how to love and trust, and prepare them for their forever families—because didn’t everyone deserve to have the love of a pet? It was the kind of love to be shared, not hoarded.
“Well, I think part of it has to do with your gooey center, but you call it whatever you want,” Murphy teased, poking Nina’s hard abs.
Nina flipped up her middle finger, but she did it with a smile before she looked down at Pancake and said, “Tell your mother to shut her silly fucking trap. I’m all bitch, no fluff.”
Then they all laughed, because they all knew that wasn’t true.
“So I see Nova and Bellamy are well…” Wanda pointed out, her gaze straying to the far wall of the enormous living room where they sat together on a puffy couch, two gorgeous women, thoroughly enamored with each other.
Murphy crossed her arms over her chest and smiled. “You know, I never would have thunk it, but they’re good for each other. Really good for each other.”
And most of all, they were happy. So happy, Sten and Murphy felt comfortable enough to take a step back from their lives.
They’d each turned a corner—together. Both of them giving up their shallow Instagram lives and using the riches they’d made and their platforms for philanthropic work. They’d grown together. They were more considerate, they were more loving and, most of all, they were more giving.
In fact, they were going off to Africa next week to help build a school.
And their hard work was paying off. Their platforms were bigger than ever. Of course, if didn’t hurt that they were both beautiful and attracted a lot of press attention, but Nova said she didn’t care how they got a school built or water to a village.
If using what she looked like changed a life, got her in a closed door, then nothing else mattered.
Marty sighed a breathy sigh. “I can see that. I’m so happy for them both. Ain’t love grand?”
Nina rubbed her knuckles over the top of Murphy’s skull. “Told you shit changes when something like this happens to you, kiddo. I told you.”
Murphy grinned, happier than she’d ever been. “You sure did.”
“Now that we admit I was right, I’m off to see if I can’t get some of these weenie trolls to play some fucking football. It’s a great day for it.”
Nina ran off with Pancake in tow, and Murphy found herself standing back to appreciate how amazing her life was now. How full of new things, namely love.
As she watched Sten—the man she’d fallen so deeply in love with—help Arch, who was adjusting to being a troll just fine, carry out platters of sandwiches and salads, her heart clenched in her chest.
Sten was working hard at becoming the king his father wasn’t, and although there was initial pushback from the north end of the realm, he’d managed to weed out the riffraff and get them into programs that would put their strengths to good use. He was really cleaning up the place, and she was helping wherever she could.
His days were mostly consumed by Troll Hill duties, but their nights? Those were all theirs, and they worked hard to make time for one another and their commitment to their relationship. As a result, Murphy was spending a lot more time in Troll Hill and commuting through Sten’s backyard.
She’d even found a small cottage to rent right near Sten’s new digs where she spent the first few months of their courtship until they decided it was too hard to say goodnight to each other every single night and she’d moved into the castle.
And life was sweeter than it had ever been in Brooklyn and Troll Hill.
She sighed a happy sigh when she thought about all they’d been through to get here and as she watched everyone talking and laughing, her heart filled with love.
Arch—blue-haired, with matching blue eyes—grabbed a glass and clinked it to get everyone’s attention. “Heathens! Gather, please. I believe we have some announcements to be made!”
As everyone found their way to the enormous table with food platter after food platter, Nova and Bellamy pushed their way into the circle, big smiles on their faces, hand in hand.
Sten made sure everyone had glasses of champagne, and then he said, “Everyone, Nova and Bellamy have an announcement they’d like to make.”
Both Nova and Bellamy stuck a hand in the pockets of their jeans and glanced at each other with soft eyes before they looked to the group.
Nova cleared her throat, tucking her hair behind her ears. “Guys, we have a little something we’d like to share. If it wasn’t for all of you—Murphy, Sten, the fine ladies of OOPS and the whole gang—I’d still be a real asshole.” Everyone laughed, but she held up her hand. “No. That’s the truth. But I learned something as a troll. I learned that I was, in fact, an asshole. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry to Murphy for how poorly I treated her, even when she took such good care of me. I’m sorry for all the crappy things I did to Bellamy, but I’m not sorry this happened. Not even a little, because I found all of you—all of you with your big hearts. You taught me how to give selflessly, and I’m never going to forget that. You…”
Nova put her head down, tears falling from her eyes, but Bellamy picked up the slack as she tucked Nova to her side. “You helped us see what really matters, and you helped us find each other. In honor of that, we wanted you to be a part of this particular moment in our lives.” They both held their hands up and slid matching silver rings on their fingers. “We’re getting married!” she shouted.
After that, it was complete bedlam. There was crying and cheering and hugs and kisses—even from Nina. And as Murphy watched how happy her sister was, how happy Bellamy made her, Sten came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist.
“The world is a crazy place, huh?”
She smiled and snuggled into his grip. “If you’d
have told me this would be the way turning into a troll ended at the beginning of this journey, I’d have committed you.”
“And look at us now,” he whispered in her ear, making her shiver.
She turned in his arms and smiled up at him, so madly in love. “Yeah. Look at us.”
His pressed his nose to hers. “You think we should tell ’em we’re tying the knot, too?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Nah, let ’em have the spotlight to themselves. I don’t mind. Do you?”
Pressing his lips to hers, he shook his head. “Nope. As long as we’re in the shadows together.”
“Fine by me, Peerson. Now, there are some things we have to clear up before we get hitched.”
He leaned back and cocked his head. “Like?”
“Mainly the bit about ketchup on your steak. I haven’t forgotten that little admission. I tried. I really did, but I simply can’t marry a man who puts ketchup on his steak. It’s an abomination.”
He grabbed her hand and began to pull her toward the buffet table, laughing as they went. “Well, soon-to-be-Queen Peerson, if we’re going to have stipulations, let’s talk about your love of Ed Sheeran. Something has to be done about it.”
She let her head fall back on her shoulders as she laughed, light and carefree, surrounded by people who’d welcomed her into their world without hesitation and introduced her to the man of her dreams.
Nina had been right. Her life had changed—quite drastically, in fact. There was more love, more chaos, more new adventures, and more framily.
And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
* * *
The End
(Thank you for joining me for yet another Accidental adventure! I hope you’ll come back for the next one, titled Accidentally Divine. Until then, love to you all, and good health to you and yours!)
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About The Author
Dakota Cassidy is a USA Today bestselling author with over fifty books. She writes laugh-out-loud cozy mysteries, romantic comedy, grab-some-ice erotic romance, hot and sexy alpha males, paranormal shifters, contemporary kick-ass women, and more.
Dakota was invited by Bravo TV to be the Bravoholic for a week, wherein she snarked the hell out of all the Bravo shows. She received a starred review from Publishers Weekly for Talk Dirty to Me, won a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Kiss and Hell, along with many review site recommended reads and reviewer top pick awards.
Dakota lives in the gorgeous state of Oregon with her real-life hero and her dogs, and she loves hearing from readers!
Other Books By Dakota Cassidy
Visit Dakota’s website at http://www.dakotacassidy.com for more information.
Lemon Layne Mystery, a Contemporary Cozy Mystery Series
1. Prawn of the Dead
2. Play That Funky Music White Koi
Witchless In Seattle Mysteries, a Paranormal Cozy Mystery series
1. Witch Slapped
2. Quit Your Witchin'
3. Dewitched
4. The Old Witcheroo
5. How the Witch Stole Christmas
6. Ain’t Love a Witch
7. Good Witch Hunting
8. Witch Way Did He Go?
9. Witches Get Stitches
10. With It Real Good
11. Witch Perfect
Nun of Your Business Mysteries, a Paranormal Cozy Mystery series
1. Then There Were Nun
2. Hit and Nun
3. House of the Rising Nun
4. The Smoking Nun
5. What A Nunderful World
Wolf Mates, a Paranormal Romantic Comedy series
1. An American Werewolf In Hoboken
2. What’s New, Pussycat?
3. Gotta Have Faith
4. Moves Like Jagger
5. Bad Case of Loving You
Paris, Texas Romance, a Paranormal Romantic Comedy series
1. Witched At Birth
2. What Not to Were
3. Witch Is the New Black
4. White Witchmas
Non-Series
Whose Bride Is She Anyway?
Polanski Brothers: Home of Eternal Rest
Sexy Lips 66
Accidentally Paranormal, a Paranormal Romantic Comedy series
Interview With an Accidental—a free introductory guide to the girls of the Accidentals!
1. The Accidental Werewolf
2. Accidentally Dead
3. The Accidental Human
4. Accidentally Demonic
5. Accidentally Catty
6. Accidentally Dead, Again
7. The Accidental Genie
8. The Accidental Werewolf 2: Something About Harry
9. The Accidental Dragon
10. Accidentally Aphrodite
11. Accidentally Ever After
12. Bearly Accidental
13. How Nina Got Her Fang Back
14. The Accidental Familiar
15. Then Came Wanda
16. The Accidental Mermaid
17. Marty’s Horrible, Terrible Very Bad Day
18. The Accidental Unicorn
The Plum Orchard Series, Contemporary Romantic Comedy series
1. Talk This Way
2. Talk Dirty to Me
3. Something to Talk About
4. Talking After Midnight
The Ex-Trophy Wives Series, Contemporary Romantic Comedy
1. You Dropped a Blonde On Me
2. Burning Down the Spouse
3. Waltz This Way
Fangs of Anarchy, a Paranormal Urban Fantasy series
1. Forbidden Alpha
2. Outlaw Alpha
The Accidental Troll Page 24