“No. This is all you.”
Tightening her grip on the oversized pair of scissors in her hands, she tilted her head, but he simply motioned her forward. Knowing it would be quicker if she didn’t argue, she formulated an impromptu plan and moved to center stage.
Her pulse sped up as she faced family, friends, and what looked to be an amazing turnout from the local community. If she’d have thought there would be this many people, she’d have gotten a microphone. And a stand to hang on to instead of standing in front of a big red ribbon held on either side of the stage by Eli and Reyes.
“Thank you all so much for coming.” Her raised voice came out slightly breathless, and she took a moment to gather her composure before continuing. “Must Love Paws has a simple origin story, but it’s no less important. Pets can play a significant role in our lives, and their care has become a booming business that unfortunately not everyone can afford. That was my main goal for opening this clinic.
“Our mission is to provide quality, affordable care for those four-legged fur babies to families who might otherwise have to do without that care, or having a pet altogether. Our client services manager, Megan”—she pointed to the tall, blond college graduate she’d hired two weeks ago—“ and the rest of our staff is available today for any questions you may have about what we have to offer and the potential for financial assistance. We’re looking forward to working with you and all your babies.”
Her dad started a round of applause that swelled through the crowd. Shelby smiled through misty eyes as she waited for it to subside.
“Now, if you’ll look to your left…” She gave her guy a proud grin as she swept her arm toward the front entrance to his business. “You’ll see we are sharing a building with the brand new Take Control Tactical and Self Defense, run by Special Forces veteran, Devante Torrez. He was kind enough to offer his space for the open house refreshments, and he and his staff of highly trained veterans will also be available to answer any questions you might have about what they offer. I can personally testify, Dev’s training is exceptionally effective, and we’ll have a special demonstration of his training techniques in, oh, about an hour.”
Dev’s eyebrows shot up as his gaze locked with hers. “We will?”
“Did I not mention that?” she asked with a heavy dose of innocence.
“No. You most definitely did not.”
Laughter sounded from the front, particularly their family members. But she could tell from the glint in his eyes he wasn’t really upset. She tossed him a wink, settling into the flow as she turned back to their captive audience.
“Trust me, everyone, you don’t want to miss it. And then, last but not least before I cut the ribbon and we get on with this, I want to thank everyone here who helped make this possible either by helping, or offering much appreciated moral support. The cupcakes would go stale if I tried to name everyone, but you know who you are.”
She made sure to make eye contact with her parents, siblings and spouses, Elena and Estefan, her sister-in-law’s work crew, and then shot a smile to Grayson, who stood off by himself on the side.
“Specifically, I do need to say this would not have been possible without my sister-in-law, Mae, of Lockhart Construction. She and her awesome crew built my beautiful dream clinic in record time. What do you all think? Let’s show them some well-deserved love.”
Shelby mouthed a thank you to her blond sis as Merit raised his fingers to his lips for a piercing whistle and the crowd clapped. When the cheers died down, she shifted her gaze to the redhead standing next to Asher, holding her adorable niece, Ava. “And to my other sister-in-law, Honor, thank you for suggesting and sharing the Must Love Paws name. I loved it from the second it came out of your mouth.”
Honor inclined her head, and they shared a grin.
Returning her attention to the rest of the crowd, Shelby continued, “For anyone who doesn’t know, Honor is the owner of the amazing Must Love Frosting Bakery over in our neighboring Lakewood. They’re her cupcakes waiting for you next door, so make sure you don’t miss out. And without further ado...” She turned and cut the red ribbon, then had to raise her voice over cheers. “Must Love Paws and Take Control Tactical are open for business!”
About an hour later, Dev faced Shelby on the mats of his new gym with a room full of onlookers. She’d pulled her long dark hair up into her trademark ponytail, and joy shimmered in her mischievous brown eyes. This woman kept him on his toes like nothing or anyone ever before, and he loved every minute of it. Every minute with her.
Eli stood on the edge of the mat, waiting for them to begin so he could explain each move as they demonstrated.
Keeping his gaze fixed on Shelby, Dev asked in a low voice, “We’ll start here how we first started back in February?”
“Sounds good,” she agreed.
There was a little smirk playing about the corners of her mouth that had him narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
“You want to put on the padded suit?” she asked.
“No.”
“You want me to pull my punches?”
He gave her a grim smile. “No.”
And God bless her, she didn’t—until the groin kicks. God bless her indeed.
He chuckled softly as he grabbed her in the bear hug. “Looking out for yourself on that last one, weren’t you?” he whispered in her ear.
“That was for both of us, honey-bun.”
“Thanks—uuugh.” He grunted as she drilled her elbow into his ribs. He’d feel that one in the morning.