Jaguar's Joy (Veteran Shifters 5)

Misty had to assure Stella that no, it was pretty much the opposite, and then they all took seats around the fire pit, where Eva and Drew were roasting marshmallows and ignoring the adults entirely.

“So tell us more about your vacation,” Pauline said to Stella and Nate, and the conversation picked up where it must have left off.

Stella and Nate, it turned out, had been traveling all over the place since they’d gotten together, and had just returned from a week in Morocco. They’d both loved it, and were excited to go back someday. They told stories about the food, the culture, the people they’d met and talked to—it sounded exciting.

But also kind of overwhelming. “Do you like to travel?” Misty asked Ty in an undertone, while Ken was interrogating Nate in detail about a story where he’d embarrassed himself in front of some locals.

He shrugged. “Haven’t done much of it, other than when I was in the Corps. I’ve always been a homebody. I like to be around my people, know that I’m helping my community.”

She nodded, feeling oddly satisfied. “I’m the same.”

“But it’s fun to hear other people’s stories,” he added, and she had to agree. She’d never known anyone who’d gone to Morocco before.

Stella showed them a bunch of pictures of the fantastic things they’d seen while they were there, and then put her phone away and asked Pauline, “So how are the kids? The little kids,” she revised, with a smile at Drew.

“Oh, they’re doing all right,” Pauline said with a smile. “Troy’s in first grade now, and it’s a bit of an adjustment, after all of the upheaval in his life, but he really likes having other kids to hang out with.”

“Val’s basically the Energizer Bunny,” Carlos added. “I spend a ton of time just following her around while she runs. I’m thinking about entering her into a marathon, because I’m pretty sure she manages about twenty-six miles a day.”

Everyone laughed. “What about the center?” Lynn asked. “Still getting going?”

Misty leaned forward. A few weeks ago, she’d learned about the community center that Carlos—who was apparently fabulously rich—was going to fund, and initially she’d been skeptical.

After all, Carlos was a random businessman who’d just moved here. Sure, he clearly cared a great deal about Pauline and their own three kids, but how would he know anything about helping out locals, fostering a community?

But looking around at the crowd of people, she couldn’t think of anything more like a community than this. And they were all different shifter types, hadn’t grown up together. Maybe there was something to this idea for a center after all.

“Well, we’ve got a space,” Carlos was saying, “and it’s this beautiful building over on Main Street, you know, by the Methodist church? That white one with the crazy turrets?”

“The old Barbur place,” Misty said involuntarily, and he turned to look at her.

“You know it?”

Misty nodded. “There used to be—well, there used to be a whole group of deer shifters in town, a pack. A couple of generations ago. But the predator population kept growing, and they were less and less comfortable sticking around. My father was the last stag holdout, and he kept on telling everyone to stay, he’d keep them safe. But he was really young, then, and they didn’t believe him. So they left. That was the pack home, once upon a time. They sold it to some company who tried to put a—oh, I don’t even remember what kind of store. But it went out of business fast, and the place has been empty ever since.”

Carlos blinked. “Wow. I had no idea it had that kind of history. I hope you don’t mind that we’re using it.”

Misty swallowed and shook her head. “No. No, absolutely not. It should be used for something like this.” She smiled suddenly. “Use it, and prove those old deer wrong. This town isn’t too dangerous for prey animals. We can all live together.”

Carlos grinned back, and she liked the fierceness in his smile. “We sure can.” He looked back to the group. “So, we got it for a song, and we’re ready to start setting up. I’m looking online for furniture and supplies and things—”

“I bet we can get some people to donate stuff,” Misty put in.

“I have the money—”

“It’s not just money,” Ty rumbled next to her, low and thoughtful. “It’s investment. If they donate their things, even if they’re old things, they’ll feel some kind of ownership over the place. More than if everything’s new.”

Misty nodded, and she saw Lynn and Stella nodding, too.

“Huh,” Carlos said thoughtfully. “I hadn’t thought of it like that.”

“We have some stuff up in the attic,” said Lynn. “Some of our grandmother’s things. She’d be pleased to see them put to use like this.”

“I’ll stop by Oliver’s and talk to my old coworkers,” Paul

ine said. “Some of them have kids who’d really benefit from this place. I know free childcare would sure appeal.”

“Good,” Carlos said. “Great! This is great.”