I was also branching out my social skills. I went out with Sunny, tried to join Nash’s friends on their Thursday girls’ night out if it didn’t conflict with work, and had taken to having coffee with Royal every morning I stayed at Nash’s place. I enjoyed the time spent with all of them, but there was something about Royal, something about watching another young woman struggle with a selfless, emotionally taxing job, that drew me to her. I didn’t have to try and be her friend anymore, I was just her friend … period.
I was running late. Nash had called on my lunch break and asked me to meet him at the new tattoo shop when I got off of work. I had a late admission and ended up having to stay an extra half hour until the doctor could get to them. I knew the contractor had just finished with everything in the new space and all they had left to do was get the final members of the staff in place so they could open up for business in a few weeks. It had been a labor of love, cost a pretty penny, but all of the Marked family was super excited for the new adventure to begin. I figured he just wanted to show his baby off, and I felt bad I was holding him up, so I reminded myself to oooh and awww with appropriate vigor. I was really proud of him.
I had to park around the corner and make my way through the typical after-work, LoDo crowd to get to the shop. The location was dy***ite; he wasn’t going to know what to do with himself when it took off like I knew it would. Nash was leaning against the glass storefront talking on his phone. He caught sight of me and gave me a wink. He couldn’t really stand around waiting without finding something to do with his hands. I think that’s how he avoided reaching for a cigarette. He was doing a great job quitting and every time he was tempted I reminded him he had made it all the way through the ordeal with Phil without lighting up, so there was no way he needed one now.
When I got to him he scooped me up in a rib-crushing hug and kissed me like we hadn’t had wild shower sex just that morning. I would be the luckiest girl in the world if he was always going to be that happy to see me.
“Did you get my text that I was going to be late?”
“Yep. It gave me time to wrap up the surprise.”
I gave him a funny look and noticed that the huge pane of glass that was the front of the store was covered in brown butcher’s paper.
“I thought you were just going to show me the new shop.”
He laughed and pulled on one of the pigtails I had been rocking at work.
“I am. It’s amazing, but I want to show you something first. We went round and round, tossed idea after idea back and forth about what the new shop should be called.”
I was starting to get a little anxious. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and looked up at him from under my pale lashes.
“What did you do, Nash?”
“This new shop is the future for the Marked, but you’re my future. I figured I might as well tie the two of them together because you are both my life.”
He reached behind him and pulled all the brown paper down off the glass, and I had to cover my mouth with my hands. All I could do was stare at him and back at the painted glass in stunned disbelief.
In old-fashioned lettering like one would find on an old curio shop or an old apothecary window was the name of the new shop: THE SAINTS OF DENVER TATTOO. It blew my mind and made me want to cry.
“Cora and the guys loved it. It’s different and goes with our retro theme we have going on.”
“Nash …” I couldn’t even think of what to say to him. It was an honor, but more than that, it was a testament as to how important I was always going to be to him.
“I hope you’re all right with it.”
He was gloating and I wanted to equal parts kiss him and kick him. I just tilted my head to the side and looked at him like he had lost his mind.
I asked him, “You’re amazing, you know that, right?”
He picked me up and swung me around until I was laughing so hard that I had tears running down my face.
He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t ever want you to regret giving me another chance, Saint.”
“You gave me another chance as well, Nash. I think when you’re in love that’s what you do, give chances and take chances. Now let’s go inside and you can show me your new baby.”
He pushed open the door to the shop that he had named after me and I followed him into our future. I didn’t need to look back anymore, to hold on to hurtful and damaging memories. I had Nash to always move toward, and more importantly I now had myself and all the things about me that made me who I was to hold on to. I loved a good man, a nice man, but more than that, I loved myself, and that fulfilled me in a way nothing else could because I knew I deserved the best and Nash Donovan was the best thing for me … ever.
EPILOGUE
“So what’s the verdict?”
Cora sent her gaze dancing between me and Rule like I was an idiot for even asking the question.
“I think that if you two boneheads don’t hire her, I might just murder you both.”
I snickered and Rule looked up from the little pink bundle he was holding in his tattooed hands with a frown.
“I’m the favorite uncle, you can’t murder me.” The baby cooed like she was totally in agreement with that statement even if Rule was her only uncle.
I didn’t tell either of them that I was going to hire her regardless of her qualifications because Phil had asked me to. He had some kind of plan and he had only been gone a few weeks, so I was still feeling the resonating loss and paying forward his crazy scheme seemed necessary.
The “she” in question had quite frankly knocked all three of us on our collective asses. I mean, I knew she was probably going to be easy on the eyes being a pinup model and all, but in person she was something else.
Salem Cruz was without a doubt the prettiest rock-and-roll chick I had ever laid eyes on and I could tell Rule agreed. She had a full sleeve tattooed on each arm, one classic Catholic images mixed with riotous Day of the Dead artwork and the other all old-school, Sailor Jerry–inspired work. She had long, caramel-colored hair that had a bloodred streak in the front of it, complete with swooping curls on top and long waves hanging down the back. Her eyes were as dark as the midnight sky, and I liked the way they twinkled like she knew something the rest of us didn’t. She was average height, but there was nothing average about the curves she was rocking, and all her retro glamour was topped off by a face that men in classic literature went to war for. She was the perfect blend of fifties pinup, rockabilly cool, and Latina sex goddess. She was just all-around impressive.