She clutched the phone to her chest and hugged it tightly. Maybe last night wasn’t the only night she would feel like she belonged somewhere. Maybe more nights like that would exist for her.
Hope bloomed in her chest, and she typed out a response that made perfect sense to her heart in this moment.
I can’t wait to come back to you and feel like myself again.Send.
Cam put a heart response on that immediately.
And okay. Okay.
They were going to figure it out, like he’d said. Maybe this wasn’t going to be easy, but that was okay. The effort would be worth it. She just knew it.
This had felt big from the moment Cam had kissed her, so okay.
She would see him again soon.
They would both make sure of that.
Maybe happily ever afters were meant for girls like Moira after all.
Epilogue
Lodge Five hadn’t changed a bit.
Moira looked around the cavernous living room to the loft above.
The squeal of the most annoying person on earth rattled her ears, and she turned to see Birdie rushing through her open front door to scoop her up in her arms. “I knew we would get cabins right next to each other!”
Old Moira would’ve shoved Birdie away and maybe kicked her in the shin to teach her not to ever touch her again, but over the past year, Moira had changed and that was thanks to a couple of things. One, Cam. God, that man had stolen her heart. She’d visited here every month, and he had visited her in Arizona just as much. Two, this little wild hamster shifter had blown up her phone until Moira had just accepted her fate and let her in.
Moira didn’t shove her away or kick her. She hugged her best friend back.
She was still slightly scared of Birdie’s inner hamster, but whatever. That would sort itself out in time. Probably.
“Are you wearing a light gray shirt?” Birdie asked, shock in her tone as she pushed Moira back to arm’s length. “And are those caramel highlights in your hair?” she asked louder.
Moira’s fashion palette was still black and gray, but she had added a little lighter gray here and there. It felt right.
“Hey, girl,” Moira greeted her, smiling. “And hi Lance,” she called to the man who was standing in the open doorway.
Lance waved. “Birdie has not stopped talking about your arrival,” he deadpanned.
“How was the move?” she asked Birdie.
“It was a little messy. I’ll catch you all up on it. The movers broke everything, but it’s okay! We are sorting it out.”
“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help.”
“Stop apologizing. You’re getting everything ready for your own move here. It’s a lot.” Birdie grinned so big. “We’re really going to be neighbors.”
“Technically, not at all. We’re moving to Cam’s cabin.”
“It’s within ten miles of our place. It counts! Wait…” Birdie looked around. “Where is Cam?”
“ATV tour. He’ll be here any second. He had a huge group book last minute.”
Brock and Ava leaned into the open doorway to say hi, and God, it was so good to have everyone back together again. Moira and Birdie had been coordinating their trips here so they could all hang out for after-hours lodge nights playing uno and eating leftovers, and Moira had grown to truly love these people.
She closed the gap and hugged Ava, rocked back and forth as her friend chattered about how fun UnValentine’s Day week was going to be this year.
