The tavern erupted into cheers, and Abigail sighed with relief as she returned his kiss, throwing her arms around his neck and holding him tight.

  “You might have mentioned it once or twice,” she said, fighting back tears. Beastie, sensing a celebration, jumped up on the two of them, resting her large paws on Roan’s arm.

  “Beastie knows,” Roan said. “I love you, too, and I hope the three of us can be together for the rest of our lives.”

  “I would love nothing more,” she whispered, dangerously close to tears as Roan shook Beastie off.

  “I’m sorry that I doubted you for even a moment.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, using his other hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. “I should have known you would never be part of that. Especially after what you told me about your childhood, I should have known better. For him to claim you as his daughter when he appeared surprised me so much that I couldn’t think straight.”

  “But you still stepped between us,” Abigail pointed out, resting her hand on his chest and smiling up at him.

  “I would have, too,” Tanner shouted before several voices told him to hush.

  Abigail laughed and rested her head on Roan’s chest, hoping to hide her blush from the men in the tavern. “I don’t suppose you want to take this to your office?” she asked quietly.

  “That sounds like a grand idea,” Roan said, and she didn’t have to look up to see the glare he was directing at the men. “Conrad’s in charge.”

  He leaned down and scooped her up in his arms to a cacophony of cheers. Abigail laughed, sure that her face was as pink as his grandmother’s dress as he kicked the door open and walked down the hallway to his office.

  “You didn’t have to carry me,” she teased.

  “I wanted to,” he said as he nudged the door shut behind them and set her down, backing her up against it.

  Any other man, and she would have been intimidated.

  Even a week ago, this would have been too much, but now she felt nothing but happiness as he leaned against the doorway on one forearm and ran his fingers through her hair.

  She felt safe.

  “You saved me,” he said. “If you hadn’t been here, I never would have found someone that I could care for more than a tavern. None of those idiots in there would have been enough.”

  Abigail snorted. “You mean you wouldn’t have fallen in love with Tanner?”

  Roan rolled his eyes. “Tanner needs to grow up,” he muttered. “The boy is going to drive me to insanity if he doesn’t.”

  “I don’t suppose anyone else would have helped you clean the tavern,” Abigail said, pretending to think hard.

  “As if that’s the only reason I fell in love with you,” Roan muttered.

  Her eyes filled with tears again. “You love me.”

  Roan smiled as he leaned down. “I do. I love you very much. And I intend to spend the rest of our lives making sure you don’t forget it.”

  He leaned down, and she pressed up on her tiptoes to kiss him once again, and the whole world disappeared until it was just the two of them.

  Was this really happening?

  “You know what?” she asked.

  Roan raised an eyebrow.

  “I think my father cursing you might be the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  Roan let out a harsh laugh. “If you had told me that a week ago, I would have laughed at you.”

  “You just did,” she pointed out.

  “I would have laughed more,” he said.

  “Because you love to laugh so much,” she teased.

  He snorted, which made her laugh, which made him laugh.

  Somehow they ended up sitting on the floor, leaning up against the door to his office, laughing hysterically. His arm was around her, and she leaned against him, and while she wasn’t quite sure how they’d gotten here, she couldn’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else.

  “I am so glad it wasn’t just a dream,” Roan said after a moment, “even if in the beginning I thought it was a beastly dream.”

  “You’re the only beast here,” Abigail responded, enjoying the frown that creased between his eyes, because it gave her the opportunity to reach up and smooth it away. “But you’re my beast.”

  She smiled winningly and Roan shook his head. “I suppose I can live with that,” he said, leaning in to kiss her again.

  Chapter fifteen

  Roan

  He missed Abigail.

  The thought was irritating. He had gone from being a perfectly self-sufficient man a week ago to feeling alone without her.

  Roan hurried to the tavern. Maybe she would be there early.

  He’d walked her home the night before—their first official outing as a couple. And today was their first day opening the tavern together since everything had happened…and it was also the day he was hoping to apologize to his brother and return the letters.

  But first, he needed to see Abigail.

  Beastie trotted after him as he hurried toward the tavern. Would Abigail feel the same way and also be there early, or was she enjoying the feeling of a real bed again?

  He arrived at the tavern and unlocked the front door, turning to look for her before he entered the building. There she was, just coming into view, wearing a different dress than she’d been wearing, and smiling wide when she saw him.

  She was perfect.

  “Hello, my love,” she called as she came within speaking distance.

  “Hello, darling,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist the moment he could and pulling her to him.

  “Did you sleep well? I missed dreaming with you,” she admitted, resting her hand on his chest and smiling up at him.

  He’d missed it, too. After spending nearly every moment together for the past week, it was disturbing to be alone again.

  “Did you change your mind at all?” he asked. Distance might have made a difference for her, even though he hoped desperately that it didn’t.

  “I did not,” she assured him, smiling up at him as she leaned up on her tiptoes.

  He leaned down to kiss her, holding her tight in an effort to show just how much he’d missed her overnight.

  If this was how they felt after one night, what was it going to be like when they spent weeks apart?

  “I missed knowing you were in the same building while I was sleeping,” Abigail admitted quietly. “I feel safer with you.”

  Roan nodded. “I felt the same way,” he said. “My brother wasn’t home last night—he probably slept at the orphanage—and it was odd being alone with Beastie.”

  He sighed and followed her into the kitchen, where she put on the kettle and he began pulling out bowls.

  “Did you not eat this morning?” she asked, glancing at the bowls with a smile.

  “No,” he said, turning red. “I was in too much of a hurry to come see you.”

  Abigail laughed. “I didn’t eat, either,” she admitted, “for the same reason.”

  “This is ridiculous.” Roan dropped the bowls on the counter and crossed his arms. “How are we supposed to carry on like this? We should just get married, and then I don’t have to pay you, and we can just live together.”

  Abigail dropped the kettle and looked up at him with wide eyes.

  “I mean, I wasn’t really proposing,” he stammered, glancing between the kettle, which had splashed water everywhere, and Abigail, “but I do think that maybe someday we should get married. I mean, if you want. Not that you have to. I know that you probably have better options. And why would you want to marry me when I’m just the tavern grump who’s rude to everyone, makes mistakes, and doesn’t know what he’s doing? And I am sure you have better options and shouldn’t waste yourself on me.”

  “Now who’s talking too much?” Abigail teased, stepping closer and using her fingers to cover his mouth. “I don’t have any better options, and we can discuss this more later. I think it’s too soon, but I am definitely interested,” she said with a smile, removing her fingers and pressing a quick kiss to his lips before she whirled away to grab the kettle.

  “Not so fast,” Roan growled, grabbing her arm and twirling her back toward him. “Do you mean that?” he asked.

  Abigail’s eyes softened. “I do,” she said quietly. “I would love nothing more…but I do think it’s too soon.”

  Roan sighed. “I think you’re right,” he said, even if he didn’t like it. Beastie pushed her way in between the two of them and sat at their feet, looking up at them with her tongue out and panting.

  “You just can’t stand not being in the middle of things, can you?” Roan asked, reaching over to pet her at the same time Abigail did. Their fingers brushed, and Roan used the opportunity to snag her hand and slide his fingers through hers.

  “I can’t wait until you decide it’s time,” he said, squeezing her hand. “But I will wait as long as it takes.”

  “I will let you know,” Abigail promised, pressing up on her toes to seal that promise with a kiss.

  A few weeks after the curse had been broken, the tavern was completely different. Roan surveyed the room, which was full of people, and looked down at Abigail with a smile. She had planned this event to celebrate his birthday, but the real present was her. She was wearing his grandmother’s gown, looking absolutely stunning, and he had never been happier.

  Everyone was here—his brother Nathaniel and his sweetheart, all their regulars, the blacksmith and his daughter, and more, including guests he didn’t quite recognize by name but recognized anyway.

  It was an event fit for a king. Not that he was the king, but he felt like it as he looked around the room full of people, all of whom were paying him for food and drink, and the woman he loved. She had taken the budget from running negative every month to having extra this month, and this party promised to add even more to their coffers.

  Which was perfect, because he wanted to propose to Abigail, and he needed to buy a ring.

  Abigail brought out a whole mess of pies she had been baking all day, and Conrad reached over and helped himself to a piece promptly.

  “I wasn’t serving that yet,” Abigail said with a teasing tone before walking away.

  “She shouldn’t have put it in front of me, then,” Conrad pointed out, but he wasn’t talking to Roan. He was watching a young woman with coppery hair and a bright smile who was talking to Nathaniel and Thea.

  “Who is she?” Roan asked, bumping Conrad on the shoulder.

  “Her name is Linnea,” Conrad responded. “She’s training to cover the café while Nathaniel and Thea go on their honeymoon.”

  Roan glanced at Linnea in surprise. He wouldn’t have picked her to be Conrad’s type, but Conrad hadn’t stopped looking at her since she entered the room. “Go for it, man,” he told him. “Women may be difficult sometimes, but they’re worth it.”

  “I heard that,” Abigail said, appearing next to him with a mischievous grin. “I’m difficult?”

  “In the best way possible, darling,” Roan said, pulling her close and wrapping his arm around her waist. “May I have this dance?”

  “You’re just trying to get me to forget that you called me difficult,” she said, a wicked smile on her face, but she took the hand he held out and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.

  Well, it wasn’t quite a dance floor, but a bit of extra space in the middle of the tavern counted.

  At Roan’s nod, Lyle picked up his fiddle and began to play a merry tune. Abigail looked up at him, a question in her eyes, and Roan twirled her instead of answering. Yes, he’d arranged it with Lyle. Dancing with Abigail was one of his favorite things to do. “I love you,” he said, after twirling her and dipping her down before pulling her back up. “Thank you for fixing everything.”

  “It’s what I do,” Abigail said, her eyes twinkling. “I improve everything.”

  “Well, you’ve certainly improved me,” Roan said.

  As they twirled around the floor, other couples joining them, satisfaction pulsed through him.

  She had improved more than just him—she’d impacted everyone in this tavern for the better.

  He couldn’t wait to see what else they would improve, together, for the rest of their lives.

  Epilogue

  Abigail and Roan entered the Cozy Cat Café hand in hand.

  Roan’s brother Nathaniel and his wife Thea had been married for several months, and they were finally going on their honeymoon. They were here to say goodbye…and to make sure Linnea knew that they were here if she needed help.

  Though Abigail wouldn’t be surprised if Conrad also volunteered his assistance.

  “Aren’t you glad you brought their letters back?” Abigail whispered as they waited in line to purchase something. She firmly believed in supporting other businesses, especially when they were owned by family.

  Roan simply gave her a look, and Abigail resisted the urge to giggle.

  Nat and Thea were an absolutely adorable couple, and she loved watching them work together on the other side of the counter. They hadn’t noticed Abigail and Roan in the line yet, and watching them work together in perfect harmony was always so enjoyable. And fortunately, they didn’t hate Roan for stealing their letters—at least, they said they didn’t.

  Abigail and Thea had become fast friends, and the brothers were working on their relationship. Things were going well, at least as far as Abigail was concerned.

  “I can’t believe they’re actually going on a honeymoon,” Abigail said, reaching for Roan’s hand simply because she could.

  “I can,” Roan said. “It’s just the sort of thing he always wanted to do—go back to Riyel. It doesn’t surprise me at all that he wants to take her back there now that they’re married, so they can see it all one more time. I can’t believe they’re leaving the café, though.”

  “Would you ever leave the tavern?” Abigail asked.

  Roan looked down at her with such alarm written on his face that she couldn’t help giggling.

  “I’m not saying we should,” she said. “I’m asking if you would.”

  “If you wanted me to,” Roan said slowly, but the words were shaky, and she wasn’t sure she believed him.

  “I’m not asking,” she added, patting his arm so he could take a breath again.

  Roan sighed dramatically. “Oh, good. I don’t think there’s anyone I would trust with it—yet.”

  “Maybe Morgan,” Abigail said, referring to the blacksmith’s daughter who occasionally helped her. “But no, you’re right. I can’t think of anyone else.”

  Nathaniel caught sight of them and offered a brief nod. His hand reached out to snag Thea’s elbow, and he pointed her attention to them.

  Thea smiled and hurried out to give Abigail a hug, while Nathaniel and Roan clasped hands over the counter.

  It was better than nothing.

  “I can’t believe you’re actually leaving,” Abigail said.

  “I know,” Thea said, anxious excitement in her voice.

  “I’m so nervous,” Linnea admitted from the other side of the counter.

  “But I know you’ll be here to help if she needs it,” Thea said.

  “Of course we will,” Abigail said, looking up at Roan with a smile. “The café tends to be busier before we are, so I’ll pop in to check on her and make sure she doesn’t need anything. Roan can manage the tavern on his own if things get busy here.”

  “That’s what you think,” Roan said.

  Abigail patted his arm. “You’ll be fine, dear. I’m looking forward to spending a little more time with Linnea.” And not just because Conrad had started acting a little shy anytime the café was mentioned, but because she seemed lovely. “It will be great and you will have a wonderful trip. I know it.”

  Nathaniel came around the counter and reached for his wife’s hand. “The cart is loaded,” he said, smiling down at her. “Are you ready to go?”

  “I just have to say goodbye to Ginger first,” she added, hurrying over to the fireplace where the café’s namesake, a long-haired orange cat, was sitting and waiting for them. She said goodbye to the cat, and then Nat and Thea left, leaving Abigail and Roan with a very nervous Linnea standing behind the counter.

  Abigail let a bit of her magic slip out to ease the poor girl’s nerves, improve the peace in the building, and make everything taste a little bit better.

  “Everything will be fine,” she told Linnea. “You’ll see.”

  “Thank you,” the girl said with a shaky smile. “I hope I’ll do them proud.”

  “I’m sure you will,” Abigail said before reaching for Roan’s hand. “We’ll be down at the tavern, but I’ll come and check on you if you need me.”

  “Thank you,” Linnea said, sounding only slightly terrified as they left the café.

  Abigail let Roan pull her back toward the tavern. It was faster than she would have liked to walk, but he always got antsy when he was away from the Lucky Goat.

  “I thought we’d never get back,” he teased as he unlocked the building.

  “Oh, was there something you desperately needed to do?” she quipped.

  “Yes,” he said, twirling her into his arms like they were dancing and dipping her backward to kiss her dramatically before pulling her back up into his chest.

  Abigail flushed. “That was a good reason, I suppose,” she said, resting her hand on his chest. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead as Beastie came bounding out of the kitchen toward them. He’d installed a door for her so she could go out in the backyard whenever she wanted, and she was much happier now.

  So was Abigail.

  She had never been more joyful, and as she let a little magic seep out into the room around them, she knew it would only get better from here.

  ***

  See Roan propose to Abigail in their bonus epilogue at

  https://chickadeelanepress.com/beastly-epilogue