We both burst out laughing.
“Looks like we’re being summoned,” Tory says, nodding at my father, who waves us over to join him at the table he’s sitting at with Grady and several others.
“Dibs on the seat next to Peter,” Granny says, elbowing us both aside to be the first to arrive at the table.
“I love her,” I tell Tory.
“What can I say? She’s family,” Tory says with a wink. “I only hope I inherit her spunk when I’m her age.”
“How old is she?”
“Only God knows.” Tory laughs. “Seems like her birthday changes every year.”
I’m still grinning when I arrive at the table and take a seat between Grady and Dad. Granny steals the chair on Dad’s other side, no surprise.
“We were just discussing something, Willow,” Dad says.
“Yeah? What’s that?” I brace myself for more bad news, purely because it’s been too weird thinking the worst is truly over.
He looks at Grady slowly. My gaze flicks between the two of them and the slow, wide grins stretching across their faces.
“How does The Dallas Exotic Learning and Rescue Center sound? Is that too long a name?” Grady asks, his eyes purring with mellow brown heat. “Of course, you can have the final say, but we were working on ideas.”
“Rescue?” I shake my head to clear my thoughts but can’t slow the rising thrum of my pulse.
“A rescue center for wild animals here in Dallas,” Dad says with a nonchalant shrug. “Those poor animals seized in Minot need a place to go, and the Feds are rarely good at handling this sort of thing.”
My jaw almost hits the floor, and he’s not even done.
Holy freaking crap.
“Grady has the land. You have the experience—thanks to yours truly. Seems like quite the perfect partnership to me. I’ve already submitted the first donation, and everyone around this table has pledged their help as well, big and small. Not just financially, but—” He winks at Sawyer and Avery who are standing behind us, their eyes wide and bright, focused on me. “Physically as well. I think it’s a win-win for this town and for several dozen large cats.”
“Think about how many animals we can have!” Avery gushes, pulling her hair over her face so nothing but her pearly white smile shows.
“We’ll help you all the time, Willow! So will the entire town,” Sawyer adds. “Every day. We’ll even help you come up with the best name.”
“Careful with that one,” Grady says with a chuckle.
Jaw, meet floor.
Stunned doesn’t begin to describe it.
I’m thoroughly flabbergasted, thrilled, but I don’t dare get my hopes up too high. “Guys. Whoa. This is a lot to take on. Permits for a real, legit sanctuary take plenty of—”
“Consider it done. Between the local sheriff’s department and my connections,” my father says, pointing at Drake. “Permits won’t be an issue. I believe we’ll have everything expedited very easily. I’d say we could start breaking ground on outdoor pens within the next week or two.”
Laughter, clapping, and cheering abounds.
Everyone around the table starts talking about what they’ll do to help.
I turn to Grady. “Are you sure about this? It’s a huge commitment.”
The noise dies down as he looks at me and nods.
“Only a hundred and ten percent sure,” he growls, clasping my hand.
That’s when I know.
The dancing sunlight in his eyes isn’t just excitement, but the deepest, truest love I’ll ever find.
Eep times a million.
I’m touched, tearing up, and shredded in my soul by just how strong his love is.
How real.
And all for me.
Finally, I throw my hands in the air, my voice shaking as I tell them, “Okay, I’m in! I’ll give it my very best.”
And the look Grady throws me says he’s even more sure of that fact than I am.
This life, this town, this man deserve nothing less.
24
Tiger by the Tail (Grady)
Months Later
I’d thought I knew what busting ass meant back when I bought the bar and worked like hell for the grand re-opening.
Ha.
That shit was nothing compared to starting an entire rescue center for fantastic beasts.
The rewards this time around have already soared higher than anything the Purple Bobcat ever delivered. Every cut, every drop of sweat, every late night making calls with contractors and friends and taking inventory till my eyes were red and sore...
Hell yeah, it was worth it.
Willow Macklin is in her glory, and that makes me the happiest man on the planet.
Of course, Sawyer and Avery are also so pumped I’m scared for them.
Not just with all the animals, but with the man they already lovingly refer to as Grandpa Peter.
Doc Macklin has been a major help in everything. We’re not even close to done. There’s still a lot more coming, but as Peter says, “With tigers, there always will be.”
He’s right about that.
It’s only been three months since we broke ground, but as of last week, the animals once housed in Minot have found their new homes here. Lions, tigers, jaguars, snow leopards, lemurs, gibbons, and even a few crocodiles now share what was once McKnight land.
I grin every time I imagine what my parents would’ve thought if they could see this.
Numerous barns and sheds dot the hills around my place alongside massive pens and spacious exercise areas, plus a special outdoor pen for Bruce, who has his own shiny new mini barn that’ll be his home till the day he dies.
Large metal bars now surround the huge center behind the door where he comes in and out. I did the welding and installation work with Weston last week, all so the girls can safely visit their favorite ‘pet’ damn near every day.
The familiar arms that fold around my waist from behind make me smile. I turn, fully engulfing Willow in a hug that could move mountains.
“The parking lot is already filling up!” she says happily, her blue eyes one more splash of beauty in the fall leaves turning the landscape into a living painting.
“Excited for the big day?” I ask.
I still can’t believe it’s the grand opening today. People from around the world have arrived to see the ribbon cutting at the Dallas Exotic Learning and Rescue Center.
“Too excited.” She kisses me five times before she can find her words again. “Thank you for this, Grady. Thank you. I couldn’t have even dreamed up this place.”
“Woman, I couldn’t have dreamed you,” I growl back, bringing her hand to my lips, fighting back the urge to press my mouth to every inch of her.
There’ll be plenty of time for that later.
She steps back. “What are you doing in here, anyway?”
I grin and kiss the tip of her nose.
“Just telling Bruce to behave himself today. Nothing like making a great first impression, right?” Taking her hand, I lead her to the door. “Let’s get this crazy tiger show on the road.”
We leave the barn and climb into the new side-by-side ATV I bought to make driving to the rescue easier. We chose an area over a mile away from the house where the main facility begins, and the public areas are even farther, so we’ll still have plenty of privacy.