Amie:

We arrived in town in the afternoon, and I guided Martin to the diner. I had barely gotten out of the car when CeCe squealed and hugged me. I laughed and hugged her back.

“You look amazing!” she told me.

“Look who’s talking. You are radiating,” I said, and she giggled.

“I am annoyingly happy,” she confessed, making me laugh.

“As you should be. Come and meet my friend,” I said, pulling her over to where Martin stood with an amused smile. “CeCe, this is Martin. Martin, this is CeCe, the bride-to-be,” I introduced them.

“Hello, and congratulations,” he said.

“Thank you, and welcome to the metropolitan we call home.” CeCe leaned in to me. “That’s not the man you left with,” she whispered. Martin, with his improved hearing, had to fight not to laugh.

“I know,” I whispered back.

“Where is the other one? Did you dump him?” she continued our whispered conversation.

“I told you, Finlay and I are just friends. He had to go on a business trip,” I explained.

“And you just had a spare hunk lying around? What is this place you have moved to, and can I come as well?” she asked. Martin had to pretend to look for something in the back of his car, but the slight shaking of his shoulders told me he was laughing.

“CeCe!” I pretended to be shocked. “You are getting married tomorrow.”

“I know, but I mean…” she said, doing a small gesture behind Martin’s back, indicating his rear. I laughed.

“I’m happy you haven’t changed,” I told her. She sighed and shook her head.

“I’ll go to the coffee shop. Mrs. Andersen has turned the apartment into a guesthouse. It’s only right that we put you up,” she huffed as she showed us the apartment. At least the apartment had changed since I saw it last. It was now decorated in an idyllic style.

“No one is buying the friends act,” Martin mind-linked me as we said goodbye to Mrs. Andersen.

“Apparently not. We are lucky we didn’t decide to pretend to be dating. They would have made tomorrow into a double wedding,” I told him, and I could see him snickering.

We got ready for bed. Martin offered to sleep on the floor, which I refused. We were all adults and I trusted him. The bed was big enough for the two of us to sleep in without it being awkward. Before we went to bed, I called Finlay, and Martin called Sam. Everything was going well at the meeting of the packs, according to Finlay, but I heard how tired he sounded, and I knew something was up. It wasn’t the time to talk about it, though. If he told me everything was fine, whatever it was that bothered him didn’t have an impact on the pack, so it could wait until we all were back home again.

The ceremony would take place in the afternoon out on Jessie’s farm. Very little had changed in town, and the diner was still a meeting hub. The locals had heard about my return and many came by to say ‘hi’ and talk a little. Martin kept his word and made sure men kept a distance from me.

“Thank you. You look beautiful as always,” he said as we drove out to the farm. CeCe and Jessie had hired the entire senior high school class to act as sober drivers. It meant people didn’t need to skip the alcohol.

The ceremony was beautiful. CeCe was dressed in a long, lace gown that moved in the wind. Jessie looked at her with so much love it had me in tears. Martin held out his handkerchief, and I smiled as I took it.

“Thank you,” I mind-linked him.

The barn was decorated with lace fabric and hay bales. The tables were scattered throughout the open space and were decorated with wildflowers and fairy lights.

“It is, and thank you,” CeCe giggled.

“You heard the man, time to have some fun,” Martin said.