by R. E. Butler
Hope covered the platter with plastic wrap. “We need to leave or I’m going to eat every dang one of these.”
“I’m ready when you are.”
In minutes they were on their way to Special Day Dresses, the shop where every pride female shopped for their wedding gowns. The owner designed custom gowns as well as carrying a wide selection of designers. Hope’s wedding was August fifth, the first Saturday in the month, just days after she’d be able to cast the spell to call for the goddess to appear.
Once they were inside the shop, Treasure sat on a comfortable red velvet couch and sipped on fizzy strawberry lemonade while Hope tried on her first dress.
“Are you all set for your special day?” Honor asked.
Treasure turned the camera on her phone to show her face and smiled at her bestie’s mom. “We still have to finish making the decorations, but I have my dress and accessories.”
“I wish we could come early to help, but Faith has summer camp, so we won’t be able to get there until the day before.”
“It would be cool if you could be here, too. I know Hope misses all of you guys, but I’m just glad you can come for the ceremony.”
“We wouldn’t miss it.”
“I don’t know about this one,” Hope called from within a curtained dressing room.
Treasure pointed the camera back around and said, “Let us see!”
Hope opened the curtain and stepped out in a gauzy princess-style wedding gown that sparkled with crystals. She stepped onto a circular stage and faced the mirrors that allowed her to see herself from different angles. “Ugh. I look like I should be singing a song in a cartoon with woodland creatures around me.”
Treasure snorted so hard that she coughed, and then nearly dropped her phone because she was laughing. “Princess Hope, coming to a theater near you.”
“I said I wasn’t sure about it,” Hope said, narrowing her eyes at Treasure. “You just confirmed it for me.”
“I’m sorry, I promise I’ll be good. You didn’t laugh at me when I put on that dress that was a size too small, took a deep breath, and popped two of the buttons.”
“I did laugh. Just not to your face.”
“Oh, thanks. Go try on another one. We’ve got all day.”
Hope stepped from the stage, the dress swishing as she moved. The owner of the boutique carried another gown into the changing room and brought out the one Hope had been wearing, fixing it back on the hanger and putting it in a dress bag to protect it.
“I watched a TV show where the bridal dresses were really over-the-top, all bright colors and covered with crystals, with huge trains,” Treasure said.
“Ashland’s pretty conservative,” Alma, the owner, said. “But I’d put together whatever a bride wanted if I was asked.”
“What did your dress look like, Alma?” Honor asked.
“We didn’t have a lot of money,” she said with a sweet smile, “so I got married in a seafoam green skirt and matching jacket, with a ruffly lace blouse that matched the short veil I made. I was just learning how to sew, and I’d borrowed the silk suit from a friend. When we had our twenty-year anniversary, I made a dress for myself that was like what I’d wanted but couldn’t afford, and it was really nice to finally get that walk down the aisle in the dress with the long train.”
“Now this is more like it,” Hope said as she walked out of the room and stepped onto the stage.
The floor-length lace dress went from white on the bodice to a deep pink at the bottom.
“Oh, it’s so pretty,” Treasure said.
Hope turned and looked at the back and smiled. “I like the pink.”
“It’s an ombre dye,” Alma said.
“What do you think, Mom?” Hope asked.
“It’s beautiful and so are you. I’m going to cry; I wish I was there!”
Treasure smiled at the sweet words shared between mother and daughter.
“I have another one I want to try,” Hope said, “but I kind of think this is the one.”
“Get to it, bestie,” Treasure said.
Although the third dress was pretty, Hope’s heart was set on the pink one. Alma took the measurements while Treasure brought sample veils and head pieces for her to try on. She settled on a pretty headband of flowers made of crystals and little loops of wire, tied underneath with a white ribbon. Alma brought out a few bridesmaid dresses for Treasure to try on, and she picked a simple lace tank dress in a pink that matched the bottom of Hope’s dress.
“It matches your hair, too,” Hope said. “I think we should wear sandals, and get pedicures the morning of the ceremony so we can have cute toes.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Treasure said as she walked off the stage and into the dressing room. She changed into her normal clothes and carried the dress out to Alma.
“I’ll get right on these alterations,” Alma said cheerfully. “I’m so happy you both found what you were looking for.”
“Us, too,” Hope said. She said goodbye to her mom on the video app and ended the call, handing the phone to Treasure. “Did I say thank you for being here for me today?”
“Where else would I be but by my bestie’s side?” She hooked her arm though Hope’s and thanked Alma for her help.
“Coffee’s calling,” Hope said as they walked out of the boutique.
“It’s not just calling, it’s screaming and yodeling at the same time.”
Hope laughed as she got into the car. Treasure sat and turned the engine on, grimacing at the hot air that came out of the vents until the air conditioning kicked in.
“I promised Kev and Bri that I’d bring them home some almond croissants, so don’t let me forget.”
“You got it. Wanna see a movie tonight or something?”
“Can’t, have a date with Kev.”
“What are you doing on your date?”
“I’m not sure, he’s planning it.”
“I like that you go on separate dates with your mates but also go out together, too.”
“It’s a little easier with two mates than three, I’m sure. Sometimes Brian’s schedule is so screwy that we don’t get to go out as a mated group as often as we’d like, but we do the best we can. It’ll be better when we’re living in the same house.”
“I think so, too. Speaking of living in the same house, I decided to move into the boarding house after you get mated. I think it’ll be tough to be in one room, but it’s only until our place is built.”
“When do you get the plans back from the architect?”
They’d hired the same local architect to create the plans for their home that Treasure and her mates had used.
“Next week. We’ve got the construction crew ready to break ground once the land surveys are done. There’s so much that goes into building a house, it’s daunting.”
“It is, but it goes by fast.”
They arrived at the coffee shop, where they each ordered their favorite beverages and several pastries. Treasure nearly forgot the almond croissants for her mates, but Hope reminded her at the last second before they left, which made her two favorite males very, very happy.
* * *
Kevin buttoned the cuffs of his dark-green dress shirt and tugged on them, then grabbed his belt off the bed and threaded it through the loops. Treasure was waiting for him to pick her up for their date. Brian was working, so he had the pleasure of being alone with his sweetheart for the evening. Grabbing his wallet, keys, and phone, he sent her a quick text that he was on the way as he jogged down the stairs to the kitchen. Sam and his dad were making cookies, and Hope, Owen, Nathan, and Ben were sitting at the table talking quietly and looking at a tablet.
“What’s the plan for tonight?” Sam asked.
“A fondue restaurant. I thought Treasure would enjoy it.”
“Sounds fun,” Grant said.
Owen sat back and cracked his neck. “We’re making the food decisions for the reception.”
“Oh, good times,” Kevin said. �
��Treasure would say to let Hope pick everything and just nod your head and smile.”
“I’ve been trying to tell them that.” Hope grinned.
“What’s the saying?” Grant asked. “Happy wife, happy life?”
“It’s good advice to follow,” Sam said.
“To be fair, Brian and I only care that we’re mated and married at the end of the night. Everything else is just details.”
“I love that,” Sam said. “You three are adorable.”
“I have an idea,” Hope said. “Do you remember where we went on our first date?”
Her mates all nodded.
Ben said, “Sure, why?”
“Because it was a special occasion for us, a milestone if you will, and it would be fun to recreate that menu for our special night.”
“What did you guys have?” Grant asked.
“It was a family-style Italian place,” Owen said. “We shared mozzarella caprese, chicken parmesan, and a platter of spaghetti with the most amazing sauce.”
“And we had gelato for dessert,” Hope said.
“Do you want us to get them to cater it?” Sam asked.
“Will Lisa mind? She always does so much of the cooking and baking for the pride’s special events,” Hope said.
“I’m sure she won’t mind at all,” Sam said. “If you get her the information, she can coordinate the catering.”
“We should still have a cake, don’t you think?” Owen asked. “Gelato is good, but I like the traditional stuff, too.”
“Of course,” Hope said.
“Sounds like things are going smoothly for you in the planning,” Kevin said. “It’s really wonderful when it works out like that.”
“Did you guys disagree with any of the planning stuff?” Nathan asked.
“Not really. Brian and I weren’t picky with the food or the cake; the only thing we really had to discuss at length was the song we were going to choose for our first dance.”
“What did you do?” Hope asked.
“Well, we drew straws for our first dance as a trio, and Brian’s song is the one we’re going with. Then for his dance alone with Treasure, they’ll dance to her choice, and when she and I dance alone, it’ll be to my choice.”
“Way to compromise,” Grant said. “You clearly learned by example.”
Sam snorted. “Oh, okay.”
“What?” Grant asked, pulling her close and smiling down at her. “I’m amazingly agreeable.”
“If you say so.”
“So you’re agreeing with me?”
“Oh my gosh!” Sam rolled her eyes. “That’s not what that means.”
Kevin laughed at his parents’ antics. “As much fun as it is watching you two banter, I gotta run. My sweetheart’s waiting.”
“Have a good night,” Grant said.
Kevin said goodbye and headed out to his truck. By the time he reached Rhett and Lisa’s, his cat was purring in anticipation of spending time with Treasure. He knocked on the front door and greeted Rhett when he opened it for him.
“Evening,” Rhett said. “She’s in the kitchen.”
“Thanks,” he said as he walked inside the house. Treasure was standing next to Lisa, who was seated at the kitchen table, using a hot glue gun to stick a string of pearls to a vase. “Hey.”
“Hi,” Lisa said.
Treasure beamed at him as she joined him, kissing his cheek. “Missed you.”
“Missed you, too. Ready to go?”
“Sure,” she said.
Lisa held up the vase, which had a wide strip of white lace around the middle with the string of pearls glued in the center. “What do you think? For the tables at the reception.”
“They look great,” he said.
“With flowers in them, it’ll be a nice pop of color on the tables,” Lisa said. “Where are you two going tonight?”
“Dinner.”
“Have fun,” she said. “I’ll just be here, making the rest of the centerpieces.”
“You’re the best,” Treasure said, kissing her cheek.
After saying goodbye to Lisa and then Rhett, they headed out to his truck. He held open the door for her. She was wearing a short blue dress with high-heeled sandals, her toenails painted a pearly pink color to match her fingernails.
“You look gorgeous,” he said, giving her a proper kiss.
She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling, as she slid into the passenger seat. “Thank you.”
He sat behind the wheel and turned the engine on. “I have an idea for a place to eat. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
“What is it?”
Pulling away from the house, he turned toward town. “It’s a fondue restaurant.”
“A fon-what-now?”
He picked up her hand and kissed the top. “Fondue. They bring platters of bite-sized food to your table and you either cook them in hot oil or dip them in hot sauces, like cheese. What do you think?”
“I don’t know what to think about it.”
“It’ll be fun, trust me.”
“You know I do.”
“Good.” He beamed at her.
He asked about her day, chuckling when she explained that she’d been working so intently on a statute for an online client that she didn’t hear Rhett calling her, and nearly singed his eyebrows with her dragon-fire when he surprised her in the workshop.
“I bet he doesn’t interrupt you like that again,” he said.
“He apologized, but I had the volume up on my headphones so I didn’t hear him. I was just glad that I didn’t actually hurt him.”
“I’m sure he’s glad for that, too.”
“You were busy today?”
“Always. I did all the edging around the four houses, and I helped Chase put together the new swing set for their kids. We had to dig holes for the main posts and fill them with concrete.”
“That swing set is so big! I’m sure the kids will love it.”
The wooden play set had a playhouse, a climbing wall, two slides, and enough swings for their five children.
“We can build one for our kids when the time comes,” he said.
“You think about having kids?”
“Sure. Do you?” The idea of having a child – or more than one – with Treasure was something he’d recently been considering. They’d spent so long in a holding pattern, mated but not able to truly start their life together, that he’d pushed the thoughts of their future to the back of his mind. Now that things were moving forward, the clock winding down to when they’d be able to finally live together as a mated group, he allowed himself to freely think about just what that future might entail.
“Yeah. I was an only child, so I want to have more than one kid. Maybe two or three, or however many you and Bri want.” He could hear the smile in her voice.
“I’m pretty sure he and I are on the same page; we want to have as many as you’d like.”
She leaned on his shoulder. “After our honeymoon, I think I’ll get off birth control. It’ll probably take a while before all my lady parts get back to normal after being on it for so many years.”
“I believe the timing with this sort of thing works itself out,” he said. “Whenever you’re pregnant will be the right time for us.”
“Me, too.”
Dinner was an interesting experiment as Treasure figured out how to cook and then safely eat the foods on the little metal skewers. She was thrilled with the platters of different things to try. She looked up at him from where she was twirling a square of pound cake in a pot of melted dark chocolate.
“You’ve got a weird look on your face.”
“Just thinking about how adorable you are.”
With a brilliant smile that made a dimple form in one cheek, she lifted the glistening dessert from the pot and ate it, groaning. “Dong, that’s good.”
He nearly snorted his soda into his brain. Wiping his chin with his napkin, he set his glass on the table and said, “You mean ‘dang.’”
; “What did I say?” She blinked wide, innocent eyes at him.
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart.”
“You’d think after all this time living here I’d have a better grasp of the language.”
“It’s part of what makes you amazing and unique.”
She smiled sweetly at him. “I think you’re amazing and unique, too.”
When they’d eaten their fill of the dessert fondue, he signaled the waiter for the check. After paying, he stood and offered her a hand, helping her to her feet. She smiled up at him, pressing herself a little closer. “Thank you for dinner. I love it when we can do things as a couple, almost as much as I love it when all three of us are together.”
He brushed his lips over hers. “I love it, too.”
They left the restaurant, and he opened the truck door for her before settling behind the wheel. “We could go see a movie.”
“In your bedroom?” she asked, buckling her seatbelt and smiling at him in a way that said she wasn’t really thinking about watching anything but him.
He couldn’t quite contain the happy purr that rumbled in his chest. “That sounds like a plan.”
He drove to the boarding house and parked among the vehicles, then opened Treasure’s door and helped her out. They walked into the house together, stopping in the kitchen to pop a bag of microwave popcorn – kettle corn, which was her favorite – and gather drinks.
“Hey,” Alek said, coming into the kitchen from the back porch.
“Hi,” Kevin said. He looked through the kitchen window and saw Alek’s mate Lachlyn, and her other mate, Jericho, sitting around the firepit.
“You’re welcome to join us,” Alek said, opening the fridge and retrieving water bottles. “We went to see a movie and were just relaxing under the stars. Dad and Rue took the kids to a trampoline park so we could have a date night.”
“Thanks for the offer, but we’re going to watch a movie upstairs,” Kevin said. “We just got back from dinner.”
He nodded in understanding. “See you guys later.”
Alek disappeared outside, and Kevin looked down at his mate. “Ready?”
“Lead the way.”
They went up to their bedroom, and he opened the door and let her in, closing and locking it behind them.