"I've noticed that the Swanson men move fast when they see something they want," Caitlyn said dryly. "I originally came up here for a week to follow up on a lead for a story. I met Mark when I got into a car accident on the way to Bearpaw Ridge. A week later, we were an item."
"That's funny," Annabeth added, "because Dane was my very first customer at the bakery—"
"Hey!" Mark said. "I was there too! And so was Evan!"
"She didn't notice you guys, because Dane was clearly The One for her," Steffi interjected, to more laughter.
"…and we got married four months later," Annabeth finished. She pinned Cassie with an inquiring look. "So now that you've sealed your mating, when are you two planning to get married?"
"Uh…" Cassie threw Thor a slightly panicked look.
They had only been mated for a day and a half, so she hadn't given the next step any thought yet.
He looked just as confounded as she.
"And will you be holding the ceremony and reception here, where your family and neighbors can attend?" Elle's suddenly sharp hazel gaze felt like it was pinning Cassie to the back of her chair. "Or elsewhere?"
"Actually, we haven't had a chance to talk about logistics yet," Thor said calmly.
"Does that mean you're thinking about Denver or even Texas?" Elle pressed, her gaze never leaving Cassie.
The tension was suddenly thick as molasses in the dining room.
"I wouldn't mind having the wedding here, if it's okay with Thor," Cassie said quickly.
At the same moment, Thor said, "Maybe. Like I said, we haven't talked about it yet."
Great. I just undercut my mate in front of his mother. Cassie wanted to face-palm, but that would have drawn even more attention to herself.
Now Mark, who had lightened up a bit during dinner, was scowling at her.
"If you two hold the wedding here, how many sabertooth shifters should we be expecting to descend on the ranch?" he asked, his mouth a thin, displeased line under his beard.
Cassie froze. Normally, the entire pride attended mating celebrations, birth celebrations, and funerals. The prospect was terrifying, and she was sure that she looked like a deer in the headlights. No way in hell am I inviting Ed Baldwin and his thugs!
"Uh, just my dad, I guess?" she said in a small voice.
Thor noticed her discomfort and pointedly took her hand in a show of support.
"My mom passed away a few years ago, and I don't have any brothers or sisters," she added in response to Elle's raised eyebrows. "And I'm not, uh, currently in contact with anyone from my pride."
How's that for understatement of the year? she thought ironically.
"From what I've seen so far, this is a beautiful location. Maybe we could do an outdoor barbeque or something?"
She knew she was beginning to babble, but she really wanted Thor's family to like her. Now it looked like Elle thought that Cassie was the reason Thor didn't want to get married in his hometown.
"That would work for me," Thor said. "I'm sure that the Rocky Mountain Hot Shots could fly in to attend."
"And I'd love to make your wedding cake, Thor," Annabeth offered. "Since I've made the cakes for everyone else's weddings. It would be a gift, of course," she added, smiling at Cassie. "Just tell me what flavors and decorating scheme you'd like. You can stop by the bakery anytime this coming week and take a look at my portfolio and idea books, if you like."
It was an incredibly generous offer, but the Swansons weren't done yet.
"I'll do the music," Ash offered. "Just let me know what you like, and I'll put together a playlist. We could even set up a generator for speakers, rent one of those portable dance floors…it'll be epic."
"And I could give you a hand with the guest list and caterers," Steffi said. "I don't know if anyone mentioned this, but I organize Silicon Valley user conferences as part of my day job." She grinned at Cassie. "Doing a wedding will be a fun change from dealing with a bunch of software engineers who only care about having a fast Wi-Fi connection while they're at the conference."
"Did I mention that I'm a registered officiant for the State of Idaho?" Margaret asked. "I've done Dane, Mark, and Evan's weddings, and if you'd like me to do yours, just say the word."
"I'm really overwhelmed by your generosity, y'all," Cassie said, feeling warmed by this cascade of offers. "Thank you so much. I really do appreciate it."
Elle was smiling now. "We should get together for coffee tomorrow afternoon and settle on a date," she said. "And a location too. I could take you on a tour of the ranch, and you could tell me which place seems like the best choice for the reception."
And with that, Cassie realized that she and Thor would now be staying in Bearpaw Ridge for longer than just a few days.
* * *
"You know," Thor remarked several hours later. "You don't have to restrict your part of the wedding guest list to just your dad. If there's anyone else that you want to invite, feel free. You're the bride, after all. And it's not like we're short on space here at the ranch."
They were back at the guest house and sitting downstairs on one of the sofas. It was a warm summer night, and behind the ridge to the west, a beautiful sunset was fading down to burnt orange, blood red, and deep cobalt blue.
Betsy Chang had emailed earlier, giving Thor permission to remove his casts for short periods of time. She had also assigned exercises for his injured leg and arm to help speed the remainder of the healing process.
Thor had promptly urged Cassie to put her feet in his lap, saying that if Dr. Change wanted him to perform hand exercises, then he had a great idea.
The great idea turned out be a slow, sensual foot rub that made Cassie want to melt like a dish of butter on a hot summer day.
She relaxed against the couch's pillows and made appreciative moaning noises as his big hands massaged and squeezed, his thumbs finding just the right spot on her insteps.
What she wouldn't have given to have him around back when she had regularly worked a double shift at the diner!
"I'd like to invite Amanda. She should be back in the US by the end of the month." It was difficult for Cassie to focus her thoughts. She just wanted to curl up and purr while her mate's hands worked their magic on her feet. "But other than Daddy, I don't really want anyone from the pride here. I don't want them to know where I am or what I'm doing."
Thor glanced over at her, and his hands stilled momentarily. "You're not just saying that because you're worried about my family's reaction to your kin?" he asked shrewdly.
Cassie sighed. "I know your family hates sabertooth shifters, but for good cause, it sounds like. I'm just trying to make nice. Once they get to know me, maybe they won't act like I'm here to eat their babies."
"My family," Thor said with uncharacteristic vehemence, "was behaving like a bunch of narrow-minded idiots earlier today. They—especially Mom and Mark—made you, my mate, feel unwelcome."
Cassie shook her head, not wanting to fuel a conflict between Thor and his obviously close-knit family. "Look, I can understand why. And they all were really nice to me afterwards."
"After I went in there and laid down the law," Thor growled. "I shouldn't have had to do that."
"But—"
"Damn it, Cassie, stop acting like you're doing something wrong just by being who you are."
She tensed at his vehemence, and he gave her ankles an apologetic squeeze before continuing.
"It's not you, it's them. We Swansons are stubborn as hell, and I've always butted heads with Mom and the others over, well, pretty much everything. Why do you think I moved to Denver rather than staying here in Bearpaw Ridge?"
"So…how long to do you think we'll be staying here?" she ventured. "Should I start looking for a job?"
Thor frowned. "Dr. Chang put me on medical leave for eight weeks, so with any luck, we can arrange the wedding for some time before then." He stroked her leg and patted her knee. "And I'm sorry about Mom railroading you into a wedding here. If you want
, I can tell her that we decided to hold the ceremony somewhere else." He cracked a sudden mischievous grin. "How does a beach ceremony in Hawaii sound?"
"I've never been to Hawaii," she said. "It sounds really nice, but I'm okay with getting married here, especially if we can avoid starting World War III with Mama Bear."
"And that reminds me," Thor said, clearly on a roll. "We only briefly talked about this yesterday, but if for some reason you don't get accepted to graduate school in Denver, we could go somewhere else. I could try to find a job at one of the other smokejumper bases. How would you feel about moving to one of the bases here in Idaho? There are also bases in Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, and California. Some of them should be within commuting distance of a good university."
Cassie blinked, her eyes suddenly stinging with emotion. He'd be willing to leave the job and the team he loves, just for me?
She couldn't believe it. In the aggressive, fight-for-your-place hierarchy of a sabertooth clan, no dominant male would ever think of deferring anything, much less a beloved career, for a subordinate female like her.
And yet her sweetheart of a bear was willing to do it if it made her happy.
That was when Cassie realized that she was willing, in turn, to do anything to make him happy. And no matter what Thor said, leaving Denver and the Rocky Mountain Hot Shots would make him unhappy.
"Let's talk about that later," she said, as his hands moved higher and began to massage her calves through her jeans. "But I like Colorado, and I've got to stop running at some point. Now that I'm mated to you, maybe Baldwin will give up chasing me."
She knew that last statement was a product of hopefulness rather than reality, but it didn't hurt to express her wish out loud.
He gave her a slow, hot smile. "Okay, later then. We should probably agree on a wedding date before we meet with Mom tomorrow afternoon, or she'll steamroll us to fit her plans."
"Come on, Thor, she doesn't seem that bad!" Cassie protested.
"That's because you didn't grow up with her. Bear clans are matriarchal, did you know that? The males are the protectors, but the females run things." Thor sighed and shook his head. "Just wait and see. My mother and Aunt Margaret are the real alpha bears around here."
"So where does that leave me?" Cassie wondered. "I’m not a bear."
"Neither are Annabeth, Caitlyn, or Steffi," Thor pointed out. "And they mostly do okay. You just have to be willing to stand up to Mom and Margaret if you disagree with something. I'm sure you'll be fine."
"I hope so," Cassie said nervously. "Uh, you did say that bears didn't hold challenge duels, right?"
She tried to picture herself going up against Mama Bear in her giant grizzly bear shape, and her stomach instantly clenched in anxiety.
"Not as such." Thor chuckled. "But enough about my family."
He reached over and effortlessly lifted her into his lap for a long, sweet kiss. "Because right now, we've got better things to do."
Chapter 17 – Catching Up
C'mon, girl. Don't be more of a coward than you already are, thought Cassie as she stared down at her phone.
She was sitting alone downstairs in the guest house, with just the sound of birdsong drifting through the open windows.
Dane had shown up right after breakfast and hauled Thor off to go help with something on the ranch's south pasture. And Cassie was supposed to meet up with Caitlyn and Elle in an hour to go out to lunch, followed by wedding gown shopping.
For the moment, though, Cassie was enjoying the sensation of blissful, if temporary, solitude. This was the first time she'd been alone in ten days, and as much as she enjoyed spending time with her new mate, she had been an only child and wasn't used to the constant bustle and activity of a big family.
She and Thor had been in Bearpaw Ridge for nearly a week now, and the days had sped by in a blur of wedding planning and preparations.
After their initial hostility, the Swansons now treated her with varying degrees of warmth, ranging from Elle's somewhat cool courtesy to Annabeth's, Caitlyn's, and Steffi's active overtures of friendship.
After Cassie, Thor, and Elle had set the wedding date for the last weekend in August, Cassie's first call had been to Amanda in Germany.
Amanda had shrieked in delighted surprise at the news and demanded details. They had talked for nearly an hour before Cassie remembered the purpose of her call.
"Of course I'm coming to your wedding!" Amanda had said breathlessly. "You know I wouldn't miss it for the world!"
"Will you be my maid of honor?" Cassie had asked.
Amanda didn't hesitate. "Cassie, honey, you know I'd love to! It'd be an honor! You just tell me where and when, and I'll be there."
Now Cassie had another much more difficult phone call to make.
It had been looming over her all week, but she had managed to procrastinate until now. She knew she really couldn't put it off any longer, though the prospect of contacting her father made her palms go sweaty and her stomach feel nauseous.
Was he still angry about her refusal to become Baldwin's mate?
She remembered the last time they'd spoken, right after she'd escaped from Baldwin's clutches.
Daddy had taken one look at her, frantic and traumatized and covered with bruises and lacerations, and had gone completely white. Then he'd said the words that had doomed their relationship.
"Oh, babydoll, why'd you have to go and make him so angry?"
It had shattered her world to hear that and to realize that her father blamed her for what Baldwin had done to her. She had been hoping for protection and a refuge.
As her father continued to worry out loud about how Baldwin might react to Cassie running away, Cassie's heart had plummeted. If Baldwin came looking for her, she realized that Daddy, a low-ranking pride member himself, wouldn't be able to protect her.
And Daddy might not even try.
What if he just handed her back over to the Pride First?
Despite her father's pleas not to do anything stupid, Cassie had left home that same night. Her torn back and shoulders covered in bandages, she'd driven up to Austin, the place where she'd been the happiest, and had hidden in her apartment for a few days until her injuries had healed up completely.
She had wanted to stay in the city and continue with graduate school, but two weeks later, when she heard from one of her friends that Baldwin had contacted them asking for her location, Cassie panicked.
She withdrew from her master's program, quit the job she'd found waiting tables at a popular gastropub, and packed up her apartment in a matter of hours, ruthlessly abandoning everything she couldn't fit into her Subaru station wagon.
After a curt text to tell her father that she was okay and that she wasn't coming home while Ed Baldwin remained Pride First, she'd had only had sporadic contact with Daddy, mostly short emails or texts exchanged on their respective birthdays and holidays.
She had been very careful never to reveal where she was living or anything that could be used to track her down.
Now, if she called to invite Daddy to her wedding, she would have to tell him where she was living.
She would also have to reveal that she had mated a shifter from another lineage. He probably wouldn't like that. It went against everything sabertooth shifters believed about preserving their lineage and their bloodlines.
Worst of all, if he came to the wedding, she would have look her father in the eye and acknowledge how much he had disappointed and hurt her when she realized that she couldn't rely on him in her hour of greatest need.
Cassandra Long, stop being such a big ol' fraidy-cat, she told herself firmly, and tapped the Contacts icon on her phone's screen.
Her heart was pounding as the phone rang, and she forced herself to take deep breaths, consciously calming herself.
"Cassie? Is that you?" her father's voice said hesitantly. "Are you okay, babydoll?"
Hearing his favorite endearment for her made her eyes sting.
&n
bsp; I am NOT going to cry, she told herself.
"H-hi, Daddy," she managed, her throat almost too tight to speak. "I'm fine. How are you doing?"
"Lots better, now that I've heard from you," he said, his voice gentle. "What've you been up to?"
"Lots of stuff. Mostly trying to stay out of Ed Baldwin's way." She took a deep breath and said in a rush. "So, um, I met someone. We're mated now and making it official at the end of August. I wanted to know if you'd like to come to my wedding."
There was a long moment of silence on the other end of the line.
"You're…mated?" Her father's voice rose in disbelief. "When did that happen?"
"About a week ago?" Cassie said. She swallowed hard, but the tightness in her throat wasn't going away. "He's a firefighter. And he's really good to me. You'll like him, I know you will," she added, almost pleading.
"Is he a shifter? Is he…one of us?"
"He's a shifter," Cassie assured him. "But he's a bear."
Another long silence, and Cassie began to remember every sneering, disparaging remark she'd ever heard from the pride about cross-lineage matings.
She reached for the open can of Dr. Pepper at her elbow and took a sip, trying to moisten her dry throat.
Instead of berating her, Daddy's next question was, "Does he treat you well?"
Cassie felt relief flow over her like cool water on a hot, sticky summer day. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"He's the sweetest, kindest man I've ever met," she said. "I'm crazy about him, and I feel so lucky."
She heard her father's sigh. "I'm so happy for you. And I'd love to come to your wedding." Another pause. "So, uh, what's my new son-in-law's name?"
"Thor. Thor Swanson," Cassie said. And then she remembered the most important thing. "Daddy, please don't tell anyone in the pride about the wedding, or where you're going," she begged. "Don't let Ed Baldwin find out…please."
There was a long silence, and Cassie began to worry that this phone call had been a big mistake. Then her father spoke.
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