by R. E. Butler
She giggled at the idea. “I’m fine with staying here in Sable Cove. It would be neat to get married on the beach at night. We should pick a full moon night, so we’ll have a beautiful night sky.”
“I love that idea, sweetheart.”
They ate the snacks he’d packed and sipped on champagne. “So, I felt like you were not really talking about our work schedules when we were driving here.”
He raised a brow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Brody!” She chucked a strawberry at him.
He snatched it out of the air and popped it into his mouth. “It’s true, I didn’t want to talk about work on the way here, but that’s because I have a surprise and I wanted to ask you to marry me first.”
“What’s the surprise?”
He outlined his idea to build an addition to the rescue which would be their new home.
“We can expand the rescue, too. You mentioned you wished there was a bigger reception area and more space in the back for cages, and that Hadlee and Kinsley both wanted offices of their own. The benefit of living at the rescue is that you can be on call during the day if your friends or the familiars need you. That way you’re not wasting time traveling back and forth. You and I can design the house to have everything we both want, and the girls can get in on the remodeling for the rescue.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” he asked with a chuckle.
“I honestly... oh, Brody…” She hugged and kissed him, feeling happy tears sting her eyes again. “I love everything you just said. I know the girls will love it, too. It’ll be so nice to be close to the familiars, but I promise I won’t let work take over our time alone together.”
Her mind spun at the possibilities.
“I won’t let my work take over our free time either,” he said.
“When can we start planning the house?”
“Have some thoughts on what you want it to look like?”
“Oh yes. I can’t wait! I’ve always wanted to have a room with a bay window reading nook. I’ll need lots of shelves for all my books.”
“We can totally do that.”
“What do you want?”
“A great big bed for the two of us.”
“You have the best ideas.”
Chapter Seventeen
Brody got ready for work the following night, bummed to have to leave Delaney. They’d just gotten engaged the night before, and he absolutely wasn’t ready to get back to normal.
“You look like I feel,” Delaney said as she came into the family room where he was putting on his boots. She sat Flora on the floor and tossed a toy mouse a few feet away. They watched the curious kitten stalk the toy then pounce on it with a happy purr. Mimo was sitting on the coffee table munching on a piece of lettuce.
“I just wish the day was longer, so we didn’t have to get out of bed.”
“That would be awesome. But the real world beckons and we both have responsibilities.”
“We’re both taking a week off after we get married,” Brody said.
“Absolutely.”
“There’s a bed and breakfast in Rhode Island that caters to vampires. I was thinking we could stay there.”
“Sounds perfect.”
They were planning to get married in September during the full moon, so they had about a month to plan for their small beach wedding. He wished he had family he could invite to it, but Delaney was his only family now. Venice was going to be his best man, and Mother Gibson was going to officiate.
“I’m going to put in the request tonight for a sub-officer for our honeymoon. And I was thinking about asking Tyce if he’d consider becoming a part-time deputy.”
“The wolf shifter cook?”
“Yep. If we had some part-time people helping out it wouldn’t be such a strain on me and Venice.”
“Why are there are only two of you guys now? There were more, but after that debacle with Chief Fredricks and the mayor, all the other deputies were gone.”
Debacle was a good word for it. Brody had been told that Chief Fredricks and his small group of part-time deputies were “good old boys” and liked to look the other way for their friends and family. One night, the mayor’s son was arrested for drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident. The mayor called Fredricks and he stopped the arrest from going into the system and released him to his parents. The car the kid hit belonged to the editor of the local newspaper and he was furious that no charges had been filed. So he decided to go after the mayor and the chief for their collusion and overlooking crimes. The mayor tried to shut down the paper, but by that time the story had been picked up by a national outlet, and the mayor and chief were forced to step down.
“The deputies were all part of the cover-ups over the years,” he said. “So they went down with him when he resigned. The town council voted Dale Simone in as acting mayor. He did such a great job of cleaning up the town after that mess that he was voted into office the next term. They didn’t have any officers or a chief until I answered the ad and came on board. The county answered 911 calls and sent patrols through here as needed.”
“It was a dark time for the town, but I’m thankful that you were able to come here.”
He kissed her. “Me, too.”
His computer chimed. “What’s that for?” she asked.
“I’m not sure.” He sat at the desk and opened the alert. “Oh, the search engine found information on Sirano and his known associates.” He read the results and hummed in surprise. Delaney joined him. “I was doing a search focusing on social media, and it looks like it finally found someone, who from the looks of the posts related to her, was either married to Sirano or dated him.”
“What’s her name?”
“Helena Mathers.” He put her name into the police database and in a few minutes had her contact information. “She used to live in Nebraska, but now lives in Louisiana.”
“Maybe she knows what happened with the kitten.”
“It could be she’s the one who dropped it off, too,” he mused. “Let’s give her a call.”
He put her number into his phone and turned the speaker on. It was answered on the third ring. “Hello?”
“My name is Brody Carmichael and I’m calling from Sable Cove. I’m the police chief. I’m here with Delaney St. Charles, owner of the familiar rescue agency, and we’re calling in regards to a little black kitten that was dropped off.”
There was a significant pause, and Brody wondered if she’d hung up.
“Miss?”
“Sorry,” she said, clearing her throat. “Why are you calling me?”
“You’re Helena Mathers, right?” Delaney asked. “You were dating a warlock named Sirano at one time?”
“How did you know that? How did you find me? Oh my gosh, is he coming after me or something?”
“Hold on, calm down,” Brody said. “You’re perfectly safe, please don’t freak out.”
They could hear her breathing hard like she’d just run a race. “I’m safe? What do you mean?”
“First,” Delaney said, “are you the one who dropped off the kitten?”
“Yes. I was on my way to Louisiana to stay with family and start over when the kitten appeared in my bed. When I touched the kitten, I saw what happened to the coven and her master in my mind, and I think it was part of the spell. The only thing I knew for sure was that Sirano was hunting the kitten and I needed to find a place to keep her safe. I searched online and found your rescue.”
“You could’ve told us what was going on instead of leaving the kitten on the doorstep,” Delaney said.
“I was scared,” Helena said. “I’m sorry. Sirano was so tricky, I thought if I got caught on any sort of camera, he might find me somehow. To be honest, I had no idea why the kitten was sent to me in the first place. All the magic told me was that I needed to keep it safe from Sirano. I didn’t know what he planned for the kitten.”
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“It’s okay,” Delaney said. “The kitten is safe and so are you. We trapped Sirano and bound him, and the Convention picked him up. They don’t mess around with coven killers. He’ll never see daylight again, and all his powers will be stripped from him.”
Helena blew out a breath. “That’s good news, I’m so happy to hear it. I was honestly worried I’d have to spend my life in hiding.”
“When did you leave him?” Brody asked.
“It was a year ago. After he killed one of his coven members accidentally. He told everyone he was sorry and even shed tears over the loss, but I could just feel it deep in my bones that he didn’t have any real remorse. He’d gotten an increase in power when he’d killed the member of his coven, and it was like he’d gotten the best high of his life. I was scared. I tried to leave once, and he locked me up in the house. When I escaped a second time, I felt like I was running for my life.”
Brody thought that was an apt description. Judging by how crazy Sirano was, he most likely would’ve killed Helena if he found her hiding the kitten.
“You’re free to live your life now,” Delaney said. “I’m glad you brought Flora to us. We’ll take good care of her.”
“You named her Flora? That’s sweet. So will she get a new master?”
“When she meets the right one, yes.”
“Good. Thank you, and I’m sorry, again, for not coming to you in person.”
“If you have any questions you can call me at this number or call the rescue.”
“Thank you.”
“Have a good life, Helena,” Delaney said.
“I will, and same to you.”
The call ended and Brody sat back, swiveling in the chair. “She must not have realized she could come to you at the rescue for help and that you’d keep the kitten safe.”
Delaney shrugged. “Fear makes people do irrational things. She’s not a witch so she wouldn’t necessarily understand what we’d be willing to do for her, and that’s okay. What matters is that we’re all safe, Flora’s safe, and Sirano’s gone forever. And because you’re so sexy and smart, we were able to get in touch with Helena and she doesn’t have to live in fear anymore. “
He gave her a kiss. “I’m glad we’re all safe.”
Flora mewed and rubbed against his ankle. He picked her up and she kneaded her paws on his arm and purred.
“She doesn’t like being at the rescue,” Delaney said.
“Do you think it’s the cage?”
“I don’t think so, I think she feels connected to me. And you, too.”
“Me?”
“She was fine when she was with me and Mimo, but when I left to come here to sleep, Kinsley and Hadlee said she cried at the back door. She’s acting very sweet with you. Familiars don’t really get all lovey with non-magical people.”
“Maybe because we’re mates, she feels safe with the two of us.”
“I told the girls I’d bring her here to stay so long as you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. My house is yours, you know that.”
“I just didn’t want to invite a house guest in without asking. Especially since we have no way of knowing how long she’ll be with us.”
“However long she needs to stay is okay with me.”
“I’ll take her with me to the rescue when I’m working. Maybe she’ll find her master soon and will be able to settle in. Familiars are happiest when they’ve found a master, but they also need time to heal after they lose their person.”
“They grieve like people.” He scratched under Flora’s chin, and her whiskers twitched.
“They do.”
“You can stay as long as you like, Flora,” he murmured.
She purred.
“You’re so sweet,” Delaney said. “I really want to take you back to bed.”
“I’d let you, too, if I didn’t have to get on patrol soon.”
“Rain check?”
“One hundred percent.”
He gave Flora back to her, and the two walked him out to the cruiser. “I’ll see you on my break,” he said.
“Be safe.”
The last thing in the world he wanted to do was go to work and leave his mate, but they both had responsibilities that couldn’t be put off forever. He just hoped that the hours of his shift went by quickly so she could be back in his arms as soon as possible. He’d be counting the minutes.
“Love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you, too.”
Chapter Eighteen
The September full moon came swiftly, and before she knew it, Delaney found herself standing in front of a long mirror in the lighthouse and looking at her reflection.
“You look amazing, D,” Kinsley said. She came to stand next to her with a flower crown made of pale pink tea roses and ivy leaves.
“I’m nervous. I didn’t think I’d be nervous.”
“I think all brides are,” Hadlee said as she joined them. “You get to marry the love of your life. Who wouldn’t be nervous and excited?”
Kinsley put the flower crown on Delaney’s head and pinned it in place.
Delaney was wearing a strapless lace dress that had a high hem in the front above her knees and a lower hem in the back that stopped around her ankles. She’d picked strappy flat sandals with crystal and pearl embellishments. Hadlee and Kinsley were wearing matching sundresses in a dark pink color that matched the dark pink dahlia bouquets everyone was going to be carrying. Delaney had chosen dahlias because the flower was a symbol of lifelong commitment.
There was a knock at the door, and Hadlee walked over to it. She opened it a tiny bit and then smiled as she opened it all the way.
Mother Gibson walked in. “I wanted to stop in and say hello before the ceremony.”
She kissed Delaney on the cheek.
“Thank you so much for coming and being part of our day,” Delaney said.
“I’m honored. You look so lovely. Brody is a lucky man.”
“I’m lucky, too.”
“Speaking of good luck, I brought you something from your husband to be.” She handed Delaney a small envelope.
She opened it and found a locket and a note. She took both out and opened the note.
“Sweetheart, I’m so lucky to be marrying you today. I can’t tell you how much joy you bring to my life and how honored I am that you’re going to be my wife. This belonged to my mother, and I wanted you to wear it today so she can be with us in spirit and bring us some good luck on our special day. All my love, Brody.”
Tears stung Delaney’s eyes as she opened the locket and discovered a picture of his mother on one side and a picture of the two of them they’d taken a few weeks earlier on the other.
“Oh wow, that’s so sweet. I’m going to cry,” Hadlee said, fanning her face.
“Me, too,” Delaney said with a sniffle.
“He’s a great guy. I’m so happy you two finally got together,” Kinsley said as she handed Delaney and Hadlee tissues.
“He really is.” Delaney handed the locket to Kinsley to help her put it on. She touched the etched surface which was covered with a floral design and thought about her husband-to-be and his family history. She wished she’d had a chance to meet his mom, but she did believe she was with them today and smiling down on them.
Mother Gibson said, “She is.”
“What?” Delaney asked.
“His mother is watching from above with a smile on her face. I can feel her spirit and the happiness she feels.”
Delaney took Mother Gibson’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you so much for sharing that with me.”
“It’s my pleasure.” She looked at her delicate mother-of-pearl watch and said, “It’s time for me to go. I’ll see you shortly, my dear.”
Delaney smiled and said goodbye, then turned back to the mirror and looked at herself.
“Checklist time,” Hadlee said. “What are your four things?”
“The dress is new,” Delaney said, “and the r
ibbon around my bouquet is from my mother and that’s blue, and Brody’s mother’s locket is old.”
“What about borrowed?” Kinsley asked.
“Oh crap.” She’d planned to ask to borrow something from her friends before the ceremony so they were prepared, but she’d simply forgotten.
“Here, this is my Aunt K’s ring. She gave it to me when I graduated from high school,” Hadlee said.
“Do you have something I can borrow?” Delaney asked Kinsley. “I’d love to have something from both of you.”
“You bet,” Kinsley said. She took off her clip-on pearl drop earrings and put them on Delaney.
“Thank you both so much,” Delaney said. “I’m so glad you’re here with me today.”
They both smiled at her, their eyes shining with unshed tears.
Kinsley looked at her watch. “It’s time, girl. You ready to make Brody the luckiest male on the planet?”
With a laugh, Delaney picked up her bouquet of dahlias and said, “Absolutely.”
Hadlee opened the door, and they walked out ahead of her. They’d used a spare bedroom to get ready and had to walk down a circular flight of stairs to get to the first floor. Through the windows, she could see the torches that lit a path to the beach where Mother Gibson, Brody, and Venice were waiting.
There were four chairs on either side of the torch-lit path. The mayor was there, as were Tyce and Tia, who had also catered the dinner after the ceremony, and Cassian. While she was sad that her mother wasn’t there, and that no one from Brody’s family was there either, she knew that family wasn’t necessarily blood relations and they both had good friends that were as close as family could be.
Hadlee and Kinsley walked down the path, and then it was Delaney’s turn.
She looked at Mimo, who was perched in her hand. “Can you believe we’re doing this, my friend?” she whispered to him.
He looked at her and made a humming sound. He wore a tiny dark pink bow tie that matched Brody’s. While she wished her father were alive to walk her down the aisle, or her mother to stand with her, she was glad that Mimo was with her.
The music changed from a romantic ballad to the wedding march. Delaney walked slowly down the path, her eyes on Brody. He looked so handsome in his light gray tux with the dark pink vest and tie. He had a single dahlia as a boutonniere.