They all broke out in cheers.
"I think you've been a little too loose with the mimosas, Steve," I said. "But, thank you."
"Come on!" Steve threw open the front door, gesturing to the guests. "Westward ho!"
We all tromped down in a procession, up to our ankles in mud, everyone laughing and chattering except us. Cole and I walked arm in arm, in a glowing silence. There was no "giving away the bride" tradition in binding ceremonies, which suited me just fine. I didn't belong to anybody except myself. But Joe and Steve had their place of honor, nonetheless.
"Thank you for not wearing a dress with a train," Andrea said, from behind me. "Seriously. I don't think I could handle keeping you out of the mud and not falling over myself."
"It's not that muddy," said Steve. "Might want to go easy on the champagne, darling."
As we got closer to the fountain, everyone fell silent.
The sense of peace and joy was spreading through the whole clearing. The fountain itself almost seemed to glow, I thought - a warm light bathing us in indescribable feelings.
Adanna wore a flowing dress of greens and browns, and a crown of daisies on her head. She smiled at us, the glow of the fountain surrounding and illuminating her.
"We're here today for the binding of Cole and Heather," she said, her voice even more musical than it usually was. "You will all bear witness to their promise to each other." She looked from one to the other of us. "Heather?"
I cleared my throat. "Many years ago, I stood in front of this very fountain and made a wish." I looked at Cole, his eyes shining, reflecting everything I felt but couldn't put into words. "Today, it's been granted. I suppose that was worth a penny."
The crowd broke out in soft laughter.
Cole's face was slightly awed as he looked at me. Like he'd wanted this to happen forever, but thought that it never would.
I knew the feeling.
Then, I said the words.
"I love you, I cherish you, I marry you."
Cole broke out into a grin.
"I made the same wish," he said, softly. "If you can believe that. It took the fountain a long time, but I think it finally managed to get our stubborn asses in line." He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, shining. "I love you, I cherish you, I marry you."
Adanna clapped her hands once. "So it is," she said. "For as long as you wish it."
We kissed in the light of the fountain, and everyone cheered.
And it was worth it.
Every little thing.
Every tear, every scar, every time our hearts broke for each other.
It was worth it.
"I have to say," said Commissioner Pollitt, smiling, with a trace amount of Steve's famous barbecue sauce smeared on her chin. "These are some of the finest ribs I've ever tasted."
"Plenty more where that came from!" Joe bellowed, from his post over by the grill. "Just say the words."
The commissioner shook her head, delicately dabbing at her face with a dollar store napkin. "I couldn't possibly. But thank you, all of you. Your hospitality means the world to me. Really."
"De rien, commissioner," said Cole, sliding into the seat next to her on the picnic bench.
"You speak French?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him.
"Un petit peu. Not Quebecois, unfortunately, so there's probably a limit to how well we'd understand each other." Cole grinned. The charm was turned up to eleven, and Ms. Wanda Pollitt was certainly not immune. I noticed the blush traveling up her neck as she watched Cole finish off the bones on his plate.
"I figured it was only fair that you get a good look at the land, so you can make an informed decision," he said, when he'd finished sucking the lingering sauce off of his fingers. It had its desired effect on me, too; I sighed a little, remembering the last time I'd felt his tongue on my skin.
"I so rarely have the chance to visit out here," she confessed, looking around the table. "There just aren't enough hours in the day for me to do everything I'd like to. But when Cole stopped by my office with an invitation to a backyard barbecue, well…I couldn't resist." She smiled, her face turning pink. "Even though it took me a few months to get out here. I was determined to do it."
"Just in time for the first grill-up of the season," said Arthur, coming over with half of a hot dog doused in ketchup. "It's not technically a barbecue, you know."
"We all know, Arthur," said Cole, gesturing with a perfectly cleaned rib bone. "We just don't care."
"Well, whatever you call it, it's delicious," Arthur conceded, eating most of his hot dog in one bite. "I might have to re-think the Foxwoods policy on grills."
I couldn't help but laugh. "You really should, Arthur. Joe hardly ever burns his house down."
Hearing his name, Joe gave a jaunty wave with his spatula.
"Sure, sure." Arthur rolled his eyes. "You all laugh at me until something bad happens, and then who do you come running to? Good old Mr. Craven, who always keeps his head in a crisis."
"That's literally never happened." Cole grinned, flicking a piece of coleslaw in his direction. "I'd love to spend on a day on whatever delusional planet you live on."
"Fine," Arthur huffed, without any real malice. "But when your house actually does catch on fire, don't come running to me to re-write your community codes on the proximity of open flames."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," said Cole, raising his eyebrows at me. I giggled, sliding my feet further under the table to nudge against his.
"So," the commissioner said, "when can we see this impressive fountain?"
"Right now, if you're not feeling too stuffed." Cole stood up and came to my side of the table, offering me his hand.
"Are you sure you want to come along, Heather?" The commissioner eyed my stomach, which now stuck out far enough that it touched the edge of the table. "I'll understand if you'd rather not."
"Thanks, but I'm sure." I took Cole's hand and let him help me to my feet. "Got to keep active, while I still can."
And not leave you alone with my husband, I almost joked, but bit my tongue at the last second. It was just a joke.
Mostly.
As we hiked down the familiar path, I watched the commissioner's reactions. Her eyes grew wider as we walked, and she was amused and captivated by every passing bird and every squirrel that skittered across our paths.
She wasn't quite who I'd expected to meet, but then again, I'd been wrong before.
"I'm sure people will say I only came here for the photo op," she said. "But the truth is, all the objections I've been hearing about the land sale - well, they've made me wonder exactly what's so special about this place. The fountain, particularly. It's curious. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see it with my own eyes."
Cole smiled, warm and mysterious. I wondered if he'd learned it from Adanna. "I promise, it'll be worth the trip."
The commissioner shook her head slightly, eyes on the ground as she walked. "If it was up to me, I'd keep every forest and every tree and every walking trail exactly as it is. But there's pressure. There's pressure on all sides, and trust me - it's not the kind that turns coal into diamonds." She smiled, wanly. "On paper, it's hard to defend keeping the land as state property. It's not generating any revenue, and it's not going to. Not everything is about money - except when it is, and every school system and library and the transportation department are all begging at your door. There just isn't enough to go around."
She slowed for a moment, taking in a deep breath of the pine-fresh air.
"Is it close?" she asked, her voice suddenly hushed. "Everything…sort of….feels different."
Cole nodded. "Just a little further."
The fountain was in full splendor today, almost as if something knew what was at stake. I was grateful for that. As much work as Cole had done, charming and coaxing her, and as euphoric as Steve's barbecue sauce and Joe's grilling was, ultimately, it was up to the fountain. We were counting on it advocating for itself.
>
I had a pretty good feeling about it, myself.
The commissioner was breathless.
Her eyes shining, she walked up towards the fountain, stopping a few paces away.
"Wow," she said, softly. "I mean…I've seen pictures, of course, but there's nothing quite like…"
"No," Cole agreed, winking at me. "There really isn't."
I went up to the fountain, resting one hand on my belly and the other on the white stone edge of the largest basin. The commissioner hovered nearby, just staring, a smile playing on her lips.
Cole appeared beside me, sliding his arm around my shoulders.
"Beautiful day for it," he said, softly. I smiled up at him. With the sunlight shining through his hair, casting little shadows across his face, he'd never looked more handsome.
The love of my life, my soulmate. The father of my little girl.
He rested his hand on my stomach, closing his eyes for a moment. I liked to pretend I could do what he did, but I couldn't. My gift didn't work with my own daughter, even as she grew inside me. But for some reason, even though Cole couldn't read my thoughts unless I projected them on purpose, he could read hers.
"She's so happy," he whispered. "Nothing but light and love."
"I wish things could stay that way," I murmured, looking down.
Cole rubbed his hand in little circles, and I felt Annabelle kick. Somewhere nearby, the commissioner was wandering across the pine needles, her eyes traveling up the massive tree trunks.
"We all used to be like this," he said, his voice filled with quiet awe.
Laughing softly, I stepped away from the fountain. "Maybe some of us," I said. "I find it hard to believe you weren't at least a little bit of an asshole in the womb."
He dropped a kiss on my forehead. "I think our brilliant plan is working."
"Hmm," I said. "Maybe we should take her out for ice cream to make sure."
Cole scoffed. "At this rate, Annabelle's gonna grow up with a vicious Ben and Jerry's addiction. You've got to control yourself, woman."
"You know what, when you're having the baby, you can decide exactly how much ice cream is appropriate," I said. "How's that sound?"
"Fair," he admitted, grinning.
I smiled and closed my eyes.
The sun shone down on us, bright and warm, as it had been shining down on the fountain since before any of us were born.
We did it, Sunshine.
We did it.
END
***
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***
If you love shifters and fated mates, check out this story from A.T. Mitchell:
Wish Upon a Tiger
NOTHING SEVERS FATED MATES. NOT EVEN DESTINY ITSELF.
Jenna Argo never imagined she'd see Alaska for the first time as a prisoner. A ruthless treasure hunter's plot to use the curvy half-blood tigress as bait means a tragic first contact with her own kind.
Good thing Erik Nordclaw is smarter than human evil. Wild, strong, and deeply protective, this Alpha tiger shifter protects everything he claims. As soon as he lays eyes on the voluptuous angel, he knows saving Jenna won't be enough. Erik won't be satisfied until she's settled in his village and his bed.
Under her handsome savior's watch, everything makes sense for the first time in Jenna's life. A man to love and a place to call home are finally in claw's reach.
Then a devastating prophecy changes everything. Jenna's bloodline is cursed, and it's Erik's job to convince her otherwise, no matter how much a sinister scheme seems to confirm her dark fate.
Will determined Erik prove she's his fated mate, or will Jenna's prophecy doom him and all of Tiger Tree?
Note: This 38,000+ word BBW shifter romance contains love, war, and language that'll make a tiger growl. Dig your claws in. It's gonna be a wild ride!
***
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Howl & Growl: A Paranormal Romance Boxed Set Page 71
