Chapter 39: 17

Katelyn was nervous as she walked hand in hand with Darrell into the park behind the hub. The pack had gathered in response to Gordon calling a pack meeting. Everyone was trying to figure out why Gordon had called the meeting. Katelyn smiled when Stanton and Aurora came over to say hello. Their new young son Dayton in his mother’s arms. He was a real little cutie with his golden hair and smooth, soft features. He looked like his mother, which was great for Dayton because his father wasn’t much to look at.

Once the whole pack was gathered, Gordon hopped up onto the nearest picnic table and let out a howl that silenced the pack in seconds and drew their attention to their pack leader. With the attention focused on him, Gordon spoke. “I know there has been some gossip as to why I have gathered you all here tonight. Let me clear up the rumours. I know everyone has been speculating about Darrell’s unusual choice of mates. While it has never before been done, he has chosen to marry Katelyn. She has proven her dedication to this pack to my satisfaction. For her dedication to her chosen people, I am granting Katelyn sanctuary within our community. As of this very moment, Katelyn Ashwood is a full member of this pack.”

A rumble of outrage rose up from the pack, and Gordon put up both his hands to silence them.

“Silence! This is non-negotiable. Katelyn is a member of the pack. She will receive the same consideration and protection as any other member of this pack. Any refusal to behave accordingly will be considered a direct challenge and will result in the exile of any offenders. So now smile and help me welcome our newest pack member.”

A murmur of disapproval swept through those gathered as they reluctantly clapped and glared at Katelyn. It was going to take more than Gordon’s decree to get the pack to accept her. Her future did not look easy.

***

The next day Darrell and Gordon took Katelyn into Aspen to a quaint little high-end bakery called Dazzling Desserts, which apparently Gordon’s only daughter Aster owned. When Aster came out of the back, it was with a large white tray loaded up with small tasting cakes. Gordon had spoken to his daughter the night before about Katelyn and Darrell’s upcoming wedding.

Katelyn and Darrell had stayed up late the night before discussing their wedding. He did not want to wait. He wanted to get married as soon as possible and had suggested they get married at City Hall.

Katelyn did not want to elope. She wanted a real wedding with a dress and a cake surrounded by friends and family. However, since her friends and family were not talking to her and the pack was not happy about her being one of them, Katelyn imagined that it was going to be a very small wedding.

Regardless Darrell said if she wanted a real wedding, he would give her a real wedding.

The four of them sat down in the tasting area as Aster gave them each a fork, and they took bites of each tiny tasting cake to decide which one they wanted for their wedding cake. Katelyn was impressed with Aster’s product. She was an exceptional baker.

“You know Katelyn is a pretty impressive baker too,” Darrell told Aster. “You should see some of the unbelievable deserts she made the other day.”

“You like to bake?” Aster grinned. “You know I’m looking for full-time help. My last baking assistant just left because she had a baby and wanted to do the stay-home mom thing. I could use the help if you are looking for a job,” the Aster grinned. “You could help me make your wedding cake.”

Katelyn loved the idea of having a hand in her own wedding cake. Since she could not photograph the wildlife in this area because too much of it was pack activity, Katelyn needed a new source of income.

Why not do something she enjoyed doing? “Are you sure? I don’t think the pack likes me.”

“Give them time. They will come around,” Gordon promised.

“I just mean hiring me might hurt your business.”

Aster laughed. “Most of my business is human, so I don’t think it will change my bottom line.”

“Well, then I accept. I would love to work here.”

“Great, you can start tomorrow. Bakery life starts early, so get a good night’s sleep because we start a 4:00 am,” that was early. “But back to business. Which of these cakes did you like the best?”

“I liked the lemon summer berry one,” Darrell said, taking another bite. “How about you?”

“I really like the fresh strawberries and cream.”

“If you like,” Aster began opening her portfolio of cakes to use as a demonstration of what she could do. “We could do a four-tear cake, and we can make each tear a different flavour combination. We can tie it all together in a fresh, light berry and cream theme. Do you have colours picked out?”

“I like yellow,” Darrell said. “It is very summery.”

“I like purple,” Katelyn added.

“Perfect,” Aster grinned. “Yellow and purple are complementary colours. They go great together. I can tie those colours into your cake easily. Have we set a date?”

“Three weeks from Saturday,” Darrell said, and Katelyn’s smile faded as she thought about how her parents weren’t going to be at her wedding. She felt Darrell rub her back and smiled at her. It was like he could read her mind. When she pictured her wedding day, she always pictured her mother and father up crying happy tears. It seemed compromising her wedding dreams was just one more thing she had to give up to be with the man she loved.

When they finished at the bakery, Gordon said he was off to his shop, and Darrell was going to go home and enjoy his day off. Aster asked Katelyn if she wanted to stay and take a look at the kitchen in the back. Aster promised to drive Katelyn home at the end of the business day. Katelyn stayed. Feeling sad, she felt like baking, and this was the best place to do so.

***

Darrell sat outside Katelyn’s parents’ house. He knew how much having them there meant to Katelyn.

She felt bad that they were not talking, and Darrell felt bad that he was the reason they were not speaking. He looked at the handmade invitation on the seat next to him. It had been a week since he and Katelyn had chosen their cake. The following days they had sat around the living room with Aurora and Stanton handcrafting wedding invitations.

Katelyn was inviting her cousin Carl and some of her friends. And, of course, the whole pack would be in attendance. Even the ones that were against their union would come because no one ever said no to a party. It would be small and but nice. The only people who were missing were Katelyn’s parents.

Darrell had sat up nights thinking about them. He didn’t care too much for them, but they were important to Katelyn, and he knew it would really make her day if they showed up. So here he was, sitting outside their house trying to muster the courage to go knock on their door.

Darrell took a deep breath to calm his nerves, then he picked up the invitation and got out of his truck.

He walked up to the front door and rang the bell. It took a moment for her mother to open the door. The woman had opened the door with a smile, which was instantly gone when she saw it was him. “What do you want?” She snarled at him.

Darrell held up the invitation. “Your daughter is getting married in two weeks. I know, despite your differences, she really wants you there. I get that you don’t like me. I was completely out of line at your niece's brunch. I was completely honest but still out of line. I love your daughter, and I only want her to be happy. I know you love your daughter, and you only want her to be happy,” he offered her the invitation. “If you don’t come, I completely understand, but I guarantee you will never forgive yourself.”

Katelyn’s mother accepted the invitation without a word. Darrell then respectively tipped his hat at her and then walked back to his truck and left.

***

Katelyn had been trying on so many dresses. Aurora, Charlotte, and Aster had agreed to go with her to find her wedding dress. Given that her wedding was only weeks away, she needed something she could wear off the wrack. They had all taken the day off and had spent the whole day going from one bridal shop to the next on the hunt for that perfect dress. This particular store was the third one they had been to that day.

She had tried on a few gowns looking for something that was perfect, but each dress had left her feeling underwhelmed. Because of Darrell’s strong country ties, they were getting married at the house in the vast backyard of their little country home. They were keeping it, country sheik, with down-home glam. She wanted her dress to reflect that, so she didn’t want to go too formal.

As they walked through the store, looking through the wracks. Katelyn couldn’t help but notice how distracted Aster was all day. Katelyn came to stand beside Aster and lowered her voice. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Aster lied.

“You are a terrible liar. What’s bothering you.”

“You haven’t heard,” Aurora said, coming around the wrack. “Gordon left his wife Melissa the other night.”

Katelyn was surprised. She had not heard that. Why had Gordon not mentioned it to them? “I hadn’t heard. What happened?”

“I hear. He caught her with another man,” Charlotte said from the other side of the wrack.

“When did this happen?” Katelyn asked.

“A few days ago,” Aster said.

“How do you feel about it?”

Aster frowned. “I don’t know. Part of me is happy that he finally left her,” Katelyn had the feeling there was an interesting story behind that answer, but this was not the time or place to be hearing it. “The other part of me feels bad, after all, she is my mom, and I love her.”

“I hear he is already seeing someone,” Charlotte said, coming around the corner with a dress.

“Is he?” Katelyn asked Aster.

“Mom says he is.”

“How do you like this dress?” Charlotte asked, holding the dress she brought up to Katelyn.

Katelyn took the dress and headed for the dressing room. She put the dress on, thinking about the discussion outside about poor Gordon’s marriage falling apart. Once she had the dress on, her thoughts returned to her shopping. Katelyn smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror. She ran her hands over the front of the dress. It was a floor-length champagne white covered in vintage Victoria lace from her scooping neckline to the long flared sleeves to the hemline of her skirt, which brushed the floor. It was positively perfect.

Opening the door, Katelyn stepped out, where the girls were still talking about Gordon. When she came into view, they all went silent. “Wow, Katelyn, you look beautiful,” Charlotte said with tears.

“That dress is so perfect,” Aurora smiled.

“We are not leaving this store until you buy that dress,” Aster grinned.

Kately turned to look in the mirror. This was her dress.

“Something is missing,” Charlotte said, coming up behind her and playing with Katelyn’s dark hair. “You need a vail. Maybe something coming down from a crown of summer flowers. I can make one in no time at all. Darrell will be speechless.”

***

Darrell tried on the purple vest and looked himself over in the mirror. “So what is this? I hear you left Melissa?” Darrell asked as Gordon put on his vest and looked down at it.

“I did. I finally got sick of all the bullshit.”

The sound of fabric tearing drew their attention to Stanton, who stood a few feet away, trying on the tux jacket which had torn right down the middle from the shoulders down. Stanton looked at them with an embarrassed smile as the shop owner stared at him in horror, having damaged his property. “Sorry. I guess it doesn’t fit.”

Gordon looked at the horrified shop owner. “We will pay for that,” he promised. “Maybe something bigger. Much bigger,” he returned his attention to Darrell. “If you are worried about Melissa and I making a scene at the wedding, I promise you I can contain myself. I can’t say the same for her.”

“It’s just strange. I mean, we mate for life.”

“Well, we are supposed to marry others like us, but you have chosen not to, so it looks like we are both setting new president,” Gordon grinned.

“Ok, I get it. You don’t want to talk about it,” Darrell snickered. “So we won’t talk about it.”

“Good boy,” Gordon grinned, and the sound of tearing drew their attention again. Stanton had gotten the jacket on, but that torn the sleeves when his arms flexed. Stanton grinned and looked back at Gordon. The owner turned to Gordon with rage in his eyes. Gordon grinned apologetically. “Start a tab,”

he then looked at Darrell. “We may have to get a jacket specially tailored for him.”