she can just come in, and we’ll do it here in the shop.”
“It was perfect the last time. I suspect it will be this time, as well.”
She handed him the bag with his mate's garment and asked Dylan if there was anything she could do for him. Cassidy and Gunner specialized in women's clothing. The boutique was full of beautiful dresses, skirts, and blouses. But the last time they'd seen each other at a family gathering, Cassidy had offered to design him a suit.
“Why don’t you take her up on the offer?” Gunner asked. “You never know when you will have a fancy date with that special someone.”
“You know, I might just do that. But I don't have time now. I just dropped by to say hello. You two are doing amazing work. I'm really impressed.”
“Thank you.” Cassidy beamed. “We could probably use your expertise with order management. I'm starting to get online orders, and I'm already swamped.”
Dylan's jaw tightened. He couldn't take on any more responsibility. If he didn't get an assistant soon, he was going to have a full-launch shifter meltdown.
“We'll talk about it at the next barbecue, okay?”
“Thanks, Dylan. I've already gotten so much help from Rose and Austin. The Wildes are just the best.”
“We are happy to have you in our family, Cassidy,” Dylan said. “I gotta get going now.”
He said his goodbyes to Zander on the way out of the boutique and headed back to the van, clutching his novel. All he wanted was to go find a quiet place somewhere, dig into the pages, and lose himself in the thrill of the story.
But his phone pinged with five text messages on the way back to the car. He had an entire warehouse, five interns, and about two hundred emails waiting for him back at the ranch. He frowned, thinking about the mate.com app he'd signed up for seven years ago. Still no luck. But even if he found his special someone, he probably wouldn't even have time for her.
3
“And you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”
“I do,” Marcy said.
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Marcy and Brad kissed lovingly under the arch of fall flowers. The gentle autumn sun glowed above the outdoor wedding. The backdrop of Fate Rock shined behind them as the light glinted on the waters of the lake. Everyone stood and cheered as the minister introduced the happy new couple.
The guests threw rose petals over the bride and groom as they walked down the aisle together for the first time as husband and wife. Annie looked on, clapping and smiling for her friend. It was so beautiful. She felt overcome with emotion. And she wondered what it would be like to have someone she could love and depend on no matter what. But as the photographer snapped photographs of the bride and groom, Annie saw the way they looked into each other's eyes. She knew that would never be her.
She could never let anyone that close to her. She could never let anyone inside her heart, her mind, and her soul. They were closed like a hidden chamber, sealed off from any man. She had a flash of a memory of her father screaming at her mother while Annie cowered in the dark, followed by the sound of her mother's sobs and the sharp smack of a slap.
She shook her head and sighed, plastering on a smile as she joined the rest of the wedding party—five bridesmaids and five grooms. They had chosen pale-pink dresses with scoop necks, long sleeves, and fluttering skirts down to the ankle. The bride was beautiful in her lace dress with an empire waist and puffed sleeves.
The guests were chatting as they moved toward the lodge for the reception, and Annie was so ready to be done. But she had to keep it together for her friends. Marcy had been there for her through thick and thin since junior high. She'd broken up a bunch of bullies who were teasing Annie about her hand-me-down clothes, and they’d been friends ever since. Even though she'd gone to college and gone on to get a cushy corporate job, Marcy had never turned her back on Annie.
Marcy came from a happy, loving family with a nice house in the suburbs. Annie had never been lucky