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“Blake.”
He smiled playfully. “Kidding. He loves jokes, right?”
“I’d go easy on him.”
“As long as he doesn’t mind me bringing a greenhouse of plants.” He glanced around. “Actually, would he mind if I started a greenhouse?”
I shrugged. “I’m sure he wouldn’t.”
Fred stared into the distance for a while with his mouth hanging open. It took a few snaps of my fingers just to get his attention back to me.
He shook his head, fixed his polka-dot bow tie, and then smoothed his hair back. “Do I look okay?”
“Yeah, you look fine. Why?”
“I gotta go see a woman about a cheesesteak.”
I couldn’t even try to question him at that point. Fred was a muscly-armed enigma. It was usually best to let him do whatever it was he was going to do.
As soon as he had disappeared, my brand-new husband located me and planted a sloppy kiss on my forehead. I swatted him away playfully. “Come on. Nobody is letting me eat. I want to eat, Slater.”
He grinned and pulled me under one of the tents nearby. “Sit down. Eat. I’ll keep everyone away from you.”
I felt good about his protection until I spotted his parents. Even with their kind expressions, my appetite was ruined. I set the plate aside and did my best to smile even though I was screaming inside.
Slater stopped them when they got within talking range. Tammy stepped forward, holding up a bouquet of flowers that must have been from her garden. She handed them to me.
I accepted them with a sort of entranced reverence. “Oh, thank you.”
“We’re terribly sorry about what happened,” she said. And then she grabbed her husband’s hand and yanked him over.
He made a few coughing sounds, cleared his throat, and straightened his tie. “Yes, we’re terribly sorry. We had no idea about how that dreadful alpha treated you.”
“That doesn’t excuse what your grandfather did.”
Slater coughed rather loudly, causing his mother to straighten her posture and nod quickly. “Yes, okay,yes, I get it, Slater.” She smiled at me and extended her hand. “Can we start over again? As friends?”
Some generous witch must have blessed my timeline because there was no way this was happening because I deserved it. Regardless of how it was happening, I stood up, tossed the bouquet aside, and pulled Tammy into the hardest hug she’d probably ever get from me.
Surprised yet eager to please, she returned the hug and then kissed each of my cheeks. “Welcome to the Duff family, Virginia.”
Jeremiah beamed and offered me his hand. “A warm welcome to you and our grandkids.”
Slater watched the whole scene with equal parts shock and amazement. Truly, he must have been at a loss for words, for I felt much the same, my mouth refusing to formulate anything coherent at all. A tornado of affection swirled around me, the breeze adding to it and lifting the table skirts, rustling paper plates that weren’t weighted, and knocking over empty cups.
The universe spoke her approval. Who was I to deny such a wonderful sign from nature? All those years spent in isolation with hatred clutching my heart were finally gone. What I had left was a deep well of love, one that begged to be filled with every bit of affection I had missed from a family over the past ten years.
My parents were gone. My grandfather was dead. But my children were with me, I had a wonderful mate, and my entire pack was at my back. Nothing could ever hurt me again.
For the millionth time that day, I started to cry the happiest tears of my life.
***
The party lasted well through the evening. At some point, Francine offered to take the twins home with her and Archie. I didn’t argue with that. Having a family friend was proving to be wonderful for the kids—and for me as well. I took her up on the offer and then dragged Slater into the woods, not stopping until we reached the clearing.
We fell in a heap on the ground. Laying my head on Slater’s chest felt like the most beautiful moment of the entire day. Funny how that worked when the day itself was chock-full of things that were gorgeous. Slater’s parents had met us with grace and civility. I hadn’t expected them to show up. More than that, I hadn’t expected them to accept us. I had to guess that years of reflection had given them pause.
Much like had happened to me. And Slater too.
