Chapter 37 Chloe
CHLOE
Four days turned out to be plenty of time when you had Twyla Honeytree on your side.
"Arms up," Freya said, slipping the gown over Chloe's head. The fabric whispered against her skin, soft as petals, and settled around her like it had been waiting for her.
Chloe turned to face the mirror in Freya's back room and her eyes went blurry as her throat tightened.
The dress was simple. Ivory silk that skimmed her curves without clinging, with delicate lace at the neckline and sleeves that fell just past her elbows.
The skirt was flowing, practical, the kind of thing she could actually walk in without tripping.
And at the waist, embroidered in thread so fine it was nearly invisible, a pattern of honeycomb and tiny bees.
"Freya." Her voice came out thick. "When did you..."
"I started it the day after you woke up." Freya adjusted the shoulders, her copper hair falling over one eye as she worked. "I had a feeling you two wouldn't wait long. And I wanted you to have something that meant something."
"It's perfect."
"I know." Freya grinned, stepping back to admire her work. "The embroidery was Kaia's idea, actually. She dreamed about it."
"She dreamed about my wedding dress?"
"Dreamwalkers." Freya shrugged. "They're weird like that."
A knock at the door, and then Diana's head appeared. "The heaters arrived. Elias and Thorin are setting them up now. Twyla wants to know if you've decided on the vows."
"Traditional," Chloe said. "With one addition."
"Which is?"
"You'll see tomorrow."
Diana smiled, her amber eyes warm. "Fair enough. The inn's ready for you whenever you want to head over. I've got the corner room set up, the one with the view of the mountains."
"Thank you. For everything."
"Thank me by being happy." Diana disappeared, her footsteps fading down the hall.
The next three days blurred together in a whirlwind of activity.
Twyla commandeered the orchard like a general marshaling troops.
Chloe watched from the farmhouse window as strings of lights went up between the bare trees, as tables materialized from neighbors' barns, as chairs appeared in neat rows facing a wooden arch that Luka Ashe had apparently built overnight.
"Is that an altar?" she asked Corin on day two.
"Luka insisted." Corin wrapped his arms around her from behind, chin resting on her shoulder. "Said he owed us for the ghost thing."
"What ghost thing?"
"Long story. Involves his mate and a cemetery."
Maeve arrived on day three with casks of mead and ale, her short black hair windswept, her sharp tongue as cutting as ever. "You're really doing this in four days? I had bets on at least a month."
"You bet against us?"
"I bet on dramatic. I wasn't wrong." She surveyed the orchard setup, nodding slowly. "Not bad. Could use more flowers."
"Freya's handling flowers."
"Then it'll be fine." Maeve clapped her on the shoulder hard enough to sting. "Congratulations, druid. You caught yourself a good one."
By day four, the orchard had transformed.
White fabric draped between trees, catching the afternoon light.
Flowers bloomed in impossible profusion, courtesy of Freya's magic and Chloe's new connection to the land.
The wooden arch stood at the end of the aisle, wrapped in ivy and honeysuckle, with Corin's beehives visible in the distance like silent witnesses.
Heaters dotted the perimeter, their warmth pushing back February's chill. Lanterns hung from branches, unlit now but ready to glow when evening fell. And everywhere, the subtle hum of bees who'd emerged early to investigate the commotion.
"It's beautiful," Chloe breathed.
"It's chaos held together with string and stubbornness." Twyla appeared beside her, clipboard in hand, hair escaping its bun in seventeen directions. "But yes. It's beautiful."
"How can I ever thank you?"
"Name your first child after me."
"What if it's a boy?"
"Twylliam." Twyla's eyes sparkled. "I'll make it work."
The afternoon slipped away in final preparations.
Emmett's wife Katniss handled the place cards, her sharp hazel eyes ensuring no feuding families sat too close together.
Elias did a final check of the heaters while his mate Kaia wandered through the setup with a dreamy expression, occasionally stopping to touch a flower or straighten a chair.
"She's seeing something," Freya said quietly.
"Good something or bad something?"
"With Kaia, it's usually just... something." Freya squeezed her hand. "Don't worry. Tomorrow's going to be perfect."
As the sun began to set, Corin found her standing by the orchard, looking out over everything they'd built.
"Having second thoughts?" he asked.
"Third and fourth, actually." She smiled at his alarmed expression. "All of them are variations of 'how did I get this lucky.'"
He pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm the lucky one."
"We can both be lucky."
"Deal."
They stood there for a long moment, watching the last light paint the sky in shades of rose and gold. The orchard spread before them, ready and waiting. Tomorrow, they'd stand beneath that arch and make promises in front of everyone, but tonight, tradition demanded they sleep apart.
"I should go," Chloe said reluctantly. "Diana's expecting me."
"One more minute."
She gave him five, then gently pulled away. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"I'll be the one at the altar."
"Bold assumption. Maybe I'll run off with Elias."
"Kaia would kill you."
"Fair point." She kissed him, soft and quick, then made herself walk away before she lost her nerve entirely.
The Hearth & Hollow Inn glowed warm against the gathering dusk. Diana met her at the door with a cup of tea and a sympathetic smile.
"Hardest part of the whole thing," Diana said. "Sleeping alone the night before. Rowan said he could hear me pacing from his house the night before our wedding." She led Chloe upstairs to the corner room, all soft quilts and mountain views. "Get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
"A good long day."
"The best kind."
Diana left, and Chloe stood at the window, looking out at the darkening mountains. Somewhere out there, Corin was probably doing the same thing. She could feel him through the bond, a warm pulse of anticipation and love that matched her own.
A knock at the door made her turn.
"Diana, I'm fine, I don't need..."
She opened the door and stopped.
Wendy stood in the hallway, overnight bag in hand, her dark curls tumbling over her shoulders and a grin splitting her face.
"Surprise."
"You left." Chloe grabbed her sister and pulled her into a crushing hug. "You were supposed to be in Vermont."
"I was in Vermont. For about six hours." Wendy hugged her back just as hard. "Then I got a vision of you getting married and realized there was no way in hell I was missing it."
"You flew back?"
"Drove, actually. Fourteen hours." Wendy pulled back, her brown eyes bright with exhaustion and joy. "I made good time."
"You're insane."
"I'm your sister. Same thing." She pushed past Chloe into the room, dropping her bag on the chair. "Now. Tell me everything. How are you feeling? Nervous? Excited? Ready to throw up?"
"All three. Maybe four other things I can't name."
"That's normal." Wendy kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the bed, patting the space beside her.
"Come on. Last night as an unmarried woman.
We're going to stay up too late, talk about boys, and I'm going to tell you embarrassing stories about Mom's wedding that she made me promise never to repeat. "
Chloe laughed, the tension in her chest loosening for the first time all day. She climbed onto the bed beside her sister, just like they used to when they were kids sharing a room, and let herself sink into the comfort of family.
"I can't believe you drove fourteen hours."
"I can't believe you're getting married in an orchard in February." Wendy poked her shoulder. "We're both making questionable choices. That's what sisters do."
"I'm glad you're here."
"Me too." Wendy's voice softened. "I wouldn't miss this for anything, Chloe. Not for anything in the world."
They talked until midnight, then past it, until Chloe's eyes grew heavy and her words started slurring together. Wendy pulled the quilt up over them both and planted a kiss on her forehead.
"Sleep," she whispered. "Tomorrow you marry your bear."
Chloe smiled, already drifting.
Tomorrow she married her bear.
She couldn't wait.