Guthrie slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead. “I can’t believe you’ve left me out of the loop on the Christmas party.”

She smiled up at him. “Remember, no swordplay.”

He sighed. “I don’t plan on us returning from your house after moving your stuff just so we can rest up a whole lot, either. You haven’t scheduled the celebration too early, have you?”

“Thankfully, Julia wanted it to be a late-afternoon affair.”

“I’m glad for that.”

Guthrie asked Ian whom he could spare to help them move her things to her parents’ home, while she okayed it with her father over the phone. “Aye, aye, Dad. We’re…” She smiled up at Guthrie as he observed her. “Mated.”

Her father whooped and hollered, and she envisioned him seizing her mother, embracing her, and twirling her around as she screeched in the background.

“And the wedding?” her father finally asked, his excitement cheering her.

“Nothing elaborate. Just a gathering of families and that’s it,” she said.

“You still have the wedding gown.”

“Of course. The store doesn’t take back used wedding gowns.”

“Your mum said she’ll call Guthrie’s mum and talk to her.”

“No big wedding, Dad. We can’t afford it. Just something simple.”

“All right.”

“I’m moving in with Guthrie.”

“Aye!”

She laughed. “You sound like you’re eager to get rid of me.”

“Nay, lass. We’re so glad you’re mated to Guthrie and have a pack to live with.”

“Good. I want to move some of my things to your place.”

“Anything.”

“And I want to rent out my place as a bed-and-breakfast. I was thinking…”

“Way ahead of you there. We’ll manage it, and we’ll rent out the five extra bedrooms in the manor house. Your mother has wanted to do this forever. She loves to cook—you know how she is. This was just the incentive we needed.”

“Good. We’re headed over there now, and when you return home, we can see what the MacNeills’ schedule looks like and plan a quick wedding.”

“Your mum wants to talk to you.”

Calla took a deep breath, bracing for the inevitable.

“Calla, oh, Calla, we’re so very proud of you,” her mother said. “As soon as we end the call, I’m talking to Lady Mae.”

“Keep it simple. Nothing extravagant. I mean it.” Calla didn’t want to hurt her mother’s feelings. By lupus garou tradition, her parents had never officially been married in a church, though they had legal documents to prove Calla was their only daughter and heir. Still, she knew how much this meant to her mother, that Calla would marry Guthrie in a church.

“Of course, dear. We wouldn’t think of anything too costly. Flowers—”

“No flowers. They’re too expensive.” If it had been summer, Calla would have cut some roses from her garden.

“Oh, all right.” Her mother began crying.

“Mum?” Tears sprang into Calla’s eyes. She couldn’t bear it when her mother cried. “What’s wrong?” She didn’t believe having no flowers would upset her mother so much.

“I’m just so happy for you,” her mother sobbed.

Calla smiled and sniffled. “Me too. I have to go. I’m moving most of what I can today. An ice storm is coming in, so we’ve got to hurry.”

“All right. You take care of that handsome Highlander. I always told you that you should have paid more attention to Cearnach’s younger brother.”

“Aye, you’re right. A mistake I’m rectifying. Love you, Mum. See you soon.” Calla ended the call and put her phone in her purse. She’d forgotten how her mother had said she should have gotten together with Guthrie some time or another. Just to see if they would suit because both of them were actually like-minded about finances and, well, a whole lot more. But Calla hadn’t had a chance once she returned to the area and Baird had so quickly swept her off her feet.

“Are you okay?” Guthrie asked, helping Calla into her coat.

“Yeah. They’re both ecstatic.” She wiped her nose with a tissue.

“You had me worried there for a moment.”

She smiled up at Guthrie and tugged on his belt. “My mother was overwhelmed with joy and began sobbing.”

“Ah, mothers. Got to love them.”

She laughed. “Aye.”

Duncan, Cearnach, Jasper, Ethan, and Oran all volunteered to help with the move. Ian figured they didn’t need any more men than that, and that was probably too many. But they all insisted on going. Heather went along to help Calla pack. The other ladies were mysteriously absent.

The weather was supposed to worsen later in the day, so they left right after breakfast. A heavy mist already cloaked the area with a ghostly white blanket.

When they reached Calla’s carriage house, she felt overwhelmed with the idea of packing up everything that she didn’t want to leave behind. It seemed like a lot more work once she realized how much paraphernalia she had stuffed in closets, under beds, in drawers, and in cabinets.

Guthrie rubbed her back. “We don’t have to do this all in one day, lass. We can take as much time as you need.”

“Aye.” But she wanted to do this. To get it over and done with as quickly as possible. At least she had only lived here for a year and hadn’t accumulated many years’ worth of things. Plus, the last time she’d moved, she’d gotten rid of a lot of stuff she didn’t need.