Forever Wild (Wild 2.50)

I find myself doing the same, my own emotions stirring, though I can’t be certain why—is it that Jonah will be wearing my father’s wedding ring, or that my father, who I grew to love fiercely, meant so much to the man I’m about to marry?

“We’ll have to have it resized after the wedding,” I warn him. Wren Fletcher wasn’t a small man, but Jonah overshadowed him.

“No, you won’t.” Agnes grins. “I already had it done.”

Jonah slides the band onto his left ring finger. It fits perfectly. “How did you know—”

“When you were in the hospital, after the plane crash. You were all drugged up and sleeping. I tied a string to your finger and brought that to the jeweler. It worked!”

In one sudden, smooth motion, he stands and lifts Agnes off the ground and into a bear hug, spinning her tiny body around once before putting her back down. “What would we ever do without you, Aggie?”

She chuckles as she adjusts her Christmas sweater and then turns to me. “See, Calla? We told you it would all work out.”

“Now you don’t have to feel guilty about forgetting Jonah’s ring,” my mom adds.

Jonah’s mouth falls open, in that dramatic way that tells me he’s about to be a royal pain in my ass.

I groan. “Thanks, Mom.”

“You forgot that I needed a ring?”

Here we go. I climb off the couch and start collecting wrapping paper. “It’s not easy planning a wedding in a week. Over Christmas. In Alaska.”

Jonah plucks the trash bag from his mother and trails behind me. He’s still wearing the wedding band. “You didn’t forget your dress.”

“Well, no! It’s my wedding dress.”

“And the matching shoes?”

“There was a shoe store next door.” He obviously saw the box in the back of the Jeep.

“Do you even need me at the wedding, or will I be in the way?”

“You’re being ridiculous.” I laugh and toss a ball of paper at his face.

Knuckles rap on the glass to the side entrance a second before a deep male voice hollers, “Ho! Ho! Ho!” Bells jingle as Teddy strolls down the narrow hallway followed closely by Muriel and Toby, who carry several wrapped boxes.

“Merry Christmas!” Muriel greets, a genuinely happy grin filling her face. “I see you’ve already been out, plowing your driveway.” She nods at Jonah with approval.

“Because he’s a psycho—oh!” Jonah wraps an arm around my waist and effortlessly lifts me off my feet, earning my squeal.

“I know we’re a bit early, but we were just sittin’ around, killin’ time, so we decided to drive over.”

“She decided we should drive over. Hope you don’t mind,” Teddy corrects, shucking his heavy winter coat. Beneath it, he’s in head-to-toe red—red button-down shirt, red trousers, red suspenders, red socks.

“You been to the hangar yet today?” Toby asks, feigning indifference.

Jonah chuckles and sets me down. “Yeah, man.”

Toby grins. “It’s a nice truck! I had a bit of fun, getting that in last night through the snow.”

“Here, Calla. This is for you.” Muriel thrusts the box she’s carrying into my hands before discarding her outer things. “I wore it on my wedding day and it’s something you can wear on your wedding day. You know, something old and something borrowed.”

“Oh. I …” I eye the box, wariness settling in. By the size of the box, I’m guessing it’s not a subtle addition to my wedding attire. I force a smile as I carry it to the dining room table and begin gingerly unwrapping the packaging, a mixture of curiosity and dread swirling inside me. This is a woman who once told me she’s happiest wearing her husband’s coveralls. She prides herself on not caring about such “frivolous things” as clothes.

“You plannin’ on reusing that paper? Come on and rip it!” Muriel exclaims, wringing her hands with anticipation.

With a deep breath, I tear a sizeable strip off and lift the box’s lid. A mass of fur sits nestled inside tissue paper.