“God, no. I’ve never even dated before, let alone thought about getting married.”

“Well, now you are.”

We share a short look and then I clear my throat.

“How do you want to get married? A little ceremony? We can fly in some of your friends,” I offer.

“No, I think just a simple courthouse wedding is fine. You can invite your friends if you want,” she offers, and I nod.

“Okay. What about rings?”

“We don’t have to do all of that,” she protests.

“I want to.”

“Surprise me,” she says as the waitress drops off our waters.

“Alright.”

We both take a drink of water and stare at each other.

“You want to go look at wedding dresses? There’s a small boutique one street over. They have wedding, prom, and bridesmaid dresses. That sort of thing.”

“I’ll think about it,” she says.

Our food is dropped off a minute later and we both dig in. I know I need to talk to the guys at Mountain Rescue and figure out a plan. I think things are going well between us, but I only have a few days to prove that getting married for real is a good idea, tell her about shifters and fated mates, and convince her that we’re meant to be. That’s a lot to cover in not a lot of time.

We finish eating and I pay the bill, much to Morgan’s annoyance.

“I should have paid. You’re doing me a favor,” she grumbles as we head back to my truck.

“I wanted to take you out. It’s almost like a date, like the one you still owe me for the ski lessons,” I tell her, and she tries to hide her smile.

“What ski lessons?” She asks, and I grin.

“The ones that I’ll give you whenever you’re ready.”

“So, dinner tonight?” She asks as I slide behind the wheel.

“Yes. I’ll pick you up at six?”

“That works.”

We make the short drive over to City Hall and hurry inside. I can see Morgan looking around for any sign of her parents as we make our way over to the county clerk office.

We stand in line, waiting for our turn, and I check in with my bear. He’s been quiet since we picked up Morgan. I think it’s because he’s happy that we have our mate near us.

We step up to the counter and then sign the forms. I pay the fee, and Morgan glares at me playfully.

“Come on.”

I take her hand and pull her out of the City Hall and back to my truck. Her cheeks are red and wind burned as I turn the truck on and aim all the vents her way.

“I don’t think I’ll be skiing today,” she says, shivering.

“I don’t blame you. I don’t think anyone will be out on the slopes today.”

“I don’t know how you can live up here,” she says, and I tense.