Page 111 of Beware of Dog

“I’d do it for you,” he said, expression going serious. Sincere.

Cass put her arms around his neck and hugged him.

“Hey, you’re spilling my coffee,” he griped, but slung an arm around her ribs and hugged her back, briefly.

“Not to step all over your tender family moment or whatever the hell,” Shep said, “but excuse the fuck outta me:I don’t need a human shield.”

Tenny drew back from Cass, winked at her, and turned a mild look to Shep. “It’s cute that you think that.”

Reese joined them, after crossing the room silently, and climbed onto the stool that Tenny had used. He reached for the mug, took a sip, and the resulting smile was small, but very pleased. He’d clearly slept on his right side, and his hair was snarled and flattened, cheek creased from the pillow.

When Cass checked, she saw Tenny gazing at him with tender fondness, and her chest warmed with the knowledge that things had turned out just as they were always meant to.

~*~

Raven only stayed long enough to finish her coffee and deliver a rapid-fire, dizzying list of everything she’d already decided about the wedding.

“I’ll of course provide a dress. You can come by the studio tomorrow and we’ll get you fitted. Shep, I’m assuming, will wear his cut. I have a nice black shirt you can wear beneath, no hoodies. Joanna says she can get some flowers together, and of course string lights. There will be the usual clubhouse party accoutrements, I assume: bonfires, drinks, lawn games, etcetera.

“Cass, you’ll need to let me know by tonight if you have any special requests. Obviously, this isn’t a church wedding with the typical frills, but I have an excellent party planner on retainer and I’m sure she could obtain me a few things, up to a point.

“The beauty of the clubhouse is we already have music, accommodations for out-of-town guests, and plenty of seating. The two of you will need to obtain your marriage license at the courthouse.” She looked pointedly at Shep.

“Uh, yeah,” he said, as bewildered as the rest of them. “We can handle that.”

She gave a sharp, businesslike nod. “Next is rings.” A groove appeared between her brows. “I suppose not necessary, if you don’t want them.”

Cass held up her hand.

“Oh!” Shocked, pleased, Raven took her fingers and pulled her hand closer to inspect the ring. She pressed her thumb gently to the center of the stone, and Cass could tell that Raven was impressed. “It’s lovely, Shepherd.”

“That’s just rich-people speak for ‘you suck,’” Shep groused, but his cheeks had pinked.

Raven seemed to know that, and didn’t comment, merely gave Cass a subtle nod of approval.

“Wedding rings, then,” she said, turning back to the typed-up list she’d spread across the countertop between their four mugs. “I’ll handle the cake. There’s a bakery in Albany who can put something together last minute, and Jo says she has an in with the owner. Which leaves…” She trailed off, and turned to Cass. Her voice gentled. “Your mother.”

Raven might as well have slapped her. How—how on earth—had she not considered her mum in all of this? She knew how, deep down: because Raven had always been more parental than her actual mother. Because she lived here in America now, on Raven’s dime. It was Raven she checked in with when she went out, and Raven she went to for advice. She spoke over the phone and sometimes Facetimed with Mum, but standing here now, gobsmacked, she realized she hadn’t talked to her mum since she got together with Shep. Before that, not since the fateful party that had kicked all of this into motion.

“Oh God, I totally forgot Mum,” she murmured, and then the cold horror of that—of forgetting to consider her own mother’s attendance at her wedding—sent a hard shudder through her and she almost spilled her coffee.

Tenny reached over her shoulder and plucked it neatly out of her hand.

Shep lowered his own mug and his face went blank, his eyes big. “Shit, your mom,” he said, flatly, like he hadn’t considered her either.

Raven sighed, but patiently. “She won’t be upset.”

“I know she won’t,” Cass said, that first cold spike of panic starting to fade to a duller, but no less troubling regret. “She’ll be awkward, and fluttery, and she’ll cry, but she’ll be kind to Shep. She won’t understand.” She shook her head. “That doesn’t matter, but I just…Iforgot. I never evenconsideredher.”

“I didn’t tell my mum beforehand that I was getting married,” Raven said with a shrug. “I showed up at our Paris rendezvous with Toly in tow and said, ‘Hello, Mum, meet your son-in-law.’”

Cass had heard that story in all its gory, hilarious detail, and had laughed over it for ten minutes. (Tenny grinned now and said, “You didn’t,” delighted.) But it wasn’t the same.

“Yeah, but youconsideredher. Youchosenot to tell her beforehand.”

Raven sighed again, this time less patiently. “Things have been mad around here lately. You didn’t forget her. You’ve been preoccupied.”

“Uh,” Shep said, and they both glanced toward him. His forehead was stacked with lines, mouth partially open, dark gaze pinging between them. “She’s not one of those, like…” He made claws with his fingers. “Angry, scary moms, right?”

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