Page 20 of Kiss of Fury

She slipped her feet into a pair of newish silver ankle boots she saved for special occasions.I guess awedding counts.She attached silver earrings to her lobes.

Lastly, she donned her heavy coat and left the cabin.

A conveyance was parked outside the office, so she assumed the officiant had arrived. A human woman clutching a small bouquet of artificial flowers wrapped in white ribbons and streamers waited outside. Was she getting married, too?

“Verity?” the woman greeted her with a smile. “I’m Honoria Foster.”

“Oh! Nice to meet you. You’re the other human woman. I’ve heard about you.” She wondered why she carried a bridal bouquet. Wasn’t the woman already married?

She laughed. “Not many of us humans around.”

A gust of strong wind grabbed at their coats and threatened to topple them over.So much for fixing my hair.

“Why don’t we step inside the office and get out of the wind?” Honoria suggested.

“That’s where I’m headed.”

“I know. I came to tell you Mike will be a little late.”

Why wasshetelling her and not Fury himself? It also struck her that Honoria called Verity’s fiancé by his given name, while she still referred to him as Fury. She wasn’t jealous, but it emphasized how little she knew her own soon-to-be husband.

They ducked inside. Phibious wasn’t there, but a three-eyed purple woman, a female version of Gozar, perched on a desk. “You must be Verity!” she chirped. “I’m Juju, your Cosmic Mates wedding officiant.”

“Hi!” She removed her coat and combed her fingers through her now-messy hair. “The groom is, uh, late, I guess.” She glanced at Honoria.

“Dusty called me and said the men were delayed by a broken axle out on the range and asked me to pass on that Mike was on his way.”

That made it a little better.

“Broke an axle? Was my brother Gozar driving the conveyance?” Juju tittered.

“By the way, this is for you.” Honoria handed Verity the bouquet. “The climate here stunts vegetation growth. Plants do flower, but they produce tiny little blooms—nothing you can pick, so we can’t get real flowers, but Maven occasionally stocks some artificial ones. I put together a bouquet for you.”

“How sweet and thoughtful!” Verity hugged her.

“I came to welcome you,” Honoria said. “Mike and Jason are best buddies, and I’m hoping you and I can become friends, too.”

“I would like that.”

“Mike was thrilled you were coming. Every time you got delayed, he was so disappointed.”

Probably still was. He’d desired a wife, not a kid. He hadn’t been expecting a package deal. He wouldn’t break their contract but intended to annul their marriage when they’d satisfied the residency requirements.Can I blame him? Not everybody likes kids, let alone other people’s kids.

“And now you’re here.” Juju exhaled a dramatic sigh. “It’s so romantic.”

Uh, not quite, but she wouldn’t dash the officiant’s illusions.

“I love working for Cosmic Mates, bringing the right people together to live happily ever after.”

“It worked for me and Jason,” Honoria said. “It was a challenge marrying a stranger at first, and we hit a few bumps, but we have no regrets. Jason is the best thing to happen to me.”

“That’s good to hear.” Given her situation, she’d settle for safety, security, and friendship. She did notsee love in her near future. Perhaps not ever.That’s a dismal thought.

Honoria’s eyes glinted with an odd light. “You and Mike probably haven’t had a chance to talk much.”

“No, we haven’t.”

“Jason and Mike arrived together. They aregoodmen. Decent men. I believe that absolutely.”

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