Beautiful Creatures Series
Chapter 40: 18

Chapter 40: 18

Darrell walked into the Dazzling Desserts. He had just finished up a job and was heading over to thehardware store to pick up some supplies so he could build an arbour for the wedding. First, he thoughthe would check in with his bride-to-be and see how her day had been going. He rang the bell on thecounter, and Aster poked her head out with a smile. “You have amazing timing. We are just putting thefinishing touches on your cake. Come into the back and tell us what you think,” she invited him into theback. The wedding was in a few days, and they were just finishing up all the little odds and ends.

He followed Aster into the kitchen and over to the stainless steel table Katelyn was working at. Shelooked like a beautiful mess. Her dark hair pulled up in a sloppy ponytail, and there were traces ofdifferent coloured icings on her cheek, hands, and apron. “Darrell,” Katelyn said excitedly. “What doyou think?”

Darrell looked over the four-tear cake she and Aster had baked. It was covered in fondant that hadbeen airbrushed to look like birch wood. Around the base of each tear was a thick purple fondantribbon. Spilling from the top tear down to the bottom, a trail of yellow sunflowers. On the top was whatlooked like a handcrafted wreath of wooden twigs with small flowers and two light purple love birds.

“Do you like it?” Katelyn asked, biting her bottom lip awaiting his critique.

“It is perfect. You two did an excellent job.”

“Thank you; I like it,” Katelyn grinned.

“Why don’t you clean up, and we go for lunch.”

“I have too much to do. How about I bring home dinner. Chinese good with you?”

“Sure,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I’ll see you tonight, Babe,” he said, heading to the door. “Later,Aster.”

***

Katelyn had worked late helping Aster finish up another wedding cake and deliver it to the venue. Onceshe was done, she swung by the local Chinese restaurant and ordered take-out. She then drove home.Katelyn parked next to Darrell’s truck. Grabbing the food from the passenger seat, she went inside.She called out for Darrell, but she didn’t see him. Placing the large brown paper bag on the table, shetossed her keys on the table and went out the kitchen door into the open backyard.

Her jaw dropped as she stepped down off the wraparound porch. Darrell had been working all day onthe wooden arbour they would say their vows at. He was putting a final coat of stain on it, and Katelynwas breathless. It was so beautiful. What this man could do with a little wood and a nail wasremarkable.

Katelyn walked over to Darrell as she took a closer look. “You did all this in one day?”

“God created the world in six days. Why shouldn’t I be able to build an armour in a day.”

“Seven.”

“What?”

“God created the world in seven days.”

“No, God created the world in six days. He rested on the seventh.”

“Still, it is breathtakingly beautiful.”

He put down the stain and wiped his hands on the dirty shop rag he had stuffed in his back pocket. “Itjust needs a few more little touches. I was thinking of some white silk, some flowers, maybe somefabric butterflies. What do you think?”

“I think for a man, you have an extraordinary eye for beauty.”

“I’m marrying you, aren’t I?” She blushed, and he chuckled.

“Come on; dinner is getting cold.”

They went inside and dished out the wonderful food she had brought home. They sat down at the tableand talked about the excitement coming in the next few days. Katelyn could not believe that in just twodays, she was going to be a wife.

Sure some might think she was rushing into things with Darrell, but she knew Darrell better in the fewweeks they had been together than she had known Nigel in their entire four-year relationship.

They were in the middle of dinner when the doorbell rang. Darrell looked at Katelyn questioningly. “Areyou expecting someone?” He asked.

“No,” they knew it could not be anyone from the pack. They would have just knocked and walked in.Katelyn and Darrell rose from the table and went to answer the door. There was some man in a greysuit at their door. In his hands, a black leather briefcase. “Hello?” Katelyn greeted him.

“Katelyn Ashwood?”

“Yes.”

The man took a business card from his briefcase and offered it to her. Katelyn looked down at the cardand handed it to Darrell, who did the same. “You are a lawyer?” Darrell asked, confused.

“Yes. Might I come in? I have business with Miss. Ashwood,” they both nodded and let the man in. theytook a seat in the living room, and the man opened his case and handed Katelyn a thick document. “I’mLeo Carpenter. I was Nigel Airhart’s attorney.”

“Attorney? For what?”

“His will.”

“Nigel had a will?”

“Yes. He actually updated it not long ago. Since his unfortunate accident, It has fallen to me to makesure his final wishes were addressed, and his estate passes to his beneficiary.”

“Estate? You mean his house?”

“Among other things. He had two life insurance policies. A large saving. His car, and yes, his house.”

“I don’t see what any of this has to do with me,” Katelyn said.

“You are the beneficiary.”

Katelyn was speechless. “Excuse me?”

“You are Mr. Nigel Airhart’s beneficiary.”

“To what?”

“Everything. He left you everything.”

Katelyn could not replace the words. “Everything?” She breathed.

“His house valued at half a million. His car worth approximately twenty-five thousand. His savings,which at this time has a balance of fifty thousand. Both of his insurance policies, which combined,come out to five hundred thousand. I just need your signature on a few documents, and I can have themoney wired to your account and have the deed transferred into your name.”

Katelyn was stunned. She could not even form a single syllable. “As you can see, my fiancé is a bitsurprised. Why don’t you leave the paperwork, and she will get them back to you ASAP,” Darrell said,showing Leo out. Once they were alone, Darrell rejoined Katelyn on the couch. He rubbed her back,trying to help her wrap her mind around what had just happened. “Are you alright?”

“How can I be alright with this?” She said, looking into his eyes. “I killed a man, and I just inheritedeverything he owned. It was enough that I had to end his life, but how can I ever be alright with what Idid if I got rich doing it? I don’t want any of this, Darrell. What do I do with it?”

“You could give it away to charities. Put the money to good use. Give to those less fortunate,” hesuggested.

“I need time to think,” she said, standing up. Katelyn made her way up to bed. Darrell did not follow her.She needed time alone with her thoughts.

***

The following morning Katelyn stood over Nigel’s freshly filled-in grave. She had not gone to thefuneral. Why would she? They had been long over, and everyone knew it. Besides, since she killedhim, it would have been in bad taste. She had driven herself to the graveyard. She felt the need to behere. As she stood over Nigel’s grave, Katelyn felt a whirlwind of emotions, the most predominant one,anger. “God damn it, you son-of-a-bitch, why did you have to go and leave me everything?” She did notwant it. She hated him for making this harder on her.

Unable to fight with a dead man Katelyn wiped away her tears of frustration and turned to walk back toher car in the small lot at the bottom of the hill. She could not help but notice that Darrell was parkedbeside her. He was lounging casually against the hood of her car. She had no idea how long he hadbeen there.

Katelyn made her way to the vehicles and looked Darrell in the eyes. “Did you follow me?”

“No. When I woke up, and you were gone, I figured you had come here.”

“How could you know I would be here?” Darrell tapped the side of his head, reminding Katelyn of whenthey imprinted. That was right. She supposed he now knew her as he knew himself. “Are you upset thatI came here?”

“No. I know you have got a lot to work through,” Darrell reached out and took Katelyn by the hand,pulling her forward into his arms. “I have had to kill someone five-time. It never gets easy. It messes meup every time. I can’t. I can’t sleep. I can’t think of anything but what I did. After a while, I remind myselfwhy I did it. I remind myself what I was protecting. Eventually, you go on with life. You never really getover it, though. Killing someone to protect those you love is not wrong. What would be wrong is if itdidn’t destroy you. You are a good person Katelyn and all this,” he paused, gesturing wide to thegraveyard, “changes nothing.”

Kately curled into his embrace, burying her face in his chest to cry. He held her until she ran out oftears, and then they went home, where he spent all day showing her how much he still wanted her.With the wedding, tomorrow Katelyn and Darrell agreed not to spend the night together. Stanton andthe other guys had invited Darrell to Stanton’s place for a bachelor party, where they intended to getdrunk and celebrate the end of Darrell’s bachelorhood. While the guys partied the night away atStanton’s, the ladies had gathered at their house with Katelyn living it up and sending her off to marriedlife with a bang.

***

Katelyn stood in the loft while Aster and Charlotte helped Katelyn finish getting ready. She had chosento leave her hair down, so Aster had curled it for her and then Charlotte placed the vail she had madefor the wedding. It was a long sheer off-white vail that was attached to a crown of daisies and baby’s

breath. It was a lovely final touch to her outfit. Katelyn looked at herself in the full-length mirror she hadbrought over from her parents’ place.

She had never felt more beautiful than she did at that moment. Aurora came up the stairs in her purplebridesmaid’s dress. Charlotte and Aster were also standing up with her. They all wore the same shadeof purple but wore different styles. “The guys have just arrived,” Aurora announced. “We are ready tostart when you are.”

“I’ll be right down,” Katelyn said, and the ladies went down to join the rest of the guests in the yard.

Katelyn nervously ran both her hands over her belly, which at the moment was fluttering with a millionbutterflies. Even though today was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. Katelyn still felt sad. Itwas her wedding day, and her parents were not among the guests. It was a shame that they were soagainst Darrell. She loved her parents, but she was not going to give up Darrell.

She heard footsteps on the stairs as someone came up behind her. “I said I would be right down,” shesaid, turning. Katelyn was speechless when she saw her mother and father. They were both dressedfor the wedding — her father in his Sunday suit and her mother in a conservative pink dress with jacket.Her mother was almost in tears. “Mom?”

“You look so beautiful,” her mother said, dabbing at the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief, tryingnot to ruin her makeup.

“What are you doing here?”

“It’s not every day our daughter gets married,” her father said. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world?”

Katelyn fanned her face with both her hands trying to will herself not to cry. She did not have time to fixher makeup. “Oh, don’t cry, Baby,” her mother said, walking over and offering Katelyn her handkerchief.

“You will ruin your make-up,” Katelyn hugged her mother and then she kissed her cheek. We will talklater. For now, your groom is waiting.

Her father offered his arm. “Let me walk you down the aisle.”

Katelyn took his arm, and they went downstairs. Her mother went out to sit with the other guests.Katelyn could not wait to see Darrell. She knew that her parents being her today was his doing. She didnot know what he had said to them that got them here today, but she would be forever grateful to thatwonderful man of hers. He really went all out to make today perfect for her.

When she heard the wedding march began, Katelyn took her father's arm and exited the house. Theyhad rented some white folding chairs, which they had lined up in the backyard. Between the chairs,they left a short aisle that ended at the front where Darrell stood with the paster waiting for her. Thearbour they stood under was decorated just as Darrell suggested with flowers, silk, and butterflies. Itwas a theme they carried over to the chairs with each row of chairs decorated with white silk bows, twosunflowers each and a fabric butterfly.

At the end of the aisle, Darrell was dressed in a tailored tuck with a purple vest and tie. He had left hishat in the house, and he had fixed his hair and even shaved. The man sure did clean up nice. WhenDarrell saw her in her dress for the first time, he looked as though he might cry himself. He smiled evenhad to wipe away a tear of joy. It was exactly the reaction she had been hoping for.

Katelyn took Darrell’s hand, and they faced the minister. They listened to the older man speak aboutlove and commitment. When it came time for their vows, they turned to one another, and Darrell spokefirst. Reciting vows, he wrote himself.

“I promise to be your lover, companion, and best friend. I will be your partner in life, your ally in conflict,your greatest fan, and your toughest adversary. Most importantly, I promise no man will ever love youmore than I do.”

Katelyn tried not to cry. It was her turn. “I love you not only for what you are but for what I am when Iam with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself but for what you are making of me.And even though I am unsure of so much in this life, I am certain that I will love you forever.”

They exchanged rings, and the minister announced them, Husband and Wife. Darrell kissed his bride,and then everyone started to throw birdseed. The reception immediately followed the ceremony. Theparty went on well into the night. Katelyn had to admit even though there were human guests amongthem. The pack had been very welcoming. With the exception of a fight between Gordon and Melissa,the party went off without any trouble. Today was perfect. Today was the start of a new and wonderfullife.