Who really killed Wanda Day! - Wedding Bells (DAY! Series Book 2)

Chapter 1 - Cold, Chaos, And Confusion

The entire Series:

Who killed Wanda Day - (DAY! Series Book 1)

Christmas with the Days - (DAY! Series Book 1.5)

Valentine's DAY! - (DAY! Series Book 1.75)

*****

Ah, spring! Nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!' Bees start their annual buzz-iness conference, trees decide to show off their new leafy outfits, and flowers stage a daring jailbreak from their icy prison. Or at least they would have if the snow had bothered to melt. However, in the remote town of Youngsville, hidden deep in the Alaskan forests and reachable only by a solitary access road, life carried on beneath a thick, chilly blanket of snow that seemed determined to overstay its welcome.

This year, Peter appeared blissfully oblivious to the onset of the new season. Ignoring the gradual begs for warming the weather, he persisted in showering the town with relentless snowfall, generously decorating every surface, even gracing the roof of the quaint post office doubling as a printshop with his frosty handiwork. Making his way through the snowy maze, Colin Day trudged towards this particular shop, tucked away in the shadowy alley behind the church. Bundled up in a bulky parka with his cap pulled down low, he muttered under his breath, questioning his life choices.

A fortnight prior, he had entrusted Mr. Glovis, a wiry old man with thick horn-rimmed glasses, to order the wedding invitation cards for his daughter's upcoming nuptials. Today, on this fateful Tuesday, they were promised to be ready.

As he ascended the grand total of four and a half steps to the shop's entrance, Colin thought about the impending wedding. On Valentine's Day, Thommy had popped the question to Belle. The following day, she returned home beaming, sporting her mother's ring on her finger. Witnessing Belle's genuine happiness, Colin couldn't contain his own joy. Despite Thommy's questionable hobbies in the basement that wouldn't exactly qualify him as the poster child for ideal son-in-laws, Colin remained unfazed. He understood that Thommy's devotion to his daughter knew no bounds, and he was willing to go to great lengths to keep her smiling.

Out of nowhere, a snowball hit him on the back of his head, rudely interrupting his reverie. "Hey there, buddy," Chris hollered from a distance. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Colin sighed, shouting, "Picking up invitations," as he waited for his friend to finally reach him, anticipating a hearty embrace. "And what's your excuse?"

Chris sported a grin wide enough to rival the Cheshire Cat's. "Oh, you know, just casually fucked Britney yesterday. And hey, this morning too," he declared with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

With an exaggerated eye roll that could have won him an award, Colin sauntered into the quaint little shop. "Oh, let me guess, my pearls of wisdom went in one ear and out the other, didn't they?" he quipped, dripping with reproach.

On Valentine's Day, Colin had given his friend a stern talking-to about his sexual escapades. Deep down, Colin understood Chris' loneliness, hoping that after the Ashley debacle, Chris might stumble upon genuine love akin to what he had shared with Wanda. Yet, lo and behold, Chris seemed to be on a bed-hopping spree, cozying up with Sarah on Friday, then with Anastacia (or was it Annabelle?) on Saturday, following pretty MaryLee on Sunday. Colin couldn't keep track of the names or the beds anymore, and frankly, he was starting not to care.

"Oh, give me a break, Britney's a total knockout," Chris defended himself. "I mean, I'm just a man after all."

"She's barely legal, Chris," Colin spun around, aghast. "Nineteen. This is just... disgusting."

"Oh come on, as if YOU would have said no if she'd hop on your dick."

"I would."

"Yes, Mr. Romantic, tell me, do you have any plans for ever having sex again?" Chris teased, sidling up to the counter alongside Colin. Mr. Glovis observed them curiously, but the duo seemed oblivious to his presence.