The Dance Part 2

Chapter 337 Here Comes the Rain

Rain flew out the front door practically knocking River down in her haste to see him. He caught her by the arms saving them both from a spill. She tried quickly to regroup and not appear desperate to see  him.

"Whoa, slow down there girlie. What's the big hurry?" River loomed over Rain. He was tall and lean and dark haired with the hint of a five o'clock shadow and Rain was indeed smitten with him. He worked for Matt helping load lumber. She would watch him from Bam's boat in the afternoons pretending to perform maintenance and cleanup. Secretly, she was watching him work behind a dark pair of sunglasses. She was too shy to approach him and her brothers were always hovering so her interactions with him were the occasional lunch deliveries from Red's bakery or a friendly wave while he took a water break from his work.

Rain could barely choke out a sentence until she heard another female voice behind him. "Oh Rain, don't you look cute in your pink bridesmaid's gown."

Rain's excitement dissipated as Angelica appeared next to River. Angelica Keeler was a girl from town and not exactly a very friendly one at that, at least not with female competition. 

Rain stumbled over her words. "Sorry, I just needed to get Bird's bouquet. I didn't know you were coming much less with someone." Rain glared at Angelica and then at River.

River leaned in closer to Rain and whispered. "We're not exactly together. I just gave her a ride over here."

Rain tried to hide a smile but River noticed a blush on her cheek. "Maybe later, you'll save me a dance?"

She tried to contain a squeal of excitement as she left River with Angelica and pretended to search for her sister's flowers. He watched and smiled as she wandered around the venue.

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Noah took his place next to Bird to walk her down the aisle to Joe. Their father's failing health issues prevented him from giving Bird away. Since Bird was closest to Noah, she had asked him to perform the duty with Rain as her maid of honor. Joe waited impatiently at the altar as Rain floated past her family. She could have sworn River winked at her as she passed by him much to the chagrin of Angelica who caught the overt flirtation.

Bird stood solidly by Noah as he asked her if she was ready to head down the aisle. She nodded yes. Her knees felt slightly weakened at the first step and at the thought of becoming someone's wife. She and Rain had dreamed that when they both married, they would all live together as one big happy family in one communal home. The realization that she was taking the first step into a new and different world made her realize that no matter how hard they tried to hold on to the past, their lives were changing. She had noticed it happened to the brothers one by one as each one had taken a bride. But she was the first girl to do so. She felt a slight twinge of guilt that she was leaving Rain behind but as she approached Joe, those thoughts disappeared into the joy of the next few minutes as she became one with her future husband.

Joe and Bird beamed after their first kiss as husband and wife. Bear had rounded up the kids and led them in a family howl. Joe willingly gave into the tradition and officially joined in his first Wolfpack howl. Clearly, he was a keeper.