Curled up on the floral chaise, Audrey eyed Jake curiously. He took a seat in one of the winged-back chairs they had reupholstered together, positioned across from her, with a clear view of the expansive window in the library of their home. He smirked and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"What should we decide on first?" he asked.

Audrey flicked open a large binder to display a long checklist. "Let's settle on a date," she said optimistically. She'd tried to remember planning her first wedding, to Aislinn's dad, but it was so long ago that she could only recall bits and pieces. But she knew everything rested on the date, so that was the priority.

Jake nodded. "What did you have in mind?"

Her lips twisted as she examined the A4 sized calendar hidden inside the folder's cover. "Hmm, school holidays would probably work, but it all depends on whether the B&B will be open by then. If it is, then we should work it around the quiet season." Audrey glanced up to meet his gaze. "What do you think? Are there any dates that work better for you?"

He shook his head. "I can work around it. And you'll probably be open by the September school holidays, so what about a July wedding? That'd give us plenty of time for a honeymoon too," he winked.

From the corner of his eye, Jake thought he saw something outside the library's window. He shifted his gaze towards it, focusing intently, hoping to catch a glimpse of what or who ran past. A shadow moved to the windows right - something large, but he couldn't make out any details. It had to be at least seven feet tall, though. His pulse raced, feeling a primal urge to protect his family, but he knew he had to at least appear calm, for Audrey's sake.

"Jake, are you listening?" she said, pulling him back to the conversation.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, rubbing his eyes before refocusing his attention on Audrey. "Can you repeat the question?"

"Do you want a winter wedding, then?" she repeated, narrowing her gaze on him.

Jake shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, why not? The time suits, and I'm sure you'll find something beautiful in that magazine of yours."

His eyes returned to the window, but there was nothing visible. If it was the creature from the other night, then it's gone back into hiding now.

"OK, then," Audrey said, running her finger down the calendar as she searched. "How about the first Saturday in July?"

"Works for me," Jake said, forcing a smile. He surveyed her as she circled the date, then scribbled something on her to do list before ticking the item. "What's next?"

"Do you want to choose a colour scheme?" she asked.

With a nod, he waited for her to continue. Jake wasn't really concerned about dates and colours, but he wanted Audrey to be happy. And so, he decided that whatever she suggested, he would agree to. All he truly wanted was for her to show up at the altar - or perhaps she would she choose a different location? They'd need to discuss that too, he supposed. Otherwise, he'd wait to see what Audrey would suggest. Lost in the wedding preparations, she had no idea about the events happening just a few meters away, on the other side of the window. The constant threat seemed to escalate with each passing day.

"Well, I was thinking about a spring green, or perhaps teal?" Audrey said.

"That sounds great."

She furrowed her brows. "Which would you prefer, though?"

"Honestly, I like both, so pick which you like best."

"Fine. Teal it is," she said, ticking another item off the list.

Audrey smirked at the brevity of their decision making, spurring her to carry on down the list. They dedicated the entire next hour to hashing out all the important decisions, allowing Audrey to shift her focus to other bridal choices, including dresses, flowers, and decorations. But they had left the selection of music, rings, ceremony location, and the celebrant for another time.

"I think I'm going to need a lot more magazines," Audrey said, grinning as she stood from the chaise.

Jake stood too, pulling her tightly into his arms as he gently kissed her forehead. "I can't wait to marry you," he whispered.

Audrey's heart beat faster. His warm breath caressed her skin as he placed a trail of gentle kisses from her earlobe, peppered down her neck, and finally rested just below her collarbone. A low burn lingered deep in her belly, stirring wildly. She almost glowed with happiness - like a rainbow after the storm, and a little something else.

Audrey lifted her eyes to meet Jake's smouldering stare. "Me too," she whispered.

As they stared at each other, he noticed her pupils dilate and felt the warmth of her breathy exhale against his lips. It never got old, he thought, as he savoured her presence - every minute detail of her face that he adored. The tiny lines at the corners of her eyes, the way they twitched when she was nervous, and how her lip turned up ever so slightly in one corner when she was in a sensual mood.

A nagging thought ripped her from the romantic moment. "Oh my goodness Jake, we forgot to discuss the guest list."

He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and grinned. "That's OK, don't stress. I can put together a list of my friends, but you've met most of them already. And as far as family, it's just Aunt Maggie." He paused for a moment, wondering whether to poke the bear. The suggestion gnawed at him, and he knew he had to speak up. "Have you given any thought to inviting your parents?"

Audrey fought to hold back a tear, but her eyes grew watery and sparkled. She shook her head. "I'm not sure if I should."

"Just take some time to think about it, OK, hun? I'm sure they'd love to hear from you. And Aislinn too."

"Alright," she replied with a sigh. "I'll think about it." Yet Audrey remained uncertain of whether she should, or whether she could. Her ex-husband had gone to great lengths to distance her from them. In fact, it had been many years since she'd had any contact at all - well before Aislinn was born. She wondered whether they even knew they had a granddaughter. And even if she tried to contact them, who knows if they're still in the same place? Anxiety welled in her stomach as she considered the thought. Even if she contacted them, what could she possibly say? What would they say?

Audrey pushed the thought to the back of her mind and headed to Aislinn's room. She rapped on the door three times, then entered.

"Hey Mum," Aislinn said. Ellie and Ben followed suit as Audrey rested in the doorway. "What's up?"

"I was curious to know your thoughts on the colour teal," she said, emphasising her curiosity with two raised eyebrows.

"Eek, you decided then?"

"Yep, set a date too."

"Spill the beans then," Ben prompted.

"We chose the beginning of July. But we've got a lot of planning to do in only a few months. So, I'm going to need all the help I can get."

A wide smile spread across Ellie's face. "Count us in. This is going to be so much fun," she said, letting out a little squeak.