“I really like being on your team,” I say when we finally separate. “Thanks for having my back.”
“Always.”
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From Fake to Forever: The Real Story Behind the Cove’s It Couple
By Ashlyn Patterson
Last December, if you would have asked newly elected county sheriff Collin Rattler and 911 dispatcher Magnolia Kasper if they would have been married in twelve months’ time, they would have laughed in your face and went on with their business, keeping the people of Cashmere County safe.
“We really didn’t like each other that much,” Kasper says when asked about her initial relationship with Sheriff Rattler. She gives a good-natured shrug. “I thought he was too charming for his own good.”
And it’s true. Sheriff Rattler’s charm is what led to the pair’s clandestine courtship and shotgun wedding. As first reported by yours truly in theCashmere Crier, Rattler’s campaign team advised that he shore up his playboy image ahead of the November sheriff election.
Enter Kasper. She agreed to marry him, and no one could really understand why.
Until now.
“I was in an abusive relationship in Florida,” Kasper revealed in an exclusive interview with theCrier. “My ex-boyfriend continued to harass and stalk me even after I moved to Wisconsin. I agreed to marry Collin because I thought it would offer me some protection from my ex.”
Kasper went on to explain how helpless and weak she felt in the wake of her ex-boyfriend’s actions. Stalking laws and punishmentsfor such behavior are notoriously lax—something the pair is passionate about changing.
“We have this platform now, and we intend to shine a light on this issue,” Sheriff Rattler shared.
There is more information on stalking, warning signs, and what to do if you find yourself in a situation like Magnolia Kasper linked on theCrier’swebsite. What Kasper wants others to know is that they aren’t alone, and they shouldn’t suffer in silence.
“For a long time, I hid what was happening to me because I was ashamed. But isolation is a tool used by predators who are trying to control their victims. Talk to someone, and document everything.”
For those curious, Kasper’s ex-boyfriend is behind bars. He was arrested for breaking and entering, assault, and attempted kidnapping here in Cashmere Cove, but fingerprints have also tied him to an armed robbery case in Florida. Kasper has a restraining order issued against him now, and she turned over all evidence of his stalking to authorities.
Kasper says she’s looking forward to taking her life back and continuing to put down roots in Cashmere Cove. “I’m looking ahead, not behind me. A wise woman once told me, ‘You can’t live in the past.’”
It should be noted that Rattler and Kasper are sitting impossibly close to each other during this interview. They have not let go of each other’s hands, and Rattler keeps kissing Kasper—on the forehead, on the inside of her wrist, on the temple.
This is the stuff of romance novels, people. I’m just trying to paint an accurate picture.
When pressed on the status of their relationship now, Kasper and Rattler exchange grins.
“We’re still married,” Sheriff Rattler clarifies with a wink in the direction of his wife. “But I plan to ask her to marry me again for real in the not-so-distant future. Right now, I’m married to herso I can date her exclusively and convince her to stick with me forever.”
Lest you think that Rattler’s charm falls on deaf ears where Kasper is concerned, she’s quick to cut in and assure me that she makes him work for it. But judging from the twinkling in their eyes when this couple looks at each other, wedding bells will be re-ringing in the not-so-distant future.
Congratulations to the happy couple, and best wishes to Sheriff Rattler as he begins his tenure as top cop in the county.
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Epilogue
Rose
The wedding is in full swing. My sister and her new husband look blissfully happy. Heck, even I can’t stop the smile that keeps creeping over my face. Poppy deserves this, and she and Mack are perfect for each other.
The historic granary in Cashmere Cove is glittering with lights. They are literally dripping down the walls and from the rafters, a fitting tribute to Mack’s job as an electrician and Poppy’s persona as pure sunshine.
Even tonight, though, I can’t stop my head from being on a swivel. It’s a byproduct of my job. Not my job at Mood Reader here in the Cove. My other job. The one nobody knows about. The one I’ve kept a secret since I was eighteen years old.
I blink and will myself to relax and enjoy this night. My gaze snags on Noli and Collin. They’ve been standing next to me at the bar, not an inch of space between them. They’re obviously madly in love. It’s adorable, if a little sickening. Collin has his muscular arms wrapped around Noli’s waist, and he’s smiling adoringly down at her as she tells him something for his ears only. She’s in good hands with him, and while their relationship is unconventional, it seems to have worked for them.
