Broken Series

by Dawn Pendleton

  “But –”

  “We all supported you when you went through something tragic. Now it’s your turn to return the favor.”

  Silence.

  “Did you hear me?”

  “Yeah, I heard you,” she huffed. “I’ll keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to, but I will. She deserves it, I guess.”

  “Good. Now I’m going to bed. I’ll have her call you tomorrow,” I promised again. We said goodbye and clicked off.

  When I went back into the bedroom, Rainey was snoring softly. I jostled her a bit when I climbed in next to her.

  “Everything okay?” she mumbled as I put my arms around her.

  “Everything’s perfect,” I assured her with a quick kiss.

  We fell asleep and for one night, I felt like everything was perfect in our world.

  Nineteen

  Rainey

  It was hard to enjoy our week in Vegas, knowing as I did that there were a million things to be done before the wedding. Baker and I booked a flight that would land in Portland, Maine, on Wednesday, with the wedding scheduled for Saturday. Four days were hardly long enough to plan the event, but Gabby and Mallory took on a bunch of responsibilities for me, for which I was grateful.

  I was so worked up for the wedding that the flight home barely bothered me. I was too excited.

  The Portland International Jetport was relatively empty when we arrived, but everyone waited for us at baggage claim. Mallory, Luke, Gabby, Ember, and even Wolfe all gave us a round of hugs and congrats.

  The boys, it seemed, were going to throw Baker a bachelor party tonight so he wouldn’t be hung over on Saturday. I appreciated the sentiment. My sister and two best friends were going to be my bridesmaids and I couldn’t be happier. The girls and I were going to head over to the bridal shop and see what was in stock. Buying off the rack didn’t even bother me, knowing that I would get to marry the man of my dreams.

  I barely had time to give Baker a quick kiss before Mallory, Gabby, and Ember pulled me away, demanding all my attention. Before I was taken away, though, he managed to slip a credit card in my hand.

  “Buy everything you want. Make this your perfect wedding,” he whispered in my ear. My fingers wrapped around the plastic and I smiled at him.

  I had money, of course; hell, Aunt Brittney had given me several thousand dollars, cash, before we got on the plane in LA, demanding to be a part of the wedding. She even claimed that I was like a daughter to her. She would be flying to Maine on Friday.

  I took Baker’s credit card with the knowledge that I probably wouldn’t need it, but it was nice to have, just in case. The girls pulled me toward the car, carrying my bags for me and chatting incessantly about the wedding.

  “So, we were thinking that we could do it in the backyard of my dad’s place,” Mallory said. Even though she and Luke were living in it now, she still referred to it as her dad’s. She was adorable.

  “That sounds great!” I gushed, truly excited about my big day.

  We piled into Mallory’s car and continued to discuss the wedding while Mallory drove us to the bridal shop nearby.

  “So what are you thinking for a dress?” Gabby asked from the backseat.

  I turned to face her. “I’m hoping for something flowy and maybe a halter top…”

  “Sounds good to me. I can’t wait to see you in a white dress!”

  I smiled at her and Mallory weaved in and out of traffic, unusually quiet.

  “What’s wrong, Mal?”

  “I was just thinking about how I wished our dads could be here,” she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

  “Me, too,” Ember said from the back seat.

  “They’ll be watching over us,” I told them. I turned to Gabby again. “Speaking of dads… Since mine can’t be here, I was kind of thinking of asking Wolfe to walk me down the aisle.”

  “What? Why not Luke? You guys are way closer,” Gabby replied.

  “I know. But Luke is the best man. And believe it or not, Wolfe helped me realize how much I loved Baker. He gave me a very fatherly speech before I left for LA.”

  “And then you immediately ran away to LA. Must have been some speech,” Gabby scoffed. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I know you guys have your issues, Gab, but this is important to me. I don’t have my dad to walk with me, and I don’t want to walk alone. Please don’t fight this,” I begged.

  “Fine. Do what you want. But if this is some ploy to try to get us back together, Rainey, I’ll kill you,” she threatened. And then a light when off in her head, like she only just realized what she said. “Ohmygosh! I’m so sorry, Rain. I didn’t even think before I –”

  “Don’t apologize! I don’t want to be treated with kid gloves. And I can honestly say that trying to get you and Wolfe back together never even crossed my mind. So you can relax. And I’ll make sure the two of you don’t sit together at the wedding.”

  She seemed to calm down after that and Mallory parked the car in the mall lot nearest to the shop. We walked into the shop and the place was filled with bridezillas yelling and demanding unheard of things from their bridesmaids. We were taken to a changing room surrounded with mirrors and I explained what kind of dress that I wanted, and that I needed to buy off the rack. The woman helping us was helpful and listened intently to what I wanted before taking off into the abyss of white gowns.

  She returned with four dresses, all likely candidates for my wedding, and I began to try them on. Mallory, Gabby, and Ember pulled up a few chairs outside the dressing room and nodded or shook their heads each time I came out to show off the next selection. When I came out in dress number four, they all were motionless.

  “What do you think?” I tried to engage them, but they were speechless. The dressing room itself didn’t have any mirrors, so I turned to face the plethora of rooms covered in mirrors and joined them in stunned silence.

  This was the one. It fit perfectly, clinging beautifully to my thin body. The halter top was intricately embroidered with dozens of tiny white flowers. The neckline was modest without being old fashioned and the skirt flowed simply, the small train hardly dragging at all. It was a gorgeous dress.

  “You look amazing, Rain,” Mallory said finally, the first to speak.

  “I don’t think you need to try on any more of them,” Gabby agreed.

  Ember had tears in her eyes. “You’re beautiful.”

  I looked at the sales woman standing nearby. “I’ll take it.”

  * * * * *

  With my dress tucked safely in the backseat of Mallory’s car, we decided to hit up the department stores for their bridesmaid dresses. I didn’t want them spending a fortune, and there were some cute ones.

  We settled on a pale pink dress with a knee-length hemline. It was available in each of their sizes, so we considered that a sign. We put their dresses next to mine and then drove home to Casper, an hour-long trip filled with chats about everything to do with the wedding.

  We dropped the dresses and my bags off at Mallory’s house, deciding the boys could stay at Wolfe’s farm house for the duration. Baker and I already agreed we wouldn’t sleep together again until we were married, a feat that was difficult in Vegas, but we both knew it would be worth it.

  “Okay, so I called Sally’s and they said they could come up with a few arrangements for us to take a look at this afternoon,” Mallory said.

  “Oh, what kinds of flowers do you want, Rainey?” Gabby asked me as we all took a seat in Mallory’s living room.

  “I don’t even care, honestly. The only thing that matters is marrying Baker. Everything else is unimportant.”

  “That means we get to influence her, girls,” Gabby whispered conspiratorially.

  I shook my head at the three of them. They continued to discuss flowers for half an hour before they dragged me to the flower shop. We poured over arrangements and colors for three hours before everyone agreed that we had the perfect arrangement. My bouquet wou
ld be ready Saturday morning, along with the girl’s mini-bouquets.

  It was after five by the time we made it back to Mallory’s house.

  “I need food!” I demanded.

  “We were hoping you would say that.” Mallory grinned sheepishly.

  “What?”

  “We planned a little bachelorette party for you,” Gabby admitted.

  “You guys! You didn’t have to do that. It’s not like I can get drunk or anything.”

  “That’s true. But we thought you might enjoy a stripper!” Mallory announced.

  My face flushed at the thought and I was mortified. “No way! I would have to be drunk to deal with a stripper!”

  Mallory and Gabby burst into giggles. “We figured as much,” Gabby finally explained. “How about a day at the spa?”

  “Oh, that sounds like fun,” I agreed.

  “Let’s go!” Mallory led the way to her car, which I belatedly noticed was already packed with several bags. They had loaded up the car and I didn’t even notice.

  “You kind of dozed off before your demands for food,” Mallory informed me when I looked at the bags in surprise. “We took advantage. But for now, we’re heading to the hotel to check in and you get a full day of relaxation tomorrow.”

  I was more that excited. I needed some pampering.

  The hotel was one I’d never been to, but had often fantasized about staying at. The pillows were plush, the room huge. It wasn’t Caesar’s Palace, but it came close, in my eyes. Plus, I would get to explore the spa at this place.

  “Your first appointment is tonight at seven,” Mallory filled me in once we were all checked in and sitting around the hotel room. “You’ve got a massage scheduled.”

  I squealed in delight and hugged her. “You guys are the best friends a girl could ask for.”

  “Well, if you’re going to get married, you should do it right.” Gabby smiled wistfully.

  “Oh, Gabs, I’m so sorry about you and Wolfe. I know this must be hard on you.”

  “No, it’s okay,” she assured me. “I’m just a little nostalgic. My and Wolfe’s wedding was hardly more than a two-minute thing at the courthouse. Maybe that should have been clue number one for me,” she laughed.

  “The size of the wedding doesn’t matter, you know,” Mallory said suddenly, sitting up straight in her spot on the couch. “It’s all about love. Big or small, a wedding is about dedication to one another, for as long as you live.”

  I agreed with Mallory whole-heartedly, but I knew Gabby would disagree. She and Wolfe had been through some tough times over the years, and her impending divorce must be driving her crazy. Having Mallory spout off about the sanctity of marriage was probably the last thing she wanted to hear.

  “Sometimes things fall apart. Dreams die,” Gabby whispered.

  Mallory moved closer to her and took her hand. “Then you’ve got to find the glue to put them back together, or discover a new dream together. Dreams come and go, but love is forever.”

  I wiped the tears away from my eyes at her words, knowing in my heart that her words were just applicable to my life as Gabby’s. I needed to let go of my broken dreams and just love Baker as long as I was able.

  Mallory’s speech enlightened my situation and I realized I had less than an hour before my appointment. I told the girls to order room service and then I went about finding some paper and a pen, ready to write my vows to Baker.

  Twenty

  Baker

  The bachelor party was actually very mild, considering I spent the last four days in Vegas. There were no brawls or fights, but there were definitely shots. A bottle of Jagermeister was passed around between the three of us and we enjoyed Jagerbombs throughout the night. When darkness fell, we took to the streets of the Old Port, bar hopping all night to celebrate my upcoming nuptials. We stopped in at a sports pub that was far less crowded than other bars and took a table.

  We ordered some appetizers and beer. Luke was surprisingly quiet. “What’s up with you?” I asked him, snagging a tortilla chip and scooping some salsa onto it.

  “Well, I was going to propose to Mallory this week,” he admitted.

  I choked on the chip and Wolfe had to pound me on the back before I could breathe again. “What do you mean you were going to propose? You never told me that!”

  “I know. Joe left me a family ring, though, and even gave me his blessing, in the form of a letter. I’ve been holding onto it, carrying it everywhere with me, but the timing hasn’t been right. But I finally decided to do it this week, on Friday night, and then you guys had to plan your wedding this week.” He sounded defeated.

  “So do it anyway,” Wolfe suggested.

  “I couldn’t do that. Rainey would have a fit,” Luke argued.

  “Actually, I think it would be perfect. If you do it at our reception, all your closest friends will be there. Rainey would love it,” I promised, only a tic nervous that she wouldn’t like the idea. But I felt like I knew her well enough to say she would enjoy it.

  “If you’re sure,” Luke hedged.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Do it!” Wolfe raised his beer and we clinked the bottles together.

  Hours later, we were too drunk to stay out any longer. We took a cab to our hotel in downtown Portland and rode up to the fourth floor. We were in our room for less than ten seconds before we all passed out.

  The next morning, I woke up on the floor with an extreme headache, but I made it to the bathroom before I blew chunks. I splashed water on my face afterward, taking note of the way my stomach felt and tucking the information away for future reference. I’d never been so drunk in my whole life. No one should ever consume that much liquor.

  I wiped my face with a hand towel and went out into the room, collapsing into a chair by the window. Luke was face-down on one of the beds and Wolfe occupied the other. They were both still fully clothed and I stifled a laugh until I realized I was wearing my clothes from last night, too. I swiped my phone off the table and decided to text my fiancée.

  Good morning, Beautiful.

  Hey babe. The girls are treating me to a spa day. How was your night?

  I looked around the room, noting the beer bottles and half-full cups of Jager.

  Fantastic.

  I bet. Are you going to pick up a tux today?

  Yeah, I’ll text you when we get back into town. I love you.

  I love you, too. See you later.

  I smiled. It was like once she let her guard down, she was this whole other person, one not afraid to be close to someone else and let them in. It was a good change of pace.

  I wondered what would have happened if I had gone after her to LA all those years ago, when she left after high school. As much as I wanted to say we would end up right where we were today, I knew I couldn’t be sure. Rainey had been different then: self-conscious, shy, and about to face the biggest challenge of her life, her leukemia. Everything I loved about her was due to the fact that she had changed over the years; she’d grown up. Who could say that we would have stayed together if we had gotten together back then?

  For now, though, I was grateful for every second I had with her. And I couldn’t wait to see her tonight. It hadn’t even been a full day and I missed her like crazy. I was, in every sense, addicted to Rainey. She had so quickly become my whole reason for being. I lived to make her happy.

  I stepped out into the hallway to make a call before Luke and Wolfe got up. I wanted to surprise Rainey with something that was sure to make her even happier.

  * * * * *

  When the guys finally woke up, we dragged ourselves out of the hotel and got some breakfast. The diner was a favorite of mine, and I ordered an extra-large cup of coffee.

  Luke requested water and toast, his signature hangover meal, and I was amazed by Wolfe’s appetite. He ordered eggs, bacon, pancakes, fried potatoes, and a tall glass of milk. Luke almost gagged when the waitress brought us our food.

  “How can you eat that much?”
I asked Wolfe, who dug in to his meal with fervor.

  “What do you mean? This isn’t a lot.” He frowned.

  My eyes went wide. I could put away some food, but even on a sober day I couldn’t eat a meal that hearty. And he was claiming it wasn’t a lot?

  “I’m a growing boy,” he mumbled with a pat on his stomach and then washed down a forkful of pancake with milk.

  Luke, I noticed, kept his head down and munched on his toast silently. Either he didn’t want to hurt Wolfe’s feelings or he didn’t want to be nauseated by the sheer volume of food Wolfe ate. Once we had all finished, we left a hefty tip for our server and went out to the truck.

  “I’ve got to get a tux,” I explained to them.

  “Sure. There’s a shop downtown that should be able to get you one on short notice,” Luke said as he climbed in the driver’s seat.

  I pulled open the door behind his and jumped in. “Sounds good.”

  Wolfe grunted his approval from the passenger seat and we were off.

  I found a sleek black tux that wouldn’t need any alterations. The vest was a faded pink color, which was similar to one of the colors Rainey mentioned she wanted to be our wedding colors. If it didn’t match the way she wanted, I would just not wear it, I decided. It was in really good shape and the shop didn’t want much money for it, so it wouldn’t be a huge loss if I had to ditch the vest for the day.

  Luke and Wolfe found cheap tuxes that were the same deep black as mine and rented theirs. I could have rented mine, too, but I really wanted to keep the tux as a reminder of my marriage to Rainey. The shop owner suggested they each wear a plain black vest, so they didn’t have any conflicting color schemes. He also threw in a white vest and tie for me, just in case the salmon-colored vest didn’t work out.

  We thanked him and then drove out of Portland to the small town of Casper that I had called home for my entire life. The scenic drive was filled with lots of green from the pine trees and shrubbery. As we came down the hill into downtown Casper, I had to smile at the freshly planted flowers that lined Main Street. It made the town look all the more picturesque and perfect.