Broken Series

by Dawn Pendleton

  My life until that point had been filled with little appreciation for the people and places around me, but as we passed the dozen or so shops, I gave up a silent thanks for everything this town had taught me over the years. Small-town life wasn’t for everyone, and I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to stay here, but I knew that wherever Rainey wanted to spend her last days, that’s where we would be. She had the final say, since she was the one who would eventually be on a deathbed.

  When we pulled into the driveway of the house Luke and Mallory shared, the girls were nowhere to be found. I knew they wouldn’t be back for a while yet, either. Behind us and right on time, a delivery truck pulled into the drive.

  “What’s this?” Luke asked, staring at the vehicle with apprehension.

  “I ordered something special for Rainey,” I explained. I went over to the truck and told the driver what I wanted done in the backyard. He and another guy started unloading dozens of flowers from the truck. “I’ve got to run over to the hardware store and get a few things. Can you guys supervise the delivery?”

  Luke looked at me. “Of course. Where are all these flowers going?”

  “Just have them set up around the outer edges of the space. The guys delivering the chairs should be along shortly. We want six chairs on either side of a wide aisle. All the chairs should face the back edge of the yard and leave a space big enough in front of the chairs to accommodate a ten-by-ten alter,” I directed them.

  “Got it,” Wolfe called as he followed one of the delivery guys around to the back of the house.

  “Anything else?” Luke asked.

  “Yeah, actually. I’m going to need some help to build an arch. It’s another surprise for Rainey. You up for the job?”

  “You know it.” He pounded my outstretched fist and we parted ways.

  I jumped in his truck and kicked it in gear, turning out of the driveway and heading toward the hardware store. Rainey wanted a perfect wedding and I was going to make damn sure she got it.

  Twenty-One

  Rainey

  On the drive back to town, after I’d been thoroughly pampered and beautified, we dropped Ember off at home. She still had several days of school left, and I didn’t want her to miss any more days. She would come over Friday night to be at the wedding Saturday.

  Mallory’s cell rang when we were just a few miles out of Casper.

  “Hello?” she answered, balancing the phone between her ear and shoulder as she drove. She glanced warily at me. “Umm, yeah, I can do that. No, it’s no problem. I’ll see you tonight. Bye.” She pressed end and dropped her phone in the cup holder.

  “What was that about?” Gabby asked from the backseat.

  “Change of plans. We are staying at Wolfe’s house now and the guys are staying at my place.”

  “Why?” I asked, mildly curious.

  “I’m not sure. Something about they wanted to make sure things are set up properly or something. Domineering men.” She rolled her eyes.

  I wasn’t exactly thrilled to stay at Wolfe’s place, and I was positive Gabby would throw a fit, but to my surprise, she just nodded her agreement and stayed quiet.

  I assumed Baker didn’t want me to feel overburdened with any of the organizing, so he decided to take over and keep me as stress free as possible. He was so sweet. He gave up a lot of time at work for this wedding, as did all our friends, but I knew how much this week off would cost him.

  “So have you guys decided on a honeymoon?” Gabby asked me.

  “Umm, not really. We were just in Vegas and I know he won’t be able to take much more time off work, so it’ll probably be like a night or two somewhere. No big deal,” I said.

  “Baker has all the time off in the world,” Gabby started.

  “Gabby!” Mallory chastised her and shook her head at her.

  “What do you mean he has all sorts of time off?”

  Both of them were silent.

  “Tell me now or the wedding is canceled,” I threatened, feeling like a total bridezilla and not caring one bit.

  “Okay, but don’t get mad,” Mallory finally relented. “Baker sold the bar.”

  “He did what? Why wouldn’t he tell me?” It was so unlike him to keep something like that from me. I was torn. Part of me was excited that we could be free of the bar for the next several weeks, but the other part of me was upset that he hid it from me.

  “I’m not sure. He probably didn’t want you to feel guilty, in case you pushed him away again when he went to LA,” Gabby suggested.

  He sold it before LA? That meant he was even more serious about me than I could fathom. While I was stuck in my own childish tantrum, he had been planning a future for us. And that certainly explained why he had a huge wad of cash in Vegas. As disappointed as I was that he didn’t tell me, I decided to see if I could mess with him about it and maybe lure the truth out of him.

  I grinned and explained my little plan to the Mallory and Gabby, who wholeheartedly agreed.

  By the time we got to Wolfe’s house, we were all feeling devious. The guys were all waiting for us and Baker gave me a huge grin as I walked up to him.

  “Hey, gorgeous,” he greeted me. “I missed you.” He enveloped me in his arms and I felt the familiar tingling of contentment in my body, a sure sign that we were doing the right thing.

  “Hey, yourself. Did the chairs come?”

  “Yep. We’ve got everything handled,” he promised. “Have you decided where we’re going to have our rehearsal dinner? I was thinking somewhere local so that we don’t have to travel much. I’ve spent more time lately on the road or in a plane than I have just staying in one spot. I’m tired of being busy.”

  He gave me the perfect opening. “I have, actually. I figured it would be cost effective to have the rehearsal dinner at The Landing, and it wouldn’t cost much, since you’re the boss. We could get cheap meals for everyone and then we wouldn’t have to empty our pockets for a dinner for our friends,” I suggested with a smirk.

  Baker had the decency to look horrified. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” he started.

  “Why not? I think it’s perfect. A night on the water will help to relax everyone, too,” I explained. “I really want to do it there, Baker.”

  He sighed. “The thing is, Rainey…” He looked around at our friends who surrounded us, the guys looking sheepish and my girlfriends looking like the cat that ate the canary. “Honestly, the food isn’t that good.”

  Food? The man was a piece of work.

  “Well, that’s okay,” I replied sweetly. “It will just mean a lot to me to have all of us together in your bar.”

  Behind him, Luke coughed and Wolfe averted his eyes. I had Baker right where I wanted him.

  “Rainey, I sold the bar!” he blurted, eyes on the grass. When he looked up at me, I had to hide my smile.

  “What? Why didn’t you tell me?” I gave him my saddest eyes and frown. I tried my best to look hurt.

  “I’m so sorry,” he began. “I should have. I didn’t know how to tell you, though. And then we were in Vegas, and it hardly seemed the appropriate time to say anything. Then the proposal and we were on a plane back here. There hasn’t been enough time,” he rushed his words together.

  I turned away from him and covered my mouth with my hand to stop the giggles that were bubbling up. I couldn’t stop my shoulders from shaking, though.

  “Rainey! Please don’t cry, baby. I’m so sorry.” He whipped me around and wrapped me up in his arms so my head was buried in his chest.

  I gripped his shirt in my hands, drawing deep breaths to try to stop laughing, but I had a hard time and my breathing was erratic and short. Baker rubbed my back and made shh sounds at me in a soothing tone, which only set me off on another round of giggles.

  It wasn’t until Baker really looked at the people around us that he realized something wasn’t right. Wolfe and Luke stood side-by-side, arms folded over their chests a few feet away with huge grins. Mallory and Gabby
were on Luke’s left, with a hand covering their mouths, but it was obvious they were smiling, too.

  Baker gripped my arms and pushed me away from him so he could look at me. “What the hell…?”

  I let out my pent-up laughter and gave him a big smile. “Gotcha!”

  His hands dropped from my arms and he stared at me, incredulous. “This was a joke?”

  “Of course it was! You really think I would be upset about you selling your bar? I’m not that controlling, Baker.”

  He finally got over his stupor and shook his head, trying to hide the upturn of his lips. I winked at him and then walked into the house with Mallory and Gabby following close behind. I heard howls of laughter from Luke and Wolfe and the three of them wrestled a bit before they joined us inside.

  I sat at Wolfe’s dining room table, smiling over the last time I had been here and Wolfe had been encouraging to me.

  Gabby sat next to me looking uncomfortable. “So why don’t you ask your brother to walk you down the aisle, Rain?”

  “Well, he’s always so busy and this is completely last minute, so I didn’t ask him because I thought it would put some strain on his schedule. I’ll ask him to come see me after the wedding, and he can pick the time and not feel rushed or anything.”

  “There is a bit of a rush, though, isn’t there?” Mallory asked from her spot in the kitchen where she leaned against the counter.

  “I know…” I searched for the right words to convey how I felt. “I just didn’t want to bother him.”

  “He deserves to know,” Gabby said gently as she put a hand on mine.

  “He will. I’ll tell him,” I promised. “I will.”

  They both seemed appeased about Dallas for the moment and then the guys walked in, interrupting our conversation and covered in dirt from their wrestling session. Mallory got each of them a beer.

  Baker walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. “So where do you really want to have the rehearsal?”

  “Oh, I’m not picky. Anywhere you choose is fine,” I said agreeably.

  Twenty-Two

  Baker

  Friday proved to be a trying day. Rainey’s mother called at seven in the morning, refusing to attend the wedding. I felt so bad for Rainey, who was calm and polite on the phone, but obviously stressed out.

  “Mom, I’m not going to make you come, but it would be really nice if you did.”

  “You never even told me about your leukemia. Imagine how I felt, finding out from the gossips in town about it! I’ve never been more embarrassed in my life!”

  Rainey had her phone on speaker, so I could hear every word. I was amazed that her mom could be so selfish and self-centered. Rainey was the one suffering.

  “I know, Mom. I should have told you. I’m sorry,” she apologized. This was a side of Rainey I’d never seen. She wasn’t the feisty woman I knew and loved; she was submissive and quiet. As much as I hated to see her this way, I knew that she had adapted her personality to her mother’s, so that she would piss her off with what she said. It was so sad. I wrapped an arm around Rainey’s shoulders for support.

  When she got off the phone with her mom, Rainey was drained. I suggested she go back to sleep for an hour and then she could be more relaxed for the day. She had finally convinced her mom to come to the wedding, although I wasn’t sure it would be a good idea, considering her mom’s drug and alcohol problems. Rainey assured me it would be okay and then went back to sleep.

  The rehearsal went smoothly and we even managed to convince Rainey to do it outside the restaurant instead of at Mallory’s house. I wanted her to be as surprised as possible when she walked down the aisle. We had the dinner at The Roadhouse, a nearby restaurant with a great food selection and plenty of room for the wedding party, not that it was overly large.

  I woke up on Saturday with butterflies in my stomach but completely prepared to make Rainey my wife. I would never back down from my decision to marry her, but I was still a little nervous. I slept in the guest room of Mallory and Luke’s house and jumped in the shower first thing. When I stepped out of the spray and turned off the water, I heard voices from the kitchen. I put on a pair of khakis and one of my favorite tees and went out to see who was here.

  Rainey’s older brother, Dallas, was sitting at the table, his hearty laughter nearly infectious. With him at the table were Mallory, Luke, Gabby, Ember and Wolfe, all laughing along with him. I’d seen enough pictures of Dallas to know what he looked like, but he was taller than I imagined, even taller than me.

  He stood when he saw me walk in and his smile faded into a serious gaze. He met me in the kitchen, hand extended.

  “Dallas Daniels,” he introduced himself.

  “Chris Baker,” I announced. “It’s great to finally meet you.”

  Dallas had grown up with his mother, so I’d hadn’t known him when we were kids. When I called him a few days ago, he seemed surprised to hear about Rainey but he took it all in stride, agreeing to come out to the wedding at the last minute.

  “Likewise. Word is, Rainey adores you.” He nodded his head toward my friends at the table. “And all these people say nothing but good things about you. You’re okay in my book, Baker.”

  I didn’t ask for his approval. Hell, ten minutes ago, I didn’t even care if I ever got it. But when he said the words, I released a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. I might not have asked, but I was grateful for his blessing. I loved his sister, and for the time being, it seemed that was enough.

  “Thanks. I’m sure she will be ecstatic that you’re here. Speaking of which, where is Rainey?” I asked.

  “She asked us to leave the house so she could have some time to relax. The ceremony isn’t until seven, so we think she’s just enjoying the quiet. Things have been a little crazy around here lately,” Mallory replied.

  She wasn’t wrong. I wished I was able to kick all these people out and have a few minutes to myself. But she was more important, so I put everyone to work.

  “We still have to get the lights hung up, so let’s get moving,” I demanded.

  “We have to pick up the flowers in two hours, but we can help until then,” Gabby announced.

  Once everyone was outside, I started handing out orders. Luke and Wolfe were on lights detail, with Dallas helping as needed. Mallory and Gabby set up the tables for dinner underneath the tent off to the side. It was supposed to rain and I didn’t want to take any chances, in case it started to sprinkle during the reception.

  White lights were strung up all over the tent to create the perfect ambiance, and then I had them put lights through the arch I built. The arch was threaded with pink and white floral arrangements and each row of white chairs was graced with a pink and white potted plant. It looked amazing so far, even though the lights wouldn’t be visible until just before the ceremony.

  Instead of a runner down the aisle, we had a basket of flower petals prepared by the florist to be laid down just before the ceremony. Pink and white roses supplied the petals and there were enough to almost fully cover the length of the aisle. Wolfe and Luke would take care of that just before seven.

  “I think I’ll keep my presence a secret until after the ceremony,” Dallas said just before lunch. The girls were about to go pick up flowers, but the three of them stopped.

  “No way!” Mallory objected.

  “You have to walk her down the aisle,” Ember directed.

  “I thought she asked Wolfe to do that…?” Dallas looked unsure.

  “She did. But only because she didn’t want to be a burden to you. I know she would love it if you walked with her,” Wolfe said.

  “Should I go with you girls, then?”

  “No, I like the idea of keeping it a secret, actually. Let’s surprise her just before she’s supposed to walk down the aisle,” I chimed in, knowing how much it would mean to her to have Dallas walk her down the aisle.

  With that, the girls took off in Mallory’s car and we finished up all the last-
minute things for the night. In just a few hours, I would be married to Rainey Daniels.

  Correction: Rainey Baker.

  Twenty-Three

  Rainey

  I took calming breaths to slow my rapid heart rate, but it didn’t really help.

  “Where’s Wolfe?” I asked, nerves on fire.

  “He’s going to meet us there,” Mallory promised. “Calm down, girl! Everything is going to be perfect.”

  It was just after six and Baker had said he was going to send someone to pick us up from Wolfe’s house at six o’clock. With the confrontation with my mother yesterday, my nerves were shot. I wanted nothing more than to get drunk, but I knew it was impossible.

  “Maybe he forgot. We should just go,” I suggested, ready to jump in Mallory’s car.

  “We’ll do no such thing,” Gabby admonished. “Baker said he would send someone. He wouldn’t lie to you.”

  Just then, a horn sounded from out front and we all rushed to the windows to see who it was. A white stretch limo awaited us. I blinked away tears, careful not to ruin my makeup. It was perfect.

  The driver helped us inside and then drove us to Mallory’s house. When I would have gone around the side of the house to start the ceremony, Mallory directed me inside.

  “Baker has something prepared for you,” she said as an explanation. I raised a brow. “We’ll meet you on the other side of the back door in a few minutes. Take your time. We still have half an hour before we have to start.” She smiled softly at me and winked.

  She took my bouquet and walked around the house to the backyard while I walked forward to go inside. When I opened the door, I was surrounded by darkness, except for a walkway lined with strings of white lights. It was adorable. Five feet from the front door was a photograph hanging from a string. I glanced at it and my heart clenched tight. It was a group photo of my senior prom, the one Baker had taken me to. We looked happy and content. I flipped it over and there was writing on the back.