Broken Series

by Dawn Pendleton

  By the time my Jeep was parked in its spot, both the driveway and the walkway were cleared of snow. Luke parked next to the Jeep and he and Mallory met me on the porch.

  “You guys want some coffee?” I offered.

  “I’m not sure–”

  “Yes! I need coffee!” Mallory exclaimed, running up the steps and letting herself in the house.

  Luke sighed. “She doesn’t seem to realize that this is a job. I can’t stop every five minutes to get coffee and chat with friends.”

  “Let yourself take a break. How long have you guys been going?”

  “We never went to bed last night. And after you left the bar, we went home and drank about eight cups of coffee together. I only had two beers last night, but I didn’t want to take a chance. How did everything end up?” he asked, referring to Gabby.

  “I took her home. She wanted to get me in bed,” I explained as we walked through my front door.

  “Oh! Did you get some?” Mallory asked from her spot in the kitchen, a hot cup of coffee already in her hands.

  “You work fast,” I commented, nodding my head to the cup.

  “So do you,” she laughed. “Getting Gabby into bed after one full day of trying. Imagine if you had tried these moves this time last year …”

  “Shut up,” I said as lovingly as I could. “I just took her home. Nothing happened.” I decided to keep the kiss to myself, since I wasn’t even sure Gabby would remember it.

  Mallory turned to the coffee pot and poured a cup for Luke and me. “I’m glad you keep creamer in here, Wolfe. I might have had a meltdown if there was no creamer.”

  “Oh, you mean like the last time you came over and there was no creamer?” I laughed, remembering how snooty she’d been, ranting for a full five minutes about keeping creamer in the house before we all broke into raucous laughter. Rainey and Baker had both been with us then.

  I sighed. “Anyone heard from Baker?”

  “Not a word. Have you tried him?” Luke replied.

  “Me? Why would he pick up my call?” I asked.

  “You really can’t see yourself very well, can you?” Mallory shook her head as she sipped her coffee.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” I demanded.

  “You are the oldest one of our little group, which makes you, by default, the one every single one of us goes to for advice, including Baker. You are the one who convinced Rainey to take a chance on love, even though your own love life wasn’t perfect. There’s something about you that draws everyone to you, a quality that makes us all think you’re pretty damn smart.” Luke answered, stunning me into silence.

  I pulled out a stool from underneath the island and sat, still unsure by what exactly they meant. Was I truly the one who everyone came to? A memory of Mallory flashed into my head, when I told her to stop running. A vision of Rainey came next, just before she left for LA again, right in this house. I looked over at the dining table, remembering that we sat there together.

  I took a deep breath. “I think you guys expect too much from me. I can’t work wonders. And I definitely can’t make Baker pick up the phone. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll try … later.”

  “That’s perfect. We need to go over and plow Gabby’s place, anyway,” Mallory concluded, downing what was left of her coffee and then sprinting for the bathroom.

  “I should probably stay away from her, huh?” I looked at Luke.

  “Honestly, I’m not sure. She’s hot and cold, much like Mallory was when she came back from Boston. I think the key is to apply some pressure, but don’t push her too far. And unfortunately, you won’t know how far is too far until she teeters over the edge and has an all-out meltdown.” Luke laughed as he finished his coffee.

  “Ready to go?” Mallory asked, already pulling her coat back on in the foyer. “We’ve got a bunch more places to hit.”

  “Will you guys check on her? She hit her head last night and I doubt she would be okay with me showing up this morning.”

  Luke set his cup in the sink, gave me a nod, and then followed Mallory out onto the porch. He shook my hand when I told them to have fun. Mallory moved in for a hug, going up on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear.

  “Push her over the edge. Don’t back down, and make her feel something. She still has feelings for you, she’s just angry.” She pulled away and smiled at me.

  I watched them disappear into Luke’s old truck and kiss sweetly before he threw the gear shifter into reverse and gunned the gas. I shook my head as he yanked the wheel and they slid sideways onto the road. When he put the truck in drive, he made it fishtail for at least fifty feet before he finally corrected and slowed. It was quite a show.

  I glanced at my watch and wondered where Baker was at seven AM. It wouldn’t hurt to find out. I went back in the house in search of my cell.

  5

  Gabby

  The room was quiet and dark, something my bedroom wasn’t, normally. My head was already throbbing, so I knew I needed to get to the bathroom for water and ibuprofen. I threw off the comforter and sat up, my migraine protesting at the movement. I stole a glance at the nightstand, wondering how late I’d slept.

  No alarm clock. That’s weird.

  I stifled a yawn and stood up, making my way to the hallway. With my eyes half-closed, I ran straight into the wall. I bounced back, grabbing my aching head. I stared at the wall for a moment before realization dawned. I wasn’t in my room. I was in the master bedroom Wolfe and I shared for two and a half years.

  Thinking hurt my head, so I forced myself into the hall bathroom, fumbling with the medicine cabinet and finally popping two pills into my mouth. Instead of looking for a cup, I opted for running the water and just putting my mouth under the faucet. The cold water splashed onto my face, the frigid water shocking me awake.

  My head hurt more than just a hangover, so I reached to where the pain began and found a good-sized knot on the back of my head. I wondered where it came from for a moment before the memories from last night came flooding back.

  The bar. Chasing after Wolfe. Falling on the deck. Him bringing me home and tucking me into our bed. That kiss …

  I held onto the counter to keep myself upright as the vivid image of that kiss warmed my skin, pinkening my cheeks. I stared at my reflection for a second as I let the memory wash over me. Wolfe’s lips were heavenly, his touch so gentle but demanding, too. Sexually, he was my soul mate, I knew. I moaned when I remembered the way he took absolute possession of my mouth, his tongue forceful without being overbearing.

  I swallowed hard and glared at myself, hating that I wanted him, after all this time. He was supposed to be wiped from my memory, not refreshing himself into my brain! For just a second, I wondered what he’d done to convince me to kiss him, but then I remembered how I’d all but thrown myself at him from the moment I walked into the bar.

  Ugh! Why do I do this? It wasn’t the first time I’d almost let things get too far with Wolfe in the last year. At Rainey and Baker’s wedding reception, I mauled him in the hallway between the men’s and women’s rooms and we ended up in a supply closet, my back pressed against the door to keep it closed, my legs around his hips while he held me up. It was erotic and hot, and I’d wanted nothing more than for him to take me in that closet, up against the door.

  Nothing but a make-out session ensued, since there was a knock on the door before we could do much more than get his suit jacket and shirt off. His body was still as hot and rock hard as I remembered. If anything, he was even more ripped than he was before, seeing as he had more time for working out now that we weren’t together. Or maybe he thought his body was the way back to my heart.

  It’s not. Or at least that’s what I told myself. His body definitely made me lose my head last night, that was for sure. No matter what I thought of him, his body distracted me every time, making me feel like I made a bad decision by leaving him.

  The reality was, though, that leaving him was the only way to protect mysel
f. Forget the fact that he wanted to go back to Florida someday, something I would never want to do. Forget that the passion between us was always so hot, either of us could combust at any given time. All the mattered, to me, anyway, was that I didn’t want to leave my hometown.

  I wasn’t adventurous like Mallory or running away like Rainey. I wanted to grow old in Casper, start a family, and be buried in the small town. I liked vacationing to exotic places once in a while, but I much preferred taking a camping trip into the mountains, enjoying the outdoors, and practicing my hunting skills. I didn’t hunt regularly, I just wanted to be prepared, in case of zombie apocalypse. It was silly, sure, but I wasn’t about to let my brains get eaten by some undead creature.

  Then there was the fact that living in Maine created the need to be able to protect myself, especially on my hiking trips. There were so many times as a kid my dad had to kill, or almost kill, an animal who invaded our campsite. He taught me well. I wasn’t as comfortable around guns as Wolfe was, but I could shoot a bow better than Darryl Dixon himself.

  In our first year, Wolfe tried to convince me to shoot, but I was too stubborn, too dedicated to using my bow, that I didn’t even want to learn. My stubbornness was the first wedge that was driven between us. There were more, of course, but they were always my fault. Damn my crazy girl hormones! Every woman dealt with them, but mine seemed to be on edge the entire time we were together. Even after we separated, I was still moody. I was so sick of harboring secrets, like Rainey’s, and keeping my friends from making stupid decisions, like Mallory.

  I loved them, naturally, but I felt so abandoned when they both left that I jumped into a serious relationship with Wolfe, without really knowing him that well first, and then we were married so quickly … The whole relationship felt fake. Except for the sex. There were no doubts that we had chemistry when it came to the bedroom. That was really the only reason, I think, we lasted as long as we did. I stayed with him because he was my first and I didn’t want to be coined as a girl who got around, especially in our small town.

  I managed to brew a pot of coffee, making it extra strong, since my head was still pounding. I pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and gulped it down before the pot was finished brewing. I poured a cup and added some sugar before I realized I was out of cream. Oh well, I thought, it’s just par for the course.

  A heavy scraping of a plow against the hard ground had me peeking out the living room window. Luke and Mallory were clearing my driveway, which was so nice of them. I was lucky to have such amazing friends. I opened up the front door and stood behind the glass and screen door, waving at them. Mallory hopped out, her blonde hair flying wildly in the wind. She slammed the door behind her and raced up the steps. I pushed open the glass and welcomed her inside.

  “Holy shit, it’s cold!” she huffed, blowing warm air into her hands. “How are you feeling this morning?” She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

  “Don’t even ask,” I muttered, turning away from the door and leading her into the kitchen. “Coffee?”

  “Sure, I’ve only had about a hundred cups since last night, so one more won’t kill me.” She grabbed a mug from my cupboard and poured herself some. “Where’s your creamer?” She pulled open the fridge, her face a mix of shock and terror as she surveyed its contents.

  “I haven’t really had time to get to the store,” I murmured, sipping my black coffee.

  “Gross. I’m not drinking that,” she said, glaring at the mug she’d been excited to drink out of only a minute before. She pulled a bottle of orange juice out of the fridge. “Is this safe to drink?”

  “I don’t know. Check the date,” I told her.

  She examined the plastic bottle for at least a full minute and then popped the top and sniffed the juice. Satisfied, she chugged all that was left and then grinned at me.

  “How long have you guys been out?” I asked.

  “All night. I think the best part of us being together is when we get to do things like this. You think we would get tired of each other, but it’s like the more time we spend together, the more time we want to spend together. Is that weird?”

  Yes, yes it is. “Of course not.” I hoped my face didn’t betray my true feelings.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry! I’m like the worst friend ever!” She walked over and hugged me, her arms surprisingly comforting.

  With my head on her shoulder, I broke. Tears formed in my eyes and leaked down my face. My heart seemed to collapse in on itself, ripping into a thousand tiny pieces, never to be put back together again.

  “Gabby! Talk to me, babe,” Mallory pleaded, unsure of how to react.

  I continued crying for another minute, letting myself take solace in her arms. She’d been through enough in the last year, though; she didn’t need my bullshit added to it.

  “I’m okay,” I muttered, wiping the tears from my face. I hadn’t taken my makeup off last night, so when I pulled my hand back, it was covered in black. “Ugh, why didn’t I take my makeup off?”

  “You were too busy being wooed by Wolfe.”

  My eyes flew to hers. “What do you know about what happened last night?”

  “I know that he took you home and tucked you into bed. It’s a small town, Gabby. You know that better than anyone.”

  That was true, but I’d done a damn good job of staying out of the town gossip the last few years. With the exception of the separation, which Wolfe and I managed to keep quiet for a long time before people really knew what was going on. And then Mallory and Rainey showed up, after so many years away, and the town gossips went to town with stories about them. Their presence saved me.

  “Nothing happened,” I lied, knowing she’d be able to see through it.

  “Liar. Your lipstick is all over your mouth, Gabby. Unless you made out with yourself in the mirror …”

  My lipstick! Shit. “Okay, fine. We kissed.”

  “Yeah, I’m so not letting you get away with that shit. You better give me some details,” she demanded, pulling me into the living room and sitting us both on the couch. “What is going on with you and him?” she asked as she handed me a box of tissues.

  “I don’t even know!” I shrieked, hating the way my voice sounded, all whiny and immature. I rubbed a tissue under each of my eyes. “Things are just so complicated, so frustrating. I know he wants to go back to Florida, I just can’t understand why he hasn’t gone. He could have flown up for the court date. I just want him to go away.”

  “Stop being ridiculous. Wolfe is here because he loves you, Gabby. You really think he would stay here, in the cold of winter, if he felt any other way about you? That man is dying inside, and you keep rejecting him, killing him further. But then you get drunk and flirt with him, and I know you can’t see it, but when you do that, it gives him hope again, like he might get you back.”

  “Listen, I only flirted last night, okay? Let’s not make this out to be more than it is.”

  “Right. Like at Baker and Rainey’s wedding?”

  My mouth dropped. “How do you know about that?”

  “Who do you think knocked on the door? I saw you both sneak in that closet and knew what would happen. I didn’t want either of you making a decision you would regret.”

  “So you think we would regret sleeping together again?”

  “No. I know for a fact that Wolfe would love to get you into bed. But he would hate himself for taking advantage while you were drunk, and you would regret it no matter what. I’m sure that’s the reason he left you alone last night.”

  She was right. I wanted him last night, bad. But I would have felt like shit about it this morning. Even when we weren’t together, Wolfe was protecting me.

  I sighed. “When did you turn into the relationship guru?”

  “When I stopped running from the love of my life and just let him love me. You could stand to do the same.”

  “Wolfe isn’t the love of my life,” I muttered.

  “Bullshit. The way he looks at you, I�
��ve only ever seen that look on the faces of two other men: Luke and Baker.”

  “Wolfe doesn’t look at me like that.”

  “Open your eyes, Gabby. When you aren’t looking at him. He’s looking at you, trust me. The man is head over heels for you.” She stood. “And now I have to go help Luke plow some more. Just promise me you’ll pay more attention when you two are in the same room?”

  She leaned down to hug me so I nodded against her, though I didn’t think it was going to do any bit of good. Wolfe wasn’t in love with me, not anymore. I’d lost his love when I told him I wanted a divorce. There was no reason for us to try anymore.

  We might want each other on a sexual level, but there was nothing more than that between us anymore.

  6

  Wolfe

  Baker didn’t answer, which definitely didn’t surprise me. But when my phone started ringing after my shower and the number was one I didn’t recognize, I picked up hesitantly.

  “This is Wolfe.”

  “Wolfe! It’s Baker. I need help, man. I don’t know what to do without her. I just want to end it all. Tell everyone I love them,” he spewed his words out altogether, one big jumbled sentence that barely made sense.

  “Baker, tell me where you are,” I demanded, able to put together enough of his nonsense to know he wasn’t thinking clearly.

  “She’s gone! Gone forever. I wanna be with her,” he whispered with a sob.

  My breath caught in my throat. “Where are you?”

  “Tell everyone I love them,” he replied, clicking off the line.

  “Noooo!” I screamed at my phone, desperate to get him back on the line.

  I called the number on my caller id and waited impatiently for someone to pick up. On the third ring, I almost pressed end but a woman’s voice finally answered.

  “High End Inn and Suites. This is Brittney, how may I direct your call?”