Broken

by Rebecca Zanetti

  He fought the very real urge to shuffle his feet. “Hi. I’m, ah, Clarence.” He gently shook her hand.

  “Wolfe,” Dana said, helping him out. “Everyone calls him Wolfe because it’s his last name.”

  “What a lovely last name.” Dana’s mom kept his hand. “You can call me Evie.” She leaned in to him, smelling like fresh roses. “I will preemptively apologize for subjecting you to our crazy family en masse like this.”

  “I fit in with crazy, ma’am,” he admitted.

  She chuckled. “I’m glad to hear it. I rented Dana a room over the main clubhouse for the night, so you can have that. Dana can bunk in with Katie, who didn’t bring a date and won’t tell me a thing about her love life.”

  Wolfe kept perfectly still so as not to scare the nice lady. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

  Evie patted his arm. “You’re a sweet one.” Her eyes widened. “And so strong.” She felt his bicep.

  “Mom!” Dana protested.

  Evie rolled her eyes. “He just has nice muscles, and your father could use some help setting up the chairs on the lawn overlooking the river. Wolfe, do you mind helping?”

  “Not at all.” His collar felt too tight, even though he wasn’t wearing one. Escaping was a good idea. “I’ll, ah, check in with you later, Dana.” He whistled for Roscoe, who’d disappeared in the flowers. Then he turned and almost ran toward the area near the river.

  “Oh, my. I think we’ve already scared him,” Evie worried in a whisper that followed him.

  Dana’s responding laugh immediately lifted his spirits and calmed his nerves. He slowed and looked at the dog. “I may have miscalculated here.”

  Roscoe snorted.

  * * *

  Dana looked at herself in the full-length mirror and then wished she hadn’t. The odd shade of purplish green washed out her skin, and so far, makeup wasn’t helping. The bodice was straight across, leading to puffed sleeves that made it look like she was wearing shoulder pads. The dress was tight across her stomach and then flared to end right below her knees. “Ug.”

  “Mom?” Charlotte yelled from the other room.

  “She went to make sure Dad was changing into his nicer clothes,” Dana yelled back. She studied her image, trying to find something positive about the dress, but nothing came to mind. When she moved, the shimmery material moved from an ugly green to an even uglier purple. “This sucks.”

  “Shut up,” Lissa muttered, shuffling in from the bathroom. “At least you have several inches of height to lengthen the lines.”

  Dana turned around, coughed, and then clapped her hand over her mouth. Her younger sister looked like a green grape. She tried to hold down the laugh as tears filled her eyes, but her body shook anyway.

  “I hate you,” Lissa said, an unwilling smile tipping her lips. “Though you look like a bruised kiwi.”

  Dana let the laugh loose and then regained her control, only to lose it again when Katie stomped into the room.

  “What hell did we ever unleash on Sally to earn this as retribution?” Katie snarled, the green dress with its puffy sleeves somehow flattening her size Bs.

  “Well, didn’t Charlotte steal her boyfriend in the sixth grade?” Lissa asked, trying unsuccessfully to pat down the sleeves.

  “That was you,” her twin reminded her, coming in from the other room looking as bad as Lissa.

  “Oh yeah,” Lissa said, giving up on the sleeves. “Charlotte? I can honestly say I’ve never seen you look so bad.”

  Dana shook her head. Charlotte was a health nut and had an incredible body, and it had to have been a personal challenge for Sally to find a dress that was unflattering on her. But Sally had succeeded.

  Lissa tossed a ringlet over her shoulder. “I say we stage a rebellion.”

  It was surprising Lissa had waited this long to make the suggestion. “I think you’re mellowing in your old age,” Dana observed.

  “Being twenty-eight does come with responsibility,” Lissa agreed. “Now. How about we cut off the puffs and shorten these skirts by about four inches to just above the knees?”

  Dana glanced at Katie. “We shouldn’t.”

  Katie was usually the voice of reason. “What would happen to the dress if we cut off the puffs?”

  Lissa stood up on her tiptoes and played with Dana’s left puff. “It looks like there’s a fabric strip beneath the sleeve that’s more like a halter. Did Sally have these stupid sleeves added to the dress? She would just do that.” She dropped back down and turned for her bag, rummaging around and emerging with a pair of nail scissors. “Give me a sec.”

  Dana held still. “Hurry before Mom gets back.”

  “Okay.” Lissa drew her to sit on an ottoman by the western-style sofa and then leaned down, gingerly cutting, her cheek close to Dana’s. “It’ll take me a few minutes to do all of these. How about we discuss Wolfe in the meantime?”

  “Good plan.” Charlotte flounced over and sat on the sofa. “Dana? What the heck? He’s seriously hot.”

  “And big,” Katie said, more gracefully sitting next to Charlotte. “He’s taller than Dad, I think. If not, he’s the same height.”

  “I wonder what’s gonna happen when Mike sees him,” Charlotte said.

  “Don’t tell me Mike actually showed up,” Dana groaned, fiddling with the wolf necklace she’d just wanted to wear for a little while. “Could this wedding get any worse?”

  Lissa nodded. “I ran into Sally yesterday, and she mentioned he was coming and how nice that was. That maybe you two could get back together.” She rolled her eyes. “Obviously she knows the guy is a tool, but he’s friends with her fiancé, so there’s that.”

  Charlotte nodded. “Total tool. Why did you go out with him, anyway?”

  Dana shrugged. “I didn’t know he was a tool until a couple of dates. It’s not like I slept with him or anything.”

  “Wolfe is a big guy. Maybe when Mike spots him with you, he’ll decide to keep a low profile.” Lissa tossed the offending puff across the room and moved to Dana’s other side. “You have always liked big guys. Is Wolfe solid muscle everywhere?”

  Dana swallowed. “He runs and eats pretty healthy.”

  “Go on,” Lissa said, pursing her lips and cutting.

  “He kisses better than I can even describe.” Dana tilted her head away from the scissors.

  Charlotte leaned forward. “And?”

  “That’s all you’re getting on the matter.” Dana let out a breath as Lissa moved away with the puff. “He’s on some dangerous mission that he thinks will either ruin him or get him killed, so he keeps everyone at a distance, even me.”

  Katie’s eyebrows rose. “That’s just stupid.”

  Charlotte nodded. “Is he a moron?”

  “No, just kind of lost,” Dana said.

  “Weddings are romantic, and I’m sure you’ll easily catch his attention,” Katie said.

  “You’re not gonna be able to seduce Wolfe in this dress.” Lissa motioned for her to stand. “Yet. Let’s see what I can do.” She knelt down and rapidly cut the shimmery fabric to right above Dana’s knees. “Well, that’s better.” She stood and viewed the dress critically. “One more adjustment.” She reached for the bodice and cut a quick v, tucking the edges into Dana’s bra so that a nice amount of cleavage showed. “Your push-up bra is doing most of the work.”

  Katie stood. “So much better. Do me next.”

  Dana turned to look in the mirror, starting in surprise. Twin straps held the dress up and attached to the back, and without the extra material, the bodice looked sleek and not so tight around her torso. “It looks a zillion times better, even though there’s nothing we can do about the color.”

  Charlotte leaned to the side of the sofa to drag out a box. “Did you guys see the shoes?”

  Dread pooled in Dana’s stomach. “No. How bad?”

  Charlotte flipped open the lid to reveal a plain black orthopedic-type sandal with three thick straps across the top and a chunky
heel. “Guaranteed to make even the slenderest of ankles look like cankles.”

  Dana burst out laughing. “Those are the ugliest old lady shoes I’ve ever seen.” Knowing Sally, she’d bought them either too big or too small for everyone, too. “Maybe we should go barefoot?” Their mom would kill them.

  “Ah, you’d have to go barefoot if I wasn’t your sister,” Katie said with a small smile.

  Dana whirled around. “You didn’t.”

  “I did.” Katie gingerly pointed toward the television console in the corner while Lissa went to work on her hemline. “I hid them in there.”

  Dana beat Charlotte to the cabinet and pulled out four shoe boxes, tipping the first one open. “Oh,” she gasped, pulling out a sparkling light-gold high heel with a winding strap across the front. “This is gorgeous.”

  “I figured the metallic gold would class up the outfit and play well off the green and purple.” Katie looked down at her bare knees. “Also, I assumed we’d all wear our gold crosses and the gold earrings Great-Grandma May gave us for our eighteenth birthdays, so that’ll tie it all together.”

  Dana grinned, feeling lighter for the first time in too long. She’d missed her sisters. “Oh, this is gonna be fun.”

  “Now.” Lissa grinned. “Katie, fix Dana’s makeup, would you? We need to get that slumbering wolf to wake up and howl.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Wolfe had helped with the chairs and then found his assigned hotel room, changing into the suit that Dana had said was perfect before heading back outside. He’d also shaved. Ties weren’t his thing, but he could handle one for a few hours. He looked out over the wide swath of white chairs facing a gazebo in front of the winding river. Trees on the other side made for a nice backdrop. Many people had already been seated, and music played softly through speakers set unobtrusively around the area. A breeze wandered through, and with a slight cloud cover, it wasn’t too hot.

  He felt mildly guilty at locking Roscoe in his room on the second floor after sneaking the pooch up the back stairs, but dogs weren’t usually allowed at weddings. He’d googled it earlier.

  Where should he sit? Was there a spot for a kinda friend, not really date, of a bridesmaid who had unprotected sex with her after being drugged at a BDSM party? He doubted it.

  “Hey.” A gray-haired guy, broad across the chest and with Dana’s green eyes, came up from the side. “I didn’t get a chance earlier to thank you for helping with the chairs. The woman barking orders is my not-so-sweet sister, Roberta, and we try not to piss her off.” He held out a beefy hand. “I’m Mitch Mulberry.”

  “Clarence Wolfe.” Wolfe shook, impressed by the man’s strength.

  Mitch released him and turned to look at the chairs. “My wife wants me to check you out. You have good intentions toward my daughter?”

  “Always.” Even though Dana and he might not agree upon those intentions.

  “Good.” Mitch slapped him on the back. “Why don’t you come sit up front with me? You’re a big guy. If things go south, you can block the way while I run.” He tugged on his tie. “I hate dressing up. How about you?”

  Wolfe followed him up the aisle to the second row, careful not to tear the flimsy material dotted with rose petals on the way. “I find it’s difficult to get to the knife in my boot when I’m dressed up, but Dana said I can take the jacket off after the wedding.”

  Mitch took the second seat and left the aisle seat for Wolfe. “You have a knife in your boot?” His bushy eyebrows rose, and the smile lines near his eyes crinkled in his weathered face.

  “Yeah.” Wolfe settled into the seat, which was a little too small. “Don’t you?”

  Mitch grinned. “Buddy, I have four beautiful daughters. Believe me, I always have a knife close by.”

  Wolfe matched his smile.

  Mitch reached into his jacket pocket. “Did anyone find you a bingo card?” he whispered.

  Wolfe shook his head.

  Mitch handed over a square sheet of paper. “I have an extra, but don’t let anybody see it, especially my wife. Winner gets the pot.” He paused. “Oh. Give me twenty dollars.”

  Wolfe handed over a twenty, which quickly disappeared in Mitch’s right pocket. Then he looked at the squares on his paper. “Ah. So I cross off what I see.” Was this what families did at weddings? He hadn’t seen a purple hat, someone’s Spanx, or a flask yet. He read more. “What is a jortz?”

  “Jean shorts on a man,” Mitch whispered. “We have a couple of cousins that’ll give you that square if they make it here.”

  “Not sure I want to see that.” Wolfe tucked the bingo card away in his pocket, oddly touched to take part in the family bingo game.

  “You fish?” Mitch asked.

  Wolfe rubbed his now smoothly shaven chin. “I haven’t but think I’d like it. I mean, if there weren’t a bunch of people around also fishing.”

  Mitch nodded. “Exactly. A man fishes to commune with nature, not neighbors. We should go sometime.”

  A pang hit Wolfe dead center in the chest. “I’d like that.” Chances weren’t great, but who knew? Maybe he would live to learn how to fish. “Thanks for the thought.” His voice had become gruff for some reason.

  “Do you have ‘flask’ as one of your squares?” Mitch asked.

  Wolfe nodded.

  “Then I’ll help you out.” Mitch took a dinged metal flask from his other inside pocket, twisted off the cap, and tipped back a drink before handing it to Wolfe.

  Wolfe was done taking drinks from anybody he didn’t know, but Dana’s dad had to be all right. He took a hit and let the pure Irish whiskey warm his body. “Thanks.” He handed it back.

  “You bet.” Mitch scrambled to hide the flask as his wife moved down the opposite end of the aisle, waving and smiling at women in summer dresses and men in light suits before finally taking her seat.

  She eyed her husband and then Wolfe. “What are you two up to?”

  “Nothin’,” Mitch said, his eyes wide. “Honest, Evie. We’re just sitting here waiting for this shindig to start.” He slid an arm around his wife. “You look even prettier now than you did in the pictures earlier with the girls.”

  Evie blushed a lovely pink that matched her pale dress. Her blond hair was curled, and her blue eyes sparkled. “Don’t try to charm me.”

  Wolfe hadn’t spent much time around married people with families; it looked like a good gig. His chest felt empty. Maybe some people weren’t supposed to have that kind of life. Nobody related to him ever had.

  Evie smacked her husband in the chest. “Those girls of yours. They completely altered their dresses.”

  Mitch’s eyes danced. “I bet that ticked off the bride.”

  “You have no idea,” Evie whispered, obviously fighting a laugh.

  The music started, a soft melody, and the groom walked someone who must be his mom down the aisle, helped her sit on the other side, and then took his place by the minister.

  When had the minister come out? Wolfe needed to start paying attention. The groom was about six feet tall with a cheesy grin. He looked as if a punch to the jaw would break it and maybe his whole face.

  The music changed, and Charlotte started down the aisle with white flowers in her hands, escorted by a shorter, portly twenty-something boy who strutted rather than walked.

  Wolfe’s gaze flew right past the next two couples and landed on Dana. The breath left his chest faster than it had last time he’d ducked and rolled away from spraying bullets. She was glorious, her green eyes glimmering, wide in her beautiful face. The dress hugged her body, revealing a little cleavage that was a dangerous temptation.

  Her gaze met his, and she smiled.

  He rocked back as if he’d been punched in the solar plexus.

  * * *

  Dana finished her cake, unable to take her eyes off Wolfe. He was something in a suit, and when he’d discarded the gray jacket and rolled up his sleeves, her mouth had just plain watered. She pushed the plate away on the wh
ite-linen-covered table, laughing as Charlotte shimmied on the dance floor with their mom.

  Wolfe turned her way, his smile genuine. “Have I told you that you look beautiful?”

  About five times, but she loved it every time. “You might’ve mentioned it.” She’d never seen him this relaxed. Not quite carefree, but as close as Wolfe would probably ever get. “So, we’ve survived the wedding, the toasts, the cake cutting, bouquet and garter tosses, and the first dances. I handled a temper tantrum from the bride about the dresses, and I kept Lissa from punching her. I think we’re home free.” She eyed the bouquet she’d caught, which lay on the table.

  “Not quite.” He stood and held out a hand. “We haven’t danced.”

  She wouldn’t have been more surprised if he’d suddenly taken off his clothes and jumped into the river. “Good point.” Sliding her hand into his, she fought to play it cool. Katie must’ve done a really good job with the makeup.

  “Excuse me. Dana, can we talk?”

  Ugh. She’d managed to avoid Mike so far, but apparently he’d gathered the courage to approach, even with Wolfe towering over her. “There’s really nothing to talk about.”

  “Please, let me apologize.” Mike wore a dark blue suit with red power tie, his dark blond hair swept back. “I drank too much, and I regret everything I said. Please forgive me.”

  Wolfe stepped right behind Dana, no doubt looking at Mike over her head. “What did he do?”

  “Nothing,” Dana said. “We went to a ball game, he drank too much, and then got handsy. I told him to knock it off, and he made some unkind comments.”

  “Handsy?” Wolfe repeated, his breath brushing her hair. “Do you want me to break his hands?”

  Mike paled, but to his credit, he didn’t step back.

  It’d be nice to mess with the guy a little longer, but if she told Wolfe yes, he might actually do it. “No, but thanks for the offer.” The song was winding down, darn it. The next one had better be a slow tune and not a hard rock one.