“It’s perfect,” my father continues. He’s all jovial now, cutting his steak. “I always said you and Scott were meant to be.”
I would do my best impression of Munch’s painting The Scream, vocals and all, but I am truly speechless.
“I’m your father,” he finishes. “I simply want what’s best for you.”
When I finally stagger back home, I have a splitting headache. Dinners with my father are always like descending to the Ninth Circle of hell, but that was something else. Apparently my father’s vision for me is to become some sort of 1950s desperate housewife. And Scott would heartily approve.
They colluded on this. I found my backbone to stand up to Scott, but the two of them working in tandem? It’s just too much. I don’t know—I’ve always been a doormat to my dad. He has a very dominant personality. After he drove my mom away, and he was all I had, I think I was afraid of ever displeasing him for fear the only parent I had would reject me.
It’s old, stupid stuff, but the resonance is still present in every conversation and interaction we have. He’s telling me what to do with my life, and I’m doing my best not to get steamrolled.
But I have more pressing problems than learning to stand up to him. The wedding is two weekends away. Scott and I and the rest of the wedding party are all expected to be at a resort in Santa Fe for a long weekend. I know Jenn’s family spared no expense. The groom’s family comes from money, too, which is why Scott was so excited to be involved.
I’m going to have to put on a bridesmaid’s dress and big smile and stand across from Scott. He’ll have three days and two nights to harangue me about dating him again. He’s probably the groomsman escorting me down the aisle. Jenn planned this all when she thought we’d be together. She even joked about it being a trial run for Scott and I. I never told her about the cheating.
Why did I let the farce between me and Scott run so long? Because I was too nice to end things, even though I wasn’t interested. I hate hurting people’s feelings. And now that I think about it, some of the feelings I was worried about hurting belonged to Jenn and Geoff. Like I owed them to keep dating their friend just because they set us up.
God, I really am a pleaser!
Obviously Scott doesn’t share that trait. Control and criticism are his favorite relationship tools. And cheating. The only thing I got out of the relationship was my father’s approval.
This is an all-out emergency. I’m tempted to call Jenn and claim I have mono. But she doesn’t deserve that. And I’ve already taken time off for the wedding.
There’s just one thing to do. I gulp down a glass of wine, and pull up Deke and my text chat on my phone.
Here goes nothing.
“I need another favor,” I text him. “But it’s big. Really big.”
Ten seconds later, my cell phone rings.
“What do you need?” Deke asks. No hello, no preamble, no nothing. I take a deep breath. I should’ve drunk more wine.
“Sadie, you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”
“Is it Sears?”
“Scott? No. Well, not exactly. But I have to ask you for a favor. A huge one.”
There’s a pause where I remember what he asked in return for the last favor. As if he’s thinking the same thing, his voice softens. “Yeah, baby?”
Crap, now I’m super turned on. “Um, yeah.”
“How big?”
“Really big. I would owe you so much. On top of what I already do.”
“I’m sure we can work something out.” He sounds playful. OMG, we’re flirting now! I flop down on my bed.
“Maybe.”
“What is it? Just tell me.”
“I need a date to a wedding,” I say and continue in a rush before I lose my nerve. “A pretend date again—not a real one,” I add quickly.
“Pretend.” Does he sound disappointed?
“Um, it’s at a resort in Santa Fe, so it would be for the whole weekend. I’m in the wedding party, so I have to go a day early. Scott will be there. He and I were going to go together, but—”
“Say no more,” Deke says.
“Really?” I feel as if a fifty pound dumbbell lifted off my chest. “You’ll do it?”
“Babe,” is all he says to that. I take it to mean: Of course. “When is it?”
“Two weeks from Thursday. I already got the time off, but I pushed it out of my mind because I didn’t want to deal with it.” I give him the details. “I can drive, but I don’t think you’ll be comfortable in my little car.”
“I’ll drive. What time should I pick you up Thursday?”
“Um, are you sure?”
“Yep. What time?”
“Around noon?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Thank you so much. I owe you big time.”
“Mmm.” His voice is a dark rumbling hum. Like he loves the idea of me owing him. Or like he’s going to collect more than a kiss this time.
Oh God, I really hope so! I liked the last favor he cashed in with me.
“Do you have a suit to wear?”
“Babe,” he says again and hangs up.
I laugh into the disconnected phone. Deke is like no man I have ever met.
Deke
My dick is hard by the time I hang up with Sadie, my thoughts of collecting on favors turning dirty fast.
Oh shit. What did I just get myself into? I disobeyed a direct order from my alpha by agreeing to go with Sadie.
But there was no fucking way I was going to let her down. No fucking way I’d let her spend a long weekend with her ex as her date when she doesn’t want to.
My wolf already wants to tear that guy apart for bothering her.
Spending an entire weekend in close quarters with humans—at a wedding, no less—is a special kind of hell for me, but for Sadie, I’d do anything. I’ll keep my wolf in check. I’ll try to act civilized. Speak in full sentences. Make a decent impression as her fake boyfriend. Hell, I’ll even find a goddamn suit.
I stand, a shiver of pleasure running through me, coming straight from my wolf. I sense his desire to yip and spin around.
Well, I’ll be damned.
My wolf is happy. Excited, even.
I walk out of the lodge and down to the river, hiking uphill along the bank to release some of the pent-up energy. I need to figure out what I’m going to tell Rafe. How to present this.
It’s a mission. Not a date.
I’m not engaging with a human on a social basis. It’s a job.
A half mile up, I come across Lance fishing in the stream. I shake my head because I seriously don’t get it. We’re predators. We hunt animals on four legs. We don’t need to stand at the water’s edge in human form with a fishing pole to catch food.
“Don’t say it,” Lance murmurs, correctly reading my thoughts. I presume he’s speaking quietly to not scare off the fish.
“I didn’t say a word.” I stand beside him. The sounds of the wilderness register as peaceful for once. I always crave the wild, and I absolutely love living here where we can roam the mountain on four paws or two wheels at any moment, but this afternoon feels different.