Broken Dreams (Broken Series) (20 page)

“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.

Chapter 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
,
e
xcept for a walkway lined with strings of white lights. It was adorable. Five feet from the front door was a photograph han
g
ing 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.

I think I knew, even then, that I loved you.

~
Baker

I sighed with contentment and made my way down the hallway to what used to be Mallory’s bedroom. I’d spent so much time there as a kid. I found another photo in her room, hanging from a string, just like the first.

It was a photo from before I ever looked at Baker as more than just the best friend of Mallory’s boyfriend. The four of us were sitting on her bed, arms around each other, with Mallory and Luke on the far left, then me
,
and Baker to the right of me. We all looked so young, so crazed. We each stuck our tongues out at the camera. I’d seen the picture a hundred times in Mallory’s room when we were kids, but the longer I stared at it, I noticed something I never had before. Baker’s eyes weren’t closed like the rest of us. His eyes were wide open and he had them glued to me. They were the same silver pools I knew and loved, but they
were
dilated, too. I gulped and turned the photo over.

I only ever had eyes for you.

-Baker

I smiled and tried to blink away the tears. Good thing I’d been smart enough to wear waterproof mascara. I heard a door close from somewhere inside the house and ventured out into the hallway again, happy to play this game. It was relaxing me. The hallway had another photo hanging from a string. It hadn’t been there a few minutes ago.

I was floored by the image. It was from the night Baker proposed and the couple on the street had taken a few shots of us. Instead of a single image, though, this photo was a collage of all the photos taken that night. I stared at myself and Baker; we looked so happy, so in love. It was the best night of my life to date, and I swallowed the lump in my throat as I flipped it over.

Forever will never be long enough.

~Baker

All the other doors in the hallway were closed, so I moved back toward the living room and into the kitchen. There was a note beside a white rose with dipped pink edges.

Never doubt for a second that I love you. No man has ever been as lucky as I am to find a soul mate so abso-fucking-lutely perfect. And you are. So now, if you’re done with your trip down memory lane, could you please come outside so I can marry you?

He didn’t sign the last one, but then, he didn’t need to. I picked up the rose and inhaled its sweet scent. I heard footsteps behind me and whirled around, certain it would be Baker, anxious to marry me.

I was shocked to find my brother standing there. “Dallas?” I shrieked and ran to him, throwing my arms around his neck.
Given that I hadn’t wanted to bother him with my illness or wedding, it seemed miraculous that he was there.

His presence made my wedding day complete, my heart full. This was a perfect day now.

His arms went around my waist and he lifted me up and swung me around several times before he set me down.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded
, even though it didn’t matter.

“
Baker called me. I should reprimand you for leaving me out and assuming that I wouldn’t drop everything and come to be here on your wedding day…”

“I know. I didn’t want to bother you. You’re always so busy,” I whispered.

“We can talk about it later, baby sis. But for now, let’s get you married to Baker. He’s one hell of a guy,” he commented. He held out his arm for me and I slipped mine through his.

This wedding would be the beginning of the end, but it would be perfect. And I wanted to get it done so I could spend every moment with Baker for however long I had left.

I smiled at my brother, thankful and truly blessed to have him there, and he led me outside.

A million tiny lights lit up the space. It no longer looked like Ma
l
lory’s backyard. Instead, it was an oasis of perfection. As promised, Mallory was waiting there for us. She handed me my bouquet and winked at me again. She followed Gabby
and Ember down the aisle of rose petals, a touch that I knew Baker had been in charge of, and I watched them go, pondering how I got to have such amazing friends. When they took their place on the left side of the alter, my gaze flew to Baker, the man I was about to pledge myself to forever.

He stared at me and a lump formed in my throat. The rest of the world disappeared for one splendid minute and I knew, in that instant, that I was the lucky one in our relationship. And we would probably spend our entire marriage arguing over who was
more
lucky. It was an argument I was looking forward to.

Dallas and I took a step at the same time. His was to give me away to a man who adored me, and mine was a step toward my future.

I lifted my head high, proud to be the future Mrs. Baker.

About the Author

D
awn Pendleton lives in Maine with her husband and their dog. She spends most of her time writing about strong heroines and sexy heroes. When she isn
’t writing, it’s not uncommon to find her with her nose in a book or her eye behind the lens of a camera.