Chapter 13
WOLF
“Am I high on something, or is half the town here?” Molly says, glancing around and taking in the scene with wide hazel eyes.
I notice Uncle Bert, dressed in a grey suit with a pink button down underneath.
I send him a telepathic message in the form of a death glare that seems to work when his smile pivots from greeting a guest to my demanding expression.
And it doesn’t falter when he waves and wanders over as if we’ve just run into each other at the tavern.
“There’s the happy couple!” He holds his arms open in greeting and drifts straight to Molly. “You must be Molly. Welcome to the family darlin’.” He offers his hand to her and places a kiss on her cheek.
“Oh!” Molly blinks in surprise, but her eyes sparkle and crinkle at the sides before Bert pulls away. “Thank you.”
“Bert, what the hell is all this?” I sweep a hand across the room that opens to the adorned back deck.
He arches his back, puts his hands in his pockets, and lets out a steely breath. “Well, Dana was at the beauty parlor yesterday and all the other ladies in the shop insisted you couldn’t have a courthouse wedding without some kind of fancy shmancy acknowledgment, so here we are.”
But this is too big. Regular family barbeques involve people I’m used to, those I don’t have to feel on with.
Meeting my brothers at a bar is okay because I can prepare for it and employ mind over matter for a short while.
But being ambushed at what looks like a town event where I’m part of the focus?
My pulse picks up and my muscles tighten, and before I realize what I’m doing, I reach for Molly’s hand.
She makes no reaction other than to give my hand a squeeze and not let go.
I’m still not happy with what’s going on, but I almost immediately feel calmer and ready to face everyone.
But I don’t enjoy being caught off guard, and my family knows this. So when Molly excuses herself to use the restroom, I storm straight to the bar near the food tables and am mildly surprised to find Vanessa working behind it.
“They roped you into this too?” I cock an eyebrow.
“It was last minute, I was available, and I like money,” she rattles off before getting right to it. “What’ll you have?” Then, as she pours my drink, she says, “Congratulations.” The space between her brows pinches as she tips the bottle down and back up.
“Thanks.” I give a curt nod as she places a cocktail napkin down in front of me. I don’t know how to address her obvious confusion, so I don’t.
“I didn’t realize you were seeing anybody.” She sets my drink down in front of me and then squints her eyes in speculation. “You’re…happy though, right?”
“Of course I am,” I say then knock the drink back, hoping to distract the both of us. After swallowing half of the straight whiskey, I set it down and concentrate on the burn slowly smoldering its way down my throat, eager for it to sear the cold wave of anxiety in my chest.
“Never can tell with you,” Vanessa says to herself, and I return a tight but polite smile. “So,” she exhales swiftly, relaxing her shoulders, “can’t say I ever thought I’d be bartending at my ex’s wedding.”
“Yeah.” I fake a chuckle. “Though we hardly dated.” I knock back another swallow.
In ninth grade she asked me to be her boyfriend, and because I thought she was pretty and not overly annoying, I agreed.
For about a month I walked her to class and lightly kissed her before leaving, but other than that, I kept to myself.
It wasn’t her; it was me. “Plus, I wasn’t right for you. ”
For a fleeting second, I think I see her eyes go pensive, but in a blink, it’s gone as she gives a half smile.
“Wolf.” Vanessa’s gaze searches mine. “That’s sweet.
Thank you.” Her look is sincere. “And I’m happy for you.
She must be something really special.” She nods, her smile bright and encouraging.
“Thank you. She is.” The response is somewhat automatic, but it prompts me to inspect it’s genuineness. Is Molly special? Of course she is, but in what way is she special to me? I’m not sure I’ve found that out yet, and I’m wondering if and how I will at some point.
I drain the meager last drops of my whiskey, and Vanessa serves me another. I only get through one peaceful sip before I’m joined by my charming twin, who’s been considerate enough to ditch his ball cap for the occasion and put on a clean pair of jeans.
“Congratulations, I guess,” he mutters, signaling to Vanessa that he’ll have what I’m having.
Aww. He’s so sweet…“Fuck off,” I tell him, tired of his piss-poor attitude and fake salutations.
“I’m sorry, Wolf,” he lowers his voice not to be overheard. “but I don’t get why the fuck you’re doing this, no matter how many times you told us.”
“You know…” I let out a venomous sigh and drape an elbow on the bar, looking out at the low-key soiree around us. “It’s really all an elaborate ploy. These are the lengths I’ll go to in order to get the rest of you off my ass about getting laid every weekend.”
“Is that right? You figured you’d just get married and that settles it. We can assume you’re getting laid every night and we’ll leave you alone…”.
“That’s right.” I subtly egg him on. “Although to this day, I still don’t get why you give so much of a fuck about what I do with my dick.
” That’s a lie. I know exactly what his problem is.
The truth is, he’s dissatisfied with his own life—and for good reason—but will do anything except face it, including digging up what he can of mine and smearing it around.
“Honestly,” Hawk says. “I’m thinking you’re doing this so you don’t have to worry about it.”
“Worry about what?”
“Acting normal long enough to find someone to put up with your cranky ass for the rest of your lives.”
I could get him back with a low blow here. I could tell him he’s just bitter that he once had someone willing to put up with his asshole self and he blew it to smithereens. But fortunately for him, I take the high road, refusing to stoop to his level. Instead, I down the rest of my whiskey.
“Wolf… I want to be serious for a moment,” he says without looking at me.
Well, fuck me. “Go ahead and be serious then.”
“Does she know what she’s getting into with you?”
Wow. I motion to take a few steps away from the bar, and he follows. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not that kind of marriage. She just needs it to look real” My own words stop me for a moment while the organ in my chest demands I evaluate if they really are true.
“And you need to look like a normal functioning member of society,” he retorts with a snort.
I don’t flinch. I don’t even look at him.
“I don’t like a scene, but don’t think I won’t lay your ass out right here, asshole,” I grumble, my voice low as I keep thinking about Molly.
Do I really not care to have something with her?
I catch a glimpse of her smiling brightly as she talks to Uncle Bert on the dance floor and shift my eyes away, just for the sake of being able to finish a single thought out loud.
“But it’s about so much more. Think about why we live and work here. ”
Our family has always believed in enjoying what this land has to offer while protecting it the way it is.
He nods absently, and he’s likely thinking back to another time where he wasn’t so sure about that.
Regardless, he humors me. “Yeah… I know.” Thankfully, his expression falls into one of solemn acceptance.
Just as quickly, though, it shifts to one of high alert.
“Speaking of which…” He juts his chin to the other side of the room.
Damen Fucking Riley stands near the hallway that leads to the kitchen, his hands in the pockets of his pretentious grey slacks and cold, calculating eyes panning the room.
“What the fuck is he doing here?”
“What the fuck do you think he’s doing?”
“Did you invite him? Because I swear to God…”
“Do you think I’m that dense? There was no guest list, alright?
No one fucking invited him but think about it—he wasn’t above showing up at her house and trying to hassle her.
He said he was going to get her land one way or another.
” Hawk is ticking his points off on his fingers now.
“He didn’t exactly believe you when you told him you were marrying her?—”
“But I did marry her,” I point out, cutting him off.
“Looks like he’s determined to prove the marriage is a sham then.
So you better show him that he’s barking up the wrong tree.
And not only that, but you better make the whole town believe it because you know he’s going to sniff out every nook and cranny he can, looking for any kind of chink in your armor. ”
“Fuck,” I grumble under my breath. He’s right.
Trying to concentrate in a room this full of people and the variety of sounds makes it hard to form a single thought, let alone a plan. I’m turning this way and that and rubbing my palms together, trying to distract from it all when Uncle Bert walks up, squeezing in the space between Hawk and me.
As if my brain needed more auditory input, he speaks right at my ear as a vaguely familiar song filters over the speaker.
“Be a shame to let that sweet little thing miss out on a chance at real love,” he imparts.
I take in his words as I look over at Molly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she smiles and nods at Dana as she talks at her.
He doesn’t wait for an answer as he signals to Vanessa for his usual before turning back to me.
“It’s your parents’ song. Go dance with your girl. ”
The familiar notes of the song draw me closer and closer to childhood memories, but they settle in the background when I find Molly on the other side of the room, I’ve got panic and anger duking it out with my usual anxiety, leaving me with little control over my actions.
“Come dance with me,” I say, abruptly leaning into her, not meaning for it to come out so curt.
Surprisingly though, she nods, following me.
When I find a spot with enough space, I turn to her and remind myself to relax. “He’s here,” I say. “Riley.”
“What?” The word is a faint gasp as she looks around for the dipshit.
“Try to relax and act like we’re just a regular couple who just got married.” I try to reach for her wrists, but she’s not done freaking out.
“Why would he be here? Who invited him?” She fires off her questions with her forehead creased.
“Smile at me,” I command, getting frustrated. She has a right to be pissed and freaked out, but if he sees us tense and arguing he’ll probably come to his own conclusions.
“How can I smile right now?—”
“Because he’s watching. Now come here.” I wrap her arms around my neck and tighten my hold on her. “We’ve got to get that fuckwad off our backs.” She relaxes slightly, bringing me satisfaction.
“My back,” she corrects me, talking to my shoulder.
Her breath is warm through my shirt. It sends a small tingle swirling down to my chest, and I wish I could allow myself half a second to enjoy it, but the apprehension that we’re about to blow this is taking over.
“Just look at me,” I insist, and when she obliges, I look straight into her eyes for just a beat before letting my gaze shift to just above them – an old habit I picked up long ago.
“Our backs.” I squeeze her hips for emphasis.
“No matter how this came about, we’re in this together now.
Feelings or not, we are married, and we need to be a team.
” When she doesn’t respond, I dare to let my eyes drift back to hers.
They seem to soften as she takes this in, so I add, "Just smile and look like you’re in love. ”
“You look like you’re in love,” her eyes widen in challenge.
“Touche,” I quip back, surprising myself. I try to find a focal point in this room that’s not someone’s eyes which is proving difficult with so many people here.
I don’t even get a chance before Bert cruises by with Dana and says, “I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure two people who just got married should look pretty damn happy about it, not constipated.”
Dana giggles, and he whisks her away, clearly just a drive by.
“God, are we fucking this up that badly?” Molly looks worried.
“No, it’s probably all me. I seriously don’t know what to do. I’ve never been in love before, and I don’t know how to sell this,” I confess.
Trying to keep calm, I do the only thing that comes to mind and pull her into me tighter, my arms locked around her. She responds in kind, her arms reaching around me so we’re in a full-on swaying embrace. The closeness is foreign but gives me a small crackle of excitement deep inside me.
I chance a look over Molly’s shoulder and sure enough… that fuck Riley is scrutinizing us over the rim of his glass; staring hard at our every move. “God dammit, what am I doing wrong, here?” I grumble. “He’s still watching us, and he’s not buying it for shit.”
Molly’s quiet for a moment, still swaying along with me until the song starts to fade out. “We’ll figure it out,” she finally says.
I straighten up to look at her. “How do you figure?”
She raises a shoulder. “What choice do we have?”
As if everyone in the room has decided to reinforce her point, a faint tinkling of glasses sounds before erupting into a voluminous clinking all around us.
I haven’t been to many weddings, but I know what this means. I gaze at Molly, who has soft eyes and a resigned smirk. She tilts her chin up to signal the go ahead, and I bring my mouth down on hers.
In the judge’s chambers, I was focused on making our kiss appropriate but believable.
With the prying eyes of half the town and that intrusive fuck Riley on us, I’m intent on only the believable part.
Palming the back of Molly’s hair, I let my fingers get lost in the silky tresses and let our lips skim each other at first. Hers are smooth like rose petals, and I press for more.
The tinkling glasses give way to applause and cheers, and my mouth opens against Molly’s, taking the kiss deeper.
I vaguely register my brothers whooping at me to “get some” but their voices vanish when our tongues touch, and something deep inside me awakens.
The first gentle flames of a reverent fire kindle to life as Molly’s arms wind around my neck, and I pull her tighter against me.
This is not what I was expecting and sure as hell not just a few hours in. The kiss goes on longer than I expected as my mouth can’t seem to get enough of hers. The background noise dins out, and the abrupt sound of a few throats clearing is what finally gets my attention.
When Molly and I carefully and slowly pull apart, I see it in her eyes too. We both thought we knew what we were jumping into with this marriage. In reality, neither of us had a clue.