Alpha's Moon: A special forces shifter romance by Renee Rose (top novels .txt) 📗

head. Suddenly I’ve got a headache. Jenn is a high school friend from Taos. Her boyfriend Geoff is Scott’s friend from college. They’re the ones who set us up with each other when Scott first moved to Taos from Santa Fe.

“You’ll be in Santa Fe for a long weekend, right?”

I suddenly realize why my father looks so smug, why he knows all about this wedding and organized this dinner with me.

“You talked to Scott,” I accuse. “He called you and told you all about this. That’s why you wanted to talk to me.”

My father frowns again. “Scott and I talked, yes. He’s involved in business around Taos, as am I. And our paths cross often.”

“Of course. You’re birds of a feather.”

I don’t mean it as a compliment, but my father takes it as one. “Yes. And he mentioned this wedding, that you’ll be spending time together in an idyllic setting. It’ll be the perfect time to talk about your relationship and smooth out your differences.”

Only my father would refer to Scott cheating on me and being a total butthole as “differences” and expect us to simply “smooth them out,” meaning he expects me to overlook them. Like my mother overlooked my father’s indiscretions until she finally got the courage to leave him.

“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