Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
He hadn’t noticed me yet. There was still time to run. But how would I explain that to Taylor? Didn’t matter. I could worry about that later. For now, I needed to leave. But as much as I wanted to flee, my legs were frozen in place. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Tate shook hands with person after person as he nodded and thanked them for coming. When he flashed his beautiful smile, it hurt my heart.
Stop looking at him. You need to leave!
But just as I turned to make my exit, I heard my name.
“Blair!” Taylor shouted.
I pivoted slowly and looked up to find him waving me over. With a lump in my throat, I stepped toward them.
Everything thereafter seemed to happen in slow motion.
Tate’s eyes widened, and the color drained from his face the moment he finally noticed me.
This was not the reunion I’d imagined in my dreams. Far from it.
This was a nightmare I’d never imagined possible.
Chapter 18
* * *
TATE
What’s happening?
What…the fuck…is happening?
That was all I could think as she walked toward me.
Blair.
Lord knows I’d blinked enough times to know I wasn’t hallucinating.
After Taylor had called that name, I’d felt a shot of adrenaline zap through my body. And once I realized it was my Blair? I had no words. Everything about this day changed. Everything about my life had changed.
How the hell does she know Taylor?
Before I had a chance to consider anything, she stood before me, a look of warning in her eyes. I knew what she was telling me. Even without understanding how on earth we’d gotten here, she and I were on the same page: Taylor can’t fucking know about us.
I put on the fakest smile I’d ever conjured as my son proceeded to introduce me to the one woman who needed no introduction in my life.
“Dad, this is Blair Moynihan. She’s one of my best friends.”
Moynihan.
That’s one thing I’d wished I’d had all these years—her last name. Knowing it might’ve changed everything. Knowing it would’ve meant I could’ve found her again.
Blair Moynihan.
I offered my hand. “Very nice to meet you, Blair.” My eyes burned into hers.
When she gave me her hand, I felt it shaking. I squeezed, a silent reassurance that despite whatever was happening now, it was going to be okay. It had to be. I needed to believe that for my own sanity. I needed her to believe it, too.
She cleared her throat. “It’s nice to finally meet Taylor’s father.”
The receiving line needed to keep moving, but I couldn’t seem to release her hand. Even under the worst possible circumstances, I didn’t want to let go of her.
But I had to. I reluctantly loosened my grip.
Blair turned to Taylor. “I’ll see you at the reception,” she said. Then she glanced at me before walking away. It felt like she’d taken my soul with her as she disappeared down the line and eventually out of the church. My eyes followed her until the moment she was gone.
As I faked my way through the remaining introductions, my mind raced. I thought back to what she’d told me when I’d first met her at the resort: a friend had gifted her the trip. I’d never asked about that. But now it made total sense. It was my son, who of course didn’t have to pay a red cent since his grandparents owned the place. Why the fuck hadn’t that occurred to me? Why hadn’t I thought to ask who was footing the bill?
The way her hand had been shaking just now—it haunted me. Had I scared her? Had she come to think badly of me over the years, concluding that I’d taken advantage of her? Or was she just spooked by this cruel coincidence the way I was?
“Tate, are we ready to go?” Leah’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
The receiving line had disappeared around me. I turned to her, forcing a smile. “Yeah, we are.”
Leah and I had just started dating. Things had been going well, better than anything I’d experienced in a long time, so I’d asked Taylor at the rehearsal dinner if it was okay if I brought her as my plus-one. Things had been going well between my son and me—over the past year, in particular. He’d said he was happy I’d met someone and of course I could bring her. So here we were.
Except this night would be a hell of a lot easier now if Leah weren’t here. It was going to be difficult enough to act normal in front of Taylor. Now I had to keep my cool around Leah, too, and figure out a way to talk to Blair without drawing attention to myself.
As Leah and I drove to the reception, I worried about whether Blair had made it to the reception hall okay. She’d clearly been upset and probably shouldn’t have been driving. And I wouldn’t blame her if she’d chosen to skip the reception altogether. I doubted either of us would do that to Taylor, though, particularly the father of the groom.