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.
“Are you okay?” Leah asked from the passenger seat.
“Uh-huh.” I exhaled.
“You’re acting a bit odd.”
“Am I?” I let out another breath. “Sorry about that. Might’ve been something I ate this morning. I’m feeling a little out of sorts, to be honest.”
“Well, you’d better pull yourself together. They’re going to introduce you at the reception.”
My eyes widened. “They are?”
“Didn’t you hear the wedding planner giving instructions on what to do when you get to the venue?”
That was laughable. I hadn’t even realized there was a freaking wedding planner. Was she giving instructions before or after I’d noticed Blair and lost my damn mind? Because everything after that was a blur. Shit, the last thing I needed was to be in any kind of spotlight now.
As I continued the drive, my thoughts returned to Blair.
She’d looked so beautiful, exactly the way I remembered her, yet more grown-up and mature—which of course she would be after four fucking years.
Standing before her and being unable to hug her, to comfort her when she was shaking, had been awful.
Though, who was I to say she’d even want that?
She’d never reached out to me. I’d been sure she would call me at least once, but that assumption was stupid on my part.
I’d been deceived by our intense chemistry.
That didn’t change the reality of the situation.
I was never right for her. Yet I was still disappointed that she’d never reached out.
The past didn’t matter anymore, though. Everything now took a backseat to protecting Taylor, and I was certain Blair agreed with me on that.
Maybe if I’d used my actual name on that trip, she might’ve figured it out.
Tate was a nickname I’d been given in the military.
After my discharge, I’d started using it more than Theodore when I met someone new.
I wasn’t sure Taylor even knew about that name.
He’d only ever known me as Theodore or Teddy, as my immediate family called me.
“Earth to Tate!” I heard Leah say.
Fuck. How long had I been ruminating this time? I hadn’t even realized we’d pulled up to the reception venue. Pretty dangerous to be driving and not know how the hell you’d gotten there. And I was worried about Blair driving? I needed to check myself.
Leah grinned as she removed her seatbelt. “Ready, handsome? It’s showtime.” Thankfully, she didn’t seem to be holding my behavior against me.
I forced a smile. “Yeah.”
The moment we entered the venue, I began looking around for Blair. But she was nowhere to be found.
Before I could go into the reception with all the guests, I was ushered over to where the wedding party had congregated behind a partition.
“Where have you been, Teddy?” my mother asked. She smoothed her brown, beaded gown.
“I got a little diverted on the way here,” I told her. By a twist of fate you’d never imagine.
“You okay, son?” my father asked.
“Yeah,” I said, wiping sweat off my forehead.
After about twenty minutes, the wedding planner began lining us up outside the entrance to the reception.
Where the hell was Leah? I couldn’t remember separating from her, but it must’ve happened before I got dragged over to join the wedding party.
Dread developed in my stomach as I wondered where they’d sat Leah and prayed it wasn’t anywhere near Blair. That caused me to sweat even more.
The DJ began announcing us one by one. My heartbeat accelerated as I waited my turn, and I finally entered the hall to cheers I certainly didn’t deserve.
Waving to the crowd, I made my way to the assigned head table.
I was honored that my son had included me in the special placements today.
I needed to keep the focus on him and behave accordingly.
I forced myself not to run around in search of Blair just yet, owing Taylor my full attention as he and Juliana were announced. I’d never get this moment back. As my handsome son and his beautiful wife waltzed in, I smiled, beaming with pride, despite my inner turmoil.
Continuing to stay in place, I folded my hands together as I watched their first dance. After, I listened as the best man and maid of honor each gave their toasts. But I was getting more antsy by the minute.
The second that dinner was announced, I found Leah at her assigned table, which thankfully didn’t include Blair.
After checking in, I told Leah I needed to use the bathroom.
Instead, what I actually did was walk around the ballroom for a bit, surveying the space as my gaze moved from table to table.
I wondered if Blair had skipped the reception.
Once I determined she was nowhere to be found, I actually went toward the bathroom.
Just as I turned the corner into the hallway where the restrooms were, I stopped short at the sight of Blair exiting the ladies’ room.