Chapter 25
twenty-five
. . .
WYATT
This is the first time I’ve gotten a good look at Blair’s house in the daylight. The white stucco and navy shutters and front door give the small bungalow a coastal feel. A covered porch sits on one side, featuring a wall of windowed doors that slide open for easy access to the outdoor living space. Two cozy chairs and a couch complete the look. It’s exactly something I would imagine her living in, and I wonder what the inside looks like.
Blair is already waiting outside on the porch steps for me. I check the time again to make sure I’m not late. As I park and exit the car, she walks down to meet me.
“You look stunning,” I say.
My eyes roam her body from top to bottom, taking in the light purple dress she’s wearing. It’s strapless, with a structured bodice showcasing her curves. The flowing skirt hits the ground but slits on both sides of the dress, so when she walks, I see layers of fabric tangled with her bare legs and strappy heels.
“Thank you.” She watches me appreciate every curve of her body. “You look nice.”
When my hand grazes her upper arm as I help her into the car, I notice the goosebumps, and a thrill runs up my spine, knowing I affect her. “This old thing?”
That gets me a smile.
I’m already dressed in my best-man tux so I can have more time with Blair and be available to help Jake with whatever he may need without worrying about when I can get ready.
I slide into the driver’s seat and fasten my seat belt before looking over at her.
“All ready?”
I reach out to squeeze her hand and am relieved when she doesn’t pull away.
“Before we go, we should talk about the other day in my office.” She hesitates but then turns slightly in her seat to face me.
“Sure. We can talk about anything you want.”
“I think I just got caught up in the nostalgia of everything, and I’m sorry. It was unprofessional, and I don’t want to lead you on at all.” She’s twisting the bracelets on her wrist as she talks, avoiding direct eye contact.
I don’t respond immediately, giving her space to say more. I regret nothing, and I’m willing to wait if she needs time to work through her confused emotions.
“It’s obvious we have an attraction to each other, or had an attraction, but we are completely different people now. You know nothing about me, and I know nothing about you.” She finds her confidence and meets my stare.
“You admit there’s an attraction?” I say, attempting to lighten the mood a little, but I understand what she is saying. As much as I want to ignore our working relationship, she’s not wrong that we should remain professional. At least for now.
I place my hand on her thigh. She looks down at it and then back up at me with heat in her eyes. There’s no denying we have a connection. I pull my hand back and focus on the road ahead. “I understand what you are saying, but I’d like to think we could be friends. I enjoy having you back in my life, and I’ll take whatever I can get.”
As soon as I say it, I hate how it feels. I don’t want to be just friends.
When I look over at her, she’s smiling, but there’s something in her eyes that looks like she might hate that label just as much as I do.
“Friends, then.” She shifts back to face forward in her seat and then turns her head toward me again. “So, friend, tell me about this wedding.”
I fill her in on Jake and Lauren, how they’ve been engaged forever and most of us weren’t sure if it would ever happen. Lauren surprised all of us, including Jake, with a last-minute decision on a wedding date only two months ago.
When we arrive, I leave the keys with the valet. I can already see my mother through the lobby doors, walking toward us with her arms stretched out, ready to hug me.
“Come here. Oh, I’ve missed you so much!” She has quite a death grip for such a petite woman. “Stop making excuses and come home for dinner soon.”
“Hi, Mom. Missed you, too,” I say while wrapping my arms around her.
“Here, I want you to meet Blair. She’s Sophia’s?—”
“Blair! It’s so nice to see you again. Sophia shared that you two reconnected!”
Blair doesn’t escape the hug from my mom, but the smile lighting up her face tells me she doesn’t mind one bit.
My mother leads us through the lobby and toward the wall of windows where the setup for the ceremony is underway on the beach.
“Hi again!” Sophia says as she hugs Blair. They spent the morning together with hair and makeup artists. Seeing both her and my mother embracing Blair gives me a sense of calm. It’s like she belongs to me. This is what it would feel like if she were mine.
Before Blair can respond, my father arrives through the back entry, and I stiffen. Blair glances at me and moves in closer, noticing the change in me. I relax a little and appreciate the protective move.
“Wyatt, son! I didn’t know you were here already.” He reaches out for a handshake and pulls me in for a quick, one-handed tap on the back.
“We just arrived. This is Blair.”
“Nice to meet you, Blair.”
Blair reaches for his extended hand. “Nice to meet you, too.”
“Blair is the agent I’ve been telling you about,” Sophia says.
“She’s with TWA?” My father’s gaze darts over to me before returning to her. “I’ve heard about all the changes happening. Hopefully, it’s all going well.”
“Wyatt’s been a fantastic partner. We wouldn’t be in such good shape without him.” Blair looks my way, waiting for me to respond, but I don’t.
“Is that so?” My father’s eyes drift down to her hand resting on my arm, but Sophia interrupts before he can share whatever it is he thinks he sees here.
“You might remember her. She and Wyatt went to high school together.”
“I used to work at the country club. It was a long time ago. You probably don’t remember me.”
“Blair?” He laughs, and I prepare for the impact. “Wyatt, is this the girl that had you so distracted you were going to throw away your entire future?”
Blair’s mouth drops open, and the blood rushes through my ears, drowning out all the surrounding sounds.
“I was a distraction?” A look of confusion passes over her face.
“Dad!” Sophia yells at the same time my mom reaches to pull him away from the conversation, but not before we all hear him say, “I thought he was bringing that Bethany woman.”
“I better go find Jake,” I say, grabbing Blair’s hand so she’ll follow me to the exit. “We’ll catch up with you in a bit.”
Sophia nods, a look of understanding crossing her face.
Once we’re away from the others, I stop and hang my head. I should have expected this. Taking a deep breath, I turn to face her.
“Who’s Bethany?”
“What? Nobody. She’s a colleague from New York. Just a family friend.”
“I ruined your life.”
“No. Absolutely not.”
She crosses her arms in front of her. “Right. Just someone who almost convinced you to throw away your entire future.”
I place my hands on her arms and bend down a little to meet her eye to eye.
“I need you to hear me when I tell you this. You are the only person who gave a shit about what I wanted. You were not a distraction. You were a savior. You made me believe in myself. Every time you walked into a room, my heart skipped a beat, and I couldn’t breathe. Everything about you is beautiful. Your smile, your laugh. You make everything in my life brighter. I’m drawn to you in ways I can’t fully explain. Even now, after all these years, that feeling hasn’t faded.”
Blair doesn’t respond, and for a minute, I fear she’s going to walk away. After holding my eyes for another beat, she nods.
“Ok.”
My best friend is officially getting married. I’m excited for Jake, and he’s certainly spared no expense. I see Blair seated on the groom’s side in the second row. She looks beautiful, and it makes me think about the day this will be us celebrating. I want it all with her. She catches me staring and I hope that look means she’s having the same thoughts. We belong together.
The start time was delayed a bit, so now Jake and Lauren are rushing through the vows so the fireworks will still sync up with “I now pronounce you…” I want to roll my eyes, but something about seeing my best friend overwhelmed with happiness has me sentimental.
After the ceremony, I find Blair at the front family and friends’ table. I sit down and grab her hands in mine.
“Everything ok?”
“Yeah. Had a little scare before the ceremony and some drama during pictures, but all’s well now.” I lean over to kiss her and I can’t keep my hands off her legs, running them over her skin and dress. “And I missed you.”
She smiles but it feels like she’s holding back. Before I can question it she laces her fingers between mine.
“Is that why the ceremony started late?”
“Yeah. She refused to walk down the aisle until Jake had her grandfather’s handkerchief in his lapel pocket. He forgot to bring it, so Jake’s cousin had to run to his house.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was.”
“It must be really sentimental. Wow.” She turns toward to front of the room to look at the happy couple. “What happened during photos?”
“That was more about Lauren dictating where everyone would stand. She did a ton of solo pics and got upset when she overheard someone ask why she didn’t do this before the ceremony.”
“I agree–why didn’t she?”
“This is typical Lauren. Jake loves her and he’s oblivious. I used to get irritated by it, but if he’s happy, then I’m happy.”
“You’re a good man, Wyatt Bradford. Some might even say the best man.”
I lean in to kiss her again and glance around the table to make sure she won’t be lonely while I attend to my best man responsibilities. I’m on deck for the speech, after it’s cake, and then I’m free to enjoy the rest of the evening with Blair. I plan to wrap my arms around her on the dance floor and prove to her she is the best thing that ever happened to me.