“Blair,” Neil pleaded. “I didn’t know that Ben—”
“Don’t you even.” She hit him in the chest with the bouquet again, a shower of roses flying every direction. “Yeah, I figured it out, even if I admit to missing it last night when you mentioned my ultimatum from work without me having told you about it.”
“Blair.”
“Then you mentioned it again this morning when you realized that I truly intended to break up with you. So when you failed to talk me out of dumping you, you sent your slutty girlfriend to Garrett’s hotel room, then insisted that we go back to talk to Garrett together. But here’s your mistake with that one, Neil: What are the odds of me finding my fully clothed boyfriend with a lingerie-clad woman twice? Because, call me a fool—and I’ve rightly earned the title—but I can’t imagine Garrett would ask me to marry him and then invite a skanky woman to his room twenty minutes later.”
Neil’s face had turned as red as the bridesmaids’ dresses. “Maybe if you knew how to satisfy a man, I wouldn’t have to go elsewhere for sex.”
A horrified gasp spread throughout the crowd.
She put her hands on her hips and eyed him with distaste. “Neil, you wouldn’t know how to satisfy a woman if she supplied her own vibrator.”
Debra and her daughter gasped, but the sounds were practically drowned out by the crowd’s collective laughter. Neil’s fury increased, and he took a step toward her.
Garrett had heard enough. “You need to back away from her Neil. Now.” The command in his voice was unmistakable. He started down the aisle, the papers in his hand. “Have you listed your grievances, Blair? Because I have a few of my own.”
At the sound of his voice, she twisted to face him, her mouth dropping open in surprise. “Garrett.”
He approached the altar, trying to keep his rage at bay. “Neil, you self-righteous prick.”
Neil pointed to the back door. “Get the hell out of here, Garrett! None of this concerns you!”
“When you send your girlfriend to strip in my room, it concerns me. When you hurt and try to humiliate Blair, it concerns me.”
Neil leaned closer and lowered his voice, motioning to the papers in his hand. “I thought you were bringing me an offer, cousin. Do you really want to do this?”
Garrett sneered, “You mean the deal where I was going to pay you to call off the wedding?” He looked over at Blair and smiled. “Looks like I don’t need that deal anymore.”
“What about the other?” Neil asked, his tone hateful.
“The other?” Garrett asked, feigning innocence. “I think Nana Ruby has something to say about that.”
Neil’s face paled. “Nana Ruby?”
“I’ve had enough of your bratty behavior,” Nana said, standing up from her seat toward the front of the church and shuffling past several people to get to the aisle. “I should box your ears, Neilson Allen Fredrick.”
He clenched his hands at his sides. “Stay out of this, Nana.”
Aunt Debra rose up and rushed over to her mother. “What’s going on here?”
“What’s going on, Debbie Sue, is that your son is a liar, a cheater, and apparently an extortionist. You should have raised him better.”
“They’re lying!” Debra shouted. “My little Neil wouldn’t do any of this!”
Nana Ruby waved to him. “The proof is in the pudding.” She looked up at him. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I’m innocent.”
“Then I guess you won’t mind signing this paper Garrett’s made, ensuring you stay innocent.”
Neil glanced around the church at all the curious guests. The back of the church was now full of over a hundred people, who from the state of their attire, were social media onlookers. “This doesn’t seem like the right time.” He took a step down from the altar, and Nana smashed his foot with her cane. He stumbled back onto the altar as fast as he could manage.
She gave him a scowl. “Now seems like the perfect time. You were blackmailing your cousin over this wedding and this girl, so you might as well wrap up all your unfinished business at the wedding. Because from the looks of things, that’s all that’s getting finished here.”
Neil’s eyes narrowed. “What does it say?”
Garrett lifted the papers. “Perhaps you should read it.”
“If you want any kind of inheritance at all from me, you’ll sign it.” Nana held a pen toward Neil. “Give him the papers, Garrett.”
Garrett handed them to his cousin, knowing his cousin would sign. Nana Ruby had offered him one-fourth of the land—his expected inheritance, but only if he not only agreed to never release the video and photos of Blair, but also gave Garrett any hard copies Neil might possess.
Neil jerked them out of his hand, and gave them a good shake before he started to read. It was all the opportunity Garrett needed to sneak a glance at Blair. Megan and Libby flanked her now, and he wasn’t surprised by her defiant stance. Yet she snuck a glance at him, and their eyes locked. He saw sadness and regret in her gaze, and his heart sank to his feet. Had he really lost her?
“I’m not agreeing to this.” Neil flapped the papers at Garrett. “I bet you drew these up yourself. How do I know they’re legal?”
“They’re legal,” Garrett said in disgust. “And if they aren’t, then you’ll have your out.” Garrett’s voice tightened. “But I assure you, if you let them leak, I’ll come after you faster than white on rice.”
“Sign it,” Nana barked.
Gritting his teeth, Neil awkwardly bent over and signed the papers on his leg, then tossed them back at Garrett as he rose. “Can I go now?” Then he looked around the church and went slack-jawed as if finally realizing he was acting like an ass in front of over three hundred people, including two hundred of which were his family, friends, and colleagues—not to mention the hundred or more strangers that filled the back of the church, most with smart phones in their hands, recording the entire fiasco.
Dr. Neil Fredrick was about to become a viral sensation of his own.
Nana stepped out of the way, and Neil hurried down the aisle and out the back doors.
The minister, who had stood behind the altar with an admirable poker face throughout all the commotion, finally spoke. “Well…in all my twenty years of officiating weddings, I’ve never had anyone object, let alone half the church.” He turned to Blair and gave her a sympathetic smile. “Looks like you dodged a bullet, young lady.”
Blair’s gaze turned to Garrett. “I guess I did.” Then she took a deep breath and started to say something before stopping.
Garrett took a step toward her. “Blair. I’m sorry.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Why?”
“For not telling you about Layla.”
Shock covered her face and she choked out, “She…you slept with…”
“No!” Horror filled his words. “God. No. I meant I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about her and Neil. When I went to the hospital a few days ago to ask him if he loved you, and the two of them were together in his office, Neil admitted he was sleeping with her and intended to keep her as his mistress after your wedding.”
“But why didn’t you tell me that?”
He grimaced. “Because I knew how much it would hurt you. I hoped I could get you to end it another way, so you’d never have to know.”
“You were trying to protect me?” she asked, incredulous.
“Yeah.”
She smacked his arm with Megan’s nearly destroyed bouquet, and the last few remaining flowers flew out. At this point, it was little more than a collection of pointed green spikes. “Well, don’t do that. I don’t need protecting. I can handle it.”
“Yeah, Nana Ruby pointed that out this afternoon.” A sheepish grin spread across his face. “But you have to understand—I love you. Wanting to protect you seems to go hand in hand with that.”
“You still love me?” she whispered.
His smile spread. “Yeah, I do.”
&
nbsp; “Even after the horrible, hurtful things I said?”
“You were shocked and hurt, Blair. I would hope you’d be that upset if I were actually screwing around on you. Of course I still love you. I’ve loved you for years.”
She reached out to him, and he pulled her into his arms, lowering his lips to hers for a soft lingering kiss. “I’m starving. Know of any place we can get something to eat?”
She grinned and glanced back at her assistant. “As a matter of fact, I do.” Then she turned her attention to the guests, most of who were now standing and filling the room with the roar of their voices.
“If I could have your attention!” she shouted.
When the ruckus continued, Nana Ruby stuck her fingers in her mouth and released a whistle so loud it shocked everyone into silence. When they realized the bride was about to address them, they gave her their enraptured attention.
Blair took a deep breath. “First of all, I’d like to apologize for the spectacle you just witnessed, although from the looks of some of you,” her gaze landed on Kelsey, who bounced a baby on her shoulder and wore a wide smile, “you enjoyed every minute of it. In that spirit of celebration, and if it’s not too awkward for you, there’s a reception with food and music that’s already been paid for…so I invite you to come on over and join us.”
Garrett took her hand and led her down the aisle to a chorus of cheers and whistles. A loud cheer rose above the rest, which was when Garrett realized the couple who had given him a ride to the church were sitting in the back pew. The woman was furiously typing on her phone, and the man gave him a thumbs-up.
“Say, Garrett,” he said with a huge grin. “Where exactly is that reception?”
Garrett squeezed Blair’s hand and gave her a sheepish look. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
Her eyebrows rose. “And that is?”
He cringed. “We may have become a social media sensation.”
“What?”
“Blair,” a man called out from behind them. They turned to see an older, distinguished-looking man approaching them. Blair’s back stiffened, and Garrett instinctively put his arm around her.
“Mr. Sisco.”
He grimaced. “On behalf of the firm, I would like to extend my apologies for Mr. Stuart’s behavior. We do not condone what he’s done, and the partners will meet next week to discuss an appropriate repercussion.”
“Thank you,” she said briskly.
He leaned closer. “But I can tell you that there was a nugget of truth to what he told you. We are considering you for partnership.”
Garrett expected her boss’s statement to make her relax, but she only seemed to get more tense. “I see. Are you sure I’m partner material? Are you sure I’m not too much of a bitch?”
“What?” he asked, his face turning red.
“You were right, there was some truth to what Ben said. Several truths. I made a few phone calls this afternoon, and it turns out I’ve been considered for partner before, but one of the senior married partners refused to vote for me because I wouldn’t sleep with him.”
Her boss’s face grew even redder. “I assure you that’s not true.” He paused. “And even if it was, you don’t have proof.”
She gave him a cold smile. “And that right there is proof enough.”
“Blair,” he gushed. “I know we’d love to make you partner and offer you a nice signing bonus.”
“I’m sure you would.” Her eyes sparkled with the look of a predator about to devour its prey, and Garrett found himself incredibly turned on.
“Mr. Sisco, you can take your partnership and shove it up your ass. You’ll find my letter of resignation on your desk on Monday morning.”
“Blair, I’m sure we can work something out.”
“The only thing we’re working out is how quickly you can get out of my sight.”
His jaw clenched with anger, and he stomped out of the sanctuary.
She took a deep breath and let it out. “That felt good.”
“I bet it did.”
“But I don’t have a job. And Melissa…”
“Blazer, I want you to be happy where you work. But for the record, if you had accepted, we might have had words. There’s no way I want my wife working for a bunch of sexist pricks.”
She spun around to face him, lifting her hands to his face. “Your wife?”
A lazy grin spread across his face. “I know. It’s going to take some getting used to.”
“In a bad way?”
“In the best possible way.” He pulled her to his chest and kissed her, thankful that she didn’t pull back, even though they were in a church full of people. “I think I’m underdressed for this reception. How about we swing by my hotel room and pick up my tux?” He grinned. “And do a few other things.”
“Impatient again?” she laughed.
“Are you kidding?” He shot her a look of disbelief. “I almost lost you forever. I’m scared to death to let you out of my sight for one minute.”
She tensed. “You’re not going to be one of those clingy husbands, are you?”
“I’ve thought of you nonstop for five years, and this morning you turned your back on me to marry my asshole cousin. You’re going to have to give me at least a couple of hours of clinginess to calm my anxiety.”
“Then if you want to be clingy, I have the perfect idea for how we can make use of a few of those hours.”
His hand dug into her hip, his eyes full of longing. “I need to find a car.”
* * *
They showed up at the reception about an hour later, arriving to the cheers of Blair’s friends and family and some of Garrett’s family. Blair was still wearing her wedding dress since she didn’t have anything else to change into, but she’d let her hair down and removed her veil. “I like the idea of you not having a wardrobe,” Garrett had teased while he nuzzled her neck in his room when they were supposed to be getting dressed, “but it might not be a bad idea to keep a few articles of clothing around.”
He wore his tux, and she warned him that this was the only wedding reception they would get, so he’d better dress the part.
They ate and danced, and she found herself feeling more relaxed than she’d been in years. She looked up into the face of the man who had refused to leave her side all night, amazed that he was really there with her.
He glanced down at her, a warm smile spreading across his face.
“When you look at me like that,” she said, smiling coyly, “all I can think about is you naked.”
His eyebrows rose, mischievousness dancing in his eyes. “Is that so?”
“What are you doing next week?”
He brushed his lips against hers, and that was all it took to make her blood hot. “Hopefully spending every minute with you.”
She tilted her head. “How about spending the week with me in Costa Rica? I paid for a week at an all-inclusive resort for the honeymoon. Non-refundable.”
His eyes twinkled. “So this is a practical invitation?”
“I’m a practical woman.”
“Only one of many things I love about you.” He lowered his head to kiss her, then he pulled back to look into her eyes. “So…if we’re going on a honeymoon, I think we should actually be married first.”
Her breath caught, and she tensed. This was getting very real, very fast. Somehow the prospect of marrying Garrett was so much more frightening than her engagement with Neil had been. She had so much more to lose.
But for once, she was going to ignore the voices of caution in her head. They had kept her from living for the last ten years, and Garrett had been the only one to truly quiet them. It was time to let her heart take the lead for a while.
“Okay.”
“Really?”
“You thought I’d say no? You already proposed this morning. Trust me, that’ll be hard to explain to our kids if we have them.”
He laughed. “When I proposed this morning, we didn’t discuss dates. I k
now how you like to plan things out. We can wait if you’d prefer. The last thing I’d want is for you to feel pressured.”
“No.” She shook her head. “No more waiting. We’ve wasted five years, and we’ve got some making up to do.”
“Then how about we get married on the beach in Costa Rica? Just you and me. Are you okay with that?”
“That’s exactly how I want it,” she murmured as she kissed him. “But I want a different ring. This ring has been nothing but trouble.”
“I’ll get you a new ring, but I’ll be forever thankful for my family heirloom. I wouldn’t be here right now if not for this stupid ring.”
He wrapped an arm around her back and pulled her close. “Mrs. Blair Lowry. Or maybe Mr. Garrett Hansen.” His eyes twinkled. “Or is it Myers? Who can keep up?”
“Shut up and kiss me, player.”
“Gladly.”
* * *
Thank you for reading THE PLAYER!
You can read Libby’s story, THE GAMBLER, available now.
Libby St. Clair believes in fate—so much so, she’s willing to pin everything on a curse a fortune teller placed on her and her two best friends when they were kids. The curse, that each of them will marry before thirty, have a disaster of a wedding, and end up with a man other than her original fiancé, has come to fruition for both of her friends, who are now deliriously happy. But Libby’s attempt to quick-start the curse by proposing to her wrong-for-her boyfriend ends in a wild dash from the altar. She’s rescued by her friend Noah, the only person who understands her impulsive decisions—because he’s the same way.
Having spent most of his adulthood fleeing responsibility and commitment, Noah McMillan is finally ready to grow up. Of course, figuring out how is still a work in progress. When he realizes he’s in love with Libby, he flies to Kansas City to put a stop to her wedding. But Libby’s already pulled a runaway bride. Eager to cheer her up and prove that he can be the man she deserves, he takes her on a madcap car trip that will bring them all the way to the City of Sin.
In Vegas, those who risk it all either win big or lose everything, so what will happen if Libby and Noah take a gamble on love?
Modern Fairy Tale: Twelve Books of Breathtaking Romance Page 161