The Wedding Pact Box Set - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,191

what to do. “I . . .”

The back door opened, and Libby and Megan hurried through, worry in their eyes. Noah trailed behind them. “Blair, there you are,” Megan said, rushing over to her. “It’s time to open presents.”

Libby intercepted Garrett. “I think you two should hang out with the guys. What do you think, Noah?”

“Yeah.” Noah nodded. “There’s a Royals game on.”

“Sure, he should join you,” Neil said, his anger unmistakable. “But I’ll be staying with my fiancée.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Megan smiled, but it was forced. “It’s girls only, Neil.”

His jaw tightened. “If Nana insisted that Garrett come, I’m sure she’d want her other grandson here too.”

Megan looked from Neil to Josh, her eyes wide.

Some of Blair’s senses began to return, and she realized she had to get things under control. “Megan’s right, Neil.” She looked up at her fiancé. “There’s a whole bunch of women out there along with your sister’s two kids. But if you’d rather come outside and play stupid shower games, then by all means, feel free.”

“Blair.” The disbelief in Garrett’s voice sent a stab of pain through her chest, but it wasn’t enough to get her to react. She couldn’t do this right now. She couldn’t spontaneously make a decision that would affect the rest of her life. Not when the future of her job depended on this wedding. The very fact that she was prepared to consider calling it off after one mere kiss scared the shit out of her.

She let Megan lead her outside and was surprised to see that everyone was sitting at the small tables around the pool now, eating and drinking. Presents and cards covered a small table to the side of the food table.

“Blair’s going to open gifts now,” Megan announced as her shoes clacked across the patio.

Knickers was shifting the food around on the platters, but she bolted upright at Megan’s declaration. “The presents aren’t until after the games.”

Megan released her hold on Blair and pulled a chair over to the presents table. “The schedule’s changed. She’s opening them now.”

“Neil!” Debra squealed as she glanced up and saw her son trailing behind the two women. She shot out of her seat and nearly tripped on the chair leg. “Thank goodness you’re finally here.”

Blair wanted to kill the woman. She was obviously the reason Neil had shown up. She hadn’t been able to accept the fact that Garrett was present and Neil wasn’t. She was the reason Neil had almost caught her in a compromising situation. But that wasn’t really true, and she knew it.

Blair was a cheater. And she wasn’t sure she could live with that title.

To make matters worse, that damn kiss kept replaying over and over in her head, and try as she might, she couldn’t banish it to the dungeon with all the other thoughts and feelings that had threatened to consume her over the last ten years since her father had abandoned her mother. Her mind was still reeling from the events of the last ten minutes, trying to sort through the mess of emotion. Give her facts and she could cut through them like a world-renowned surgeon with a scalpel. But feelings?

Did Garrett really still love her? And if so, what did it mean?

All she could process at the moment was that her world was toppling over like a tower of blocks, and she had no idea how to stop it.

Nana Ruby’s eyes narrowed as she glanced up at her grandson. “What are you doing here? Where’s Garrett?”

Neil slid next to Blair. When he spoke, his voice was tight. “He’s in the house. Where he belongs.” He wrapped an arm around Blair’s waist and pulled her hip against hers. “I’m here to open presents with my bride.” He leaned over and kissed her again, setting off a round of oohs and awws from the gathered audience. Blair just stood next to him, still in shock. He was showing more public displays of affection than usual, which was throwing her off almost as much as everything else that was going awry in her life.

“Garrett’s here somewhere,” Debra said, trying to untangle herself from a purse handle.

“I know,” he said coolly as his hand dug tighter into her hip. It was meant to show her that he was still there—seething but still there. She found it suffocating.

“Garrett’s in the house drinking a beer with Noah,” Josh said, walking up behind Neil. “Not to worry. He’s still here.”

Blair shot him a look, surprised by