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Pulling in a deep long breath, I smiled. “Yes. I’m okay. For a few minutes, I was scared, but I knew Jarod would never hurt me. He’s in good hands, and I don’t want to miss out on any more of Nash and Kaelynn’s big night. Let’s go back in.”
I wrapped my arm around Blake’s waist, and we walked back in, putting this bit of drama behind us.
An hour later I stood with Charlie and Terri on either side of me as we watched Kaelynn and Nash drive off.
“You’re next, Morgan,” Charlie said, wrapping her arm around me and pulling me to her.
I was positive I hadn’t stopped smiling since Blake had asked me to marry him. Blake never did find a closet, but I wasn’t so sure I would have been able to sneak away and have sex during my best friend and brother’s wedding reception, anyway.
“Did you ever find out what she was giving him? She was so secretive about it!” Terri said.
Shaking my head, I replied, “She never told me.”
Technically it wasn’t a lie. Kaelynn didn’t tell me, and I still didn’t know the sex of the baby.
“Damn, it has to be something good if she’s keeping it so hush-hush,” Terri said.
“Well, I guess I can focus on you and Blake then. Any idea what you want to do for a wedding?” Charlie asked as we headed back into the building.
“Honestly, I haven’t thought about it,” I said as we stepped back into the large ballroom. I immediately saw Blake talking to Jim, Terri’s husband.
“There’s Jim. Let me go see if he’s about ready to head on out. I’m exhausted,” Terri said.
“Night, Terri!” Charlie and I said as we took turns hugging her.
“Night, ladies. Let’s plan a dinner really soon. This time at our place. Jim has a new smoker he is itching to use.”
“Sounds good,” Charlie said.
We watched as Terri made her way over to Jim and Blake. The fact that this little group from college had all remained friends was refreshing. I hadn’t really been a part of their group since I was younger, but I had hung out with them on more than one occasion. Even after Blake left for New York City, they all had stayed in touch.
Charlie nudged me and said, “Blake is a totally different person now that he’s with you.”
Turning my focus to her, I smiled. “I have a feeling Blake was always this way. He just tried to make everyone think he was something else. Some kind of defense mechanism.”
She looked back over to him thoughtfully. “He always came across as a player, ever since I first met him. He certainly had a way of making women fall at his feet. Flirted with me like nobody’s business, but I think he did it because he knew Tucker liked me.”
I cringed inside just thinking of the women Blake had been with, even though he had told me it wasn’t that many. That
was in the past though, and it had nothing to do with our future.
Charlie went on as she stared at Blake. “When we were in college he used to volunteer at the battered women’s shelter. Did he ever mention that?”
“No, he hasn’t,” I said with a shake of my head.
Charlie frowned. “He doesn’t know I know. I saw him there once when I dropped off some things my sorority had collected for them. I asked the lady in charge how long he had been volunteering there, and she said for at least four years.”
“What year of college were y’all in?” I asked, turning my gaze toward Blake. He was still deep in a conversation with Jim.
“Junior year.”
“Do you think it has something to do with his mother? He doesn’t talk a lot about his past.”
I decided to keep the conversation Blake had shared with me, about talking about his mother, to myself.
Charlie looked at me. “Yeah, Blake never was one to really talk about his family. I’ve met his dad and of course his brother, Dustin.”
I nodded. I’d had dinner with them a few times, and both were so kind. But I couldn’t help but let my mind wander. “I wonder if that was when he started going to the shelter?”
