Ties That Bind (16 page)

“I have a confession to make,” she began
softly. “I took the job at the magazine because I suspected Jack
was my father. Now I know it’s true.”

“Oh. Wow,” Jessica processed that
information. “You know, I can see that.”

“It certainly explains why you cared about
the age difference between him and Tara.” Liz smiled then paused.
“Wait a second, Jack doesn’t know about this, does he?”

“No, and I don’t want to tell him. Not now,
with the wedding so close. I didn’t know about Tara when I came
here; now I don’t want to come between them.”

“You’ve got to tell him,” Liz argued.

“He’ll be furious if you don’t,” Jessica
agreed with her.

“But he doesn’t need this right now. And what
if he still doesn’t want me? What if he sends me away? I don’t want
to leave you guys yet.” Kate panicked a little.

“Okay, we’ll wait until after the wedding,”
Liz assured her.

“But you have to tell him as soon as he’s
back from his honeymoon.”

“The week after the wedding,” Kate promised,
her stomach in knots. Knowing for a fact that he had rejected the
very idea of her once wasn’t helping her confidence that he would
welcome her now.

Kate was suddenly anxious to get home to Ty.
She made herself wait to call Gavin. She really was trying to be a
functioning human being without him. Sometimes she wondered what
she did before he came along.

“It wasn’t you personally he was rejecting,
Katie,” Gavin assured her that night on the phone. “It was the
disruption of his plans.”

“And I wouldn’t be disrupting his plans now?”
She countered, absentmindedly scratching Ty’s belly.

“Yes, but you’re a person now. I mean, one he
can see.”

“I hope you’re right. Jessica thinks he’ll be
mad I didn’t tell him sooner.”

“Probably. If anyone can convince him not to
be, it would be you.”

“I think you’re biased.”

“There’s no good way for me to answer
that.”

“True,” Kate smiled. She could almost see his
facial expressions on the other end of the line. “How’s your
mom?”

“Doing really well. I mean, the treatment is
rough, but she’s been amazing.”

“Tell her I’m thinking of her,” Kate couldn’t
imagine going through all that Ellen was. At least she was
surrounded by an adoring family. That had to help, and it was that
knowledge that kept Kate from begging Gavin to come back to resume
their love story. Even though every fiber of her being ached to be
back in his arms again.

“I miss that electrified feeling I get
whenever I’m about to touch you,” he said suddenly, as if he could
read her thoughts. “And I miss smelling you. And seeing you flush
when you’re mad at me.”

“I miss you too,” Kate murmured. “I don’t
know how I thought I could avoid falling for you.”

“I wondered that myself,” he teased. “I’ll be
home soon.”

“I know it’s selfish to say, but I’ll be glad
when you are.”

Kate had a new routine. Work filled her days.
Ty filled her home. Gavin’s sweet voice came to her each evening
over the phone. Saturday she drove herself up to Napa for an
overnight stay and brought Ty with her, much to his delight. She
stayed in her mom’s old bedroom and spent two days wandering around
Blue Valley. She even braved a horseback ride with her aunt Joan,
figuring Gavin would be proud of that one. For the first time in
her life, she spoke more than two words to her uncle Mason. He
seemed an affable enough guy, if not effusive.

Her routine took her right up to the day of
the wedding. She was up at 5:30 to walk Ty and take him to Gaston’s
for the day before heading to Nob Hill. She hated to impose, but
she knew this was going to be a long one.

The Ritz was eerily quiet when Kate arrived,
coffee in hand. She enjoyed a quiet walkthrough before workers
started to trickle in. It was an early wedding, which meant an even
earlier set up. She was soon deeply embroiled in directing dozens
of workers as they came and went. Kate still remembered the first
event she had ever coordinated, the panic that had set in when she
found herself peppered with a hundred different questions at once.
She had long since learned to juggle the melee.

Tara greeted Kate with an enthusiastic hug,
which she happily returned. It was hard not to feel her
excitement.

“Don’t forget to get yourself changed before
the wedding,” she half-sang.

“I won’t,” Kate promised. “I’ll be up in a
bit to check in on you.”

Her phone chirped and she smiled, shooing
Tara away.

“How’s the big day?” Gavin’s smooth voice
made her stomach flutter.

“So far so good. I have to go make sure the
chairs are set up right then I’ve promised to be a good girl and
get myself dressed.”

“Don’t tell me you’re running around in your
skivvies and I’m missing it,” Gavin gasped.

“My wedding clothes, silly. I happen to be in
jeans and a t-shirt right about now.”

“Which t-shirt? That could be almost as
good.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“And you love me.”

“Yes, I do love you.”

“I never get tired of hearing that.”

“And I never seem to get used to saying it,”
she admitted.

“Give it fifty years or so,” his voice grew
husky with promise.

“Don’t go making me all starry-eyed right
now. I need all my faculties to pull this off.”

“Ah, you’ll be grand. I’m sure of it.”

“Kate! The groom needs you. There’s a problem
with the tux.” Jack’s younger brother Sam– her uncle,
actually–grabbed her hand and began pulling her along.

“Gotta go. I’ll call you later,” she hung up
the phone and obediently followed.

“Kate, I don’t think they altered this
correctly. I can’t get it to button right,” Jack looked at her in a
pathetic plea for help. Sam took that as his cue to leave, eagerly
handing the problem over to Kate.

“They’re the best tailors in San Francisco.
They did a fine job. Either you’ve had too many cappuccinos or
you’re doing something wrong.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Just hold still,” she ordered, suppressing a
laugh. He’d made quite a mess of his tux. “I have no idea how you
got this so twisted up.”

“It’s harder than it looks.”

“Mmm,” Kate eyed him speculatively. “Okay,
here we go.”

Less than five minutes later, she had him
reassembled properly. She stepped back to take stock of the
finished product, and moved back in to straighten here and there,
making a slow circle around him. He held perfectly still, allowing
her to work her magic.

“See how handsome you are?” She came to a
stop behind him, turning his body so he could see himself in the
mirror. She studied his reflection with him, brushing the shoulders
of the coat smooth. It took her a few seconds to realize that his
frigid stance was no longer one of compliance. An incredulous look
was carved on his face.

“You…” he whispered.

“Jack?” She asked quietly, cautiously, like
one might speak to a wild animal they were trying to calm.

“Who is your mother?” His whisper was
harsh.

“Danielle Yager… I guess you probably knew
her as Danielle Williams, though.” Kate’s eyes never left his in
the mirror.

“Who?” He took a ragged breath. “Who is your
father?”

“You are.”

The world seemed to slow down agonizingly for
a heartbeat. Kate gulped in a breath. Jack closed his eyes, the
pain etched into every line of his face.

“Jack, I,” Kate began softly. Jack held up
his hand and she stopped short. The moment seemed to drag on for an
eternity.

“Come,” he finally barked, grabbing Kate by
the hand and dragging her out the door.

Kate tried to smile at the people they passed
to assuage the confused expressions on their faces. Still, she was
filled with a certain amount of fear. The look on his face was
murderous. She’d never seen him so furious.

He all but tossed her into his car before
stalking around to climb in. She wanted to ask where they were
going. Maybe he’d just leave her beside the road in the country
like an unwanted puppy. People didn’t usually kill the unwanted
puppies; they just left them for nature to take care of. If he did
that, she stood a chance. She did have her cell phone after all.
She could call… someone. Gavin wouldn’t be much help from London.
Jessica? Liz? Gaston? Surely one of them would come to her aid.

Her musings were interrupted when he parked
the car and stalked around to jerk her to her feet. He stood there
for a moment, staring at her as if he were trying to form the words
only to come up empty. He finally turned and walked away. It took
Kate a second to realize they were at Huntington Park. There were
enough witnesses she was fairly certain he wouldn’t kill her. That
was a plus. She hurried to catch up with him, sure he would
eventually find the words.

“Why are you here?” He stopped abruptly in
front of a large fountain, speaking over his shoulder as if he
couldn’t bear to face her.

“That’s kind of complicated.”

“Give me the simple version.”

“I wanted to know you.”

“I’m not wealthy, you know. It’s all Tara’s.
There’s nothing for you.”

“I’m pretty well set without you, pops,” she
snarled. How dare he assume that’s what she was after?

“Why now?”

“Because I only found out about you a few
months ago. When my mother died,” she told him softly, very aware
of his sudden intake of breath at her words.

“I always wondered what happened to her,” he
hung his head.

“She lived a good life,” Kate took a
tentative step towards him.

“I wondered if she went through with
it—having the baby. Wondered if it was a boy or a girl.”

“It was a girl,” Kate tried to smile.

“She just left, you know. She didn’t even say
goodbye. She chose it over me.”

“I have to admit I’m kind of glad she did,”
Kate scowled. “It would have been nice if she hadn’t had to make
that choice at all.”

“What do you know?” He growled.

“More than you realize,” she growled right
back.

“Why have you been in my life for this long
and not said a word?” He looked at her like she was a parasite to
be loathed, not a daughter to be cherished. “You know what? I don’t
have time for this today. I’m supposed to be married in an
hour.”

Kate opened her mouth to explain but he’d
begun to walk away. She took a step to follow him but was brought
up short by his harsh command to leave him be. She stood there
alone in the park, her lip trembling ever so slightly, wondering
what to do next.

Kate allowed herself a few minutes to collect
her shattered emotions, letting the sound of water spitting from
the mouths of cherubs calm her nerves. Then she began the half-mile
walk back to the Ritz. However furious she might be, however
heartbroken, she would not let Tara down. Halfway there, she picked
up a jog. She still had to get dressed for the ceremony.

“Where have you been?” Tara demanded
cheerfully when Kate burst through the door of the bride’s
room.

“Your silly groom had made a mess of his
tux,” Kate smiled as brightly as she could and shook her head.

“Well get in here and get dressed. We can’t
have you looking like that at the ceremony,” Tara smiled in a way
that made Kate wonder just what she knew that Kate didn’t.

“Sure, sure. Just let me step into the
washroom to freshen up first. And Tara, you are stunning.” Kate
ducked into the other room to wash the sweat of her jog off before
shimmying into the most beautiful dress she’d ever owned. Kate
almost hated that the color so perfectly matched her eyes, Jack’s
eyes. It felt like she’d be shouting, “hey Jack, remember me, your
daughter?”

Still, it clung perfectly to her body. Her
honey-gold back was obstructed only by a single strap just under
the shoulder blades. The wide neckline stopped just short of being
immodest and the halter-style top was fitted perfectly to her
curves. The floor-length dress swirled prettily when she walked. If
it were any other day, she would feel like a fairy tale princess in
this dress.

She made small talk with Tara and her
bridesmaids as she brushed on a hint of makeup and swept her hair
into a simple up-do. With one last kiss to Tara’s cheek and a wish
for good luck, Kate went back to her duties of event planner. She’d
deal with Jack when their paths crossed.

The longer she went without their paths
crossing, the more nervous she became. What if he bailed on Tara
because of her? Kate was too busy to do much about it, except hope
that he wouldn’t do something that heartless. Well, not to Tara
anyway. He’d shown himself quite capable of being heartless where
Kate was concerned.

Kate surveyed the fairy tale she’d helped
create. Maybe this was a fitting place for her dress, after all.
The building was magnificent, the golden ballroom glowed in the
light of the candles and chandeliers, and the white decorations
lent the surroundings an angelic quality. Breathtaking bouquets of
white orchid sprays graced the center of each table.

Guests were filling the neatly-lined seats in
the terrace courtyard. A massive white tent had been set up to a
backdrop of sculpted boxwood hedges and a flawlessly groomed garden
of roses, lavender and ivy. White rose petals had been scattered
along the brick walkway.

The music began and Kate noticed with a
certain amount of gratitude that Jack was right where he should be,
looking as charming as ever. Her eyes misted as she studied her
father, so handsome and proud on his wedding day. She allowed
herself only the briefest second musing before ducking out of the
courtyard undetected. No sense marring the groom’s face with a
scowl because he’d spotted his pesky offspring.