Maybe she was the type of woman who shouldn’t get married at all. While she and Neil were compatible, what if it wasn’t enough? She had no desire to be like the women who walked into her office with broken lives and shattered hearts. But she’d never be like those women even if she and Neil ultimately divorced. Because she would have to give Neil her heart to let him destroy it . . . and she hadn’t. She wouldn’t. She’d done that once. Never again.
There was no denying she’d become jaded over the years. Megan attributed her harshness to her chosen field, but that was only partially true. Her breakup with Garrett had left deep scars, and now she wasn’t sure she was capable of loving anyone the way a wife was supposed to love her husband. She couldn’t help feeling guilty and had actually confessed her thoughts to Neil after Megan’s wedding. Logical Neil had assured her that their relationship was perfect . . . for them.
“That’s why we work, Blair,” he had said. “Neither of us expects undying love and adoration from the other. We’re content with what we have.”
She’d agreed at the time, so why was she so uncertain now?
But it was all a moot point anyway. Her entire career hinged on her wedding, so even if she wanted to back out, she was stuck—at least if she wanted to stay at her firm. Idealistic Blair wanted to quit. How could she work for a chauvinistic firm, even if they were closet chauvinists? But pragmatic Blair said to stay the course. She was getting married on Saturday, despite her frigid feet. She’d go through with the wedding, then take it from there.
But the question remained: why was she still hung up on Garrett Lowry? Her reaction to him last night and today shook her to her core. The fact that she had such passionate feelings for a womanizer was sickening. No matter what, there had always been one person she could count on: herself. But now—when she needed to count on herself more than ever—she wasn’t sure she could . . . at least not around him. And that shook the very bedrock of her soul.
There was only one solution: she needed to stay as far away from the man as possible, which meant no contact outside the conference room.
That wouldn’t be hard to achieve on her end, but would he accept her avoidance? They had no unfinished business from the past. Their break had been clean. Yet he’d been pretty intent on getting some one-on-one time with her.
Then it hit her. Maybe Garrett was only showing interest in her because Neil was her fiancé. The animosity between the two cousins and Garrett’s sudden interest in her ring made it abundantly clear that the two men were competitive.
Damn Nana Ruby for throwing her life into chaos. She might not have ever met the woman, but she wanted to snatch her bald the moment she did.
The next morning Blair felt surprisingly energized when she walked into the office. Five hours of sleep had given her a much better outlook. She’d had extra time to prepare for the depositions while the car service took her to work. She and Melissa had the wedding under control. She and Neil had a relationship that ideally suited them and their career goals. The partners would be wowed by her wedding, and she’d be offered a partnership. And Garrett . . . if he wanted the stupid ring so bad, he could have it. She chose to ignore the fact that the ring wasn’t his real goal, as she still couldn’t possibly fathom what he wanted—beyond annoying Neil, of course. And as for her feelings for him . . . they were a moot point. He’d made his decision five years ago, and if he was interested again, it wouldn’t be for anything permanent. She had neither the time nor the inclination for the type of relationship a man like Garrett Lowry had to offer. Sure, he still made her pulse race, but she’d get over it. She was a grown woman, not some hormonal teenager.
“Good morning, Melissa,” she said as she stopped at her assistant’s desk, sounding more cheerful than usual. “Did you get the text about my car?”
“Yes.” Melissa looked at her as though she’d walked in naked. “What happened to you?”
“Can’t a person be in a good mood?”
“If that person is you, no.”
Blair was taken aback. “Am I that much of a bitch?”
“No, of course not. But you’re not one of those perpetually happy people either. What’s going on?”
She smiled. “I’m feeling optimistic today.”
Melissa’s eyebrows rose. “So dinner went well last night?”
“No . . . dinner was a disaster, but I’ve decided to let that go. Is everything set for the party tomorrow night?”
Melissa stared at her for a few moments. “I confirmed the reservation for the tasting room at the brewery on Monday, but I’ll call again to verify. And back to your original question, yes, I received your text. I’ve called the car service, and they’ve towed your car to the shop. They’ll return it to the parking garage, but if it’s not ready in time, we’ll arrange to get you a rental.”
“Perfect,” Blair said in a happy tone as she walked into her office.
“I’m calling a doctor. You’re having some sort of breakdown.”
“Very funny.” She shut the door and sat down at her desk to go through her emails.
Several minutes later her door opened, and Melissa walked in with a cup of coffee. “The deposition of Amanda Beasley is still set up for ten, and Mr. Norfolk’s for two. And Rowena Norfolk still doesn’t want to sit in on either one.”
“Okay. Thank you.” Blair took the cup from her. “Let me know when Mr. Lowry shows up.”