Page 6 of Homewrecker

There was more awkwardness during the family photos following the ceremony when Wiley’s daughter Ashley couldn’t be found. Wiley had been upset, and Rebecca had been angry, demanding someone find her. When Janet started revving up too, Lincoln and his brother Harris stepped in to calm them both down while Wiley’s brother Kellar handled him. A quick reminder that Rebecca had already lost some hair to the girl and that the photos were probably best done without her if she didn’t want to be involved was all it took on his end.

Wiley was more upset, but then… what the hell did he expect when he’d cheated on his wife with his daughter’s best friend, then married her the day after his divorce? It was enough to turnsomeone’s stomach, even without all the extra details or Ashley’s relationship to both of them.

“What a shit show,” he muttered under his breath while Wiley and Rebecca took some pictures with Janet’s parents. Like Janet, they didn’t blink twice at the relationship.

“Tell me about it.”

Lincoln jumped a little. He hadn’t realized anyone had been listening, but it was just Kellar. Unlike his Wiley, Kellar seemed to have a pretty good head on his shoulders. He’d seemed to be supportive of his brother, though, up until this moment. Lincoln gave him a questioning look, and Kellar grimaced.

“He’s my brother.” Kellar shrugged. “I might consider him a fuckwit for cheating on Sara, divorcing her, and getting married so quickly—no offense to your daughter—but he’s still my brother. I’m stuck with him.” He ran his hand through his hair, rumpling it slightly. “The fact that he pressured Sara into pressuring Ashley to be here…”

It answered a question Lincoln had been wondering. He’d heard a lot about Ashley, from both before and after she and Rebecca had their falling out, but he hadn’t seen enough of her to garner his own impression. Mostly, he felt sorry for her and worried she’d only showed up to try to ruin the wedding. Why else would she want to be here?

Unfortunately, what Kellar said made sense and made him think even less of Wiley than he already had. While he understood a man wanting his daughter at his second wedding, there were such things as extenuating circumstances, and this definitely covered it. It seemed more like a power-move than anything else.

Kind of like Rebecca and Janet wanting Ashley to have to come smile for some ‘family’ pictures.

“Is she okay?” he asked quietly.

Ashley Vaughn might not be his concern, but as it appeared her dad didn’t give a fuck about her feelings, someone had to.

“Who, Sara or Ashley?” Kellar shot him a wry grin. “Honestly, I think they’re both a mess and covering it as well as they can. I’m more worried about Ashley than Sara, though. Sara’s a wreck, of course, but Ashley blames herself since she’s the one who introduced Wiley and Rebecca.” He paused again and Lincoln got the feeling the other man was carefully checking his words.

Which made sense. He probably had his own opinion of Rebecca, just as Lincoln had his of Wiley. He wouldn’t bad mouth Wiley in front of Wiley’s brother, so he appreciated receiving the same in return. Even if there were times when he maybe didn’t like his daughter so much, he still loved her and would defend her against anyone else.

She was his baby.

And she was happy, which was all that mattered.

Is it, though?

The thought wriggled into the back of his brain and stuck there. All the pain this marriage had caused, that the affair his daughter had chosen to have had caused, was the fact she was happy at the end of it really what mattered?

Wiley had made his own choices, but what about Wiley’s daughter? Rebecca’s supposed best friend?

What about her happiness?

Wasn’t it just as important as his own daughter’s?

Just because Wiley didn’t seem to think so didn’t make it true.

Lincoln had no idea what to do about it though.

“Okay, one last big family photo. Everyone over here!” The photographer turned around, gesturing at the clumps of people. “Then I’ll take the bride and groom to do their own photosand the rest of you can go enjoy the cocktail hour, along with everyone else!”

A drink sounded really good right now.

“Where is Ashley? Is shestillnot here?” Rebecca asked in a shrill voice. Beside Lincoln, Kellar winced, and Lincoln felt another wave of guilt go through him, along with a bit of anger at his daughter.

Why was she incapable of letting it go?

Kellar’s jaw clenched against saying something, while Wiley looked away from Rebecca as if ashamed, but he didn’t say anything to stop her, either. What a sorry fucking excuse for a father. The idea he might eventually be the father of Lincoln’s grandchildren was both depressing and infuriating.

“I said we should send someone to look for her,” Janet said, putting her hands on her hips.

“Absolutely not,” Lincoln snapped since apparently, Wiley wasn’t going to protect his daughter. Pathetic that someone else had to step up to do it for him. “Just leave the poor girl alone.”

Rebecca’s eyes widened with outrage, and Janet’s nostrils flared in the way they always did before a major fight. Lincoln steeled himself, but beside him, Kellar was already nodding.

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