Page 7 of Homewrecker

“I think that’s for the best,” he said, moving to Wiley’s side. Lincoln couldn’t see his expression, but something about it made Wiley lean forward and say something in Rebecca’s ear.

She looked madder than a wet hen for a moment, but then her eyebrows unfurrowed, and she took a deep breath.

“Of course. I’m sure we can get some another time,” she said, her voice saccharine sweet.

Good grief, what was wrong with her? Lincoln wanted to ream her out, but this was hardly the time or the place. He still made a mental note to have a private talk with her as soon as he could. Preferably without Janet around, because she seemed to be siding with Rebecca.

He was starting to think his daughter had an issue with Ashley that went far beyond her bad reaction to the news that they were getting married. Although why Rebecca and Wiley would have expected a good reaction was beyond him.

This whole wedding was beyond him.

“Let’s just get moving,” he said gruffly. Something in his tone must have warned his wife and daughter that he wasn’t in the mood for their shenanigans because they both jumped right into the pictures.

By the time it ended, Lincoln felt nothing but relief. He might love his daughter, but he wanted to get away from her and her new husband. Whatever feelings he had about his cheating wife had definitely changed in the past week. The less time spent with her, the better.

It was hellish pretending everything was fine under normal circumstances and ten times worse when it was at their daughter’s wedding, and she was encouraging Rebecca to act like a bitch.

He needed a drink.

“You doing okay?” Harris asked, coming up to his side as they headed to the area where the cocktail hour was. Even if he’d lost Marshall, at least he had his brother. Only a few years younger than him, Harris had also been friends with Marshall until now.

“I’ll make it through.”

Walking into the cocktail hour, he pasted on a smile to accept the congratulations of various guests as he moved to the bar. Harris peeled off to go talk to someone he knew, leaving Lincoln to himself, which was actually how he liked it. His brother knew him well enough to know when he wanted space.

Reaching the bar, he asked for an old fashioned. Wine or beer just wasn’t going to cut it right now.

“Another martini.”

The harsh demand made him bristle on behalf of the server as the person ordering it brushed up next to him, sliding their empty glass across the surface, before he realized who it was. His reaction to the rudeness softened when he recognized Ashley Vaughn.

She didn’t look up at him. She stared straight ahead at the bartender, who shot her a sympathetic look.

“Right away, hun,” the older woman said. Either she knew something of what was going on, or she recognized a soul in need.

As the man he’d ordered from put the old fashioned in front of him, Lincoln watched Ashley and tried to remember everything he knew about her. She was a year older than Rebecca and she’d graduated with the same degree. Her hair was a warm, medium brown, and she had a smattering of freckles across her nose. The low-cut navy dress she was wearing clung to a figure with curves in all the right places.

In short, she was beautiful.

Which made him feel like a dirty old man for realizing it, but part of him felt almost a righteous vindication for noticing. Wiley had noticed Lincoln’s daughter’s beauty, after all. And acted on it. Fucked up, but there it was.

“Can you get her a water to go with that?” he asked the bartender as she placed the martini on the bar.

Blinking, Ashley looked up at him, her doe eyes filled with accusing anger, then blinked as she recognized him.

“Mr. Black?” she asked incredulously.

He smiled at her. It wasn’t a completely sincere smile—he was mired with guilt about what his daughter had done to her, as well as disgust at his attraction to her—but he felt like he should smile. Smiling was the polite thing to do.

“Ashley, right?” Even though he knew the answer, asking also seemed polite.

He wasn’t surprised when she scowled, considering that he’d just ordered a water for her without asking, but he was surprised at the next words out of her mouth.

“Are you talking to me because Rebecca told you to?”

5

Ashley

---