Epilogue

Samson

Waves lapped the white sand beach and washed up to my toes. The water was pleasant, cool, and refreshing. It took the sting out of the heat from the sun overhead. Palm trees swayed in a slight breeze at the grass verge that led to the garden of the resort.

Blair slipped her arm through mine, rested her temple against my shoulder, and sighed. “Isn’t it beautiful? Have you ever seen an ocean that shade of blue before?”

“Honestly, yeah. The last time I was here,” I replied, then chuckled.

She prodded me in the ribs. “Well, this is my first time in Hawaii.”

“This is the first time I’m actually enjoying myself. It is the perfect honeymoon spot.”

We splashed back a few steps and reached the fine powdery sand, strolled away from the resort and toward the rows of white chairs laid out beneath the palm trees, facing a white trellis arch.

“I like it here,” Blair said, “but I don’t know if I’d get married here, know what I mean?”

“Or if you’d get married at all.”

“Don’t say that.” She poked me again. “I just don’t think my mother chose the right place. Hawaii doesn’t really say ‘forever’ to me.”

“Oh, yeah? Then what does say it?” I stopped and faced her, slung my arms around her and drew her into an embrace.

A year of living together hadn’t dulled my need for her. We’d settled into the perfect rhythm – she painted for clients or just to display the art in her own personal studio, and I worked on setting up new galleries or restaurants. We fit perfectly.

And the sex. Oh, fucking man.

Blair kissed my chin. “We don’t have to worry about that kind of thing yet,” she said. “We’re not even engaged.”

“We could be,” I replied. “It’s been a year.”

She nodded, and the wind swept her hair back, dislodged the flower she’d tucked behind her ear, and sent it swirling off down the sand. I made to fetch it for her but she pulled me back.

“Are you serious?”

“You know me,” I replied. Always serious. When I said something, I meant it. When I made a decision, it was done.

“You’d marry me.”

“I’d have married you a year ago, Blair. I got down on one knee, remember?”

“Yeah, but that was different. This is real.”

“That was real, too. I’m one crazy mother fucker when it comes to you,” I said. “But we’ll wait until you’re ready. Just being here, under these circumstances, makes me think we’re totally ready.”

She turned in my arms and I held her from behind, pressing my lips to her neck and shoulder. The straps of her dress were loose – I could easily tug them off and make love to her, right here on the sand.

I slipped my finger beneath one of them.

Blair caught it in hers. “Don’t you start with me, Barnes. The wedding is set for fifteen minutes from now.”

“You don’t think we can –?”

“Blair!” That familiar simper chase thoughts of sex right outta my head.

We turned and caught sight of Regina Scott, hurrying across the sands, her strapless white dress clinging to her curves, and pressing her breasts up way too high. Curls of blond hair escaped from a fancy up do and fluttered in the breeze. Her makeup was laid on thick but it was probably well done. I neither knew nor cared.

“Blair, honey.” She steamed to a halt in front of us. “I’m so glad you came. Thank you. And hello, Samson, I’m – it’s good to see you again.”

“Is it?” I asked.

“Mom,” Blair replied. “It’s good to see you, too. What are you doing out here?” She glanced up at the wedding area, the trellis and the chairs where guests had already started taking their seats, guided by ushers in smart tuxedos. “The wedding’s about to start.”

“Joseph can wait,” she said and rolled her eyes. “He’s been driving me crazy the last few weeks, anyway.”

“What are you doing out here?” I asked.

She chewed her bottom lip and picked up some of her red lipstick. Spread it over her teeth. “I owe both of you an apology. I treated you horribly last year, and Blair, you especially for longer than that.”

Neither of us jumped in to deny it. She’d pretty much fucked her relationship with her daughter through her narcissistic ways.

“I wanted to make it up to you somehow, and that’s why I invited you here,” she said.

“To your wedding?” Blair asked.

“I know that sounds silly,” Regina said and laughed to show it. “But there’s a reason, other than the whole celebration of love thing and all that. There’s someone here that I want you to meet. Both of you but Blair in particular. They’ve just arrived. Will you come with me?”

“I –” Blair cut off and looked back at me. Another decision we’d make together.

“Yeah, we’ll come with you,” I said, for both of us. This intrigued me, and clearly, it meant a lot to Regina, which might mean it could help Blair resolve the residual mental crap that plagued her over getting married in the first place.

“Oh, thank god,” Regina said and trundled back toward the hotel.

We followed her, hand-in-hand, and each step brought a different expression to Blair’s face.

“Easy,” I said. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

We entered the lobby and followed her mother up the stairs, down a long, carpeted hall, white walls decorated with paintings of the beach view outside, and to Room 115.

“This is it,” Regina said. “I’m not going to go in with you. I – I just want you to know how sorry I am that I didn’t do this sooner.” She took Blair’s free hand and held it. “I don’t know if you’ll ever forgive me or understand why it happened but this is the right thing to do. So, I’m sorry. And I’ll see you at the wedding.”

And then she was off again, skirts swishing down the hall.

Blair swallowed and frowned at me. “What do you think this is about?”

“Only one way to find out.” I turned the knob and entered the room.

A man sat on the edge of the bed, his tousled raven hair streaked with gray, and a short beard inching up his jaw, colored much the same. His skin was tan, and he wore a pair of tropical palm-tree-print board shorts and a loose t-shirt.

He turned his head and caught sight of Blair, his hazel eyes widening ever so slightly. “You’re her,” he said.

I squeezed Blair’s hand, giving her what strength I had.

She stammered wordlessly.

“Yeah,” the dude replied. “I know.”

“Are you –?” Blair swayed, and I held her in place, became her rock. “Are you my father?”

“Rick Stokes,” he said and got up. “I’d shake your hand but I’m not sure what one does in this type of situation.”

“I – thought you were dead. My mom told me you were dead,” Blair said. “I need to sit down.”

Rick jumped aside and gestured to the mattress. I guided Blair to it, then took a position next to her, my palm on her thigh. “Mr. Stokes, this is a shock, to say the least.”

“My mom said you were dead.”

Rick nodded, scrubbing his hand through his hair. “She lied. I’ve been sending your mother letters, gifts, money, you name it for years. I’ve tried to get custody of you. Tried to see you, Blair, but she cut me off at every turn.”

“What?” Her lips trembled.

“Water,” I said. “Got any?”

Rick rushed to the jug on the desk and poured some into a glass. He shook, too, then walked forward. I took it from him and gave it to Blair.

She was pale as a sheet, her eyes glazed over. “I don’t understand how this is possible?”

“I’ll do my best to explain,” he said. “Your mother broke up with me before I found out she was pregnant.”

“What? Why?”

“I have no idea. Maybe because she didn’t see me as a suitable father figure? Or because I didn’t earn enough money to satisfy her? Whatever the case was, she wouldn’t let me see you. She denied that I was the father. Refused to do a paternity test and kept me from you for years.”

Jesus H. Christ. And Regina thinks Blair will forgive her for this? She’s got to be out of her damn mind. What else is new?

“Last month was the first time I heard your mother’s voice since the day she broke it off. I – I just couldn’t believe it. Kiddo, I don’t know what bullshit line she fed you about me but I would never have left you in the lurch. I wanted to be there for you. And if you don’t believe me, you can ask her. Ask her to show you the letters. Ask her to show you the restraining order she took out against me to keep me away.”

Blair slurped down the water and a little of it spilled over the rim of the glass. “I – I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, hear? I’m just glad I finally get the opportunity to see you and tell you the truth. If you don’t want me in your life, I’ll understand. I just hoped that one day, we could work toward getting to know each other.” Rick scratched the back of his neck, shifted on his flip flops. He had Blair’s relaxed style.

“This is a lot to process,” Blair said, and I squeezed her thigh again.

“There’s no pressure,” he replied.

A strange silence filled the gap, while my beautiful woman gulped down the rest of the water. She held the empty glass between her hands and rolled it back and forth. Finally, she looked up and nodded. “I’d like to know you,” she said. “I’d like that a lot.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Rick said and blew out a breath – it came out as a whistle. His gaze flicked to me, at last. “And you’re Blair’s boyfriend, aren’t you?”

“Fiancé,” Blair said. “We’re getting engaged this weekend.”

Joy filled me from head to toes. I drew Blair against my chest and kissed the top of her head, forgetting the moment and living for the smell of her, the feel of her, and the certainty that this was only the beginning of our lives together.

One fake weekend had turned into our lifetime of truth.