CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - TATE

The Gala was packed when I walked in with my sister on my arm. Steven Pratt welcomed me as the others gathered clapped for me. I gave a polite nod and introduced Megan to the crowd.

“Where’s that lovely girl you were seeing?” asked one of the women from before.

“She might be here later.” I didn’t know what else to say and felt too strange to explain that we’d broken up. The wound was too fresh to pick at, and I wanted to just get the night over with, so I could go home and crawl back in bed.

The woman walked away satisfied, and Megan gave me a reassuring pat on the back. “Show me your work.”

I led her around the gallery, nodding and saying hello to the crowd who all seemed to like my photography and wanted to chat about it. After a while, I made small talk with some of the other members of the committee, I flagged down a waiter and took a drink from his tray for my sister and then two for myself. I downed the first and placed the glass back on the tray and gave him a pat on the back as he walked away.

“Easy, there. They won’t ask the lush back next year.” Megan chuckled, but it was half-hearted.

“I don’t know why I’m nervous. She’s not going to come. I really fucked up with her.”

“Well at least dad seemed interested when I left the invitation with him.”

I gave her a withering glare. That didn’t sound accurate.

“OK, fine. His new girlfriend is the one who seemed interested. He just rolled his eyes and played it off. I think he was a little jealous that she liked your picture.”

“Great.” I hated most of my dad’s girlfriends, and it sounded like I wouldn’t like the new one any better. I don’t know why they had to put my face on the invitation. My photographs would have been sufficient.

As I stared off into the other room, where the murals were covered for their unveiling, my sister nudged me.

My mouth fell open as I turned to see Kami walking into the room.

“I’ll just leave you a minute. Go to her.” Megan gave me a pointed look and scurried away.

I walked over, and Kami took a deep breath as I stopped in front of her. “Thank you for coming.”

She rocked back and forth on her pumps and looked around, smiling and waving to the ones who’d been looking for her. “I know how much this means to you,” she said in response.

“Nothing means as much to me as you do,” I said to her.

She regarded me with a look I couldn’t quite read before responding. “Rain told me everything,” she finally said.

I inhaled a breath. “And?”

“And we have a lot to talk about,” she said. “But not right now. Enjoy your show.” She turned to walk off into the crowd.

“Kami.” She stopped and looked over her shoulder before turning to face me. “I’ve missed you.”.

Before she could say anything in reply, Steven tapped his glass and called the room to his attention. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a great honor to be here tonight to share the love, passion, and science of astronomy with our friends and beloved guests. As you know, we’re always on the lookout for ways to improve our observatory, and this year, in honor of our fiftieth anniversary of the Galaxy Gala, we commissioned a talented artist and photographer, Tate Evans, whose astral photography will now grace the walls of the observatory’s event room.” He swept a hand, and the veils came off the pictures I’d sold and made into wall-size prints. The crowd cheered, oohing and ahhing at the unveiling, and Steven asked me to step up.

I hadn’t prepared for a speech or anything, but I plastered on a smile, even though I wanted to throw up, and headed up to stand beside him.

“All the lovely photographs on display here tonight were taken by this man right here, and we’re so proud to make him an honorary member of the Galaxies, which hosts events like these to beautify the observatory and, of course, give back to the community.” Steven patted me on the back, and I gave a nod and said many thank-yous before he handed me the microphone.

I took a deep breath and felt my face turning red. “Thank you so much, Steven, it’s an honor to be a part of such an amazing group of people, and I’m proud that my photography is now a permanent fixture here. More than that, I’m really glad I have friends here tonight, including two special ladies: my sisters, Megan and Kami Kendrick, both of whom I love dearly. Enjoy the night. You both inspire me more than you’ll ever know.” I raised my glass high and the others toasted with me. I gave the microphone to Steven and had to get away.

I hurried out to the observation deck and tried to catch my breath. The glass window that showed the best view of the night sky I could ever image spanned the room around me. I put my hand to it and leaned forward.

“That’s an amazing view.” Her voice sent chills down my spine, and I turned to see Kami standing in the door behind me.

She was so incredibly beautiful, even more so than the last time I’d seen her only a few days ago. She was positively radiant tonight. “Not as amazing as mine,” I said, cringing at how much of a cheesy pickup line it sounded like.

To my immense relief, she laughed.

“You said Rain told you everything?” I asked her.

The smile disappeared from her lips and my heart sank. “Yes. Listen, I don’t agree with what you did, buttering those women up so that your buddy could make more money off them and keeping details about your inheritance a secret from me. You should have told me, even if you were afraid of my reaction. That’s what people who love one another do, Tate. They tell each other the truth, and work through the hard stuff together.”

I hung my head. “I know. If it makes any difference to you, I actually felt pretty awful about baiting those women. And I can’t apologize enough for not trusting you with the truth earlier.”

She nodded. “I appreciate that. Bottom line, I know you didn’t cheat on me.”

“Never,” I said, shaking my head vehemently. “I never would.”

I held out my hand, and she took it. My heart pounded in my chest as she stepped close and I kissed her knuckles.

“I’m terrified, Tate.” She met my eyes, and I put my arms around her waist.

“Of?”

“You. Giving you my heart wasn’t easy.”

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I broke that trust, and I’m sorry that I’ve made you leery of me. I love you, Kami. You’re my girl. Tell me you’re going to stay?” I pulled her closer and captured her mouth, and she pushed me back up against the glass, deepening it until she pulled away breathless.

“I’m going to stay.” I let out a long breath, and a terrible weight had been lifted as I gathered her up even closer and kissed her hard, trailing my mouth down her neck and to her breasts and back up.

“Good, because I didn’t intend on letting you go.” I kissed her again, and we made out against the window until my sister cleared her throat behind us.

“Really? Can’t you see we’re busy?” I didn’t want to let Kami go for a minute. I had my girl back.

“Sorry, but you have guests, so you better get your pretty little butts out here and greet them.” She gave me a pointed look and disappeared behind the door.

We walked out arm in arm to greet my guests, and my heart stopped as I caught a glimpse of my father through the crowd. He was studying my murals pretty hard and talking to Steven Pratt. The older man stepped out of the way, and I caught Dad’s expression. He was smiling.

“Well I’ll be damned.” I pulled her across the room to where my dad was now laughing with Steven.

“Ah, here he is, the man of the hour. I was just talking to your old man, here.”

“Hello, Dad. Thanks for coming.” I shook my father’s hand

“Tate, I have to admit, you’ve done a damn good job here. I can see why you feel like this is more than just a hobby.”

His words shocked me more than if he’d told me he was born on another planet. It wasn’t exactly a glowing endorsement, but it was the best that I could expect from him.

“I’m glad you came to check it out. And you remember my girlfriend, Kami.” Dad’s eyes lit up when he saw my girl.

“Yes, I do. She’s a real beauty, son. The old apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” He gave a snicker and pulled his own new girl closer. “This is Robin.” Robin didn’t look much older than me or my sister, but we smiled and welcomed her anyway. We may as well be nice; dad would replace her soon enough anyway.

My father and his flavor of the month left us to walk the exhibit, my sister opting to go find another drink.

“I think this might be the best night of my life,” I said as Kami settled against me.

“You did a beautiful job,” she said and I shook my head.

“I wasn’t even talking about this. I’m just so damn happy you’re giving me a second chance. By the way, did I tell you that you’re positively glowing tonight?”

She looked at me shyly and bit her lip. “Yeah, about that…”

***

“I can’t believe you’re having my baby,” I said as I spun Kami around. Once she’d whispered the news in my ear, I couldn’t wait to get her home.

Now we were snuggled in my bed and I was the happiest man in the entire world. I had the woman of my dreams in my arms, and she was carrying my child. Money, or no, nothing could have topped this night, and it was all thanks to Kami.