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“Okay.”

My rideshare pulled up, saving me from saying something I might regret later.

I understood why Julian wanted to take a step back from our relationship. The situation we’d found ourselves in was as complicated as it could get. And wrong on so many levels.

But it still hurt like heck that he chose Brie…even if she was his daughter.

17

JULIAN

As I returned to the table, I couldn’t wrap my head around what had just happened. The woman I loved was gone, my daughter was crying, and her husband was glaring at me over her head. When I’d thought about the possible ways tonight could go wrong, I had never once imagined anything this awful.

“I can’t believe you were dating that horrible woman, Dad.” Ellie looked at me with accusing eyes. “When you told the hostess there were four of us, I assumed Grandma was coming.”

I dropped onto my chair. “I didn’t know.”

“How could you not know?” Harry’s voice was low. “She was my wife.”

Celia hadn’t shared much about the failure of her marriage with me, but what she’d said about her ex was enough for me not to be happy that he was my son-in-law.

I looked at Ellie, not him. “She took back her maiden name, and you never called her Celia.”

Thinking about all the slurs she’d used whenever speaking about Harry’s ex, I grimaced. Never in a million years would I have guessed the woman she’d been describing was my Celia.

Ellie’s eyes filled again. “She almost ruined my life. She made Harry miserable and dragged out the divorce. The stress was awful, and you…you brought her to my favorite restaurant.”

Her version of events didn’t line up with how Celia had described her divorce. I could not make any of Ellie’s accusations fit the woman who had given me a key and cried when I said I loved her. Who treated food like love and shared it with everyone she could.

“She ordered champagne, and then she left so you wouldn’t have to look at her,” I reminded them. “That is not a woman trying to ruin your night.”

“It’s an act.” Ellie wiped her face. “She’s jealous and wanted to hurt me. Ask Harry.”

Harry put a hand on her shoulder. “We should go. She’s upset.”

“We’re already here.” I heard how flat I sounded.

“I couldn’t possibly eat. I’ve lost my appetite.”

Harry stood and tugged my daughter to her feet. The look he gave me over his shoulder as he led her away was furious. I wished I had someone to be angry with, but I didn’t think Celia sought me out so she could hurt my daughter. I understood why Ellie was upset about her father dating her husband’s ex. And blowing up at Harry wouldn’t do me any good. It would just upset Ellie more.

But I wasn't happy that I’d sent Celia away only to wind up alone at the table.

The server cautiously approached. “Would you like me to pour the champagne, sir?”

The bottle was already open, but I didn’t want to stick around after the spectacle we’d just made of ourselves. “No thank you, just the check.”

“The champagne has already been paid for.”

“Right.” Celia had bought it because she wanted to make a good impression on my daughter, and I’d mentioned how much Ellie liked champagne. She was thoughtful like that, every day in so many ways.

And she had just gotten into a car because my grown daughter pitched a fit.

I dropped cash on the table for the tip and left the champagne sitting. The server could keep it or give the bottle to another table. I had bigger things to worry about.

I felt the stares follow me out the door, and I didn’t care about that either.

When I got to my car, I sat with the engine off and stared down at my phone. It was not fair to ask Celia for anything after the way I had left her on the sidewalk, but I sent a text anyway.