Her heart sank as she whirled around and faced the man who had sired her. Reflexively, she jerked her arm away. She was about to tell John Cawthorne to leave her alone, just as he had for most of her life, when she realized that over fifty pairs of curious eyes were trained her way. This was her chance. If ever she wanted to pay him back, to mortify him for all those years of neglect, she could simply stomp away and show her utter disdain for a selfish son of a bitch who’d never so much as sent her a birthday gift or a card at Christmas. She could not only personally belittle him but publicly embarrass him at his own wedding reception. If she had the guts.

“I—I”

“Come on, Tiffany. You’re here. Let’s get to know each other.” His hint of a smile belied the inner torment she saw in his eyes.

“But—” She blushed and bit back all the angry words that wanted to leap to her tongue. What satisfaction would she get out of ruining his day or his bride’s party? “Okay,” she finally acquiesced. “Why not?”

Brynnie was already dancing with one of her twin sons, Nathan or Trevor McBaine, Tiffany didn’t know which. Jarrod had found Patty Lafferty, Mason’s willowy sister, and Bliss was molded to her fiancé. Stiffly Tiffany took the floor, feeling self-conscious and out of place. Unlike Bliss, she hadn’t been trained in dance, but she’d grown up with music, through all the years her mother had taught piano. Rose Nesbitt would die, would absolutely have a heart attack, if she suspected that Tiffany was turning coat and waltzing with the enemy.

“I’m glad you came,” John said as he maneuvered her past Bliss and Mason. “I really didn’t expect you to.”

“It—it wasn’t planned.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He grinned down at her and she felt like a heel, not that she had any right to her ridiculous emotions. She couldn’t forget how he’d ignored her growing up, neglected her for over thirty lonely years.

“I came because I’m looking for Stephen.”

“He didn’t come with you?”

She shook her head, stepped on his toe and wished the damned song would end. “He’s missing. Been gone a couple of hours. J.D. thought he might have come here.”

She felt her father tense, his muscles stiffen, his hand tighten around hers. “But I saw him earlier.”

“Here?”

“Yes.” He looked instantly confused. “I mean, I think I did. It was either here or at the wedding. I know because I recognized him and spoke with him. I asked about you, but he was evasive.”

There was no way to avoid the truth, no reason for Tiffany to lie. “He, uh, attended behind my back. Lied about it. Said he was going swimming with a friend.”