Chapter 31
NOAH
I’m fastening my earrings in the bathroom mirror when Rhett steps inside and envelops the space behind me.
Our eyes connect through the reflection, and the sadness in his lingering stare is enough to make me turn toward him.
“What’s wrong?” I finish the second clasp as my gaze trails down his frame, then back to his face.
Today is hard on him. August fifteenth. His birthday. And the day he lost both his parents.
For the past week, I’ve been nervous about how he’d react to my surprise dinner plans, wondering if I overstepped by making it a family get-together.
But after how amazing he’s been, I wanted to do something nice for him.
In hindsight, it might not have been the brightest idea.
“Do you need me to call Jo and cancel? I’m sure she’d understand. ”
Closing the distance between us, Rhett wraps his arms around my waist and draws me into his chest. “No, of course not. Today is just”—he exhales a sharp breath—“a little tough. Not only for me, but all the Rivers family.”
I pull back slightly, just enough that I can tilt my gaze to his.
“I’m glad I get to spend it with you.” His lips greet my forehead, and I melt into him. Things between us have reverted to how they used to be for the most part—effortless and right. When I’m in his arms, it’s as easy as breathing, and I can almost forget the dark cloud hanging over our heads.
On the counter behind me, my phone alarm blares, alerting me that it’s time to leave. Tearing myself from Rhett unwillingly, I reach over and switch the obnoxious sound off. “We should probably get going.”
Rising to my tippy-toes, I press a kiss to Rhett’s cheek and then move toward the bedroom.
“Noah. Wait.” His fingers cup my arm, and his eyes narrow.
Defeat mars his brow as he draws in a breath before dropping his shoulders.
“Before we go, I need to tell you something.” Rhett takes my hand and leads me toward the edge of the bed before gesturing for me to take a seat.
My heart rate quickens as I take him in.
He’s nervously tugging at the collar of the white tee under his open check-patterned shirt.
“Rhett?” I gently press. “What’s wrong? You’re freaking me out.”
Dropping to his haunches before me, he takes hold of both my hands and captures my eyes in his Belgian chocolate gaze. “A few weeks ago, before your wedding, I found something out. Something I’ve been avoiding ever since.”
His grip tightens on my clammy hand as a litter of possibilities runs rampant in my mind. A pounding pulse rushes my eardrums, and I fight back the shake beneath my skin.
The silence between us is almost too much to bear. Suddenly, my mind transports me to the night I came back to Black River and saw him for the first time since I’d left—the night I saw him and Brandy.
“She’s pregnant, isn’t she?” He’s having a baby with somebody else. It was supposed to be me, but I had to go running off to California to chase a fucking dream that turned into a nightmare. “Tell me you didn’t get Brandy pregnant.”
Rhett laughs deep and disbelieving. “Fuck no. Jesus.” His eyes crinkle with something like humor. “This has nothing to do with my terrible decision to sleep with Brandy.”
Relief fills my lungs as I draw in a breath. “Thank Christ. But, if not that, then what?”
“My mom was having an affair”–—he pauses, drawing a breath through his nose—“with Sage’s dad.”
Of all the things I’d expected him to say, that was not it. I blink. Then blink again. “Are you sure?”
“I wish I wasn’t. But yeah, pretty fucking sure. Sage and I found some incriminating evidence in Ridge’s office.” His grip on my hand tightens, and his Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “Apparently, their little secret resulted in an even bigger one.”
My brows furrow, and I bite down on my lower lip.
“How big?” Sage never mentioned finding anything while she was clearing out her dad’s space.
With how hectic things have been since my wedding, she probably didn’t want to burden me with it.
But from the look on Rhett’s face, this news, whatever it is, isn’t trivial.
“My mom ended up pregnant … with me.”
It takes everything I have to hold my composure as I try like hell to process what he’s saying.
My mind whirls as he continues to divulge the few details he has, and how Grandma Jo confirmed which child it was by revealing Rhett’s birth certificate.
Finally, once he’s caught me up on as much as he knows, I swallow back the lump forming in my throat.
“So, that makes you Sage’s half brother? ”
“Pretty much.”
“Fuck. That is big.” I know how close he is with his family and that they’d never ostracize him for this news, but it breaks my heart to know he’ll never have the chance to speak to Alice and Daniel about his paternity.
Sure, his and Daniel’s relationship wasn’t as good as Daniel’s and Kade’s, but I’d put that down to him being the eldest son and having more expected of him.
Never in a million years would I have assumed he wasn’t Rhett’s biological father.
But now that I look back, I can see why Ridge never had an issue with Rhett and Jonah being close, especially when he took every chance he had to let the entire town know how much he despised the Rivers family.
Ridge’s hatred was one of the reasons Lucy and Jonah hid their relationship from their parents; they knew they’d never be accepted.
His grudge had always felt concrete, as if it came from somewhere deeper than small-town drama and old rivalries.
My younger self never questioned it beyond that. Never thought to.
My chest tightens as the pieces shift, rearranging themselves into something uglier and far more intimate than I want to hold.
I squeeze Rhett’s hands, grounding myself in his warmth, the reality of him sitting right here in front of me.
“That’s a lot to take in.” It feels inadequate, but anything bigger might make Rhett implode.
“For anyone. Especially on a day like today.”
He nods, eyes dropping to where our hands join. “I wanted to tell you sooner, but you had enough on your plate without my family drama adding to it.” His jaw tightens. “But it’s been eating at me. And I didn’t want to sit through dinner pretending everything’s fine when it’s not. Not today.”
I shift closer, knees brushing his, and let go of one of his hands so I can cup his face. He leans into my touch without thinking, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction. “You can tell me anything, Rhett.” I place a kiss on his forehead. “You’re my safe place. Let me be yours.”
His eyes lift back to mine, glossy but steady. “I don’t know what changes now.”
“Maybe nothing.” My lips press together in concern.
“Maybe everything. Or maybe it just explains things that never quite made sense. Like how Ridge always treated you like more than your surname.” I brush my thumb along his jaw.
“Either way, you’re still you. That doesn’t disappear because of a piece of paper or a secret someone else should’ve owned. ”
He exhales slowly, like he’s been holding that breath for weeks.
“I hate that you had to find out the way you did. You deserved better than that,” I comfort him. “And I hate that your parents aren’t here to answer the questions that matter.”
A flicker of something—grief, anger, relief—moves through his eyes.
He nods once. “Yeah. Me too. That’s why I’m thinking I should find Laurel.
Sage’s mom, crazy as she is, is the only person who can fill in the gaps for me.
For all of us.” His shoulders rise on an exhale.
“I think it’s important for me to find out what she knows, not just about the affair, but about Jonah and Lucy, too. ”
He presses his forehead to mine, our breaths mingling in the quiet. “As much as I love my family, Noah. Ever since I found out, something has felt like it’s missing. I think I’ll talk to Grandma Jo tonight. See what she thinks I should do.”
“If that’s what you need. I’ll be next to you while you figure it out.”
For a moment, the world shrinks down to this—two people sitting on the edge of a bed, holding our heaviness together, and hoping neither of us crumbles beneath the weight.
My phone vibrates. Rhett pulls back first, rolling his shoulders like he’s bracing himself again. “We don’t have to stay long,” he grunts. “If it gets to be too much—”
“We’ll leave,” I finish. “No explanations.”
A corner of his mouth lifts. “You always know what to say.”
“That’s not true,” I murmur. “I just know when to listen.”
He stands and offers me his hand. I take it, letting him pull me up with him, steady and solid as ever.
As we head for the door, I glance back at the bedroom once more, like I’m leaving something behind there—some version of certainty I didn’t even know we had.
“Jesus,” Rhett grumbles from the kitchen, where he and Kade are cleaning up after dinner. “How many years have you been loading this damn thing? You know the plates don’t wash well that way.”
Across from me, Grandma Jo tosses a look over her shoulder toward her rowdy grandsons. “Don’t make me come in there and force you to scrub those pots and pans by hand.”
A snigger bubbles past my lips. “God, I missed this house.”
Lifting her wineglass from the table, Sage raises a toast. “To Grandma Jo and her ability to turn a couple rough-and-ready cowboys into the Real Housewives of Black River.”
Once again, my laughter bursts free. “I’ve definitely appreciated Rhett’s more domesticated side the last two weeks. Nothing like a man who can take care of you as well as cook and clean.”
“Glad to hear my grandson is treatin’ you right, baby doll.” Her eyes turn more serious as she scans my face. “Not tryin’ to pry, but how’ve you been holdin’ up?”
“I’m doing as well as you’d expect. Being back here with Rhett has been good for my soul.
” My gaze flicks toward the kitchen, and I release a sigh.
“Honestly, I’m more concerned about your grandson.
Today’s been hard on him.” I recall the chat he and I had before we came to dinner and decide to let them know that Rhett caught me up on what’s been going on.
“More so with what he learned a few weeks back.”
Sage sighs, a heavy exhale accompanying her relief. “Oh, thank god he finally told you. I was going to bring it up at the wedding, but then everything happened, and I thought it best if it came from him instead.”
“If what came from me?” Rhett enters the living room with Kade trailing behind him. He takes a seat at my side and settles his arm along the backrest.
Silence fills the room, but Grandma, true to form, pipes in without hesitation. “Just talkin’ about how you’ve expanded the branches of your family tree.”
I wince, hoping Rhett doesn’t assume I was airing our private conversation.
Then, he draws me closer, and places a kiss on my forehead, easing that doubt.
“I’m glad you brought it up. I actually wanted to talk to y’all about that.
” His gaze flicks to Kade and Sage, then Jo before he adds, “I’m thinking I might go see Laurel. ”
“Are you fuckin’ crazy? The woman is committed.” Kade growls, squeezing Sage’s hand.
She adds, “Rhett, I don’t know if it’s a good idea. Can we really believe anything that comes out of her mouth?”
Rhett scrubs a hand over his brow. Frustration ripples outward when he grits, “I have questions, so unless you want me to start talking to dead people, she’s the only option we have.”
“You’re right. I think this might be good for both of us,” Sage agrees, glancing at Rhett. “I’d like to come with you.”
Taking Rhett’s hand, I gently show him my silent support.
His gaze flicks to mine, and he smiles softly before addressing everyone.
“Great, we’ll organize a trip to see her soon, then.
” He hesitates a moment before adding, “Anyone who wants to come is welcome. I need this in the past to move forward. Honestly, I think we all do.”
“If that’s what you want, I’ll support you,” Grandma Jo comforts. “But in my opinion, some things are best left buried. And some truths are better left to rot.”