Chapter 3
LEIGH
Earlier that morning
The drive to Trace and Delaney’s farm took about fifteen minutes from Jasper’s house, winding through countryside that was all rolling hills and open space.
So different from the coastal density of Blue Point Bay.
Jasper had left earlier that morning with an excuse that he was going to help Delaney with something but I could tell from the guilty look on my Mom’s face that it had been her idea.
“You’re quiet,” Mom said.
“Just nervous.” I watched the landscape pass. “What if they don’t like me?”
“Leigh, they’ve wanted to meet you since they found out about you. Jasper said they were all excited.”
“Excited about the idea of me. Meeting the actual me is different. Seeing the evidence of their father’s infidelity right in front of them might not be as easy as everyone thinks it is.”
I heard the deep breath as she got ready to start with the excuses, the smothering. It was a cycle we’d been through over and over again since she’d finally told me the truth and, honestly, it was exhausting.
But then she surprised me.
“I’m not going to do that thing that where I go over and over about how I did all this wrong, because I know it’s annoying you and honestly I can see why.
But I don’t think your brothers think of you that way.
Maybe it would have been different if you were all still kids.
But you’re not. You’re all adults and you’ve all been through a lot in your lives that give you the advantage of a more considered perspective.
You’re your own person, Leigh. The way you came to be does not define you.
And those boys will treat you with respect, they’re not too old for a dressing down by someone their senior if they step out of line.
” Then she reached over and squeezed my hand. “Besides, they’re going to love you.”
I wasn’t so sure, but I didn’t say it because this was progress and there was no way I was risking setting us back to my apparent nagging and her constant apologies.
The farm came into view, and I sucked in a breath.
It was beautiful. A sprawling property with a gorgeous farmhouse, a large red barn, and in the distance, several barns which must have been where they ran their business.
Fields stretched out in every direction, and beyond them, I could see a pond glinting in the afternoon sun.
This was where Trace and Delaney lived. Where they were getting married in a few months. The wedding I was still not entirely sure I should be present for. I didn’t want to ruin their special day with everyone whispering about me instead of how beautiful the bride looked.
Several cars were already parked in the gravel drive when we pulled up outside. My stomach flipped.
“Ready?” Mom asked.
“No. But let’s do it anyway.”
We got out, and before we reached the porch, the front door opened. A woman with warm eyes and an easy smile came out.
“You must be Leigh and Caroline. I’m Delaney. Come in, please. Everyone’s so excited to meet you.”
I could see Jasper standing behind her, nervously watching even if he was trying to hide it with a smile on his face. This had to be hard from him and strangely that was the thought that made this whole thing a tiny bit easier.
Delaney reached out and pulled me into an unexpected hug. “Don’t be nervous,” she murmured. “You’re right where you’re supposed to be and this family, your family, is so excited to have you here.”
When she pulled back I didn’t know what to say.
Her warmth was immediate and genuine . And not only that, but she’d realised this would be difficult for me and wanted to help.
To reassure me even though I was a perfect stranger.
It was a welcome I’d never thought I’d experience and it made my chest tight.
Inside, the house was exactly what I’d expected from a working farm. Comfortable, lived-in, full of light. And full of people.
Four men stood as we entered. My brothers. My half-brothers. Strangers who should have been so much more.
I’d studied their photos, but seeing them in person was different. They were real. Solid. Here.
The tallest one stepped forward first. “I’m Trace.” His smile was kind, his handshake firm. “It’s good to finally meet you.”
“You too.” My voice came out steadier than I felt.
The others introduced themselves in turn.
Booker was quieter, his greeting simple but his eyes warm. “Glad you’re here.”
Xander had an easy charm, his perceptiveness evident immediately in the way he studied me. “Welcome to the chaos. Fair warning, it only gets louder from here.”
Gage was closest to my age, and there was something in his eyes that looked like sympathy and not the suspicion that probably should have been there. “I know what it’s like, being the new one. It gets easier. Promise.”
Then came the wives and fiancées. Reece with her gentle strength, Blake with her pink hair and artistic energy, Billie with her professional warmth. Each of them welcomed me like I wasn’t a stranger, like I was already part of this.
Kids ran through. A baby being passed around. A ten-year-old boy who looked at me with open curiosity. A toddler babbling happily in someone’s arms.
It was overwhelming and beautiful and terrifying all at once.
This was a family. And somehow, inexplicably, I was suddenly a part of it.
“Come sit,” Delaney said, gesturing to the large living room where everyone was gathering. “We thought we’d keep this casual. No pressure, just getting to know each other.”
I sat on the couch, Mom beside me, and tried to breathe normally.
I could already feel the overwhelm at the edges of my mind but I tried my hardest to push it away.
This meeting needed to happen, and once it was over we could all decide what happened next.
I kept reminding myself that I didn’t have to stay.
This could be it. One quiet afternoon visit and then back to my old life.
But looking around this cozy room at the smiling faces, I realised that might actually not be what I want.
I had family back in Blue Point Bay. I’d grown up so close to my cousins that we were practically siblings.
And yet, this felt different. This cluster of strangers felt like they held a possibility that needed exploring.
Because with my cousins I was related but not really.
Obviously we were blood relatives. My Mom and Aunt Rebecca were sisters.
But I would never really be on the same level as my cousins.
I’d never really be a sibling, always something slightly adjacent but not quite enough.
But here? Here I could belong, I could be a part of something. I just had to decide if I wanted to.
They asked questions. Kind questions. About Blue Point Bay, about my photography, about what I liked to do. Nothing invasive. Nothing that made me feel interrogated.
I asked questions too. About the farm and the ranch, about their lives, about growing up here. They answered openly, sharing stories that made me laugh, that gave me glimpses into the family I’d never known.
They laughed and joked, poking fun in a way that only a sibling could. It was a glimpse inside a family that I could see myself joining.
Trace was paternal, always with one eye on the kids.
You could see how much he cared about Delaney and his sons, barely ever straying from their side.
Booker was quieter, reserved, but observant, the kind of person who listened more than he spoke.
Xander was sharp and perceptive, his questions thoughtful.
And Gage seemed to understand what it felt like to be on the outside.
He made sure to include me, to pull the conversation back to me.
“You’re a photographer?” Blake asked, leaning forward with interest. “What kind of work do you do?”
“Mostly coastal landscape but I really like dabbling with candid street photography to capture those everyday moments we take for granted.” I relaxed slightly.
Talking about my work was easy, it was familiar territory.
“But I’ve been wanting to branch out. Try something different.
I’m hoping to spend my time here sinking into a new project. ”
“You should explore Willowbrook,” she said enthusiastically. “Document small-town life. I own the gallery in town. I’d love to feature your work sometime.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely. We’re always looking for fresh perspectives.”
The conversation flowed naturally after that. Stories, laughter, the easy rhythm of people who genuinely cared about each other. And they were including me in it. Not as an obligation, but because they wanted to.
Maybe this would actually be okay.
Then Mom cleared her throat, and the room quieted.
She’d been adding quietly to the conversation throughout the afternoon but had taken a back seat, letting us get to know each other and staying on the sidelines.
“I need to say something,” she said, her voice soft but steady. She looked at the four brothers. “I owe you all an apology. I kept Leigh from you for twenty-seven years.”
My chest tightened. We hadn’t discussed this. I didn’t know she was going to do this now.
“When I found out I was pregnant,” Mom continued, “Jasper was married. Had four sons. A life here in Willowbrook. I made the choice not to tell him. I told myself it was to protect everyone. To protect his family, to protect Leigh, to protect myself.” She paused, her eyes shining.
“I thought I was doing the right thing. I’m not sure I was.
But either way, it wasn’t really my decision to make. ”
The silence stretched. I held my breath.
Trace spoke first, his voice gentle. “Caroline, we understand. Given our mother, given the situation you were in, I can’t say I would have done differently.”
“Regina would have destroyed Leigh,” Xander added quietly. “If she’d known about her while we were growing up, she would have used it. Used her. You protected your daughter from that.”