It had started as fun, something easy. Now I wanted her in every way a man could want a woman—body, mind, soul, future. Out in the public eye, where I could claim her for everyone to see.
Something had to change soon, or I’d go out of my damn mind.
She drifted off, her breath slow and even. I brushed a kiss across her hair.
The unfamiliar weight of happiness kept me awake, wary of it—like holding the sun but knowing it could burn out any day. Still, if we were a structure, I trusted the foundation.Trusted her.I never thought I’d trust again after my ex, after the past.
Now, my way ahead with Penny seemed solid enough to last. I wouldn’t bet against us.
RINGS AND REVELATIONS
Penny
Messy emotions swirledby the time Archer dropped me off after our Friendsgiving weekend. I set my bag down and leaned against the door of the brownstone, exhaling hard like I’d been holding my breath all weekend. Goldie’s paws skittered across the floor as she launched herself at me, tail wagging. “Hey, girl,” I whispered, scratching her ears. “I missed you too.”
Everything about the trip had been perfect—Archer’s friends welcoming me like family, the easy laughter, the way his gaze found mine across a crowded room. Our late-night talks turned tender, our bodies even more so.
Which made keeping my secrets all the harder.
Brier’s humming floated from the kitchen, cheerful as a songbird. I found her there, fabric scraps covered the counters in shades of red and cream. I recognized the pattern of her wedding-ring quilts.
“Back, sweetie?” She asked without looking up. “How’d it go?”
“I need some tea.”
“Oh, me too. I’ll make it.” She reached for the kettle, the kitchen light reflecting off of her left ring finger.
“Brier! Is that an engagement ring?”
Her head snapped up, a grin blooming wide. “Westley proposed!”
“Oh my God!” I squealed, hugging her.
She laughed. “He did it in Vegas Friday—romantic hotel rooftop with a view of the strip, champagne, the whole thing. But he ruined it briefly when he called meHeather.”
I blinked. “What?”
“You know I’ve always hated my real first name, but I never told him why. Mom picked it because she loved the flower, but it always reminded me of funerals. The poor man thought he was being thoughtful using it in the proposal.” She shook her head, smiling through tears. “A few minutes later, he proposed again, and of course I said yes. We tossed the bouquet of heather he had made for me into the hotel trash and drank champagne all night. He said once we’re married, he’ll pay to have my name officially changed. I’ll be Brier Rose Fair-McPhee. Can you believe it?”
Her happiness softened the tight band around my heart. Until she looked at me more closely. She cupped my cheeks and felt my forehead. “You don’t look well. What’s wrong? Out with it, Penny.”
I teared up, unable to hold things in anymore. “It’s Steele Valley, and Mom. Brianne and Holden.”
Her brows knit. “Who is Holden?”
I spilled everything—Brianne’s lies, Mom’s accusations, unassuming and innocent Holden. The impossible situation I’d landed in—not telling Archer any of it. The words flooded from my mouth, relieving all the pressure of keeping them locked up.
Brier listened, taking it all in. “Come with me.”
She led me down the hall to her bedroom, Goldie padding behind us. From her closet, she produced a small box. We sat on the bed, and she pulled out an old cream envelope.
“I’ve kept this for years,” she said, voice low. “Now, here’s the truth of what happened because it was right here in this home. Your mother was with your stepfather in Steele Valley, so she didn’t have a clue what was going on, only what Brianne told her.”
She cleared her throat. “When Brianne got pregnant, she told Archer the baby was his. He wanted to believe her, such a good, kind young man in love with the wrong woman. But he had just come off the shock of her affair with Ted coming to light. Archer said he wanted a paternity test. God bless him, he’d have probably stayed with her and supported her no matter the results because he was foolishly in love. Of course, Brianne refused having the test done. He had to know before he committed himself to fatherhood. Upset, she went off and married Ted. Poor Archer. It broke him.”
“I know. I’ve been trying to put him back together again.”
She patted my hand on the bed. “He agonized about whether that baby was his. I felt for him. The poor man needed closure. So one night, after the baby was born, Brianne asked me to babysit. I clipped a hair from the baby’s head and got a swab from the cheek. Archer had the paternity test done quietly .”
