Why, then, was the realization Kelly had lied to her knocking her sideways?
Her sister must have been pregnant with Brian’s baby when she left him. She’d cheated on her husband and wanted to leave him for her new boyfriend. But she knew Brian wouldn’t let his baby go, and that Siobhan wouldn’t help her take Oliver away from him if she knew the truth. Even for Kelly, it was a new low.
Oliver was her son now. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t given birth to him. She’d loved him from the second he drew his first breath while she held his biological mother’s hand, and the day the adoption became final was the happiest day of her life.
She’d moved to a new position that offered more money and benefits, even though she hated the job. Then she moved to a two-bedroom apartment in a fairly decent suburb inconveniently far enough outside of Boston to make it just barely affordable. The only person actively in her life who knew her son was adopted was Robin.
But now, what was she supposed to do about Brian?
Not telling him wasn’t an option. Of course, she didn’t knowanythingfor a fact. But if there was the slightest possibility Oliver was his son—and there definitely was—she had to have that conversation with him.
Fear rippled down her spine when she thought of Brian taking her son away from her. If he forced a test and it confirmed his paternity, proving Kelly had lied on the legal documents, was that enough to overturn the adoption?
She was so tense, a knock on the door almost made her scream, and Siobhan covered her heart with her hand as she stood.
“Auntie Robin,” Oliver said, making her aware of justhow seldom they had company who wasn’t their neighbor. But her life had been pretty busy since he came into her life and she was honestly content with just the three of them.
“Not Auntie Robin,” she said, picking him up so he couldn’t tumble out of the camper when she opened the door. “Let’s see who it is.”
It was Steph.AuntieSteph, she thought, and she had to force back the hysterical giggle that threatened to erupt.
“Everybody’s here,” Steph said. “We’re all gathering near the playground for a casual meet and greet. And there are some snack trays and water and lemonade.”
Siobhan in no way felt solid enough to leave the shelter of the camper, taking Oliver out to meet all the people who might actually be his biological family. But with Steph grinning up at her from the bottom of the steps, she couldn’t say no. She was the maid of honor.
“Sounds great,” she lied. “We’ll be right over.”
She took her time getting Oliver ready, and then she washed her face with frigid water. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she told herself she could be wrong. So they both had dark hair and intense blue eyes. So what? A lot of people did. She’d get through this week, and then she’d reach out to people and see if she could find Kelly.
They’d almost reached the large grassy area at the center of the campground where the family was gathered when she stopped because the anxiety was making her body shake. She could take Oliver home. She could claim he didn’t feel well or that he wasn’t doing great in the camper. It would take some juggling, but Robin could probably stay with him while she returned for a shortened stay to fulfill her maid of honor duties.
Anything to keep Oliver and Brian apart until she couldwrap her mind around what might or might not be happening.
“Siobhan!” It was Lisa, her sister’s former mother-in-law, who saw her first and waved her over. Her voice sounded a lot more welcoming than Siobhan had anticipated. “It’s so good to see you again! And we can’t wait to meet that adorable boy of yours!”
* * *
Despite telling Stella they’d mind their own business, it wasn’t long before Brian got sucked back into the family gathering. There were too many stories being shared that he didn’t want to miss out on, and Joey always downplayed his role in shenanigans. Brian wanted to be around to make sure his brother got the full blame for his childhood crimes.
Also, some desserts had been brought out, and he was a sucker for baked goods. But as he milled around, joining and leaving conversations at random, he picked up on a strange vibe. There were a lot of whispers happening. A lot of glances bouncing back and forth between him and Siobhan. He wasn’t sure why, since absolutely nothing had happened to make the family fear they might start yelling and throwing things at each other any second.
There had been a lot of discussion before Steph asked Siobhan to be her maid of honor. Being the sister of the woman who’d broken Brian’s heart—and the woman who’d put herself between him and Kelly multiple times during the divorce—meant the Kowalski family as a whole didn’t love her. But they’d all agreed to leave that in the past and embrace her as one of Steph’s best friends.
Since there wasn’t a fire in the ring yet, Siobhan’s little boy—Oliver, he reminded himself—was free to roam. Siobhan had tried to keep hold of his hand so he’d stay ather side, but she’d been assured everybody always kept an eye out when there was a little one around. And Nora was having a blast playing with him, despite the years between them.
“Show Gran,” he heard Nora say, and he saw the mangled dandelion in Oliver’s hand.
He even found himself smiling as he watched the boy toddle over to his grandmother and show her the flower. Mary bent low to see it, and then she brushed Oliver’s sweaty hair back from his forehead. He looked up at her, grinning at his prize while she did so, and Brian saw his grandmother flinch. Her brows drew together and she studied the boy intently for a long moment before her smile returned.
Then his grandmother and his mother exchanged a long, pointed look before his grandmother nodded. Brian’s stomach coiled into knots when his mom then turned and looked at him.
“Brian, can you let me in the store for a minute? I forgot to pack a few things I need.”
His mother didn’t forgetanythingwhen it came to camping. Brian wasn’t even sure that was possible, since it seemed as if she brought everything she owned with her. “I think Rob’s over there. He can let you in.”
“Brian.”
Because they were in front of everybody, she didn’t actually middle-name him, but it was heavily implied and he pushed himself out of his chair. “Fine.”
