When they saw her coming, Lisa let go of Brian’s arm and said something Siobhan couldn’t hear. Then Brian turned back toward the store while his parents gave her tight smiles and headed back to the others. Because sheknew everybody present was probably watching her, she didn’t hesitate before stepping through the door Brian had left open.
He didn’t wait to see if she followed, but walked straight to one of the leather chairs and dropped into it. When she closed the door, maybe giving it a little more oomph than she intended so it was almost a slam, he looked up at her. There wasn’t a hint of softness or warmth in that look, and she shivered.
She could deny everything. So what if Oliver had blue eyes. Millions of people did. She could look Brian in the eye and tell him Oliver was her son. Technically, at least, that was the truth. A denial probably wouldn’t be enough, though. If the entire family wasn’t in one place, the facial expressions and mannerisms wouldn’t make the resemblance so obvious. Surrounded by them, though, it was hard to deny he was one of them.
Leaving wasn’t an option. Steph might feel as if a second maid of honor bailing was some kind of a sign she shouldn’t get married, even though there were plenty of women in her family who could step in.
And even if Brian suspected Siobhan was running from a mess of Kelly’s making, he might not care. Based on how quickly he turned on his wife, he wasn’t exactly a devoted family man. He’d been awful to Kelly, and she’d referenced his temper more than once. Maybe he didn’twanta son.
But Kelly had lied.
Siobhan pressed her lips together, dismissing the thought with one sharp shake of her head. She couldn’t deny her sister had lied about who Oliver’s father was, but she couldn’t really blame her sister for not wanting to be tied to Brian Kowalski for the rest of her life. Not if he’d ever looked at her the way he was looking at Siobhan right now.
She sat in the other chair so she was facing him, but she had no idea what to say. This wasn’t the kind of conversation she’d ever imagined herself having, and the words to get it started wouldn’t come to her.
Briandidn’t seem to know what to say, either. He’d inhale slightly, as though about to speak, but then his jaw would clench and nothing.
The silence grew so oppressive it was almost a physical weight crushing her. “The answer to the question you haven’t asked is I don’t know.”
His face didn’t soften, but his broad shoulders dropped and he sighed. After an endless moment, he shook his head before flopping back in the chair and staring at the ceiling.
Siobhan was silent, waiting. And when he leaned forward again, she got a glimpse of his raw emotions before he got control of his face again. Confusion. Anger. Overwhelmed.
“I don’t even know the right questions to ask. You don’t know what?”
“I don’t actually know who Oliver’s biological father is.”
He considered her words for a moment, and then his eyes narrowed. “Who actually gave birth to him?”
“Kelly.” Just one word—her sister’s name—and Siobhan knew it was going to change everything. But she wasn’t going to lie. Not about this.
Brian dropped his face into his hands, elbows rested on his knees. Judging by the rise and fall of his shoulders, he was taking long and slow deep breaths, and Siobhan wasn’t sure if he was trying to control his emotions or his temper.
I’m scared of him, Siobhan.
“How old is he?” Brian asked as he lifted his head. He didn’t look happy, of course, but he didn’t look angry or dangerous.
“Twenty-two months. He’ll be two in October.”
She let him do the math himself, and when the color drained from his face, she knew he’d done it. “We were still married when Oliver was conceived.”
“Barely, but technically yes.”
The anger came now, tinting his face and neck red. “You helped her take my son away from me.”
“No. She told me you two fought all the time and you hadn’t slept together for months. She was already hooking up with Steve and I—I believed her.” She paused, taking a breath. “And for the record, Istilldon’t know for afactwho Oliver’s father is.”
“We will as soon as I can manage it,” he vowed. “Why doyouhave him?”
“When Oliver was three months old, they decided they didn’t want to be parents anymore and told me that either I adopted him or they were surrendering him.”
“Surrendering him.” The flush faded and he swiped his hand over his mouth. “So you legally adopted him. But that guy signed the papers. He lied. They both lied.”
“I don’t know if he thought he was Oliver’s biological father or not. She probably lied to him, too, especially if she planned to stay with him. But I thought he was.” It was important to Siobhan that he knew that.
His phone chimed and she’d usually be annoyed by him responding to it while they were talking, but she was thankful for the interruption. A glass of water would be nice, but at least she got a respite from being pinned by Brian’s intense blue gaze. Whatever was on his screen made him close his eyes for a solid five count, and then he held the phone out toward her.
She frowned, but he gave her a go-ahead gesture with his head, so she took it. On the screen was a text from his mom.
