“We didn’t sleep much.”
“Emily?”
“Partially.” Rex shifted his weight, ran a finger under his nose. “Monica and I need to talk to you. We weren’t sure if it was our business, but we prayed about it and think you should know.”
“Okay?” He couldn’t imagine what Monica would have to say to him. Had he said something wrong to her parents? There was no point worrying about it. If he’d offended her parents, he’d rather know so he could straighten it out. “Inside?”
Nodding, Rex put a hand to the door. “It’s too chilly to bring Emily outside.”
He followed his brother inside and into the living room. Beau was crouched on the floor speaking baby talk to Emily. It amused Lucas to see his brothers turn to mush around the baby, though he fully acknowledged he acted the same.
Beau scooped Emily from the car seat and stood upright. “I’ll take her into the kitchen while the three of you talk.”
“You can stay,” he told his youngest brother. “Kicking you out of your own living room would be rude.”
Rex cleared his throat, bent his neck in a way indicating maybe Beau should leave.
Taking the hint with grace, Beau smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Emily’s always hogged by everyone else, and this is my chance to have her undivided attention.”
After Beau left, an uncomfortable silence filled the room. Rex and Monica exchanged uneasy glances, but neither spoke.
“What’s going on?” Lucas pushed his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He got the feeling this was deeper than he imagined.
“Maybe you should sit.” Rex motioned toward the recliner, then slid an arm around Monica and led her to the sofa.
“I’d rather stand.” Sitting felt weak—standing gave him an advantage against this unknown problem.
“If you say so.” Rex looked at Monica again, then back at him. “Monica knows about Serena. I told her last night.”
He breathed a sigh of relief and laughed. “That’s what all this is about? She’s your wife. I know I asked you not to say anything the other day, but that’s because of where we were. I’m surprised you kept it from her this long.”
Rex’s rigid stance didn’t relax. “If only that was it.”
Monica folded her hands in her lap. “The first time I met Serena, I suspected she had secrets, but I didn’t know what. I didn’t think much about it because Carrie’s death came shortly after and rocked my world.”
“And now?” He inched his way toward the recliner, suddenly aware Rex might have been right about his need for it.
“During the meeting, Lacey and Sara were joking about pregnancy cravings.” Monica reached for her husband’s hand. “Serena chimed in about one she had when pregnant for her daughter, then abruptly changed the subject.”
Serena had a daughter. The truth punched him in the gut, and he doubled over. Caught up in a whirlwind of emotions, he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t stand. He dropped into the recliner. Life wasn’t fair. Why? He let loose a bitter laugh. “My baby wasn’t good enough for her to have, but she had someone else’s?”
He leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. Unbelievable. And to think he’d had a moment last night when he’d considered forgiving her.
Rex stood up, moved across the room to him. “After Monica told me about that conversation, I did some digging. Her daughter’s birth certificate doesn’t have a father listed, but, Lucas, the date of birth lines up.”
“Lines up to what?”
“Serena didn’t have an abortion.”
The room spun, and he struggled to process what he’d been told. “Her daughter…is my daughter?”
“We have reason to believe so.” Rex squeezed his shoulder. “I logged into my system at work to find out any information I could.”
“What’s her name?” He choked out the question through the bowling ball in his throat.
“Cecily Lucia Adams.”
“Lucia?” It couldn’t be a coincidence, could it? Why would she give her daughter the female version of his name?
