6 Mountain Brothers for Christmas

Philip nodded. “She told him eventually,” he said. “After Sarah was born, Telissa got sick. She was diagnosed with cancer, and for three years, their lives revolved around treatments and hospital stays. Tommy and Sarah basically lived with me during that time. Telissa was weak and constantly sick, but she kept up her spirit, always trying to make people laugh. No matter how bad she felt, she would get on the floor and play with the kids. She refused to miss a single second with them.”

“She sounds strong,” I said reluctantly. I didn’t want to compliment the woman who cheated on Sean. “But I don’t know how he could forgive her for cheating.”

“I don’t know that he ever did,” Philip said. “When she finally told him, she was so sick that he couldn’t leave. Not without being a monster. Even when she admitted that Sarah wasn’t his daughter, he still stayed by her side. Right until the end.”

“Sarah isn’t

…” I trailed off.

Philip shook his head and sighed deeply. I blinked, unsure how to process what he said. In all my time with them, I never would have imagined Sarah wasn’t Sean’s biological daughter. He loved her so much. Everything he did proved that.

“I never realized,” I said, shaking my head.

“He doesn’t talk about it,” Philip said. “I doubt he’ll ever even tell Sarah. She’s his. To him, she’s his.”

I smiled and nodded, happy to hear Philip say that. When we sat down on the couch together, I never imagined he would tell me all this. My curiosity had been innocent, but it dredged up a darker past than even my imagination could have cooked up.

“Hey,” Sean said from the foot of the stairs. “Is he bugging you? Because I’ll kick him out. Just say the word.”

“Hilarious,” Philip said, rolling his eyes. “I’m heading up anyway. Have a good night.”

He squeezed my shoulder as he passed. I watched him disappear upstairs before I turned my attention to Sean. He was smiling at me, but when he saw my face, his expression changed. The smile slipped from his lips, and he took a couple steps forward.

“Coffee?” he asked, gesturing toward the kitchen table. I nodded and followed him over.

Sean poured us each a cup of coffee and slid one over to me as he sat down in his usual chair. We were closer than normal, but it still wasn’t close enough. After everything I found out tonight, I wanted to be right beside him, to hold him and be there for him.

“So,” he said. “What’s wrong? When I came downstairs, you seemed off.”

“I just—” I began, but I paused. There was so much to say. I didn’t know where to start.

A look of panic flashed across Sean’s face. “You’re not having second thoughts about last night, are you?” he asked.

“No!” I said quickly. “Not at all. Last night was as perfect as I thought it could be.”

He relaxed in his chair and let out a relieved breath.

“Then what is it?” he asked.

“I asked Philip about Telissa,” I said softly. “I’m sorry, I was curious.” Sean stiffened again. “What exactly did he tell you?”

“About her affair,” I said. “And about Sarah. Sean, I had no idea that any of that happened. I’ve wanted to ask you about her, but I never got up the courage. I was always too afraid to make you uncomfortable, so I just didn’t.”

“I’m not mad,” he said gently. “I’m glad you know the truth.”

“You are?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes.” He nodded. “I am. It’s been hard to live with this secret for so long. The kids don’t know, and I never want them to. Tommy and Sarah both remember their mother as strong and kind. She loved them fiercely, and I never want to take that memory away from them.”

“I know,” I said with a smile.

“Still,” he said. “It’s hard. When they talk about her, there’s so much love and adoration in their voices. I wish I still thought of her that way, but the truth is, I don’t anymore. When she got sick, I was scared to lose her. I was terrified. Then she told me about the affair and Sarah, and everything changed. She wasn’t the Telissa I’d spent so many years loving. She was the woman who betrayed me. Even now, with her gone, I’m still angry with her, and yet part of me still loves her.”

“That’s understandable,” I said. “She was the mother of your children and she hurt you.”

“It wasn’t all her fault,” he said. “I should have known she was unhappy. I should have seen it, but I turned away. I pulled away, and she sought comfort somewhere else. It’s not the cheating that hurts the most. It’s Sarah. Knowing she and I don’t share the same blood is hard. Really hard.”

“You know,” I said, clearing my throat. “I never told you what she and I talked about in the bathroom that night.”