Scandalous Engagement

Reese’s heart beat so hard, so fast, but he tried to remain calm. This was the best move in the long run; there would just be some painful hurdles to overcome.

Surprisingly, his mother didn’t get upset. She squared her shoulders and placed th

e letter on the table, running her fingertip along the creases in a vain attempt to smooth it out.

Her dark brown eyes finally came up to his.

“I want you to know we did everything we could to make the best decision at the time,” she told him. “We went through an agency, but the birth parents wanted to remain anonymous.”

“That’s when we decided not to tell you about the adoption because we had no more information to give,” his father added. “You were our son from day one. Blood didn’t matter.”

No, it didn’t. These were his parents and there had never been any doubt the lengths they would go to to make him happy and show their love.

“Do you hate us?” his mother finally asked. “I don’t think I could stand it if you were upset with us. We just wanted to give you the best life.”

Reese scooted his chair back and went around to his mom. “Never,” he said, leaning down to wrap his arms around her. “I could never hate either of you. I just didn’t want to keep this from you. I may always wonder why you didn’t tell me before, but I respect that you have your reasons. I’ve never been a parent or in your shoes, so I can’t judge.”

“Well, now you have the birth father’s name,” his dad chimed in. “Have you reached out to him?”

Reese straightened, but kept his hand on his mother’s shoulder. “No. I wouldn’t have done that before talking to you. I did go to Green Valley, Tennessee, though. I’ve met with my half brothers. Nick Campbell and Sam Hawkins.”

“Sam Hawkins,” his dad murmured. “He’s the son of Rusty Lockwood, too?”

Reese nodded. “And Nick is a major investor and renovator. He’s opening a resort this fall in the Smoky Mountains. A project his late mom started.”

“Sounds like all the boys turned out well,” his mom said. “I don’t know Rusty, other than through the Lockwood Lightning name.”

Reese glanced to Josie, who had given her silent support this entire time. He wasn’t sure what all to get into regarding Rusty, but he knew he didn’t want to think about it right now. He’d let the secret out; that had been his main goal.

“I plan on going back to Green Valley,” Reese added. “Sam and Nick want to confront Rusty. All of us together.”

His mother inhaled sharply and glanced up at him. He saw the fear in her eyes, but she remained strong. Two of the strongest women he’d ever known both had their eyes on him.

“I only want to meet him, maybe see if he knows the name of the woman who gave birth to me.”

Now Laura Conrad’s eyes did well up. The last thing he wanted was to cause her pain.

“I may not do anything with the information,” he assured her. “I honestly don’t know. All I know is this is still new to me and you guys have had years to process. I’m asking you to trust me to do what is right for me now.”

Martin came to his feet and eased around the patio table. “Of course we trust you, son. You do what you think is best. We’ll support you.”

Reese nodded, worried if he said too much, emotions would clog his throat and overcome him. This delicate situation demanded control.

His father reached out and wrapped his arms around Reese. Patting his back, Reese took the embrace, this one meaning so much more than any in the past.

“Will you keep us posted on what you find?” his mother asked.

Reese turned back to face her and smiled. “Of course. Josie and I are going to Tennessee in a couple of days. I’m not sure how long we’ll be there, so we may just go on to New York from there.”

His mom came to her feet and opened her arms. He gathered her in, recognizing as always how petite yet resilient she was.

“I hope you find what you’re looking for,” she whispered. “I just don’t want this to change us.”

He eased back and held on to her slender shoulders. “You guys are my parents. Nothing can change that.”

Over his mother’s shoulder, Reese caught Josie swiping a tear. He didn’t even think of the emotional impact this would have on her. Having a distant relationship with her father and no mother, this had to be difficult, seeing him with such a strong bond with both of his parents.

“I’ll just leave you guys and start cleaning up.” Josie eased her chair back and started reaching for the dishes. “I’ll bring dessert in a few minutes.”