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“I’ve
called you all here because—”
“It had better be important. Dulcie made chicken and noodles, and she said fifteen minutes until dinnertime,” Grayson announced. “I’m not eating cold noodles.”
“Just give me a minute, will you? And it is important.”
Grayson’s grin slipped away as he sank back into the buttery leather.
Ainsley leaned forward and gestured for Asher to continue. “Well, go ahead and tell them. Finally.”
He nodded, surprised that she hadn’t done it herself several days before.
“I wanted to give you an update on a mystery I’ve been facing this week.”
“Just you?” Rafe piped. “Don’t you think the rest of the family has been dealing with this, too?”
“Not this mystery.”
The group appeared to lean forward as one to hear him better. He took a deep breath, reminding himself that speaking the words aloud wouldn’t make it true.
“It’s about a possible baby switch.” He raised a hand before any of them could interrupt him again and say that Ace’s switch was a fact, not a possibility. “Involving Harper.”
“Harper?”
This time it was his mother calling out. He held his hand up again to slow the onslaught of questions.
“A week ago, an administrator at Mustang Valley General called to inform me that Harper might have been switched with another baby born November 2.”
Marlowe splayed her hands over her belly. “You’ve got to be joking? Again?”
Her husband-to-be, Bowie, slid his arm around her and squeezed.
Asher smiled despite his nervousness. “I said about the same thing when I heard it. Willow was pretty shocked, too, but we went the next day for the DNA test—”
“Wait. That’s how you know Willow?” Grayson asked.
Callum propped his hands on his knees. “And you waited a whole week to tell any of us this?”
Asher’s younger brother might have said “any,” but it was clear from the hurt look in his eyes that he meant him. Asher was already worked up enough himself tonight without having to worry about wounded feelings.
Instead of asking Asher another question, Rafe directed one to his future wife, Kerry, who sat next to him.
“Did you know anything about this?”
She shifted in her chair, her eyes narrowing. “I keep telling you I can’t share anything about any cases I’m working on.”
“But this is about my family.”
She shook her head and let it fall forward. “Almost all the cases we’re investigating lately involve the Coltons. And I won’t be telling you about any of them, either.”
“She told you, brother,” Grayson said, earning a laugh.
When attention turned back to Asher, questions came at him from all sides, each trampling the one before. One comment, though, edged its way around the others.
“I’m really sorry you’re dealing with this, Asher.”
His siblings stopped and looked at the man who’d spoken the words. Jace. He was the only one who seemed to get that this wasn’t about them. It was about Harper, Willow, Luna and him.
