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THAT WAS SEBASTIAN-FREAKING-KING, Formula One racer, and oh my goodness, he’s even more attractive in person. Seeing him clutch his little girls put flutters in my heart. I take him in as he throws a quick look over his shoulder in my direction. He has black hair—I’d love to know what it feels like—and a heated chocolate swirl gaze. He gives me a small smile, and then his back is to me. He wearing some long beige pants with a nice-fitting white T-shirt. Wow!
“Hello? Earth to Delilah.” Sybil’s words pull me back under the bus where Sebastian threw me. It’s not his fault. I remember a man helping me in the hospital. Everything from that time in the hospital is a blur. Surely, I should’ve known who he was. I’d been following his career all year. What are the chances he was at the same hospital as me almost a year ago?
“Sorry,” I say, turning my attention back to Sybil, Mabel, Hudson, Talulla, and Odette. They’re simply staring, their faces unreadable. I hobble forward, and a shooting pain runs up my leg and throbs. Sebastian’s appearance must have momentarily taken away my pain. “This is my daughter, Olive. She’s almost one.” I turn to Isla, standing just behind me. I hope she can catch me if I fall because I’ve got no one else.
“I’m an aunty?” Talulla asks. The snide tone she’d been using with me previously is now gone.
“Yes, and I wanted her to know you all. I left her with Isla last night so I could prepare you, but it seems she missed her mom, and I couldn’t let her be miserable.”
“Can I have a hold?” Mabel steps forward with her arms out. The tears in her eyes tell me everything I need to know. She’s happy. I take in Hudson, whose grin could brighten anyone’s day, and Odette simply stands beside him. Tally and Sybil haven’t moved, their faces are still unreadable.
“Sure, but she may not be happy. Isla told me she’s been unsettled,” I reply as Mabel comes closer. Olive watches her while snuggling into my neck, sucking on her pacifier.
“Hey, Olive, I’m your Aunty Mabel. You wanna come?” Mabel claps her hands. Olive eyes her and lifts her head to look up at me, those big blues a little unsure.
“It’s okay,” I encourage.
Olive’s head moves back to my sister. Releasing her arms, she swings herself toward Mabel, who catches and takes her from me. My hand flies to my mouth. This moment isn’t how I planned it, but it’s more than I could have imagined as Olive lays her head on Mabel’s shoulder and cuddles into her.
“Who baby?” Odette asks as she moves closer to Olive.
I come up beside her and take her hand, attempting to ignore the throb in my leg. “That’s my baby, Odette. Her name is Olive.”
Odette puts one of her fingers on her lips and starts chewing at her nail. Her nervous tic—it’s as though she senses when there’s tension surrounding her. “You have baby?” Her questioning eyes land on mine.
“I do.” I smile encouragingly.
“She beautiful.”
“Yes, she is.”
“I say hello?” She continues to chew.
I reach up and move her hand gently from her mouth. “You can say hello. You’re her aunty, after all.” I’m not sure if she understands what that means, but at my words, she moves away from me and to Mabel, who’s clutching a happy Olive.
Turning to the others, I ask, “Are you going to say anything?”
“You kept this from us for almost a year?” Tally’s accusing tone is back, and it hurts. I don’t want Olive to witness this.
“I’m not having another fight with you. You don’t know the full story,” I state firmly.
She crosses her arms over her chest. “You’re right, I don’t becauseyounever told us. Never kept in contact. You kept something so important from us. It hurts, Dee. It really hurts.” She takes off at a run toward the house, but I don’t miss the hitch in her voice and the tears in her eyes.
I swing to Sybil. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. There’s so much I wanted to tell you but didn’t know how.” I wrap my arms around myself.
“You’re going to have to give us the full story, but when you’re ready, Dee. So many secrets. We’re your family. You should feel like you can tell us anything.”
“I wanted to tell you all, but I thought in person would be better, given the circumstances I left on. As it is, Tally is still angry at me, and who knows when Dad will talk to me properly… like hold a conversation properly. Do you think I’m enjoying the way I’m being treated by Tally and Dad? No, I’m not, yet Dad is the one who drove me out, and Tally is holding it against me.” I step back.
My bad leg collapses beneath me, and I’m in the dirt a moment later. “Dang it,” I mutter.
Hudson is by my side in a flash. “Come on. We probably need to get your leg checked out.” He helps me get back on my feet.
“No, it’s just going to bruise. I wasn’t ready when I moved. It’s fine.” I dust my jeans off. Mabel is cooing with Olive, who’s smiling and trying to hit her face.
Harley comes back into the circle. “So, Sebastian is all sorted. Now I need a cuddle from my niece.” He moves to take her from Mabel, who quickly runs off with her back to the homestead. They all follow except Hudson and Sybil. My stomach tightens. I should go with them. I make a move, but then I hear Olive’s high-pitch giggle, and I pause. Perhaps a couple more minutes will be okay before she becomes unsettled.
Sybil rushes in and wraps her arms around me. “I’m annoyed that you didn’t tell me, but I just hope you get to a place where you can open up to us.” She releases me. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get in line for a snuggle with my niece.” With that, she runs off toward the homestead.
