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“Do you have to leave soon?”
“I do. I’m taping Adler and Nick and then the wedding rehearsal,” she said. “Then I have the rehearsal dinner... I think Zac is planning something special to make things up to Iris. Tomorrow I’ll be busy all day but, starting Sunday, it’s just you and me.”
He wondered why he’d stayed on the island. He should have left; it would have made more sense. Quinn had work to do and couldn’t just sit around with him. But he also knew he wouldn’t have wanted that.
“Okay. I’ll go with you to the rehearsal...will you be a guest or working the entire time?”
“I’ll be working for a bit but then I’ll be a guest,” she said.
“I don’t know how I’m going to face everyone.”
“Like you always do,” she reminded him. “You’re Logan Bisset and everyone knows you rule the world. No one is going to pity you or feel sorry for you.”
No one except himself. He felt sorry for himself that Juliette wasn’t his biological mom. That he wasn’t the man he’d always believed himself to be. But other people’s pity wasn’t something he felt comfortable with and neither was hiding out.
August was locked in the study with Carlton, and Juliette’s mom hadn’t left her side since Logan had left the house. Now they were in the kitchen, drinking a cup of tea, and Juliette’s kids were all sitting at the table with her. No one had said a word since Michael had served them and left them alone.
Juliette knew she needed to do something to help her kids get through this but she had no idea what to say. She’d always been able to smooth over the mistakes that Auggie made. To figure out a way to guide her kids and keep them focused on moving forward. But this...she had had no idea.
“Has anyone heard from Logan?” she asked. It was on her mind. She hated that one of her sons was out there, alone. From that moment in the hospital when she’d held him he’d always been her son. She might have known the truth in her mind but her heart had always claimed Logan as her son. It didn’t matter that he was a grown man and that he was upset with her. She was worried. She knew how he could be; he needed someone to talk to, but who would he discuss this with?
“I haven’t,” Leo said.
“He texted me to say he’s with Quinn,” Dare said. “Sorry I didn’t mention it. I wasn’t sure if he wanted anyone else to know.”
“That’s okay. I’m glad he’s with her. Are they getting back together?” she asked.
“Mom. Don’t act like everything is normal,” Mari said. “We need to talk about this. I’m not going to pretend you haven’t been keeping this a secret from us.”
“I know things aren’t normal, Marielle. I’m just trying to keep from breaking into a million pieces. I’m trying to keep the rest of us together,” she said.
“Well, it’s not working,” Leo said. “I can’t believe you did that. I mean I’m glad Logan was raised with us, but you should have—”
“Should have what?” Mari asked. “Told Dad? Told us? That would have gone really great.”
Mari’s sarcasm was strongest when she was hurting, and Juliette realized that she’d done a lot of damage to the heart of their family. She hated to see the kids fighting and knew she was to blame.
“I’m sorry.”
Dare got up and came to sit next to her, putting his arm around her shoulder and hugging her close. She hugged him back and felt tears burning her eyes as she did so. Her firstborn had always been a rock for her. She remembered the hot mess she’d been as a young mother, so unsure of herself. She’d screwed up a lot with Dare, but he’d turned out okay.
She had thought she’d done okay with all of the kids but this thing with Logan had proven otherwise. “No one was ever supposed to know.”
“Secrets have a way of coming out,” Vivian said. “No matter how well you think they are covered.”
“Thanks, Mom. That helps.”
Vivian shrugged and took a sip of her tea. “Don’t snap at me. This was your secret, but as I see it, I don’t think you could have done anything differently.”
Juliette nodded.
She didn’t either, but at the same time she regretted that she’d never said anything. Still, she’d justified putting it off. She’d been busy raising five kids, running her charities and keeping her marriage together. There had been a few moments when she’d let a thought creep in about that single mother who’d given her Logan, but it had always been a moment of gratitude that she had her wonderful son. Each of her kids was so different. So unique. And she loved them all. She didn’t want to lose Logan now.
“I agree,” Zac said. “Sometimes the secret gets bigger on its own. The circumstances change and you are stuck keeping quiet.”
She looked over at her middle child. The one who was in a mess of his own making at the moment. “I never thought of Logan as anything other than my child.”
Her other kids just nodded. They didn’t need to hear this. Logan did. But he wasn’t responding to her calls or her texts. She knew it would take time, but she didn’t want to wait. She needed to make this okay. She needed her son back in her home, close to her, so she’d know he forgave her.
