Page 13 of Stolen Hearts

Rhae swallowed hard, fingers tightening on Navy’s onesie. “What makes you think so?”

Willow’s gaze flicked down to the baby in Rhae’s arms. The answer was clear as day. Navy had Denver’s eyes, his dark hair, the same little dimple in her left cheek. There was no denying it. In fact, Rhae was shocked nobody noticed before now, except…she was a baby. Their eyes were known to change colors.

Rhae exhaled shakily, rubbing her temple as Navy began to fuss. Without a word, Willow stepped forward and reached out, hands gentle as she took the baby from Rhae’s arms. Instinctively, Willow began bouncing her, murmuring low words that soothed Navy almost immediately.

Willow didn’t look away from Rhae. Her eyes were softer now, but still demanding. “Care to explain?”

Rhae’s shoulders slumped. She couldn’t run anymore. Couldn’t hide behind silence and excuses. Not with Willow staring at her like that.

“I was in love with him.” The words tumbled out before she could second-guess herself. Her voice cracked, but she kept going. “I never had a chance to tell him I was pregnant. He had a mission. I never heard from him. Decisions had to be made. Forour child. I did the best thing I knew to do.” The statements were all connected and yet somehow disjointed.

She took a shuddering breath, eyes dropping to the floor.I had to disappear…for my own reasons.She couldn’t speak the words. To anyone. Not yet.

Willow’s expression shifted, her hands still gently bouncing Navy, who was now playing with the ends of her hair. “You didn’t hear from him for a long time,” Willow murmured. “Neither did I. He never really told me what he did. I knew he was a SEAL, but there was more to it.”

Rhae nodded, the ache in her chest intensifying.

“Were you ever going to tell us?”

Rhae laughed, the sound hollow. “How would that work? It’s not like he ever announced we were a couple. So, I was supposed to show up and introduce you to Navy, and you’d just…take my word for it? Or we’d have DNA testing done? Then you would all think I was just here for a handout.”

Rhae dropped her voice to a whisper. “I don’t need anything like that. I have money. I’m not after money.”

She just didn’t spend any of it. She couldn’t access her accounts without bringing trouble down on her head. Luckily, she didn’t need access to her bank account because the Black Heart Ranch covered all of her bills and what they didn’t, she paid for in cash.

Rhae swallowed, steadying her breath. “But I thought…if I could just ensure Navy had some relationship with her family…even if they didn’t know, that was enough for me.”

Willow’s eyes shimmered with something close to admiration. “I can respect that. I see why you kept it hidden. And we already love you guys, but now…” She looked down at Navy, wonder spreading across her features. “This is myniece.”

Her voice was barely a whisper, filled with awe. Rhae’s heart twisted painfully.

“When are you going to tell him?” Willow asked, eyes lifting back to Rhae.

Rhae swallowed hard. “First of all, I didn’t even know he was here. I thought…”

He was a dead man walking. Blackout. A lifer who would never walk away from his brotherhood. But he was here.

“Um…he didn’t even want to talk to me.” Her chest burned. “After that shock, I can’t blame him.”

Willow’s gaze softened.

“Willow, you may have to sit with this for a while—not say anything. Can I count on you?”

She bounced the baby a little and nodded. But deep down, the ache to find him, to see him again…to compare Navy’s face to his…was eating her alive.

Willow shifted Navy to her hip and grinned. In a cute baby voice, she said, “What do you think, Navy? Can Auntie Willow keep a secret?”

Rhae groaned, slapping a hand over her face. “So…no.”

Willow laughed, muted but genuine. “Don’t wait too long. We’re all going to want to claim her.”

Rhae’s lips curved into a bittersweet smile. “I’ll see what I can do.”

* * * * *

Denver pushed himself to walk faster, stretching each stride to a longer one. The urge to break into a run scalded him, but he forced it down. Buried it deep, just like everything else that had to do with Rhae.

Fuck. She really was here on the Black Heart. How?

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