“You could say that.”

Declan hesitated and then set his phone on the table. “The truth is,” he began. “Well, the truth is... you’re my brother.”

Cade blinked and then blinked again before he laughed. “Is this a joke?” He looked around the restaurant. “Did someone put you up to this? Am I being recorded on a hidden camera?” He waited for Declan to laugh, but the man just pressed his lips together and shook his head.

“We’re brothers, Cade.”

“I hate to burst your bubble, but I’m an only child. You’ve got the wrong guy.”

Declan steepled his hands, his expression stoic. “I was adopted as an infant.”

Cade rubbed his elbow. “I don’t see what that has to do with me.”

“I’ve spent my entire adult life searching for my family. I joined every DNA website I could find, including Family Tree.”

The muscles in Cade’s shoulders stiffened.

“I submitted a saliva test, and I finally got a hit.” Declan paused. “And I found a relative, and that relative was you.”

“Th-that can’t be true.” Cade’s leg began to bounce.

“It’s true. We’re brothers.” Declan hit a few buttons on his phone and swiped a few times before holding the screen up for Cade to read. “We have the same mother.”

Cade’s mouth opened and then closed, and the world around him tilted. “That has to be a mistake. I’m an only child.”

Declan set the phone on the table and pushed it over to Cade. “That’s why I’ve been trying to reach you. When you didn’t answer my email, I came here and asked around until I found out where you worked.”

Cade’s gut tightened as he stared at the DNA results—he and Declan had the same mother, which meant Mom had given up a baby for adoption before Cade was born. How could that be true if his parents had never told him he had a brother?

Confusion overwhelmed him, and he fought the urge to flee the restaurant. But a mixture of curiosity and suspicion kept him cemented in place.

He finally met Declan’s eyes. “What do you want from me?”

“I’ve wanted to know my biological family ever since my parents told me I was adopted.”

Cade sagged on the booth seat and pushed the phone back over to Declan.

“I went to see your mother.” Declan moved his finger along the edge of the table. “Ourmother.” His lips turned down in a deep frown. “I found her store, but she refused to talk to me. Turned her back on me and hid in the back room until I left.” He rested his forearms on the table. “That was right before I came to see you.”

Cade just stared at him while questions swirled in his mind. If his mother had another child, why hadn’t she ever told him? Would she have kept this secret from him? Did his father know? None of this made any sense!

“How old are you?” he asked.

“Thirty-nine,” Declan said. “I’ll be forty in January.” He tilted his head. “You?”

“Thirty-three.” His voice sounded thick.

Declan shifted in his seat. “Look, I know this is a shock, but I didn’t know how else to tell you. It didn’t seem right to share this over the phone. To answer your question, I don’t want anything from you. I just...” He paused. “I just would like to have you in my life. I’ve always wondered about my family, and now that my wife and I are starting our own, it’s become even more important to us both.”

Cade stared at him as his words soaked through him. Not only did he possibly have a brother, but he also had a sister-in-law. And soon, he’d have a niece or nephew.

His head was spinning. It was too much.

“I’ll be in town until next Sunday,” Declan continued. “It would be great if you could help me arrange a meeting with ourmother. Maybe if you were involved, she’d consider talking to me.” There was desperation in Declan’s eyes, and Cade could feel him pleading with him for help.

Cade scratched his shoulder. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you.” Declan picked up his piece of pizza and took a bite.