Page 108 of The Back Forty
We’re built the same too, tall and broad-shouldered, like we were made to carry heavy things. And the jawline? Hell, we could’ve been cut from the same damn mold.
I’ve always known it, seen flashes of myself in him at the fair, across town, but tried not to focus on it. I don’t think he ever noticed. Or maybe he did and never let himself believe it.
“Have a seat, dear,” Rhett's mom says before pulling a chair out for me and Dani. Her voice is soft, like she knows there's more to our visit than Sunday dinner. Dani gives my hand another reassuring squeeze as we both sit.
“Sweet tea?” she offers.
“That’d be great,” I say, trying to clear the tightness from my throat.
Dani nods politely, still holding my hand like she’s anchoring me to the floor. I blow out a long breath and glance across the table at Rhett. No point dancing around it. He deserves the truth, clear and unvarnished.
“So… I don’t really know a better way to say this,” I start. “So, I’m just going to come right out with it.”
He watches me calmly, arms folded, like he’s bracing himself.
“You’re my brother.”
His brows drop. “No shit?”
I nod once. “Yeah. We’ve got the same dad.”
There’s a beat of silence before he leans back farther, hands resting on his stomach. “Huh,” he says with a slow exhale. “That explains a few things.”
Rhett's mom places two glasses of sweet tea in front of us and gently squeezes my shoulder. Her hand lingers for a second, steady and warm.
“Oh, honey,” she murmurs, shaking her head. “I had no idea.”
“Neither did I, not until I was a little bit older when Kent Marshall told me. But I was lucky. My mom, well, the woman I’ve always called Mom but was really my aunt, was Anne Marshall. She was Bethany’s sister, my birth mother. After things got… bad… she and Kent took me in. I was barely a year old. I’ve known them as my parents ever since. Never met my dad but I knew his name from the stories Kent would tell me and my birth certificate.”
She nods slowly, emotion flickering in her eyes. “It’s a blessing, truly. I regret every day that Rhett's father was in his life. He left more scars than I’ll ever be able to count. That man was a menace and full of anger and fury.”
Rhett sighs and rubs a hand over his face. “Well, damn. Would’ve loved to have a brother growing up but this is cool as shit.”
“You’re not… mad?” I ask, surprised.
He shrugs, the corner of his mouth tugging into a half-smile. “Can’t be mad about something you didn’t know. Can’t undo the past. We’ve got now, right?”
I glance at Dani. She’s smiling that warm, unwavering smile of hers, and I can feel the anxiety in my chest loosen just a bit.
“You want to go out on the lake?” Rhett asks suddenly. “I just bought a little boat I’ve been dying to try out and it's hot as sin outside.”
“Uh… yeah. Sure,” I say, caught off guard by how easily he’s taking all of this.
Rhett stands with a grin. “Dani, you interested in sticking around for some of my mama’s cooking? You haven’t lived till you’ve tried her fried okra.”
Dani’s eyes sparkle. “That sounds amazing.”
"You sure?" I ask her softly in her ear.
She waves me off. “Go. I’ll catch up with Rhett's mom. Take your time.”
I kiss her gently—just a brush of lips, but it steadies me. When I pull back, Rhett’s watching us with an amused grin.
“You really showed up at my mama’s trailer and dropped the brother bomb on me, huh?” he says, laughing as he slaps me on the back. “Colt and Molly weren’t lying. You’re a bold son of a bitch.”
I snort. “Have to be for my job.”
He heads toward the screen door, grabbing his keys off the hook. “At least it isn’t Cash that I’m related to. That guy can be insufferable. So, does this mean I’m an honorary Marshall now or what?”
