To think that Josh, always known as the “good” twin, had suffered because of the choices he’d made was something Oliver would spend time wrapping his head around. It had never occurred to him that his brother might have regrets.
“So what are your plans after you step down as CEO?” Oliver asked, turning their conversation from the miserable past to a brighter future.
“I’m going to focus on things that make me happy.”
“It seems like you already have that covered with Sophie.”
Sophie Armstrong had burst into Joshua’s life while writing an anniversary piece on the “Black Crescent Fiasco.” The article turned out to be filled with wild theories and blatant inaccuracies about the Lowell family, especially Joshua. In the process of digging for background information, Sophie learned about Joshua’s supposed illegitimate child, but she never published the information. Instead she told Joshua what she’d discovered. Confronted with a DNA report, Joshua had contacted every woman from his past and found none of them had a four-year-old girl they claimed was his. Despite keeping it out of the article, the rumor mill got a hold of it, and everyone in Falling Brook knew.
“She is the best thing that ever happened to me,” Josh agreed. “When everyone else was convinced the DNA test was legitimate and that I was refusing to acknowledge that little girl as mine, Sophie believed me when I said I would never do that. And I wouldn’t.”
His brother’s fervent declaration resonated with Oliver. “Have you figured out what’s up with the DNA test?”
“I checked out the doctor who ran the test. Although he’s pretty shady, turns out his results are accurate.” Joshua paused for effect, and a smile ghosted across his lips. “Jake is the father.”
“You’re sure?
“As sure as an identical twin can be,” Josh said. “And I wish I could say I’m surprised that Jake hasn’t come forward to claim her.”
“Have you heard from him?”
“Not a word.”
Both men sat in silence for several minutes while Oliver processed what he’d learned. The waiter chose that moment to appear and take their order. After he left, Joshua settled his serious gaze on Oliver. “I’m sure you didn’t invite me to lunch to chat with me about my love life or Black Crescent. Or even our dad. So, Ol, what’s on your mind?”
“You know that conversation we had where we both agreed that we’d be disasters as dads?” Oliver paused and let a few of their choice remarks replay in his head. “And how I went on and on about how I never wanted the responsibility of fatherhood?”
He let his voice trail off and waited for his meaning to sink in. When Joshua’s eyes narrowed, Oliver braced himself for his brother’s censure.
“You’re going to be a father?” Joshua asked, his tone neutral.
Oliver exhaled. “Yes.”
“You look as if you expect me to scold you about it. Well, those days are over. You’re a grown-ass man, and as such you need to take responsibility. But I think you already know that.” Joshua’s tone hit the perfect note, and Oliver smiled. “So what can I help you with?”
“I plan on taking responsibility for the child. To do anything else has never been an option. But I’ve been thinking a lot about what we talked about.” Oliver braced himself and asked the question that had plagued him since learning Sammi was pregnant. “Did you mean it when you said you’d make a terrible father? Was that just blowing off steam because you knew the child wasn’t yours?” Oliver could see from his brother’s flat expression that he wasn’t doing a good job communicating the angst that filled him. “When you say doing the right thing, are you talking about financial support or really stepping up and being a great dad?”
“I guess when I was in the thick of the situation and believing it was possible for me to be the child’s father, I was so caught up in finding the mother and child that I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking what would happen when I did.”
With everything that Joshua had been through in the last few months, Oliver wasn’t surprised that his brother would prioritize actual problems over abstract improbabilities.
“And now that you and Sophie are together, have you thought about having children?”
“To be honest, I know we will, but I haven’t considered what sort of dad I’d be.” Joshua wore a contemplative frown, as if Oliver’s questions had opened Pandora’s box. “I’m sorry if that doesn’t help you.”
“That’s okay,” Oliver said, hiding his disappointment. “This really is something I need to sort out for myself.”
“Who’s the woman?” Joshua asked. “Have you been seeing her for a while?”
“Samantha Guzman. Sammi. We only met recently—right after I received that fishing equipment—and I wasn’t thinking clearly that night.”
Joshua gave him an understanding nod. “Are you together?”
“It’s complicated,” Oliver admitted. “The thing is, I like her a lot. In fact, I asked her to move in with me. But I have no idea where things are going, and it’s not as if I ever imagined going the whole traditional-relationship route with a commitment and possibly marriage.”
“Neither did I, until Sophie came along.”
“But it’s different with me. I’ve never been the guy that other people could rely on. I’m not romantic, and most everyone who has dealt with me at one point or another thinks I’m a pain-in-the-ass jerk. And if all that isn’t bad enough, then Vernon had to get himself spotted on that Caribbean island and extradited back here to face trial. Maybe if that hadn’t happened, I could’ve eventually closed the door on my past. But now he’s reappeared, and the amount of media this has stirred up is driving me crazy.”
Oliver paused in his tirade and unclenched his fists. The rage that swept him every time he thought about how his father had been living it up in style all these years while they all suffered made him want to throw things. He took several deep
