Erin tucked a fire-engine-red strand of hair back behind her ear and grinned. “Yeah? I gotta say I’m very much looking forward to meeting Miles. He sounds a lot like Brody. Serious. Likes to take care of people. My brother is going to be heartbroken to know he’s missed thirteen years of this child’s life. Angry. Jealous. Afraid. I just . . .” Erin licked her lips. “I would just very much like you to give Adrian a break. When he finds out for sure, it’s going to hit him hard. I know he’s been a pain in the ass so far and that you have been beyond good to him. But I’m going to ask you to give him a little bit more leeway.”

Erin shook her head, tears in her eyes. “How could she not tell you? My brother is a good man. He would have been there for Miles.”

Gillian sighed. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve asked so many times. She’s always refused. I don’t know why she finally revealed who Miles’s dad was. She just did. And then a friend showed me Adrian’s picture, you know, from his website. My friend, I’d just told her about Adrian and she showed me Adrian’s picture and held it near Miles’s picture. It was obvious, and then I saw your older brother, Brody, and I knew for sure. They have similar smiles, my son and Brody.

“I knew it was true then. I couldn’t deny it any further. Not that your brother made it any easier. Prat.”

“I’m sorry he’s been such a dingus. In his defense, it’s hard to be where he is. It’s hard because so many people have ulterior motives. It’s difficult to trust outside our group. Fame like he has changes how you see everything. He’ll do right by Miles. I know it. He’ll be a good father too.”

“He’s the best I’ve got, you see. Miles. He came along just when I had no idea I needed him. I had other plans, as you do when you’re twenty-one. None of the items on my to-do list included two a.m. feedings or moving out here. But then he was there and the nurse handed him to me and everything else on the entire planet simply didn’t matter. I will do anything to protect my son. Anything. I’m not doing this to help Adrian. I don’t even like Adrian. I’m doing this because if Miles is partly yours too, he can only benefit by having more people to belong to. But if any of you hurt him, you’ll never know what hit you.”

“I respect that. We have lots of love in our family. Plenty for Miles.”

“You can’t have him. Just understand that. He’s mine. I won’t accept anyone who feels as if my son is a place to visit every once in a while, or a prize to be won. He deserves stability.”

“I totally agree with you. I feel like I’m Adrian’s ambassador.” Erin laughed and then laughed some more. “You have no idea, but this is totally novel to me. It’s usually Adrian who is my ambassador, or Brody. Adrian is the sweet one. The calm one. He doesn’t say mean things and he sure as hell doesn’t say them to women.” She sobered. “He’s torn apart. I love my brother very much. He’s my best friend. I just wanted to thank you for opening your life up this way so that he can have his son.”

Gillian hadn’t been close with Tina. Couldn’t have trusted her the way Erin so clearly did her brothers. But Erin spoke to her mother-to-mother, and that made a difference. Made some of the fear ebb enough so she could take a deep breath for the first time in a week.

Her phone rang. “Excuse me a moment, it’s Miles.” She answered. “I’ll be leaving in about five minutes. Did you get out early?”

“Ryan’s gonna give me a ride home, if that’s okay? We’re getting ready to leave and he saw us. He’s going to drop Kaylee off first, but she’s just on the way to our place.”

Ryan, Mary’s brother who taught at the middle school, had been part of Miles’s life for as long as his sister had.

“Yes, that’s okay. Hang on a moment.” She looked to Erin. “Would you like to meet him? Miles? He’ll be home in about ten minutes.”

Erin’s eyes widened and then she nodded.

“Come straight home, all right?”

She hung up.

“I . . . I really appreciate this. What do you plan to tell him? Does he know about Adrian?”

“The DNA test was yesterday so I had to sit him down and explain it all. Not the identity of his dad. I didn’t want to do that until we had proof and I’d spoken with Adrian in depth about how their meeting would go. Or I suppose after Cal—that’s my attorney—speaks to Adrian’s attorneys. Whatever. I just don’t want to upset Miles’s schedule or his life. Thirteen is a hard age.”

“All right. So I can be a family friend for now. Then I can be his aunt. And don’t fret too much about the lawyer thing. It won’t be that way forever. Adrian will come around.”

They spoke for a few minutes more until Gillian heard Ryan’s car out front.

Erin laughed, picking up her bag and heading out with Gillian. “I can’t recall the last time I was so nervous to meet a thirteen-year-old boy. Probably not since I was thirteen.”

She needn’t have worried. He got out of the car at the base of the driveway and the guy pulled away with a wave.

“He hasn’t noticed yet,” Gillian said quietly.

Miles walked up the driveway at a pokey pace until he saw his mother and smiled. Erin warmed at the sight. Further evidence that the boy had a good life.

He sped up a bit and stopped cold when he really caught sight of Erin.