I rushed out the front door so fast I forgot to grab my coat. When I saw Chris’s number flash across my screen, I wasn’t sure what to expect. There was only one reason he would call me, and that knowledge had my heart racing. He had information on the paternity test, the one I hadn’t told Mia or my parents about.

Once I closed the front door behind me, I tapped my phone to answer the call. “Hey, Chris. How are you?”

“Doing good, man. Just wanted to touch base with you. I got your message that you were going out of town.”

“Yes, Mia and I left this afternoon. My signal isn’t the greatest where we are, so I wanted you to know you could leave me a message to call you in case you couldn’t reach me.”

“It’s good to hear you got Mia away for a little while. She needs a vacation.”

She needed more than time away. Her life and my child’s life were in danger. After receiving the package with the snake, I was convinced my life was at risk as well. None of us were safe when it came to Izzy.

“This is more than a vacation, Chris. A week ago, Izzy made some threats against Mia, the baby, and me. Then, a few days ago, Mia almost fell coming down the stairs backstage, and a few minutes later, I received a package that had a venomous snake.”

Chris blew out a deep breath. “Wow, man. I don’t even know what to say. Izzy has some deep-seated issues. I’m not at liberty to discuss what she’s told me, but I’m telling you, Ayden, it’s good you guys got away.”

I shivered at the thought. Chris knew things about Izzy that Mia and I didn’t. He wasn’t breaking confidentiality by telling me what he had, but for him to feel the need to say it disturbed me. I had to keep Mia away from her sister for as long as possible. Hopefully, their father would get through to her, but I doubted it. Izzy needed psychiatric help. Despite how hard Shane Brooks was trying to help her, it wouldn’t be enough.

“Mia’s father is at Music Haven. He came to help Andi run the place while we are gone, but he thinks he can get through to Izzy while he’s there.”

Chris snorted. “He’s wasting his time. Izzy needs professional help from a qualified psychiatrist. Is she still taking the medication I prescribed her?”

“As far as I know, but it’s not doing her any good if she’s still making threats or acting upon them.”

“What a mess.”

When Chris grew silent, I gazed into the window to the dining room. I could see my parents and Mia inside chatting. Mia appeared to be doing most of the talking. I assumed my parents were asking her questions to get to know her. Knowing my mom, she was probably asking questions about the baby or even the wedding.

“You still there, Ayden?”

“Yeah, I’m here. Just have a million things on my mind. Sorry.”

“No worries. I called to let you know I got your message, but I wanted to let you know about the paternity test too.”

Gripping the phone, I stared into the darkness. “What about the test? Did the results come in?”

I leaned the phone to my shoulder as I brought my hands to my mouth and blew inside of them. It was so cold outside. Regardless of how hard my heart was pumping, it did little to warm my blood. Chris’s announcement turned it to ice.

“My friend at the lab called to let me know he has one more test to do on the samples. Once it’s finished, he will gather all the data and compare it. Then he’ll have the results.”

It was the best news I’d heard in a while. Soon, I would know if the child Izzy miscarried was mine or if she was lying through her teeth. The chance of the baby actually belonging to me was slim. Izzy would have had to get my dick hard enough to fuck me while I was passed out. It wasn’t impossible, but the probability was so small it was hard for me to consider it.

“Will the results be mailed to me, and will you find out before I do?”

“Yes, and most likely, yes. Would you like me to call if I find out first?”

Half a laugh passed over my lips. “Uh, yeah. Definitely. The sooner I know, the better.”

“What about the letter you’re expecting from the lab? Is Andi or Bentley getting the mail for Mia and you while you’re away?”

The wind whipped around me as I moved closer to the front door. Our conversation would be over shortly, then I could get back inside. “Andi is getting our mail. She’s putting it in Mia’s suite.”

“I could always ask my friend to mail it to wherever it is you two are staying.”

As much as I’d like to have the letter in my hand when I told Mia the results, I didn’t want to jeopardize our location. We didn’t plan to stay here the entire time, and I didn’t think Chris would tell anyone where we were but accidents happened. Izzy found out about Mia’s pregnancy because she was eavesdropping on my phone conversation with my mother. What was stopping her from overhearing Chris? Yeah, maybe the chances were low, but I couldn’t risk it. Mia and the baby’s lives were at stake.

“No, there’s no need to send it where we’re staying. If I need it that bad, I’ll get Andi or Bentley to mail it to me, but there isn’t much I can do about it until I get home. Izzy is a bomb just waiting to explode. Besides, I can’t just come right out and confront her without revealing you broke confidentiality.”

“Yeah, about that.” Chris cleared his throat. “I had to talk to a lawyer too and an ethics committee member to make sure, but you’ll be happy to know I didn’t break patient-doctor confidentiality with Izzy.”

My mouth fell open. The wind stole my breath as I stuttered. “H—how is that po-possible?”

“The test we ran didn’t break any laws because Izzy signed off on the paperwork to have the paternity test. She just never came in to give me a blood sample. The papers she signed don’t say how we were taking samples, only that samples would be used.”

The news was like music to my ears. This night kept getting better. Not only was I home visiting my family with my beautiful fiancée and protecting her and our child, I was hoping to prove once and for all that I never slept with Izzy and I didn’t cheat on Mia. If the results showed that the baby my ex miscarried wasn’t mine, I could finally confront her.

Now all I had to do was tell Mia what Chris and I did.

The sound of the door sweeping open alerted me to the fact that Ayden had come back inside. As I placed my plate and fork in the kitchen sink, Kay rinsed them off. Despite how much I protested and assured her that I could do it, she wouldn’t hear of it.

I was on my way to find Ayden when he walked into the kitchen. His cheeks and hands were blood red, and his nose put a clown’s to shame. When he first left the table to take the call, I assumed he was going to another part of the house. After hearing the front door open and close, I knew I was wrong.

He was outside all this time on the phone, and apparently without a coat. Why had he felt the need to take his conversation someplace else anyway? The longer I observed him, the more I worried that Izzy had made the call.

“Hey.” I pulled him closer and grabbed his cold hands. “What did you do, forget your coat?”

“Yeah.” His teeth chattered.

I did my best to warm his hands, but he needed his whole body warmed. “Come on. Let’s get you in front of the fire. I can reheat your food whenever you’re ready.”

“Already on it, sweetheart,” Kay chimed in. I glanced at the microwave, noting the plate inside spinning in a circle. I gave her an appreciative nod as she smiled. “I’m taking care of you guys while you’re here. That’s what moms do, so no arguing about it.”

“Thank you, Kay.”

She waved off my comment. “You don’t have to thank me. You’re family now, Mia. We take care of our family. By the way, you can grab the blanket off the sofa in the sitting room. Wrap it around Ayden.”

“Will do.” Nudging him, I motioned for him to walk forward. I guided him through the sitting room, making sure he went to the fireplace first, then I grabbed the blanket Kay mentioned. It was super soft and thick.

As soon as I wrapped it around Ayden, I unfolded his fingers and placed the edge of the blanket against his palm. Then I wrapped his fingers back around it. When I made my way around him and came back to the front, I reached for his other hand.

He drew me against him instead. Once he clutched the other edge of the blanket, our bodies pressed together. I gazed up at him, noting the smile on his face.

“Thank you.”

As he whispered the words, I said nothing when he eased back to look at me. Then his lips were on mine. His cold nose made me flinch, but I ignored it, focusing instead on the feel of his mouth. He wasn’t getting passionate with the kiss. It was sweet and tender.

When he finally pulled away, he leaned his head to mine. “I love you so much.”

“And I love you.”

He smiled again. It warmed my heart to see him feeling better, but a second later I noticed something else. His chest rose and fell with effort. The sigh leaving his mouth concerned me. Something was on his mind.

“What’s wrong?”

“I have something I need to discuss with you. Neither my mom nor my dad is aware of this any more than you, and I’d like to keep it away from them until it’s settled. You, on the other hand, need to be aware of what’s happening.”

He paused when footsteps sounded from the kitchen. I gazed over my shoulder to see Kay and Holden cleaning. As she sealed up leftovers and finished her dishes, Holden swept the floor.

Facing Ayden again, he continued, “I will tell you everything once we go to the apartment. Just don’t say anything in front of them.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t say anything. Just focus on getting warm.”

I didn’t miss the way his lips crooked. “Trust me, the instant I felt your body against mine, I was better. I’d rather be alone with you, underneath the covers.”

It was an offer I couldn’t resist. I wanted to tell Ayden to follow me to the apartment so I could hold him to it, but I noticed his parents leaving the kitchen.

“Your parents are coming.” I tried to wiggle out of his embrace and put a respectful amount of space between us, but Ayden wouldn’t release me. He held on tighter.

“If you’re embarrassed for them to see us this intimate, don’t be. Body heat is one of the best ways to warm a person. Besides, I’m pretty sure they know we’re having sex. After all, you are pregnant.”

He could be a smartass when he wanted to be. I rolled my eyes at him and stopped fighting against his embrace. If he was going with it, so would I.

As his parents entered the living room, they didn’t come all the way inside. Both smiled at us, but his mother spoke first. “Your dinner is in the microwave, warmed and ready. I’m super excited you two are here. We’ll catch up some more tomorrow. Dad has to work in the morning, but I’ll be here.”

“I think we’re about to head to bed too, after I eat. It’s been a long day.”

“The apartment is unlocked and ready. I put fresh linens on the bed, the towels are stocked, and you have snacks and drinks in the fridge. If you need anything else, I can go to the grocery store tomorrow.”

“I think we’re good, Mom. Thank you. You guys sleep well.”

“You too, my boy.”

“Night, Dad.” Ayden waved to his father.

“Night, son. Mia.”

Both disappeared around the corner. Their footsteps sounded from the staircase, their voices fading as they climbed. Then a door closed. Once I was sure they were in their room, I glanced at Ayden.

My curiosity had gotten the better of me, as had my hormones. I wanted to know whatever secret he was keeping, but when he’d finished, I wanted him to make love to me.

I just hoped what he had to say wouldn’t ruin the moment.

The apartment was the perfect size for Ayden and me. It had one bedroom, a full kitchen and bath, and a quaint living room overlooking a pond and trees. The heat coming out of the vents had each room nice and toasty, but the fireplace in the living room added a comforting vibe.

I loved the apartment. It gave us just enough privacy for time to ourselves, but close enough that we could spend time with Ayden’s family. I knew how important it was to him that I get to know his parents, as well as his grandmother, uncle, aunt, and cousin.

Ayden rolled the suitcases toward the bedroom as I followed with the bags. At least I was able to help him with our luggage this time. He couldn’t argue about it when I grabbed the bags before he could reach them. I took them to the bathroom so I could put our toiletries away later. Ayden was hanging our coats inside the closet near the door.

I was putting away our clothes, humming a song softly, when I sensed Ayden enter the room. His hands heated my hips before he spoke the first word.

“Are you warm enough?”

“I’m perfect. What about you?” His skin teased my fingers as I caressed the back of his hands and leaned into him. When I gazed up, he smiled.

“I’m good right now. Doesn’t mean I’m not looking forward to feeling your skin next to mine tonight.”

I lowered my hand and finished hanging one of his shirts. “Well, all you have to do to make it happen is tell me whatever it is you wanted to talk about. Then you can spend the rest of the night focusing on feeling my body next to yours.”

This time when I glanced his way, the smile he wore was gone. His eyes closed as he drew in a deep breath. They opened when he exhaled. “I don’t want what I have to say to ruin the mood.”

How ironic for him to say such a thing when I thought something similar while we were in the house. I swore he could read my mind sometimes. Maybe he was just that attuned to me. That was a good thing.

“Don’t be afraid to talk to me, Ayden. We made that mistake in the past. This time, we’re doing things the right way. Remember?”

He tugged my arm until I stopped unloading the suitcase and gave him my full attention. Once I did, he cupped my face with his hands. “I’m not dredging up the past, but when Izzy lost her baby, I said some hurtful things to you. It didn’t mean I ever believed her child was mine. You know this, don’t you?”

I nodded. “Why are you bringing this up?”

His gaze shifted away from me as his shoulders slumped. “Mia . . . I never told you this, but after we argued in the emergency room and Izzy’s nurse came to get me, I never went to see her.”

Shaking my head, I did my best to understand what he was saying. I was so close to telling him about our baby that night. Had my sister’s nurse not come to find him, I probably would have told him then. Instead, I was hurt and ready to push him away for any reason.

I had so many regrets.

“You didn’t go see her?”

“No. I went to find Chris to ask him a question. I couldn’t locate him so I texted him. He didn’t answer me back right away, but when he did, he said he needed to talk to me too. I waited in the emergency room until he found me.”

I wasn’t sure why he wanted to talk to Chris, but it relieved me to hear that he didn’t see Izzy. If only her nurse hadn’t shown up. We would have saved each other a lot of heartache.

“What did you and Chris discuss?”

“The paternity test.”

My skin tingled. I wasn’t expecting Ayden’s answer. “Why were you discussing the test? Izzy never had her blood drawn, or did she?”

Ayden grimaced. “Not exactly. Chris told me that he could still run the test without Izzy’s blood. The procedure they gave Izzy removed what was left of her pregnancy. He said we could test a sample of it.”

It was morbid. No one could deny that fact. The longer I thought about, the more nauseous I grew. At the same time, it fascinated me to know that a paternity test could be performed this way.

“Are you telling me that you had the test run?”

“Yeah, I did. The sad thing is, the lab Chris sent it to couldn’t get a conclusive result.”

“So you never got an answer?” Disappointment kinked my heart. I was hoping he’d gotten an answer. Not because I wanted to know, but because he had a right to know the truth.

“No, I didn’t get an answer, but Chris said he had a friend at another lab who had better equipment. He assured me that they would get results. It would be expensive, but someone footed the bill.”

Disbelief overtook me. I eased myself onto the edge of the bed and thought about what Ayden said. Who would have known about the test, aside from Chris or him?

“Did he tell you who paid for it or how they knew?”

“No. Chris said he couldn’t say, but he told me all of this right after I got on the tour bus. He said he found some inconsistencies in Izzy’s chart at his office and the one at the hospital.”

I jerked my head back. “Inconsistencies?” This time when he nodded, I stood from the bed and approached him. “What are you talking about?”

“Dates weren’t matching up. Information was missing. And the procedure report had some info that caught his attention. He hasn’t confirmed this part yet, but he was suspicious that Izzy lost the baby before she fell down the steps.”

The deep breaths I took didn’t help me. This revelation rocked me soul deep. How could my sister have miscarried before she fell? “How would that be possible?”

Ayden’s lips thinned as his throat wobbled. “Chris reminded me about the day Izzy thought she was miscarrying, just before you took off to New York. Even though he heard the heartbeat, it was weak. He thinks she miscarried later that night. He said it was possible she didn’t know, but what if she did?”

“No way. She couldn’t have.” When his brows rose, I scoffed. “This is crazy, Ayden, even for Izzy.”

“Not really. You said she hates you. She came looking for us that night, and while she didn’t know we’d be on the staircase, I believe she had every intention of getting you to fight her.”

“What exactly are you insinuating, Ayden?”

He straddled my legs and held my hands inside his. “Izzy came to pick a fight that night so she could blame her miscarriage on you like she’s doing now.

My jaw relaxed as I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I knew my sister hated me and wouldn’t think twice about harming my child or me. She would even hurt Ayden because she knew what it would do to me. But to think she would hurt herself to fake a miscarriage she already had seemed bizarre.

Leaning back against the wall, I told myself this wasn’t possible, but my gut said it was. Izzy would stop at nothing to make sure I either spent time behind bars or ceased to exist. If my dad couldn’t get through to her, I didn’t know what would.

“So who called you this evening?”

“Chris. I had texted him before we left to let him know I would be out of town and my signal would be scarce. He promised to notify me if he heard anything about the tests. I wanted him to know he could send me a text in case I missed his call.”

Now my curiosity was in overdrive. I bit my bottom lip as I did my best to process everything. “Did Chris have any news?”

“Actually, he did. His friend at the lab said he had one more test to run on the samples, then he’d collect the data, compare the results, and have an answer. He assured Chris it wouldn’t be much longer.”

“I wish we could use this information to get Izzy the help she needs. I doubt we can. We’d have to be able to prove she knew she miscarried before the night she went to the hospital.”

“There’s one more thing I need to tell you. Wait. Let me show you.” Ayden pulled his cell phone from his pocket and tapped the screen a few times. After a few seconds, he flipped it around and pointed to a message. “I got this text the same night Izzy miscarried.”

Taking the phone into my hands, I glanced at the message he received. The date collaborated with the time Izzy lost her child and I discovered I was pregnant.

Lies surround you, Ayden McAllister. You‘ve been given false information. Izzy Giles isn’t who you think she is. Don’t believe everything you’ve been told about her pregnancy or her miscarriage.

A chill ran down my spine. “Who sent this?”

Shrugging, Ayden accepted his phone from me when I handed it back. “I don’t know who it was, but they have information on your sister. They haven’t texted me since that night.”

My brain felt as though it would explode. As much as it bothered me to know that Ayden had hidden all of this, deep down, I knew he was trying to protect me. It’s not like I had given him the chance to fill me in when he returned to Music Haven, and we didn’t exchange texts while he was gone. So much had happened since he’d returned, I didn’t blame him for keeping this bottled up.

“So what do we do?”

Tucking my hair behind my ear, he stroked my cheek as he leaned in closer. “We’ll give your dad the information we have. Maybe he will be able to get her to confess.”

As much as I wanted to think it was possible for my dad to get through to my sister, I had my doubts. I’d never known Izzy as anything but confrontational. Without professional help and medication, I feared she would fake her way through whatever progress my father thought he was making.

I hated to admit it, but at this point in our lives, I wasn’t sure Izzy would ever change. Something inside of me was screaming at me to beware.