Page 44 of Wilde Ride

“I’m calling because I want to know why you told Rhett that he and Brooke didn’t have the same father. He has no idea what you meant. But I have a feeling I do.”

The line went silent. Then she cleared her throat. “I was angry that day, Levi. You and I had been fighting, and I just vented.”

“To our son? How old was he when you told him you never wanted him, Caroline?”

“It was before the accident. The day before.”

“Fucking hell! How do you even say that to your own child?!”

“Because Rhett loved you, Levi! He worshiped the ground you walked on, and Brooke was following his lead. It was said out of anger, and I told him I didn’t mean it. That I said it because I was upset with you and not him.”

“Then you go and give him up. Do you know he said he hated you today?”

A sharp intake of breath came across the phone. She was silent again before she spoke. “Maybe it’s better that he does. I’m not sure I can be a mother to him.”

“What in the hell are you talking about?”

“I think he’s better off without me in his life. He’ll be happier, and you and I won’t have to see one another.”

“You hate me so much that you’d walk away from your own kid?” When she didn’t say anything, I asked, “Was I Brooke’s father?”

“Yes, of course you were.”

“Why did you say that to Rhett?”

“I don’t know.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “You don’t know?”

“She is…she was your daughter.”

“Did you at any time think she might not be?” I asked, feeling a sickness roll through my entire body at the thought of Caroline cheating. When she didn’t say anything yet again, I pressed, “Caroline?”

“It was a short affair, and I was lonely.”

My knees almost buckled, and Emeline jumped up and reached for me.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Who is that?” Caroline barked.

Ignoring her question, I asked, “You cheated on me?”

“Levi, we were both so unhappy, and the marriage was clearly over. But I broke things off with him, and then I got pregnant with Brooke when we went on that trip to Italy to try to work things out with our marriage. Obviously, it didn’t work. But I found out I was pregnant the next month, so I couldn’t leave. There was no way I could raise two kids on my own, so I stayed.”

“Fucking hell, Caroline. You stayed with me solely because you couldn’t make it on your own? Are you serious? Why not just ask me for a divorce before you cheated? The whole damn marriage was started on a lie! What difference would it have made to end it before another one was started?”

Emeline stepped back and turned away from me. I knew she was debating whether she should leave.

“I could ask you the same thing? Who’s the person with you? Moving on pretty fast, aren’t you?”

I laughed. “Says the woman who cheated! Sign the divorce papers and stay the fuck away from me and Rhett, Caroline.”

Instead of hanging up, I threw my phone across the room against the wall. Emeline jumped and covered a small yelp with her hands.

I dropped to the floor, back against the counter, put my arms on my knees, and buried my face in my hands. I could hear Emeline saying something, but I knew she wasn’t talking to me.

How could Caroline cheat? How could she tell our son she didn’t want him?