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“Are you sure?”

Vee nodded, nibbling her lip. “It all came out tonight. I didn’t know. Aunt Rachel said she found out when she heard Dad and Grandpa Carroll arguing.”

“A long time ago.”

“Yeah. Grandpa had only been in the NFL for less than ten years. He didn’t want a scandal with his son. He told Dad to pay for an abortion. It’s been a buried secret forever.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “What does this have to do with Bre?”

“The woman didn’t have an abortion. Unbeknownst to Dad, to anyone, she gave birth to a girl.”

I blinked, trying to make the connection. It couldn’t be.

“Fuck, Bre?” I questioned.

CHAPTER 48

Vee

“Yes,” I replied, tasting bile from my upset stomach.

“Your dad didn’t know that Bre was his daughter?”

I shook my head. This was so messed up. I couldn’t even think about the fact that they were in a relationship. “It’s gross. The thing is, Dad ended up marrying that same woman. She’d gone away from Kentucky and came back two years later. That woman was my mother.”

“She didn’t tell him she had his child?”

I shook my head. “According to Aunt Rachel, no. My mom—her name is Olivia—gave Bre up for an open adoption. The birth certificate listed the father as unknown. Aunt Rachel said no one in the family knew. She just knew that Olivia resented Grandpa Carroll for what she thought he made her do. Grandpa didn’t realize my mom was the same woman from Dad’s past. When Olivia gave birth to me, Aunt Rachel said she went off the deep end. It sounds more like postpartum depression. But the Hubbards couldn’t have a crazy woman in the family.

“Dad filed for divorce.” I shook my head. “Tonight, after the flowers, Aunt Rachel and I found Bre here.”

Fin’s gaze was intense, trying to make sense of this ridiculous unraveling. The tendons pulled taut in his neck. “She was here, in the hotel?”

I remembered seeing her. “She’s pregnant, Fin. She’s showing.”

He wrinkled his nose. “With her own father’s baby?”

“No. Daphne confirmed that Dad had a vasectomy over a decade ago. But apparently, Bre believed that the paternity test wouldn’t have ruled Dad out as father.”

“Because Bre has your father’s DNA.”

I nodded. “She’s wrong though. That’s not how paternity tests work. When we found Bre, she wasn’t alone.” The next part was hard to say. “She was with Olivia, our mother.” New tears came from my eyes. I wiped my nose with the back of my hand. “I didn’t know her. Aunt Rachel did. She and Bre have been working together to take everything from Dad and Aunt Rachel.” I shook my head. “Olivia’s been living in California since she eluded authorities twenty-nine years ago in Arizona.”

“Wait,” Fin said, “she was in Arizona?”

“Trish investigated Dad’s divorce for me. Originally, the court granted joint custody of me. Then when I was sixteen months old, Olivia took me to Arizona without my dad’s permission. Trish said that Dad pressed charges. Aunt Rachel said it was strongly encouraged by Grandpa Carroll. Grandpa promised Dad if he would do away with my mom once and for all, he would inherit the Coopers.”

“What about the information from Clark about your uncle’s father?”

“Oh, it’s been a fun night of family accusations and confessions.” My temples ached. I stood and paced in front of Fin. “What Preston told you was partially accurate. Blaine Marsh helped Grandpa pass the owner test. He needed a seventy-five percent majority to vote in favor of him. Many of the owners were Blaine’s clients. Both Uncle Darin and Aunt Rachel deny that he loaned Grandpa money.” I took a breath. “It’s the fucking Super Bowl and all my family’s secrets are unraveling.”

Fin reached for my hand and tugged me toward him. I landed on his lap.

He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the side of my head. “Was that what Bre wanted? For the Hubbards’ and Marshes’ secrets to take center stage instead of the team?”

“Yes,” I said with a sigh.

“Bre knew about the will. She tried to have Dad’s baby to get in on what she believes she deserves.”