The Ashtons - Cole, Abigail & Megan

the moon. So we’re even.” She flipped the visor up, smiled at the ring on her finger and glanced in the back of the suvvy.
    Tilly was curled up on the back seat, sleeping. Hulk was back there, too, in his carrier—but with thecarrier door open. The cat had decided that if Tilly didn’t have to ride in a box, he shouldn’t, either, but he wasn’t ready to abandon the safety of his walls. The open carrier was a compromise.
    Life was full of those. Dixie faced front again and reached for Cole’s hand as they turned into the drive leading to The Vines. The big house was lit and welcoming. “You okay?” she asked softly.
    He nodded without speaking. His hand was tense as he gripped hers.
    So far, only his mother and stepfather knew about the detective Cole had hired, and what he’d learned. Cole had told them that afternoon, within hours of returning from Vegas. They’d agreed that the best way to present the news was in one big dose, and had arranged for everyone to be there tonight.
    What Cole had to tell them would shake their worlds. No one should have to hear that kind of news secondhand.
    “Everyone” included Grant now. Cole had accepted the relationship intellectually, though he had a baffled look in his eyes when he spoke of Grant. Dixie suspected he was trying too hard to feel brotherly toward a man who was still mostly a stranger.
    Don’t sweat it, she’d told him. It can take time for feelings to catch up. All in all, she thought he was dealing with everything remarkably well. She was proud of him.
    Caroline met them at the door with a kiss and a hug for them both. Tilly and Hulk followed them in. Hulk was loudly requesting refreshments.
    Caroline laughed. If there was a certain strain around her eyes, her smile was as warm as ever. “I see you brought the rest of the family with you. Everyone else is in the living room. And Hulk, if you’re good I’ll slip you some of the canapés. We have caviar.”
    “Oh, don’t teach him to like that!” Dixie exclaimed. She and Caroline kept up a flow of light chatter on the way to the living room.
    Cole was quiet, but no one noticed that at first. They had to hug and exclaim and chide him and Dixie for running off instead of having a proper ceremony. Dixie exchanged glances with Cole.
    They’d tied the knot fast because they were sure it was right, they didn’t want to wait—Cole said he was taking no chances on either of them screwing things up again—and because the family was about to be plunged into turmoil. It was not going to be a great time for an elaborate wedding.
    After the first round of congratulations had run their course, Cole shifted to the center of the room. “I think Mom told you all that I had some news,” he began.
    “We’ve sort of figured it out!” Jillian said, grinning. “A sudden marriage, news to share—when am I going to be an aunt?”
    Several of them laughed. Amazingly, Cole’s ears turned pink. But his expression as he shook his head stilled the laughter. “Not that kind of news, I’m afraid,” he said gently. “This will be upsetting. I have to start with an admission that some of youwon’t like. I hired a private detective to look into Grant’s claims.”
    No, they didn’t like that. It was Grant who quieted them, though. He nodded and spoke over the others. “Don’t give him a hard time. It was the reasonable thing to do. Expensive,” he added dryly, “but sensible.”
    “Thanks,” Cole said, surprised. “You’ll not be surprised to learn the P.I. confirmed everything you’ve told us.”
    “Then why the big meeting?” Mercedes asked.
    “I’m getting there. I’ve brought copies of the report, if anyone wants to see it. Basically it says that Spencer Ashton married Sally Barnett in Crawley, Nebraska, just as Grant said. She had twins a few months later, and he left her when the babies were a year old. Sally died when the children were twelve. Her parents raised them after that.”
    “And your point is?” Eli demanded. “None of this is news. Except maybe about Grant’s mother dying when he was so young.” He turned to Grant. “I’m sorry to hear that. I knew she was gone, but not that you were so young when it happened.”
    Grant nodded, a slight frown on his face as he watched Cole.
    “There’s something Grant left out, probably because he doesn’t know it, either.” Cole paused. “Spencer left Grant’s mother forty-two years ago. He married our mother thirty-seven years