Beautiful Sacrifice (The Maddox Brothers, #3)(53)

“Why was Olive with Trent?” I asked.

Taylor shrugged. “He watches her sometimes for Shane and Liza.”

“Your twenty-something brother, covered in tattoos, watches Olive? How did that come about?”

“Falyn—”

“Just,” I snapped, “please answer.”

“I’m … not really sure. Trenton’s a good guy. Shane and Trent get along. Since Olive’s brother died …”

“Austin. You can say his name.”

Taylor shifted, uncomfortable. “Since Austin died, Shane and Liza have been seeing a therapist. They needed help to get through it, and with Olive to take care of, they were worried about being good parents. They go to therapy together, and then they have a date night twice a month.”

“They couldn’t find a nice high school girl to watch her?” I asked, my voice growing shrill with each question.

“Trenton would kill anyone who tried to hurt Olive. He’d take a bullet for her. Shane and Liza know that. They won’t find a better sitter than Trent. It’s weird, I know. But Trent’s lost someone, too. Olive is his best friend.”

“A little girl is your brother’s best friend? You don’t find that odd?”

“No, because I know my brother, and I know their story.”

I took in a deep breath.

“Falyn, you’re not going to go over there, are you? They don’t know you’re here, and I don’t think you can handle it.”

I shook my head.

Taylor was quiet for a while, and then he sighed. “You can tell me. My feelings won’t change. Was it you?”

“Was it me what?”

“I don’t know much about it. I mean … I only know the little bit Dad and Trent told me. I know it was an accident. I know no one was arrested. I can see you wanting their forgiveness, but, Falyn … they might not be ready to give it to you.”

I didn’t have a response.

“Are you the one who … you know … the one who hit Austin? Were you driving?”

My eyes filled with tears, and I looked down.

Taylor draped his arm across my shoulders, his hand cupping my upper arm and squeezing me to his side. “It’s okay. It was an accident.”

“It wasn’t an accident,” I said, wiping my eyes.

I looked up at Taylor, and his brown irises bounced from one of my eyes to the other.

He hesitated. “What do you mean?”

“It wasn’t me. I didn’t take their son, Taylor. I gave them my daughter.”





Taylor recoiled, pulling his hand away.

“You thought I was the one who hit and killed Olive’s brother, Austin?” When he didn’t speak, I continued, “Now, it makes sense when you mentioned earlier that I didn’t drive.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” he asked.

“I’m not here because of Austin. It’s Olive.”

He wrinkled his nose. “Olive?”

“My parents didn’t want anyone to know about her because of my father’s plans. My father was the mayor in Colorado Springs. He decided to run for governor of Colorado in the next election.”

“So, this year,” Taylor said, unhappy. “What does that have to do with Shane and Liza … or Olive? I’m really f*cking confused right now. You’re saying a lot, but you’re not telling me anything.”

I wiped a tear that had escaped down my cheek. “She’s … mine.”

Taylor stared at me as if I were on fire. “But she’s, like … a kindergartner.” He shook his head. “How does no one know about this? I don’t understand how you’ve kept it a secret all this time.”

“My parents know. And Phaedra and Chuck know. A lot of people suspect. There’ve been rumors. A lot of rumors.”

“Kirby?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“That’s why your parents were horrified that I was from Eakins. They didn’t want it to come out. They didn’t want me to bring you here.”

My bottom lip trembled. “They want me to pretend it never happened, that she never happened. They held college over my head, saying that if I didn’t sign the papers, I would be throwing my life away. And then,” I said, almost breathing the words, “I realized it didn’t matter. None of it mattered. I’d already thrown my life away because she was gone.”

He shook his head. “Falyn, I don’t know what’s going on here, but”—he cringed, already regretting his next words—“Olive wasn’t adopted. She is Shane and Liza’s daughter. There’s been a mistake.”

“You don’t believe me?” I asked.

“It’s just that … this is weird as f*ck. I mean, what are the odds? She ends up with a couple from Eakins, who live next door to my dad, and then you and I meet and become friends. I don’t want to upset you, but this is wrong. I remember when Shane and Liza moved in. They have baby pictures of Olive on their walls, ones of Liza holding Olive in the hospital. They moved in next door when Olive was two. They’ve never mentioned that she was adopted.”

“Exactly,” I said, wiping my cheek again and pointing at him. “Exactly. It’s too perfect. You and I were supposed to meet. This was supposed to happen.”