Chapter 12

12

"I'm not your brother," Nash stated matter-of-factly, his tone devoid of any emotion as Coy and Kenzie walked through the door of the ranch house.

"Of course you are." Coy turned to Devyn, who shook her head in disbelief, and then to Rip, who simply shrugged, their reactions mirroring his own confusion, "What are you talking about, Nash."

"It says right there in that journal." Nash went on, emotion creeping in, "Mama lost the baby she was carrying. Because of Tommy and what happened."

Coy shook his head with confusion, "What am I missing? If she lost the pregnancy, how…"

Nash marched off abruptly before Coy could finish his thought, his expression betraying a mix of shock and disbelief at whatever discovery Coy and Kenzie had just walked in on. Clearly overwhelmed, Nash's hurried departure spoke volumes about the gravity of the situation they now found themselves in.

Devyn held up a leather-bound notebook, "Mama's journal. It's hard to piece together –– looks like water somehow damaged it, and pages are missing –– but she talks about the loss of the baby. That she didn't know if they'd survive all the loss."

"Oh my God," Kenzie said under her breath.

"Pop was devastated, felt guilty and responsible for it. There's a gap and only a few words here and there, but she refers to her and how she came looking for Tommy." Devyn continued. "They didn't know about her, Coy. Her name was… Lucy. She threatened them, maybe? I think there was some sort of struggle, perhaps? Anyway, whatever happened –– she died."

Coy's eyes widened in astonishment, his expression reflecting his sudden surprise. "She was killed here too?"

"I think it was an accident, but can't be certain. The pages were too damaged, but the initial report on the remains says blunt force trauma –– maybe she hit her head?" Devyn shared her assessment, but it was vague, lacked verifiable facts, and was purely speculation at this point. Even if it was starting to add up and make sense of yet another looming mystery.

"This is a lot of guessing," Coy admitted. "And certainly, doesn't suggest Nash was…"

"His birth certificate was folded up in the back of that journal." Devyn interrupted. "There's three small passages that are legible. One says, Lucy had a baby in the car. Then, something about a sweet boy. She begins to write about taking the baby in as their own and how it was as close to a cure for all the pain they'd endured as anyone could get, Coy."

"Shit."

Nash reappeared, leaning in the doorway, "Are you surprised? Doesn't it all make sense now? This is why I'm different. A screw up just like my real dad, Tommy Stone. Hell, I even look like the bastard. All of the extra birth certificates Mama, Lilah, had tucked away make sense too. They were covering it up. Passing me off as their biological child."

"Nash, we can't be certain." Despite the weight of these new discoveries, Kenzie attempted to reassure Nash and the others, her voice steady and reassuring amidst the storm of uncertainty.

"Run a DNA test," Nash said.

"Is that what you want?" Coy asked.

Nash let out a sarcastic chuckle as he entered the room, before flopping down into a chair positioned across from his siblings and the others, his demeanor a mixture of frustration and resignation. "Don't you? Confirm I'm not your problem anymore?"

"Nash, this changes nothing." Coy chided. "You're still our brother no matter what any of that says. No DNA test will change that."

"You'll always be our perfectly and wonderfully made brother." Devyn reassured, emotion lacing her words, "We don't know life any other way and can't imagine it without you as such."

"Pfft. You say that now, but when you sit down and remember all the trouble I've caused…"

"We'll remember it was you who cared for Mama. When the rest of us were too busy in our own lives to even notice she was ill." Coy said.

Devyn smiled lovingly at her brother, "Irish twins, remember? You and me, Nash. Forever."

"Nash, we all make mistakes in life, but they don't have to define us. Yours certainly don't. When it gets rough around here, you're the one who always steps up." Coy continued, "You're the hub, remember? Heart of the family? Said so yourself."

"You're right. We're family." Nash nodded, letting everyone breathe a sigh of relief, "I'm just the quirky cousin now with criminal parents."

"Nash…"

Nash rose from his seat and made his way to the front door, passing Rip, who had just entered and was met with the sight of the tearful group. Rip turned to watch Nash step outside, appearing to seek solitude amid the emotional turmoil he must've walked in on.

"What did I miss?" Rip asked.

"I'll fill you in later." Devyn shared as she swiped away a tear.

"I'll go after him." Charlotte said as she stood and went to the door, "He just needs time. He'll understand how much he's loved soon enough. You all did a good job of telling him. He heard you. Just needs to process it."

"If this is a bad time…" Rip began.

"No, please. What did you find?" Coy asked.

"I found the land your mother bought. Or, rather, your land. They're working ranches." He said, handing over images for Coy and Devyn to study. "Full of crops that appear to be ready to harvest."

"What's the crop?" Devyn asked with a bewildered look as she studied the images.

Coy sighed, "Son of a bitch."

"Poppies." Rip deadpanned, "Acres and acres of poppies for as far as the eye can see."

Confusion flickered across her expression as she tried to make sense of the situation, "Mama was growing… flowers?"

"No. Mama was in the drug trade."