“You sure you’re not quitting?” Damon chimed in. “This sounds like a lead into a resignation.”
Nash shook his head and offered a smile. “I assure you, I’m not quitting.”
“Is everything okay?” Cassie asked, her brows drawn in.
The two women on the opposite couch were so similar, yet so different. Both had long, crimson hair and those striking blue eyes, but where Tessa was lean and athletic, Cassie was curvy and softer. Both were beautiful, dynamic women and he realized just how much he wanted to be part of their lives.
Damn it. He’d never let himself be vulnerable before. Business had always ruled his life and in that aspect he kept control gripped in a tight fist. His mother was the only person he’d ever let affect him emotionally. But, in a sense, he was also here for her. It was time the secret came out. She deserved to be free of any guilt or residual turmoil and he deserved to know where he stood in his father’s life.
“Everything is fine,” Nash assured them. Unable to stay seated another minute, he came to his feet and paced behind the couch. “This is harder than I thought.”
Along the mantel sat photos in pewter frames, some pictures were of the girls as children, some of Damon’s late wife, Rose, but they all depicted the family and the love they shared.
He’d missed out on all of that. But he couldn’t blame his mother. She’d made the choices she thought best under the circumstances. Besides, what’s done was done and now he just had to figure out the best way to deal with the facts he had...and still get all he wanted in the end.
“I need to start at the beginning.” He turned to face them, rested his hands on his hips. “My mother used to work on this estate years ago. She actually worked here as a trainer before I was born.”
Damon’s eyes widened. “Other than Cassie, I’ve only employed one other female trainer.”
Nash’s heart beat so hard, so fast. He waited, letting the impact truly sink in as he kept his eyes on Damon’s.
“Your mother was Elaine James?” Damon asked, almost in a stunned whisper.
Both Cassie and Tessa turned their eyes to their father. Nash waited, wanting to see how the events would unfold before he continued.
“Who’s Elaine James?” Tessa asked before glancing back to Nash.
“She was one of the best horse trainers in the industry at one time,” Damon told her, still staring at Nash. “I used her during a period when female trainers were frowned upon, but some owners snuck around that. She kept her hair really short, wore a hat and would come in early in the mornings and late at night to work with the horses.”
Nash knew all of this, had heard his mom tell that same story over and over of how women were gentler and less competitive by nature so Damon had wanted a woman for the job.
“When my mother left here to take care of her parents, she went to work at another farm several hours away,” Nash went on. He forced himself to keep his focus on Damon. Right now, nothing else mattered but gauging the older man’s reaction. “It wasn’t too long after she’d left that she realized she was pregnant with me.”
Damon’s gasp nearly echoed in the spacious room. Lily sat quietly with her hands in her lap, but Cassie and Tessa’s eyes widened as if they were putting the pieces together.
“This can’t be,” Damon whispered, his eyes darting around the room frantically, then back to lock on Nash’s. “You—”
“I’m your son.”
There. He’d admitted half of the truth that had weighed heavily on his shoulders since first arriving here several months ago.
Now what? He honestly hadn’t planned this far ahead. He’d definitely planned on the end result, but he hadn’t factored in all the uncomfortable moments—and now was one of them.
Stunned silence settled over the room. Lily hadn’t moved, she merely sat with her eyes locked on his as if silently sending him support. When his gaze landed on hers, she offered a sweet smile of encouragement.
“Nash, forgive me, but I’m going to need more proof than just your word,” Damon finally said. “Where is your mother now?”
Nash came around the couch, taking a seat next to Lily again. Now that the secret was out, or part of it anyway, he could somewhat relax for the moment. But he still kept the upper hand.
“I don’t blame you for not taking just my word,” Nash told the older man. “My mom had a stroke about six months ago. She’s doing much better now, but right after the scare, she confessed that she used to work for you and the two of you were...involved.”
Nash refused to elaborate.