The Black Sheep's Secret Child

by Cat Schield

  Trent’s cell phone buzzed with an incoming text from Nate.

  You don’t look like you’re having fun.

  He glared over to where Nate sat on the far end of the curved couch, his lips twisted in a sardonic smile. The club was too noisy for conversation to carry over that distance, so Trent texted back.

  I’m working.

  Nate checked the incoming message and responded without looking up.

  Kyle and I have this. Maybe you should get out of town for a few days.

  Where the hell was he supposed to go? He rejected the first idea that popped into his head. Going to LA to check out the potential club properties Kyle had scouted would put him too near Savannah and Dylan. He wasn’t ready to deal with that situation yet. His emotions were too raw.

  Amid the loud music in the club, Trent reflected on the playful growls and unrestrained laughter that had drifted across his quiet backyard the other night. He’d been standing on his terrace, overlooking his pool when the sounds had first caught his attention. Drawn by the joyful noise, he’d crossed half the distance to the guesthouse before reality had caught up with him. Unfortunately, although he’d stopped himself from joining them, it had taken him ten minutes to turn away. The memory of how he’d ached standing there alone in the dark compressed his lungs.

  He would head to New York City and put the entire country between him and Savannah. Visiting his mother would take his mind off his troubles. She was directing her first off-Broadway musical and had been pestering him for months to fly out and see it. He texted Nate back.

  Sounds good.

  Figuring he might as well get started immediately, Trent left the couch, shaking off the blonde woman who’d clutched at his jacket sleeve. He hadn’t consumed more than a single scotch, but as he made his way out of the club, he felt disconnected from his environment, as if he’d overindulged.

  Six hours later he checked into his hotel in Times Square and ordered breakfast from room service. By the time he ate and showered, it was late enough that he could call his mother without waking her.

  “You’re in New York City?” At eight in the morning, she sounded wide-awake and delighted to hear he was in town.

  “I came in a few hours ago. Kyle and Nate are both in Las Vegas, so I thought I’d take some time off and come visit you.”

  “I’m so glad. I have to be at the theater at ten. We’re making some minor changes to one of the scenes.” The play had opened a week before to mixed but mostly positive reviews. His mother was a perfectionist, always taking her craft up a notch. “You can take me to lunch and tell me all of what’s going on in your life.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  Trent hung up and headed for the lobby. His favorite thing to do when he came to New York was to walk the streets and absorb the energy. The city’s pace was just as hectic as Las Vegas’s, but here people moved with purpose, the vibe oriented toward both business and artistic pursuits.

  At five minutes before ten, he met his mother on the sidewalk in front of the theater. She wore a long gray sweater belted over black leggings and a slouchy black trench coat. Bright red lipstick emphasized her broad smile. These days she was always happy. It hadn’t been that way when he was young. Sometimes when Siggy hadn’t been home she would sing with Trent and Melody, but even then her eyes had carried shadows.

  “How wonderful to see you.” His mother trapped his face between her hands and brought his head down so she could kiss his cheek. Then she peered at him. “You look tired.”

  “I flew the red-eye and didn’t sleep.”

  “With all the crazy hours you work at that club of yours, I would think you’d be used to it.” She linked her arm through his and drew him into the theater. “I hear Melody’s back in the studio. Is she ever going to finish her album?”

  “Nate has given her a deadline and threatened to pick the songs himself if she doesn’t start making some decisions.”

  “Is she happy?”

  Trent gave his mother’s question serious consideration. It wouldn’t do to fire off a hasty answer. “Yes and no.”

  “Why, yes?”

  “I think she’s glad to be done with the tour. The traveling and performing are not her cup of tea. And she’s having fun playing in the studio. It’s what she loves. It wouldn’t surprise me if one day she stopped singing and went into production full-time.”

  “It’s too bad Siggy can’t appreciate musical genius. She would’ve been a great asset to West Coast Records.” His mother slipped off her coat and draped it over her arm. “So would you.”

  Trent shrugged. He’d given up on pleasing his father before he’d become a teenager. “Siggy didn’t want me within a mile of his company, and he only sees Melody as a little girl.”

  Naomi shook her head. “So why is my daughter unhappy?”

  “I don’t know for sure, because neither of them is confiding in me, but I think Melody and Kyle are having problems. Right now they are both in Las Vegas, but from what I can tell they haven’t seen each other yet.”

  “That’s the feeling I get, as well,” his mother said, her sigh speaking volumes. “She stopped talking about him three months ago. I think something happened when she broke from the tour to visit him in LA.”

  “They’ll figure it out.”

  His mother regarded Trent with surprise. “That’s very optimistic of you.”

  “You don’t think I’m right?”

  “No, I think you’re right.” Her eyes narrowed and she seemed to be searching for something in his expression. “I’m just surprised that your opinion is so upbeat.”

  “I don’t understand what you mean.”

  “You aren’t exactly a believer when it comes to romance and relationships. Do you remember saying that your brother’s marriage wouldn’t last a year?”

  And it hadn’t. Just not for the reason Trent had thought.

  “I didn’t think Rafe and Savannah were meant for each other.”

  “Because she was your girlfriend first?”

  Two years ago he’d never imagined he would lose her. By the time he figured out that he didn’t want to live without her, she’d been engaged to his brother.

  “I had my chance.”

  And he’d blown it. But he couldn’t say the words out loud. His regrets were private.

  “I understand she’s been staying with you in Las Vegas.”

  “Siggy threatened her, saying he was going to fight for custody of Dylan. I offered her my guesthouse until things could be sorted out.”

  “Why would Siggy try to take away Dylan?”

  “He lost Rafe and saw Dylan as his replacement.”

  “And he wanted control over the shares of the company that Rafe left his son.”

  “And he didn’t want to pay for them. Rafe left Savannah a lot of debt, and she was trying to sell the label’s shares back to Siggy so she could get out from under it.”

  His mother rolled her eyes. “Tell me you haven’t left her to deal with Siggy alone.”

  “Everything has been sorted out. Another record company offered to buy West Coast Records, so Siggy bought Rafe’s shares back and Savannah should be able to pay off her debts. She’s moved back to LA and has taken a part in a movie.”

  Trent decided this was the perfect opportunity to tell his mother about Dylan being his son, but as he opened his mouth, they were approached by an obviously frazzled man. After his mother introduced her assistant director, they headed off. Trent chose a seat in the dim theater and watched his mother work, enjoying the competent way she directed the actors. It was obvious she had a vision in her head regarding the changes, but it took her an hour and twenty minutes to achieve the results. At long last she clapped her hands and sent everyone on their way.

  Collecting her coat and purse, Naomi came up the center aisle toward Trent. “Shall we go to La Masseria for lunch?”

  Located in the theater district, the Italian restaurant was one of her favorites. During one of his m
any trips to visit Savannah, they’d met his mother and her current husband there before a Broadway show. The entire evening had been a great success. His mother had talked about Savannah for months afterward, prodding him about his future plans. Trent had given her noncommittal replies, and as time went on she’d stopped asking questions.

  After they were seated, Trent gave the menu a quick glance. He wasn’t really hungry. Being in this restaurant brought up happy memories of his time with Savannah, of his mother’s hopes for his future and the satisfaction she’d found with a man who supported and loved her.

  “Earlier I mentioned that Siggy threatened to seek custody of Dylan, but what I didn’t say is that he gave up after discovering that he isn’t Rafe’s son.”

  “It sounds just like Siggy.” His mother waved to someone, apparently unconcerned at the bombshell regarding her grandson’s legitimacy. “He’s obsessed with his legacy.”

  “Doesn’t it bother you about Dylan?”

  Naomi met her son’s gaze. “Why should it? I love Dylan. Whether or not he’s Rafe’s biological child doesn’t change the fact that he’s my grandson.” She studied Trent for a long moment. “Does it bother you?”

  “It bothers me that Savannah lied.”

  Why had he thought his mother would be outraged that Savannah had lied, too? Melody hadn’t been bothered. Rafe had created the situation in the first place. At this point, the only other member of his family who seemed at all upset was Siggy.

  “I don’t see why. As you said earlier, you had your chance with her and things didn’t work out. It seems as if this is her business and Rafe’s. He married her, after all.” His mother turned her attention to the waiter who’d approached the table, leaving Trent to stew over her matter-of-fact assessment.

  As soon as they’d placed a drink order, Trent spoke again. “It bothers me because Dylan is my son.”

  “I see.” His mother had been perusing a menu she no doubt knew by heart. Now she set it down and gave him her full attention. “Can I assume since you haven’t mentioned this before that you just found out?”

  “Savannah told me a few days ago.”

  Naomi laced her fingers together and set her clasped hands on the table. “Does this change things between you?”

  “By change things, do you mean am I going to marry her?” Trent heard his aggrieved tone and saw his mother’s eyebrows lift.

  “You love her, don’t you?”

  For some reason the question threw salt on his already raw wounds. “She and I were together a long time. I didn’t want to end things, but I couldn’t give her the normal family life she craved.”

  “So marriage is off the table. Do you intend to have a relationship with your son? Or are you going to be like your father?”

  If she had stood up and shrieked at him, he would’ve been less shocked. That she would place him in the same category as his father in anything cut deep. Trent slammed the door on his emotions. Ice filled his veins.

  “I haven’t decided what I’m going to do.”

  “Oh, don’t be like that.” His mother picked up her menu and once more began to peruse the entrées. “Your father used to shut down the exact same way.”

  “Stop comparing me to him.”

  “I will when you stop behaving like him. Siggy has no heart and very little soul. He is bullheaded and unforgiving.”

  “But you married him and had three children. Why do that if he’s so terrible?”

  “I was young, idealistic and ambitious. He told me I was talented, and I thought with him backing me I would have an amazing career as a singer.” Trent’s mother sighed. “And in the beginning he charmed the pants right off me.”

  “What changed?”

  “He thought I had an affair.”

  The waiter brought their drinks, giving Trent a moment to assimilate what his mother had said.

  “Did you?”

  Naomi didn’t look surprised or annoyed by his question. “I didn’t sleep with Marco, but I did fall in love with him. He was an incredibly talented musician I met shortly after he signed with West Coast Records.”

  “Marco? I don’t recall anyone by that name at the label.”

  “That’s because your father destroyed his career. He never made an album and eventually gave up music.” Naomi got a faraway look in her eye. “It was a year after Rafe was born. Siggy promised that I could record my second album. I’d been working on songs while pregnant with Rafe. One of those was a duet. Marco and I recorded it together. He had the most amazing voice. If he’d signed with any other record company, he probably would’ve been huge.”

  Trent couldn’t figure out why she was telling him all of this. “Does Siggy think this Marco is my father?” It would explain why he could do no right in his father’s eyes. Trent hadn’t realize how much he’d needed his father’s favoritism to have a basis in logic.

  “No. He ran a paternity test on all three of you.” Her smile had an acid bite. “That was the moment I stopped trying to make my marriage work. The day I discovered he would never trust me.”

  “Then why does he hate me?” It was the cry of a small child who didn’t understand what he’d done wrong. And it was a question he’d never asked his mother before.

  “Because you were my beautiful, musical boy and I doted on you. Rafe didn’t inherit my talent or my joie de vivre. He was a serious baby with the most solemn eyes. It was almost as if from birth he was weighed down by his father’s expectations.” Trent’s mother gave her head a sad shake. “You, on the other hand, and your sister after you, were exuberant and artistic. For all his early success with West Coast Records, Siggy was a businessman, not a visionary. He related better to Rafe.”

  Trent pondered what he’d learned and realized he’d never stopped being angry with his father. In fact, he’d gone a step farther and used his contentious relationship with his father as an excuse to keep people at bay.

  “I don’t want to be like my father.”

  “You’re not like him at all.”

  “So you think I have a heart and a soul?”

  His mother smiled. “I never doubted it for a second.”

  * * *

  Savannah poured candy into a large bowl and set it on the small table just inside her front door. It was five o’clock on Halloween, but she didn’t expect trick-or-treaters to show up for another hour. She and Dylan had been living in LA for a week. The mission-style house she’d rented was about the same size as Trent’s guesthouse and beautifully furnished, but Savannah was having a hard time settling in.

  She’d had several meetings with the director, her fellow actors and the wardrobe department, and was anxious to start filming. As she’d done after starting the soap opera, she’d hired an acting coach to help her prepare for her new role. But her down time offered abundant opportunity to worry, and lately she’d been revisiting the multitude of ways she could have handled things better since leaving New York two years earlier.

  Her doorbell rang. Trick-or-treaters already? Savannah glanced to where her son sat in the middle of the living room, wearing his adorable dragon costume. Seeing that he was occupied with Murphy, also dressed like a dragon, she picked up the bowl of candy and opened her front door.

  Instead of an adorable child dressed as a princess or a superhero, a tall, leafy plant with legs stood before her.

  “Hello?”

  The day before, she’d received a lovely fruit basket from the movie’s executive producers, welcoming her on board. She couldn’t imagine whom the plant was from.

  To her utter shock, the face that emerged from behind the foliage was Trent’s.

  “I hope it’s okay that I dropped by.”

  Savannah made no move to invite him in. “What are you doing here?”

  “I went to New York to visit my mother. She wanted to send you something congratulating you on your new role. I offered to deliver it myself.”

  “Why would you bother?”

  He ignored her blun
t question. “Can I come in?”

  Reluctantly she stepped back and made a sweeping gesture with her arm. Once Trent and his enormous plant were inside, she put the bowl back on the entry table and closed her front door. Trent looked around the snug living room for a place to set down his burden.

  “You don’t have a lot of room.”

  Stunned by his criticism, she crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s only Dylan and me. We don’t need a lot of space.” That said, she stared at him.

  “How about if I put it here for now.” He set it on the breakfast bar, well out of reach of Dylan’s grasp. “I like his dragon costume.”

  “He’s dressed up for Halloween.”

  “Are you taking him trick-or-treating?”

  “We went to the mall yesterday for a Halloween event. Tonight I thought we’d stay home and hand out candy.”

  “Sounds like fun. Do you want some company?”

  She couldn’t believe he was standing in her living room, acting as if he didn’t wish she’d never come back into his life. Should she confront him on what she had overheard? Her grandmother had often said that those who eavesdrop shouldn’t expect to hear good things said about themselves.

  “While I appreciate whatever this is you’re attempting to do,” she began in a severe tone, her broken heart jabbing at her ribs with each breath, “I can’t have you popping into and out of our lives anytime you want. I grew up being shuffled between my father and grandmother, and that’s not what I want for Dylan. He deserves stability and consistency.”

  “Is that your way of saying that you don’t want me to be part of his life?”

  His audacity left her dumbfounded. “Last week you wished you’d never learned the truth.”

  “I never told you that.”

  “I overheard you talking to Melody.” Savannah’s voice broke. “You don’t want to be a father. I get it. Why do you think I didn’t tell you in the first place?”

  “I was upset. I should never have said that.”

  “But it’s what you felt.” And as much as the truth had hurt, she preferred it to the lies Rafe had told her.

  “Only for a brief moment. You caught me off guard. All I could think was that you’d kept a huge secret from me, and I couldn’t accept that you had your reasons for doing so.”