Piper dropped to her knees beside Winnie. She was incredibly aware of Cam, who’d backed up to give them space but hadn’t left the room. It felt like he was both angry and worried, and yet she somehow knew it wasn’t directed at her. “That was incredibly generous of Rowan,” she said. “But I’m not sure I understand—”

Winnie murmured something so softly that she missed it.

Piper glanced at Gavin, her usual Winnie translator, but he was avoiding her gaze, so she turned back to Winnie. “I’m sorry, honey. I couldn’t hear you. What does you being pregnant have to do with Rowan having you down as his beneficiary?”

Winnie lifted her head and pressed both hands to her belly as more tears spilled out of her eyes and ran unchecked down her cheeks.

“Oh,” Piper breathed, sitting back on her heels, wondering how the hell she’d missed this. “He’s the baby’s daddy.”

Winnie nodded and it all fell into place. Winnie hiding the pregnancy from her for as long as she could because her sister knew how she’d felt about Rowan not being responsible. Emmitt infusing himself into Winnie’s life, teaching her how to do things, being so kind and welcoming—he was going to be a grandpa. Cam being so patient with her because . . . because this baby would be his niece or nephew. And he’d never told her. That hurt. As did the way her mind was spinning.

Gavin didn’t meet her gaze.

“You knew,” she said. She then turned to Cam, who absolutely met her gaze. In fact, he’d never stopped looking at her. “And you,” she said softly, because her throat was tight and on fire. “You knew too.”

The answer was in his expression, and the tight, grim set to his mouth.

She nodded, trying to absorb the blows. “I see,” she said to the room, even though she didn’t. Everyone had known about the pregnancy before her. Everyone had known about Gavin’s rehab before her. And it turned out that everyone had also known the baby daddy. They’d all known everything.

And she’d known nothing. She’d been kept out of the loop on purpose by her siblings, whom she’d put her life on hold for. And also by the man she tried not to fall in love with—and failed, by the way. He’d known more about her family than she had.

And hadn’t said a word to her. In fact, he’d told her he’d come to help his dad. On the heels of all this, some other uneasy realizations were coming hard and fast. One, Cam was right. He wasn’t the no-strings fling she’d set out to have, the no-strings fling she’d been up front about wanting.