“You had an affair with his mother.” She kept her voice low, never wanting her girls to hear those words.

“There was no affair exactly.” His response was a harsh whisper. “You know that. We settled all this a long time ago.”

Natalie snorted with pent-up rage mixed with terror. She was having none of his cover-ups now. “Perhaps you told me what I needed to hear.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Jack was born nine months after you and—”

“Jack was premature.” Milt’s chin jutted forward. “And I’d bloody well know if he was mine.”

“How?”

“You know how.” His face contorted in a mix of disbelief and anger. “Hell’s teeth, Nat, it’s in the past. Why are we even discussing it?”

Natalie shook her head. Dread was spreading cold fingers down through her body and out to her limbs, prickling the back of her neck. She’d rebuilt her marriage and had thought the glitch was behind them but Milt couldn’t see how much Jack looked like him. The pearly blue eyes, combined with Laura’s fair hair and Milt’s waves. It was as plain as the nose on his face but Milt was never quick to see what was right in front of him.

“You were the one who betrayed our marriage.” She couldn’t stop herself. Her words were sharp, barbed, aimed to hurt.

Milt threw back the covers and rose from the bed, the ridiculous boxers hanging low on his hips, below his paunch. He glared down at her. “Yes, I know,” he growled. “And I’ve been paying for it ever since.”

Natalie recoiled. “What do you mean? Once we sorted things out I’ve never mentioned it until now.”

“And we weren’t going to tell anyone but you told Dad.”

“I did not.” Natalie was firmly back on the high moral ground again.

“How did he find out then, when not even Mum knew?”

Natalie sat up. She remembered the day so well. Clem had come to her, hat in hand literally. He was such a gentleman. Always took his hat off if there were women present. “You were off in the paddock and your mum in town. I was home with Kate and Bree. He came and sought me out, said he knew. He was so understanding, so kind. It was a relief for me to have someone to confide in.”

“Did it have to be my father?”

“He’d overheard us arguing a few days before. He didn’t take sides.”

Milt humphed. “Not what he said to me.”

“Well, he said nothing against you to me. Your dad kept things close to his chest but he offered me a choice. He asked me to forgive you and stay but he said if I couldn’t do that and I had to leave the marriage he’d make sure the girls and I were well looked after.”