"Damn." Nick exhaled as David peeled out of the driveway. Kevin shot him a glance and used his eyes to draw Nick's attention to Howie and Rhiannon. Rhiannon was in Howie's arms; her face buried in his chest, looking as if she was never going to let him go. Nick tipped his head in the direction of Shane's room and Kevin nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Howie." Kevin said softly to get his attention. "We're gonna go check on Shane."
Howie nodded, relieved. Kevin and Nick quietly left the room and walked down the hall.
"Rhi?" Howie whispered. "It's okay, sweetie. He's gone and he's never going to hurt you again. I promise."
"Thank you." She said, her voice so soft Howie had to strain to hear her. He kissed her forehead softly and sat down on the couch, gently pulling her down into his lap.
"Rhi." Howie paused, unsure of how to ask the question he needed an answer to. "You told David that he wasn't Shane's father..." He trailed off, not knowing how to continue.
Rhiannon looked up at him with sad eyes. "He's not." She whispered. "I knew he wasn't from the time I found out I was pregnant, but it was too late then. I'd already made the biggest mistake of my life by marrying him."
"Did David know before tonight?" Howie asked softly.
"He knew as soon as Shane was born that he wasn't his father." Rhiannon's eyes were looking at him, but not seeing him. "Shane didn't look like him. And he doesn't look much like me, either. He looks like his father." She paused. "He looks like..."
"Me." Howie breathed, hardly daring to believe that the little boy he loved like a son really was his son.
"Yes." Rhiannon whispered.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Howie asked softly, not angry, but needing to know why.
"I wanted to tell you." Rhiannon said, a film of unshed tears in her eyes. "But David threatened me. He knew you were Shane's father and he said if I told you he would..." She choked, unable to go on.
"Hurt Shane." Howie finished for her.
Tearfully, Rhiannon nodded. "I'm sorry." She whispered.
"Don't apologize, Rhi." Howie hugged her tightly. "It's not your fault. And you've made me the happiest guy in the world tonight. I've always wished that Shane was my son." He admitted.
"You've always been his father, more than anyone else could have been. Even when neither of you knew the truth." Rhiannon said quietly.
"Tonight, when I was putting Shane to bed..." Howie began. "I'd just turned out the lights and I was gonna leave, and for some reason I just stopped and watched him sleep for a minute. Then I told him I loved him." He took a deep breath. "And Shane said 'Love you, Daddy' in his sleep."
Rhiannon looked at him with tears in her eyes. "He called you Daddy?"
Howie nodded. "I almost cried. I wanted it to be true so badly." He whispered.
"You are his Daddy, Howard." Rhiannon said softly, brushing away the tears that were threatening to fall from his brown eyes.
Howie smiled, his eyes shining, then tipped her chin up and kissed her deeply, his fingers gently combing through her long red hair. After several minutes they pulled apart.
"I love you, Rhiannon Morgan." Howie whispered. "I love you and I want to marry you. As soon as we can. I want to be your husband. To give you everything you should have had but didn't."
Rhiannon's eyes widened in shock and her breath caught in her throat. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you." She finally forced out.
