“Hank! Please, stop! Come back. I’d like to explain why I kept my identity a secret.” Although she was imploring him to stick around, he wasn’t in the mood to hear her out. If she’d been honest with him from the start, he would have listened and helped her approach the North family. Instead she’d continued with her charade until it had all backfired.
Hank kept walking until she tugged hard at his jacket, forcing him to come to a stop. He turned around and frowned at her. “I really don’t want to hear it!”
“Please, listen to me. There’s so much you don’t know, Hank. So much I should have told you from the very beginning.”
“There’s really nothing you can say at this point that I want to hear. Why don’t you go back inside, Sage? The Norths are waiting for you. They’re so desperate to get their daughter back after all these years. I’m sure they won’t blame you for all the weeks of lies and evasions. From what I saw, they’re ready to welcome you back into the fold with open arms.”
“I didn’t mean to lie to anyone,” she choked out. “It was complicated.”
Hank let out a harsh laugh. “You’ve been telling lies this entire time. In my experience, the truth isn’t that hard to own. Tell me this. How long have you known you were Lily? Surely you didn’t just find out.”
She bit her lip. “I’ve known for a few months, but I couldn’t really be certain. I wasn’t sure. That’s why I came to Owl Creek. I was trying to figure it all out.”
Months! His blood ran cold. He felt his heart icing over. Against his better instincts he’d opened himself up to Sage. He had told her all about his past hurts. He’d trusted her. And now the door to his heart was firmly shut again. “That first day on the ferry I told you Connor was my best friend. You knew there were close ties between myself and the Norths, which served your purposes, didn’t it? Every question you asked me about the abduction and the North family was digging for information.”
“No! That’s not true. I didn’t target you because you’re town sheriff or due to your ties to my birth family.” Her lower lip trembled, and she hitched in a breath. “I tried not to like you, Hank, because of those relationships. I made a point to keep my distance, but it seemed as if we were always being drawn together. A sheriff was the last person I wanted in my life.”
He knew Sage was trying to reason with him, but it was near impossible to hear anything she was saying. His anger ran too deep. Her betrayal hurt too much. His mind raced with all the times they’d discussed Lily’s abduction, as well as the investigation and the Norths’ desperate desire to find their missing daughter. It made him sick to his stomach that she’d been sitting on the truth for such a long time. It seemed heartless.
“Bravo. You really fooled us all, didn’t you? And you put your family through unnecessary pain.”
Sage flinched. Her face turned a paler color. “I know it must seem like that, but you don’t have the whole story, Hank. There’s so much I want to explain.”
He clenched his teeth. “You should have told me weeks ago. You had plenty of opportunities to come clean. The world offers us plenty of excuses to not tell the truth. You knew what the Norths went through and what this town endured. Did I ever tell you that Piper’s father was a suspect in the kidnapping? He went through torment to prove he was innocent. So the ripples from this case were widespread. The cuts run deep.”
Her eyes went wide. “That’s truly terrible.”
“Well, I hope you get your happy ending with the Norths. They’ve waited a long time for this reunion.”
“Come back inside with me,” she said in a pleading tone. “I want you to be a part of it. I’m so very sorry.” Sage sounded contrite and utterly broken. He faltered for a moment, unsure of himself. Wasn’t forgiveness part of his faith? Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Just then he remembered Sage’s plan to leave town. How could she have made that decision, knowing she’d be withholding the truth from the North family and the entire town of Owl Creek in the process? It caused his wrath to flare up again.
“No, thank you,” he bit out. “It really has nothing to do with me. You’ve made that clear all along, haven’t you?”
Sage seemed to be fighting back tears. She ducked her head down. Seeing her cry pained him. Growing up in a household of women had made him very susceptible to the slightest signs of weeping, but he clenched his teeth, trying not to be swayed by her waterworks. It was probably just one more manipulation. “I just want to ask one thing of you.”
“You can ask me anything,” she answered in a soft voice.
“Please don’t hurt them. They’re good people who only deserve happiness after all these years of suffering. They can’t take much more.”
“I wouldn’t! I won’t! I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. I just didn’t know what to do or how to fix everything. I was in way over my head.”
Hank scoffed. “Yeah. I know the feeling. So was I.”
“Everything was real between us, Hank. Please don’t lose sight of that.”
He held up his hand as he walked away, letting her know in no uncertain terms he was done talking to her.
“Hank!” The sound of her voice crying out his name nearly brought him running back to her side. But he was on autopilot, trying desperately to move away from the gut-wrenching pain roiling in his body.
Hot tears stung his eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d cried. Perhaps on the day he’d discovered he was Addie’s father. But those had been tears of joy not sorrow. These tears were forged from loss and devastation.
It was way more than being deceived. He was in love with Sage! The knowledge crashed over him like a tsunami. He’d fallen in love with her despite all his reservations and doubts. It had happened gradually, bit by bit, until now it was too late to take a step back. He’d done what he almost never did—he had stepped out on a ledge and allowed himself to free-fall, thinking he had a safety net to catch him. Instead, Hank had plummeted to earth and been given a healthy dose of reality.
Chapter Thirteen
The last few days had been a whirlwind. There had been a celebratory mood amongst certain members of the North family as the news had sunk in about her true identity. Sage had submitted to a DNA test and the results were conclusive. She was Lily North! Willa and Nate had been overcome with joy, praising God for the reunion. Connor had been hesitant at first to fully believe her assertion that she was his long-lost sister. But he’d softened once Sage explained about the deathbed confession of the woman who’d raised her, as well as confided her fears for her father. He’d embraced her once the test results had come in.
They’d shed tears as a family and Nate had led them in prayer as they stood in a circle, tightly holding hands.
“Lord, we will be forever grateful to You for blessing us with Lily’s return. Heavenly Father, thank You for listening to our fervent prayers to be reunited with our precious girl. You have answered our prayers and made our family whole again. Amen.”
Beulah insisted on Sage staying at the family home so they could all exist under one roof as it should have been since the day she was born. Sage didn’t have the heart to say no. Knowing she was providing such joy after such a long period of grief and sadness made her happy.
When she’d returned to the inn to collect her belongings, Trudy had been kind and a bit quieter than usual. She told Sage how delighted she was about her ties to the North family. Sage sensed there was a little bit of a wall between them due to Hank. She’d hurt Hank deeply, and knowing how much Trudy adored her son, Sage suspected there must be lingering feelings of anger toward her.
Sage didn’t blame Trudy for being upset. Frankly, she was angry at herself. She should have found a way to tell Hank truth before it imploded on her. And it had been cruel to withhold the information from her birth family. Knowing what she knew now, things could have been handled in such a different manner. Sh
e had tried to handle the situation in the best way possible in order to protect her father, but it had all blown up in her face big-time.
Hank wanted nothing to do with her. And the worst part was he thought she’d been using him to get information about the North family, which was the furthest thing from the truth. In actuality she had tried to keep her distance from him ever since she’d discovered he was law enforcement. But her feelings for him hadn’t allowed her to stay away from him for very long.
She loved Hank. It shocked her to her very core to realize she had fallen so deeply and completely in love with him in such a short time. When had he crept into her heart? All this time the feelings had been growing and growing until now her heart was full almost to overflowing. It didn’t matter though. Not really. Hank would never allow himself to fall for a woman who’d withheld her identity and lied to his face.
When he’d told her all about his past with Theresa, Hank had revealed so much about himself and the manner in which she’d betrayed him. Sage’s actions had caused him to relive that situation all over again. She wasn’t sure she could forgive herself for hurting the man she loved. People always said truly loving a person meant you wanted the best for them, wishing them happiness even if it meant it wasn’t with you. That’s exactly what she felt for Hank.
The sound of footsteps alerted her to someone coming toward the living room. She blinked a few times at the sight of Eric Duncan standing a few feet away from her in the doorway. At six foot two, with salt-and-pepper-colored hair and a lean frame, he looked as distinguished as ever.
“Daddy!” Sage cried out. She ran toward him and threw herself against his chest.
“Sweetness!” Being cradled in her father’s arms felt like a refuge. Everything in her world was so confusing right now, but she’d always been comforted by this man. He was solid and dependable. And loyal to a fault. Even though he wasn’t her birth father, Sage would always consider him one of her two fathers. She was doubly blessed!
“What are you doing here? I can’t believe you came all this way.”
He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Sweetheart, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. The Norths called me a few days ago. They told me what happened and invited me to come stay for a bit.” He swept his hand across her cheek. “I’m sure you already know it, but they’re wonderful people. They said they thought you might need me. I hopped on the next available flight.”
Sage knew her father didn’t like to fly, so it was amazing that he’d dropped everything to support her. It was one of the many reasons she adored him.
“I almost thought you were a mirage. No one said a word. And I do need you. I feel like I’ve been whipped around by a tornado. I just want a small measure of peace now that everyone knows the truth.”
“Why do you look so sad? It seems as if everything has been settled. The Norths assured me I’m not going to be prosecuted since we talked at length and they trust that I had nothing to do with the kidnapping. And you’ve been reunited with your birth family.”
She squeezed her father’s hand. “I know, Daddy. It’s a real blessing. I’m so happy about it.” Keeping her father safe had been her main goal this whole time. Her prayers had been answered.
He frowned at her. “What are you not telling me?”
Despite her intention to stay strong, she began to cry. She was pretty certain her huge sobs reverberated throughout the large family home. For so long she’d been hiding her feelings and her heartbreak. But now something had cracked wide open inside her and she could no longer hold back these emotions.
“There there,” Eric soothed, patting her on her back. “Tell me what’s causing my darling girl to shed all these tears.”
She spit out everything about meeting Hank on the ferry, developing a rapport with him and then being rejected by him when the truth about her identity came out.
“He’s so angry at me, Daddy. He’s made it clear he thinks I’m a big fat liar for withholding the truth. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with me. It’s breaking my heart.”
He reached out and tilted her chin up so they were looking directly into each other’s eyes. “Aaah. You’re in love with him, Sage. I can see it shining in your eyes.”
She nodded her head, unable to speak. If her father could see it so clearly, why couldn’t Hank?
“It’s the first time you’ve ever been in love.” He scowled. “I’m not sure this Hank Crawford is worth all this heartache. If he’s this unforgiving and intractable, perhaps he isn’t the man for you.”
“Daddy, you’re wrong. Hank is the most amazing man I’ve ever known. The fault isn’t with him. He lives by a code of honor and finds what I did unacceptable. He’s been hurt in the past by lies and deception. I can’t blame him for how he feels.”
“You really have it bad, don’t you?” he asked with a low chuckle. “In my experience, love isn’t something any of us can afford to give up on.”
“Love can’t be one-sided.” It hurt to acknowledge it, but at this moment all she had were her own strong feelings for Hank. Evidently, he didn’t feel the same way.
“You’re right about that, sweetness.”
He held her in his arms for quite a long time, wiping away her tears and whispering reassuring words to her. Suddenly she felt like the middle school version of herself who hadn’t been invited to the homecoming dance.
When Sage finally moved out of his embrace, she looked up at him and spoke the words that had been weighing on her heart for months.
“Daddy, I really don’t understand why she did it.”
“If I’m being honest, neither do I,” he admitted. “I’ve been thinking about it nonstop ever since you told me about her confession. Jane was desperate to have a baby. It just never happened for us. She couldn’t conceive. For me, it wasn’t the end of the world, but for your mother it was earth-shattering.”
His jaw trembled with raw emotion. “We actually separated because of it. That’s when she went on a trip with the youth group she’d joined through your aunt Cathy. I didn’t even know where she went or any of the details since the group was out of state. When she came back she had you with her and she told me a story about a pair of underage teens who couldn’t raise you and had abandoned you by a bridge. I’m ashamed to say I was so happy to be back with her and to have a new lease on our marriage with the baby of our dreams, I didn’t ask many questions.”
He bowed his head. “She had your birth certificate, which I know now was doctored. I should have pressed her for more answers. But in my defense, I never imagined you were stolen from another family. I truly thought we were saving an unwanted infant from a life of despair and neglect. We legally adopted you. Or so I thought at the time. With what I know now, I don’t think the adoption was legal, Sage.”
Her father was supplying her with a lot of information she’d never heard before. And it all added up with what Willa had told her once she’d seen a picture of Jane Duncan.
“I believe you,” Sage told him. “She was clever in covering her tracks. Willa recognized her from the picture behind the counter at the Snowy Owl Diner. She said they opened up their home to many members of the youth group. She was one of the group leaders. It explains how she got access to the house. She used the alias of Emily Duncan while she was in Alaska. So when the FBI and the authorities were looking at the members of the youth group as suspects, they met up with a dead end. I hate to think she might have planned it in advance.”
Sage shuddered. She got the chills every time she thought about being stolen in the middle of the night from her crib. Someday she would connect more of the dots, but for now she was content with what she’d discovered. And she knew it had given Nate and Willa a sense of closure to know what had happened and who was responsible.
He grimaced. “I talked to your aunt Cathy a few days ago and begged her for answers.”
&
nbsp; Sage’s eyes widened. “And did your learn anything?”
“I did. Believe it or not, she’s always known a lot more about your abduction than she’s ever let on. It turns out your mother ran to Aunt Cathy’s side in Maryland after she left Owl Creek with you. From what I gather, she stayed there for a few weeks hiding out. When Aunt Cathy pressed her about you, she confessed what she’d done and basically told her how she fled Alaska at night on the ferry and bundled you up in a little basket. At that time of night, the ferry was pretty empty, so there was no one who really noticed Jane.” He cleared his throat, then went on. “Getting on a plane from Anchorage was simple. She paid off an attorney to help her falsify the paperwork.”
Sage let out a shocked sound. “Why didn’t Aunt Cathy report her to the authorities?”
“It’s hard to say, but she was always protective of your mother. I think she was trying to spare her from spending the rest of her life in jail.”
She shook her head, feeling disgusted. “While becoming her accomplice.”
“I know it’s hard to wrap your head around. Jane wasn’t a woman of faith, but I’m convinced in her final days she accepted God as her Lord and Savior. It gives me a lot of comfort. She wasn’t all bad even though she did a terrible thing.”
Sage nodded. She had thought the same thing when she’d seen a Bible by her mother’s bedside, but she hadn’t allowed herself to hope that she’d accepted Christ before she had passed away. For most of her life she’d wondered why her mother hadn’t been a believer. Knowing she might have discovered the Lord in her final days gave Sage a feeling of peace. “I think her confession was an attempt at redemption. She wanted to make things right. It doesn’t excuse what she did, but it helps me know she wasn’t completely lost.”
Her Secret Alaskan Family (Home To Owl Creek Book 1) Page 16
