“Amen to that,” Sage whispered. “I don’t know if they told you, but Willa and Nate want to hold a press conference tomorrow. It’s their way of clearing up all the rumors flying around here in town. Everyone wants answers.” She made a tutting sound. “I can’t say I blame them. This has been an unsolved mystery for twenty-five years. Not to mention it will be like throwing a bone to the media outlets. Maybe then they’ll give everyone some breathing room.”
“You don’t have to do it if you’re not comfortable,” Eric said thickly. “This may be a case of too much happening all at once. I worry you’ll feel overwhelmed by it all.”
Sage bit her lip. He was right. It did sound a bit daunting, but after all the secrets she had been harboring, she just wanted a bit of transparency.
“I think truth is important, but I’m not certain that I’m ready for a barrage of questions.”
He nodded, worry etched on his craggy features. “I understand your concerns, Sage. And despite everything, I don’t want the press to vilify your mother. But we can’t sugarcoat the truth either. There’s been enough of that, don’t you think?” he asked.
Sage nodded. She had the feeling he regretted his own inability to confront his wife about the inconsistencies regarding the way Sage had come into their lives. He would probably always wonder about it and ask himself if he couldn’t have done more to prevent it all.
She reached out and joined his hand with her own. “Let’s face the future together as a united front. You, me and my birth family. I honestly believe if we speak from our hearts and a place of truth we can’t lose. I lost sight of that, Daddy, but I can promise you, I never will again.”
* * *
Hank couldn’t remember a time in his life when he’d felt so alone. Everyone and their brother was at the press conference the North family had scheduled to clear the air about their long-lost daughter. Even his secretary, Dorinda, had left to make her way over to the chocolate factory. The whole town of Owl Creek was curious about the return of Lily North. Many wanted answers they’d been waiting twenty-five years to hear. He couldn’t rightly blame them since the whole town had been consumed by the mystery for decades.
The past few nights he’d tossed and turned as thoughts of Sage tormented him. He couldn’t get the image of her crestfallen features, when he’d told her off, out of his mind. Funny thing was he usually felt relieved when he was able to speak his mind. But he hadn’t felt a bit of ease since the day of the cook-off. Being at odds with Sage felt ten times worse than what he’d experienced after his breakup with Theresa. Which caused a light bulb to go off in his head. He was genuinely in love with Sage in a way he’d never experienced before.
The door to his office flew open without warning. Piper stormed in, closely followed by his mother, who was carrying Addie on her hip. Before he could complain about them barging in without knocking, Piper began talking in a raised voice.
“Hank, you have to listen to us. Mama has been trying to talk to you for days, but you’re as stubborn as a mule. We love you. Your happiness means the world to us. Sage makes you smile. She’s great with Addie. And from what I can see, she might even be in love with you. Not that you seem to have noticed or even care that she’s hurting because of you.”
“Piper! Take a breath,” Trudy urged her daughter. She turned toward Hank. “By the way, I agree one hundred percent with everything your sister just said. You can’t see what’s so obvious to the rest of us. The two of you belong together!”
Hank leaned forward in his chair and placed his forearms on the desk. “What makes you think she loves me?” He hadn’t considered his feelings might be reciprocated by Sage, even though he knew there was something powerful brewing between them. Pure adrenaline began racing through his veins.
“The only one who can answer that question is Sage,” his mother snapped. “But since you’re not talking to her, you might never find out.” She placed Addie down on the floor. She began taking faltering steps toward her father. Every day her coordination was getting better.
“Way to go, baby girl! You’re going to be running soon,” he said, opening his arms wide.
Piper rolled her eyes. “Don’t change the subject!” She tapped her watch. “The clock is ticking. I heard Sage might be going back to Florida soon. You need to make things right with her. Now!”
Piper and Trudy stared him down like he was the enemy. It had always been like this with his family. Two against one. What was the point in arguing with them? As with most things, they were right. He’d acted like a jerk. He hadn’t allowed himself to see Sage’s side of the situation at all. And he needed to talk to her before she left Owl Creek.
He let out a groan. “The two of you didn’t have to march down here to confront me. I already know that I messed up with Sage. I’ve been racking my brain for a way to make amends with her. In case you were wondering, it’s been killing me.”
Piper sent him a satisfied look. “Happy to hear it,” she said, folding her arms across her chest and tapping her foot.
“Piper, be nice,” Trudy scolded.
“I was just kidding, Mom,” Piper said. “Hank knows I want only the best for him.”
Hank winked at her. “Ditto. Now give me some advice about how to approach Sage.”
“She’s over at the chocolate factory along with everyone else in town,” Piper informed him. “I had to close the diner early since it was completely empty. Go to the press conference and tell her how you feel.”
He ran a hand over his face. “I can’t do that in front of everyone. How would that look, for the town sheriff to act like a lovesick fool?”
“You seriously need to get over yourself. Women love romantic gestures. It shows that you’re willing to put your pride aside in order to get your happily-ever-after,” Piper said.
Trudy vigorously bobbed her head up and down. “Listen to your sister. She’s read hundreds of romance novels. She knows a lot about happy endings.”
“Are you sure?” Hank asked, feeling a bit skeptical about showing up in front of the entire town. The very thought of all those prying eyes was enough to make him break out in hives.
“We’re sure,” Trudy and Piper said in unison.
Hank picked up Addie and handed her to Trudy. “Can you take her, Mama? I’m fixing to head over to the chocolate factory where I may or may not make an utter fool of myself.”
Piper pounded him on the back. “Well, if you go down, at least it’ll be in a blaze of glory. Your name will be on people’s lips for weeks.”
“That’s very reassuring,” Hank drawled.
“I’ll see you later at the inn,” Trudy said, bundling the baby up before she headed outside. “I can’t keep Addie out in that cold, but I want a full report later.” She pressed a kiss on her son’s cheek. “Godspeed, Hank. Go get your happy ending, son.”
Hank turned back toward Trudy and pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m sure going to try my best, Mama.”
* * *
Standing on the steps of the chocolate factory in preparation for the press conference reminded Sage of the first time she’d come here with Hank, and her birth parents had been speaking to the press from this very spot. She had been under the impression that the press conference would be reduced to a few media outlets and a small number of residents. But now as she scanned the large crowd it caused butterflies to soar in her stomach. It appeared as if the entire town had turned out to hear about Lily North’s mysterious return. She prayed everyone would understand her reasons for keeping silent during her stay in Owl Creek. It was time to lay everything out in the open.
Willa and Nate began by reading a statement about Sage’s discovery of her true identity and her ties to Owl Creek. Although their words were emotional and eloquent, they didn’t give any specifics about Jane Duncan. They had all agreed to handle it in a manner that would give Eric peace about his deceased
wife. And even Connor concurred that seeking vengeance was pointless due to Jane’s death. Aunt Cathy would be spared prosecution for aiding and abetting her sister.
“Mr. and Mrs. North. Will you be seeking charges against anyone with regard to the kidnapping of your daughter, Lily North?” a reporter asked.
Willa looked over at Nate before answering. “No, we will not. We are one-hundred-percent certain that the individual who abducted our daughter is no longer living. And we are also satisfied that her crime was carried out alone without assistance from anyone. Our wish is to move forward with the knowledge that our family is now whole. We’ll leave the judgment up to God almighty.”
Sage breathed a sigh of relief that they had all made the decision not to publicly name Jane Duncan as her abductor. She wasn’t certain her mother deserved such grace, but she felt content with the outcome. It gave her a measure of peace.
A dark-haired female reporter threw out a question from the press area. “Hello. Grace Prescott reporting for the Love, Alaska Gazette. Sage. Lily. Which name are you going to use from now on? Do you have your own statement about your discovery?”
Sage stepped forward to speak into the microphone. “I plan to continue to use the name Sage since I’ve grown accustomed to it after all these years. In my heart I’ll always cherish and honor my given name, Lily. My parents chose a beautiful name full of grace and beauty. I hope I’ve lived up to it.” She took a deep breath, gathering her strength to speak. “I came to Owl Creek in search of answers, but I wasn’t courageous enough to be completely open and honest with everyone. I just want to take this opportunity to apologize to anyone I may have hurt, including my family. You see, I wanted to protect the man who raised me from being implicated in the kidnapping. That man—Eric Duncan—never traveled to Alaska until recently. I just want to make it clear that he had nothing to do with the crime.”
“Miss Duncan! Will you be staying in Owl Creek? Or have you decided to return to Florida?” a reporter called out.
Sage shifted from one foot to the next. The question was monumental. How was she supposed to answer it? Her birth family desperately wanted her to stick around town in order to get more acquainted with them. Eric had also urged her to stay in town, telling her she had twenty-five years to make up for with the Norths. The idea appealed to her, but she knew it would be agonizing to run into Hank knowing how he felt about her. She cringed just thinking about all the awkward run-ins and the regrets she would feel about keeping secrets from him. She’d decided to head home to Florida for a bit to heal her broken heart and get her bearings.
Before she could answer, there was a sudden commotion in the back of the crowd. Sage craned her neck to see who was pushing their way through. She must be a glutton for punishment because although it was silly of her to think Hank might grant her forgiveness, a part of her had hoped he would show up here today. Sage sighed. It was just another one of her pipe dreams.
Just then Hank appeared in the crowd, surrounded by Piper and Gabriel. Her heart began to thump wildly at the sight of him. The last few days without seeing him had felt like torture.
“Sage!” he called out. “I need to talk to you.”
“Let her know how much you care about her,” Gabriel yelled out.
“Tell her you were a fool!” Piper shouted.
The crowd erupted into laughter. Sage might have laughed too under other circumstances. She was standing as still as a statue, wondering what was coming next. Hank was a pretty private person. She couldn’t imagine he wanted to put everything out there in front of the entire town of Owl Creek.
“Will you please be quiet?” Hank asked. “There are some things in life we need to do on our own steam. And this is one of them.”
Beulah grabbed the microphone and said in a commanding voice, “Let the boy speak his piece.” Her no-nonsense tone assured no argument. The queen of Owl Creek had spoken.
Hank’s expression was sheepish. “Sorry about my timing, but as Mama always says, there’s no perfect time to make things right. And I really want to make things right with you, Sage.”
Eric gently nudged Sage forward. “Don’t leave him hanging, sweetheart. I think he’s pretty much wearing his heart on his sleeve at the moment.” Sage stepped forward, her eyes focusing like laser beams on Hank. Suddenly her insides were doing crazy flip-flops. Was her father right about Hank? She’d practically given up all hope he’d come around, yet here he was trying to get her attention from deep in the crowd.
Please, Lord. Let him have had a change of heart. Allow him to forgive me.
Hank was rapidly making his way through the crowd and toward where she stood on the steps. The townsfolk made a wide path to allow him passage.
“Hank. What’s going on? What are you doing here?” Sage whispered once he stood within mere feet of her. She looked around at all of the prying eyes. After all Hank had said to her the other day, he was the last person she’d expected to see today. Perhaps he had come to apologize so there would be no awkwardness between them. She knew he cared deeply for the North family, so it was a possible motive for his appearance at the press conference.
“Sage, I was wrong to come down so hard on you the other day. I acted like an idiot.”
Just hearing those words allowed Sage to breathe properly for the first time in days. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest she feared Hank might hear it. She didn’t need to say a word. All she wanted to do was listen to him. The sound of his voice was like a sweet melody.
“It shames me to face it, but it wounded my pride when I realized you hadn’t trusted me enough to tell me why you came to Owl Creek. I told you about my past, so maybe you’ll understand how I felt in that moment. I’ve been burnt before by believing in someone way more than they deserved. I thought I might be reliving that nightmare all over again. I should have listened to you rather than reacting from a place of hurt. It took me a few sleepless nights and some words of wisdom from the women in my family to make me see my own truths.”
“And what are those truths?” Beulah asked. “Speak plainly, Sheriff.”
Jennings stood beside his wife looking at Hank gruffly, as if he wasn’t sure he was up to snuff for his granddaughter.
Sage couldn’t help but grin at her grandmother’s spunk. She’d asked the very question Sage wanted to inquire about herself. She would never get tired of learning more about the man she adored.
“The big one is that I love your granddaughter.” He placed his hand over his heart. “I’ve fallen madly and deeply in love with her.” He turned his gaze back toward Sage. “I have a question for you, Sage. Can you forgive a foolish sheriff for doubting you?”
For a moment Sage couldn’t speak. She could barely think straight. The last few days had been a whirlwind of joy and the deepest sorrow she’d ever known. Against all hope, Hank was standing here offering her his heart. He was giving her way more than forgiveness. He was telling the whole entire town of Owl Creek that he loved her.
When she caught her breath, she was finally able to speak. “Oh, Hank! Of course I will. As long as you’ll forgive me for not being truthful from the beginning. In case you didn’t realize it, I’m crazy about you too. I don’t know the precise moment when it happened, but you’re firmly wedged in my soul.”
A look of relief passed over his face. “I think my heart started to crack wide open that very first day on the ferry, and every day since then my feelings have increased by leaps and bounds. That big, beautiful heart of yours has taught me so much. Because of you my own has opened up so wide you could run a truck through it.”
“Enough with all the talking. Seal it with a kiss,” Beulah barked.
Hank and Sage burst into laughter. “Who am I to go against the grand dame of Owl Creek?” Hank asked as he lowered his head and placed a resounding kiss on Sage’s lips. She reached up and placed her arms around Hank’s neck and held on
for dear life. Happiness fluttered through her at the realization that against all odds everything had come together with her birth family, the terrible secret she’d been harboring, and now, reuniting with Hank was the sweetest of blessings.
Even though they could hear the cameras snapping and lights flashing, they continued to share the most tender kiss of all time. She was home in Hank’s loving embrace and it was the only place she wanted to be.
Epilogue
“Miss Duncan. Miss Duncan.” Sage felt a tugging sensation at the hem of her sweater.
When she looked down, Sage was staring into the deep brown eyes of one of her students, Charlie Miller. With a face full of freckles, and short, spiky hair, he was simply adorable And a bit on the mischievous side. Each and every day he kept Sage on her toes.
Charlie rubbed his hands together. “Are we doing show-and-tell soon?”
“As soon as your special guest arrives.” She glanced up at the clock on the wall. “I hope they get here soon or we’ll be behind schedule. Are you sure you don’t want to tell me who’s coming?”
Charlie shook his head. “Nope. It’s a secret.”
Second graders and their secrets!
Sage loved teaching second grade in Owl Creek. She was so incredibly blessed to be able to see these beautiful little faces every day and be their new teacher. Her class size was much smaller now and she truly felt as if she could give each child her very best. She loved her new life in Owl Creek with Hank and Addie and her wonderful birth family, the Norths. She was still getting to know them and trying to find her place in the family. She didn’t expect it to happen all at once. It was a process, one that might take years to coalesce.
Her birth parents, Willa and Nate, were warm and generous people. They had showed Eric nothing but kindness and understanding. He’d been welcomed into the fold as if he were one of their own, and it made the entire situation so much easier to navigate. Now she had two dads! And she didn’t have to worry about her father being prosecuted. She couldn’t have asked for more.
Her Secret Alaskan Family Page 17
