LITMIR.BIZ

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through her brain. Hearing about the suffering of the North family hadn’t been pleasant. She felt incredibly guilty that they were still on edge wondering what had happened to their daughter. Time had done nothing to close those wounds, and it angered her that people in search of a juicy story were making their suffering even worse.

      Guilt pierced her insides. Could she single-handedly take away their pain? But what if she was wrong? All she had were her mother’s dying words and a few newspaper clippings she’d found hiding in an old trunk. When she’d pressed him, her father had expressed astonishment about the kidnapping. According to him, he’d been completely in the dark. And the fact was, Jane hadn’t been the most stable person. Sage had fuzzy memories of her mother having a breakdown when she was roughly eight years old. Could she have become fixated on the case and created this fantastical story?

      Perhaps it was nothing more than a delusion. If she came forward and mistakenly made a claim about being Lily North, she would be no better than all the others who made false claims and subjected the North family to more agony.

      No. It was far better for her to investigate the situation a little further and make peace with what had transpired. If that was even possible.

      Hank’s face flashed before her eyes. Just seeing him doting on his adorable baby girl had caused a hitch in her heart. Addie was pure sweetness and light; Hank’s adoration for his daughter was unmistakable.

      There was something so uplifting about seeing a man single-handedly raising his daughter. It reminded her of her own father and their incredibly close bond. At times during her childhood, Sage had felt as if she only had one parent due to her mother’s illness. Her dad had always been there for her during the rough times, cheering her on and providing her with guidance. Sage had loved her mother dearly, but they hadn’t shared the same powerful connection as she and her father.

      Hank had asked her earlier this evening about her father. It had caused an immediate emotional response. For all intents and purposes, Eric Duncan was Sage’s sole familial connection. He was all she had in the world. There had never been uncles or cousins or grandparents. As far back as she could remember, it had just been the three of them, along with Aunt Cathy, her mother’s sister. Although Aunt Cathy hadn’t been a big part of Sage’s life, she’d been very close to her sister.

      Sadly, she now knew that she wasn’t the legally adopted child of Jane and Eric Duncan. Her whole life had been a huge lie. Sage didn’t really know who she was. And while she should be mourning her mother’s passing, all she could do was wonder if she had ever truly known the woman who’d raised her. Although her father had always been a man of faith, who regularly quoted scripture to Sage, took her to church services and volunteered for their church’s outreach programs, her mother hadn’t shown herself to be religious in any way, shape or form. Because of her mother’s oddities, Sage hadn’t ever questioned it. Perhaps it had been guilt, she reckoned, for having ripped a baby away from her parents.

      Her father had been little or no help when she had questioned him about her mother’s shocking confession. He had claimed Jane had told him she’d rescued her from two underage teens who hadn’t been able or willing to raise her. He’d been convinced she had been an abandoned baby. Eric hadn’t pressed for details since Jane had shown signs of mental instability and he’d never wanted to rock the boat. He had been so overjoyed to have a child in their lives after years of infertility that he had overlooked all the red flags and accepted her story without question.

      All the color had been leeched from his face when Sage had shown him the newspaper clippings and the online reports regarding the kidnapping.

      “I’m going to jail,” he had said in a hoarse voice. “No one will ever believe I didn’t play a role in taking you from your birth family.”

      “I won’t let that happen, Daddy. Not ever,” Sage had assured him. She had thrown her arms around him and held on for dear life, knowing she could never sacrifice the man who’d raised her. Never in a million years could she ever believe he had been her mother’s accomplice in stealing a baby.

      She would keep her promise to her father, no matter how dearly it cost her.

      As Sage began to drift off to sleep, she murmured a prayer. God had been by her side throughout her life, and even though she was dealing with extremely difficult circumstances, she knew He wouldn’t forsake her. Surely something good would come from her being in Owl Creek.

       Please, Lord, help me find the closure I’m seeking. Give me the strength to forgive my mother for her actions and to do what’s right. I don’t know what to do with all of these feelings or how to react when I come face-to-face with the North family. Grant me the wisdom to know how to proceed in the best interests of everyone involved.

       Chapter Three

      Hank drove down Main Street as a feeling of contentment spread through him. Snow had fallen late last night, covering the landscape with a healthy dusting of the frosty white stuff. There was no finer place in his opinion than Owl Creek, the place he was fortunate enough to call home. Being in Homer had been an interesting change of pace, but he wouldn’t trade his hometown for anything in this world. He beeped his horn a few times at passersby, who called out friendly greetings to him in return.

      He loved being out and about during office hours. He had just come from Opal Reed’s house after rescuing her cat from the clutches of a snowy owl who had been hiding in her barn.

      Opal had insisted on thanking him with tea and chocolate chip cookies. Earlier this morning he had been called out to settle a dispute between two fishermen who were feuding over a rare blue-colored king crab. Hank had managed to calm the situation down and convince Lou Baskin and Denny Phillips to share the unusual crustacean. When he’d left them the pair had been taking selfies together with the crab and cracking jokes about alerting the media. He chuckled at how raging controversies could be settled so amicably once people used their hearts and common sense.

      Small-town life might not be for everyone, but he wouldn’t trade it any day of the week for a high-paying job in a big city.

      He frowned as he spotted a few journalists standing outside the North Star Chocolate Factory. They were like buzzards who had descended upon them in droves.

      It was a downright shame how people had no respect for boundaries anymore. Nor did they understand that the North family had been through the worst tragedy a family could endure. In every practical way, they were still stuck in limbo with no sense of closure. He truly wondered if they would ever achieve it. Connor didn’t talk about it a lot, but he knew the weight of it hung around his neck like an anchor.

      Hank pulled into a spot right in front of the Snowy Owl Diner. The sheriff’s office was only a short walk down the street from his go-to restaurant, which made it convenient. Once he stepped out of his squad car, he beat a fast path toward the diner. He was right on time for his weekly lunch with his two best buddies. His stomach groaned as he entered the establishment.

      With a wave at Piper, who was behind the counter serving up meals, he headed toward a table in the back of the diner. Both Gabriel and Connor were already seated and engaged in an animated conversation. Hank slid into the booth next to Gabriel in a seat facing the door. As a sheriff he always wanted to be able to see who was coming and going. It had been ingrained in him when he was in the police academy.

      “Hey, Sheriff. What’s going on? How was Homer?” Gabe asked, clapping him on the back as a form of greeting. With his warm brown skin, dimples and soulful brown eyes, he exuded raw charm and personality. Hank couldn’t remember a time when they hadn’t been friends. Matter of fact, the three of them had been tight since they were in preschool. The three musketeers. One for all and all for one.

      “It was great to connect with other law enforcement officials. I was able to spend some time with my buddy Boone Prescott, but I couldn’t wait to get home to Addie,” he confessed. He felt a little sheepish admitting it. Neither Connor nor Gabriel had even the

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