Page 146 of Running to You

“I guess he reminded me that third sons can matter. The Levites were sort of important.” He nodded to his brother. “Fourth sons matter, too, I suppose.”

Grant’s eyebrows hiked. “You suppose?”

Sam chuckled. “No idea what the fourth son’s name was.”

“Judah.” Grant seemed to be trying to hide a smile, but he failed, and it spread across his face. “As in, the Lion of Judah. As in, an ancestor of Christ.”

“Whatever, idiot.” Sam threw a napkin at him, which Grant snatched out of the air.

“You throw like a girl.”

Eliza laughed. “I’m just glad there aren’t twelve Wright brothers.”

“You and Mom both.” Sam kissed her temple. “So you chose the name for me?”

She nodded, shifting to watch his expression. “Levi Samuel.”

“Really?” He blinked a couple of times, swallowed. “Not sure I deserve that honor.”

“I wanted him to know you.”

“Levi Samuel Wright. Well, I guess it’s Pelletier, for now.” Sam said. “LSP. Almost spells lisp.”

“Fortunately, he doesn’t have one,” she said, “or those would be very unfortunate initials.”

“He’ll be a Wright soon enough.” But Sam’s cheer dimmed. “Wait… How did Jon not know he was your kid? His name had to be on the airline ticket when you flew in. How did Jon not notice Levi had your last name?”

Oh.

It wasn’t that she didn’t know the answer but that she didn’t want to share it.

“Eliza?” Sam’s expression morphed into that angry-intense look he’d worn so often in the last few days. “Explain.”

“That is his name,” she said. “His legal name. But Jed didn’t want the state to start poking around at The Ranch, so he forged all the kids’ birth certificates. The forged one—which was the only one I had access to—says his name is Levi Jedediah Keller.”

“He forced you to give my son his name?” Sam’s voice was too loud in the enclosed space, the words bouncing off the glass.

She sipped her coffee to give herself something to focus on. “He considers all the babies born on The Ranch his. He insists they call him Daddy and revere him like a father.”

“Which is why he said on the phone that Levi is his.”

“Exactly. But right after he was born, back when I still had some freedom, I got him an official birth certificate. I gave a false address, though, because I didn’t want Jed to see when it came in the mail, but it’s filed with the state. It’s legal.” In retrospect, she realized how twisted that was. At the time, she’d justified her decision by reminding herself how much Jed and Lola had done for her.

If only she’d seen through them sooner.

“He knows on some level that Jed isn’t his father. I always call Jed Levi’s pretend father—when Jed isn’t around. Of course, I’ve made it clear to Levi that he shouldn’t call Jed that. Fortunately, they don’t spend that much time together.”

“What would Keller say if he knew?”

She shrugged. “He never found out.”

Sam watched her a long moment with something in his eyes she couldn’t quite name. Maybe gratitude. Maybe hope? He didn’t voice it, just returned his focus to his screen.

“I have an update on the woman found in your mother’s basement.” Grant’s words sent acid to her stomach. “Her name was Carolyn Jensen. Widow, two kids. She lived—”

“Across the street,” Eliza said. “I know.”

“Cause of death was a head injury likely sustained when she hit the basement floor. Coroner said she had bruises on her body consistent with a struggle and a fall. They collected samples from under her fingernails for DNA testing. Those won’t come back for a month at best.”