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Hank slowly walked toward her, holding out the blanket as he got within a few feet of her. “This turned up in the laundry Mama collected from your room. Can you tell me why you have it among your things?”
Sage’s eyes went wide. Her lips began to tremble. He could almost see the whee
ls turning in her head as she tried to process that she’d been found out.
“Hank, I can explain,” she said in a halting voice.
“Can you? I highly doubt it. There are only two plausible reasons you would have this in your possession. One is that you’re Lily North and the other is that you were using the blanket so you could pretend to be her. Either way, you’ve been lying ever since you came to town.”
A wounded look passed over her face. “I’m not Theresa, Hank. I didn’t come to Alaska to scam the North family.”
He sucked in a steadying breath. “So, you’re telling me you’re actually Lily?”
She slowly nodded her head. Sadly, Hank didn’t know what to think. He’d been scammed before by his ex, a woman who had ruthlessly tried to deceive the entire town. He was well aware of how conniving people could be when they wanted to work their own agendas. At the moment he couldn’t believe a single thing Sage was telling him, even though he wanted to trust her at her word.
“Maybe you’re confused about what the right thing to do is, but I’m not.” Hank reached for his coat hanging on the back of a kitchen chair. He shot Sage a pointed look as he put it on. “We’re heading over to the Norths’ home. If you’re really Lily, I think they’ve waited long enough to hear that you’re alive and well.
“And if you’re not really her, they have a right to know that, as well.”
* * *
Sage sat next to Hank in the passenger seat nervously fidgeting with her fingers as they headed to the Norths’ home.
She’d lost him. Not that Hank had ever been hers in the first place, but it hurt to see the look of disgust stamped on his face. It was strange how certain things became crystal clear in moments of crisis. Sage now knew she was in love with Hank. It had been happening gradually over the last few weeks, but now he was firmly cemented in her heart. She’d never imagined falling for someone in such a short time, but there was no question in her mind that she had fallen head over heels for the good-hearted sheriff.
But it was all ruined now because of her withholding the truth from him. Hank was a man who lived by a code of honor. Truth. There were no shades of gray with him.
The ride passed in silence as tension simmered in the air between them. Hank didn’t spare her a single glance. When they reached the Norths’ residence, Hank pulled the passenger-side door open for her, his face grim as they made eye contact. She wanted so badly to apologize to him again, but she had the feeling he didn’t want to hear a single word she had to say. Sage couldn’t blame him. For all intents and purposes, she seemed like a colossal liar. A fraud.
A carbon copy of his deceitful ex-girlfriend.
Once they were standing at the front door, Sage began to shiver uncontrollably. The idea of facing her birth family felt overwhelming to her. Even though she knew the situation had been of her own making, she felt blindsided. Never in a million years had she imagined being found out by Hank this way. It had all blown up in her face.
She turned toward him. “I—I don’t think I can do this.”
Hank’s lip curled. “You don’t really have a choice.” Sage took a step away from him.
She barely recognized him at the moment. He was radiating pure anger.
After Hank buzzed the door a few times, Willa opened it for them. There was a look of surprise on her face when she saw Sage at his side. “Hank! We’ve been anxiously awaiting your arrival since your call. I didn’t know Sage would be here.”
She had overheard Hank’s phone call to Willa and Nate before they’d left the house. In a very abrupt tone he’d told them that he needed to talk to the family regarding a matter of utmost importance.
“Come on in! Don’t be shy,” Nate urged, appearing behind his wife in the doorway.
Hank made a motion with his hand, waving Sage inside before he stepped over the threshold behind her. His features were set in grim lines.
“Beulah, Jennings and Connor are joining us,” Willa said, as she led them down the hall toward the living room.
Once they entered the room, Connor jumped to his feet. “What’s going on, Hank? Are you here as town sheriff?”
“I suppose you could say this is official business,” Hank said, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
“Sage, why don’t you take a seat?” Beulah suggested, patting the seat next to her.
“No, thank you. I’d rather stand,” Sage answered, feeling too nervous to move a muscle.
She looked down at the floor, unwilling to make eye contact with anyone in the room.
