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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.”
“I agree, Sage,” her father said with nod. “I pray for her every day. And you, as well as the entire North family. They’ve been through so much. I keep thinking of one of my favorite verses. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
“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.”
