I open the front door to get the newspaper, and Paul’s car is in the driveway. I never heard him come in last night. Keegan is still sound asleep in my bed. I smile, thinking about yesterday.

“You’re going to walk around with that smile all day, aren’t you?” Paul’s sitting in the kitchen drinking his coffee.

“I think I just might.” I lay the paper on the table in front of him. “What’s this?” I point to a box on the counter.

“I think it’s your mother’s belongings. It was on the doorstep when I came home last night.”

I completely forgot about it. I pick it up and lay it on the table then sit.

“Are you going to open it or stare at it?”

I run my hand across the top. “I think I’ll wait.”

“Wait for what?”

“I want some more time with Keegan before I explore what’s inside here.”

“Inside what?” Keegan’s sleepy voice burrows from behind me. He’s bare-chested with a pair of loose-fitting blue jeans low on his hips. He hair is uncombed, but somehow he looks sexy as hell.

“It’s the contents of her mother’s safety deposit box,” Paul says, and I kick him under the table. “Ouch!”

“Big mouth,” I yell.

“How did you get your hands on that?” He joins us at the table.

“A lot of research. I also found the detective that Wolfe’s…I mean my father hired to find me. Turns out, he found my mother and me years ago, but she refused to let him have anything to do with me.”

His hand covers mine. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. My mother did the best she could to protect me from him. My only regret is not getting to know Wolfe.”

“So, are you going to open it?” He points to the box.

“I will, but not right now. I want to spend my day enjoying you. Besides, I think we have a lot to talk about.”

Paul’s chair scrapes across the tile floor as he gets up. “I’m out of here on that note. You two don’t need me hanging around.” He pours what’s left of his coffee down the sink. “Call me if you need me,” he says and leaves the room.

“So what did you have in mind now that I’ve had a few hours to recover?” He raises his eyebrows at me.

“I thought maybe I’d show you the waterside. Have you ever been to California?”

“Nope.”

“Good because I want to share it with you through my eyes. We can eat at my favorite little café on the waterfront.”

“I’m game,” he says as he stands. “How about you join me in that fancy shower of yours first.” He holds out his hand for me to take.

“I think we're pretty clean after our bubble bath last night.” I take his hand.

“Oh, I plan on getting you dirty before we get in the shower.”

We stroll hand in hand, exploring the waterside together. It feels so good and natural being with him. He pulls the black wrought iron chair out for me at the café. Our table is overlooking the water's edge.

“This really is nice. I can see why you like it here.”

“I like this area, but I miss the small-town feel.”

He places his elbows on the table and leans on his hands. “Does that mean you’re coming back with me?”

“It’s not that simple. I have a lot of things I have to work out first. My business is here.”

“Your business can be anywhere.”

“I have my house.”

“Sell it.”

“You have all the answers.” I look away from him, and he tugs my chin in his direction.

“I want you with me, not a million miles away. I don’t want to waste any more time being apart.”

“I want to be with you too, but…”

“But what, Shay?”

“When I’m with you, I’m so happy. I feel loved and free at the same time.”

He leans back in his chair. “So what’s the problem then?”

“I’ve built a life here, on my own. I know who I am here.”

“You don’t know who you are when you’re with me?” His voice trails off.

“That’s not it. I want to know that you know who I am when I’m with you. I don’t want to fall into Timber’s role in your life. I want to be the woman you are madly in love with.”

“You are that woman for me, and I’ve come to accept the fact that you are not Timber and even if you were, you’re not the same woman I remember. I. Love. You. Shay. Fox. If I have to tell you that every day for the rest of my life, I will.” He gets down on one knee. “I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”

Tears fill my eyes. This beautiful man is out here on his knees, in front of the world, asking me to marry him. I want to say yes, but I’m not ready just yet.

“I…I do want to marry you, but I need some more time.” I’m begging him to understand. I see the hurt in his eyes, but he shuts it down.

“I will give you whatever you need. I just don’t want to be worlds apart anymore.”

I place my hand on his face. “That I can work on, I promise.”

The rest of the day he’s a little distant but he is always touching me, whether it’s holding my hand, touching the small of my back, or wrapping his arm around my shoulder. It’s comforting in his silence.

I make a pot of spaghetti, with him by my side. We share a bottle of red wine as he catches me up on his conversation with Emmalyn at Timber’s graveside.

“Wow. She’s a rather intuitive twelve-year-old.” I laugh.

“Yes she is. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without her in it. She can’t wait to meet you by the way.” He lifts his glass in the air.

“I can’t wait to meet her either and your parents.”

“Yeah, my mom is the one who gave me the push I needed to get out here.”

“I’m already liking her.” I wink at him.

“I think you have some unfinished business with your mother.” He cocks his head in the direction of the box.

I draw courage from him. I put my glass of wine on the table, get up, and get the box along with a knife to open it.

“Do you want to be alone?” he asks.

I shake my head and cut the tape around the edges.

A key to the metal box is taped to the outside. I unlock it and raise the lid. On the very top is a white envelope addressed to “My daughter.”

Butterflies dance in my stomach as I open the flap.

To my dearest daughter –

I write this letter to you from my death bed. These are words I should have spoken to you but never found the courage.

If you know nothing else in this life, know that you were loved. You’ve brought me more joy than I deserve. Because of decisions I made, you missed out on the life you were born into. Pieces of your life have always been missing.

You were born on an Indian reservation in the deep mountains of Utah. You and your twin brother, Wolfe. Your father, my husband, was not a good man. I took you from him to protect you. I hid you away from all of your family so that he couldn’t get to you. My biggest regret was leaving your brother behind. I knew he would be safe, but your life was in danger.

Your uncle Hunt took care of him until your father took him away. I never saw him again. I changed your identity, and we moved frequently until I knew he was no longer after us.

Years later he found me. You weren’t home at the time. He said he was there to apologize and to make amends. He said if I’d come back with him, we could be a family again, and I would have my son back. Something in his eyes made me not believe him. I chose to keep you safe rather than have my boy back. I can’t tell you how much this broke my heart. Wolfe would never know how much I loved him or that he had a sister.

Please find it in your heart to forgive me and maybe one day find your brother and tell him I’m sorry. I kept a few of you the things from your childhood for you including a copy of your birth certificate so that you would know the truth.

I wipe back the tears I didn’t realize had fallen. I fold the letter and hand it to Keegan to read. My birth certificate is next. The names are not scratched out on this one. Next is an old notebook. On the outside, it says first grade. When I open it, my thoughts unravel. At the very top of the page is a name written. Timber Hunt.

Page after page is the same name. I gasp out loud.

“What is it?” Keegan is on his feet by my side.

“She said she changed my name.” I hand him the notebook. She gave me my uncle’s last name. All this time, Keegan was right.

“I don’t understand. I thought the DNA testing proved that you weren’t Timber.” His eyes are wide.

I get up from my chair without responding and run up to my office. My hands shake as I open the file cabinet and take out a file. When I turn around, Keegan is right behind me.

I open the folder and hand him the unopened lab results.

He takes it from me and flips it over looking at it. “It’s still sealed.”

“I thought when I found out that I was Wolfe’s sister, there was no point in opening it.” My voice trembles.

He shoves his finger in between the flap and rips it open. I watch as his eyes scan the paper. A tear falls from his eye when he looks back up at me.

“What does it say?”

“It says…” He chokes. “It says you match Timber Hunt one hundred percent.”