He knew and never said anything? He just let Jasper and me fall in love knowing our relationship was impossible? “You knew and didn’t tell us? Why not tell Jasper? You want to protect him so badly, yet you let him . . . you let us go too far.”

He let out a deep chuckle that exuded no warmth or real humor. “Beulah, he would never have believed me. The moment he laid eyes on you he was done. It was over. I saw it and I knew I couldn’t stop what would happen.”

I was ready to snap at him, but then I paused. Something didn’t add up. I’d been so shocked and horrified by Heidi’s name on that birth certificate that I hadn’t thought it through. “Wait . . . Jasper is twenty-one year’s old. Heidi is nineteen. We’re the same age. That . . . Portia’s story. It doesn’t add up. Something is wrong.” I looked at Stone for answers. He said he knew everything already. Did he know why Heidi was younger than Jasper?

Stone sighed. “What did she tell you?”

“That she was raped before she married Jasper’s father, he married her even though she was pregnant. The baby had Down syndrome and she left her with my mother. But . . . Jasper. The timeline . . . something is wrong.”

I was scared to hope that even the lies were wrong. But I found myself clinging to the possibility.

STONE APPEARED TO BE STUDYING the woods behind me with a dark frown on his face. He didn’t respond right away, and I let my imagination take over working out every scenario I could. I wanted to believe Heidi wasn’t Portia’s daughter.

“In the hospital records I found, Heidi was born to Portia Van Allan sixteen months after Jasper’s birth.” He looked at me then. “There are photos in the attic of the Van Allan house that I looked through while staying there the past month. The photos are of Portia pregnant in a white gown, and Jasper is a toddler beside her.”

“What? But . . . she wasn’t raped? Why did she say she was?” Nothing made sense. The lies continued to unravel, and there were lies on top of more lies. What could I believe?

“Heidi is a Van Allan. Half of the Van Allan inheritance should be hers. She has a right to something. If anyone knew the truth, that the Van Allans had a child and gave her away, there could be lawsuits filed on Heidi’s behalf . . . by you.”

I didn’t understand. None of this made sense and nothing was clicking into place. You couldn’t just give a kid away. There were photos of her pregnant with Jasper beside her. People had to know she had another baby. “She couldn’t have just had a baby and everyone forgot it existed.”

He gave a short nod of agreement. “That’s what I thought too. Then,” he stopped and took a long deep breath. I could tell by his posture and the look on his face that I didn’t want to hear this. He didn’t want to tell me either. “There was a small closed casket funeral for Heidi Clarisse Van Allan who died at birth.”

What? What! I shook my head in disbelief. “No,” was all I could say. My throat was thick. My chest felt as if a ton of bricks had been dumped on it. How could two humans be so cold and cruel? To claim their child was dead and get rid of it because it’s not what they wanted. My beautiful sweet sister was the most special person on earth. I felt hate deep inside of me start to burn. It wasn’t an emotion I was familiar with, but it was there and building.

“With the Van Allan money, they were allowed to pay off anyone to keep the truth about Heidi a secret. They never spoke of her again. The people in their world are so consumed with themselves they don’t care about others. The death of a baby—they sent their condolences, and in time everything was forgotten.” The look on Stone’s face was pure disgust as he described how this could go away so easily.

“They just gave her away. They dropped money and a child on my mother. Then not another word. There was nothing from them. Heidi is the most perfect human I know. But they didn’t care.” I said the words aloud trying to comprehend it. I never would though. They were both monsters. Terrible, horrible people with dark souls. I was thankful Heidi never knew them. That she had my mother to love her. My mother was the best.

“Portia already relies solely on Jasper to keep up her life. She wouldn’t let it go so far that you and Jasper went any further being related. But she had to tell a story that made her appear less horrible if that is possible. The rape was her way of adding an excuse and attempting to get sympathy or at least understanding. She doesn’t want him to know the truth. But in her haste, she didn’t tie up all her loose ends to her lie. Jasper is going to realize the same thing you did. He’ll demand the truth. He won’t be able to forgive her.”

How could anyone? How did a mother do that? “How do I face Heidi without breaking apart? I won’t be able to hold her and not weep.”

His gaze shifted up the hill toward the beautiful home that was Heidi’s safe place. “You’re strong. I’ve watched you. You can do this. Do what you always do when you visit her. Play some kickball. Let her do whatever she wants to do today. Enjoy her. When you’re ready to leave, your car will be waiting for you. I’ll drive you to the house and park it, then I can walk back here to pick up my Rover.”

“I just leave her here? I don’t know if Jasper paid them already. If he didn’t, I need to figure out my next move. If he did then . . . then I don’t know . . . I don’t know what to do anymore.”

Stone shifted his eyes back to me. “Heidi is a Van Allan. A Van Allan that lived in poverty in a trailer park while her parents traveled the world and lived in luxury. That money is as much hers as Jaspers.”

His words sunk in. Slowly. I’d seen the birth certificate, and I knew it was real. But I finally let my mind go there, truly accepting that Jasper was Heidi’s sister by blood. She wasn’t mine. The girl that I loved more than myself wasn’t my real sister.

“She will always be your sister,” he added as if he had read my thoughts. “Your connection can’t be broken by something as simple as who gave you life. The bond you have with her is stronger than any blood.”

He was right. Heidi and I were connected. That would never be taken from me. “I can’t see him or talk to him,” I whispered. “Not yet. Maybe not for a while. He’s going to think this through and realize the story we were told was impossible. But I can’t.”

“It’s best you don’t. I can handle things. For now, get in the car and let me take you to visit your sister. It will put your mind at rest to see she is taken care of.”

I did as I was told. After walking around the car, I climbed into the passenger side. It was funny how easy it was to obey Stone. The authority in his voice should annoy me, anger me even, but I found solace in his assertive words. His commanding presence was calming, and I needed that desperately.

Stone drove us in silence back onto the road. From there, it was a short distance up the hill to the facility. The home that had been a godsend for Heidi after losing our mom. Heidi had adored our mother. She’d always felt equal because Momma made sure she did. If I did something, she made sure Heidi did it too. Even if it took a lot of help from both us.

After Stone parked the car, I sat there staring straight ahead. “I never want Heidi to know the truth. Our mother, she was our mother. Heidi loves her and misses her. Momma was Heidi’s world. This isn’t something Heidi will understand.”