Kayden frowned. "Then how . . . ?"

"Patty moved to Imnek to live with an aunt while pregnant, to have family near as she was adjusting to life as a single mom. Conrad and Vivienne had two boys of their own, and Patty married a guy named Steve Tate when Shane was still a baby. He raised Shane as his own, though he proved to be a lousy husband, according to Patty."

"Okay, so how did Conrad and his family end up in Imnek? And, how did he discover Shane was his son?" Jake asked.

"Conrad saw an article in Alaska magazine about a climbing championship Patty had just won. There was a picture of Patty and Shane in the article."

"And that was enough?"

"Enough to make him curious. Shane has his eyes. He made a trip down to Imnek and confronted Patty. She told him Shane was his, but that she didn't want him in their lives."

"But Conrad didn't listen?" Kayden said.

"He made up some business excuse for why he and Vivienne had to relocate to Imnek and then started pursuing Patty."

"That's why he joined the gym and learned to climb."

Daniel nodded. "It got him time with Patty and the boy."

Kayden linked her arms across her chest. "I'll say he was determined if nothing else."

"Conrad was a bulldog when he set his mind to something."

The realization of the full depth of the situation kicked Jake in the gut. "Does Shane know?"

"As far as I know, Patty hasn't told him," Daniel said. "But you'd have to ask her."

Kayden looked to Jake. "Shane killed his own father. How do you live with something like that?"

24.

"No," Patty seethed, swiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I never told Shane."

"Why not?" Jake asked.

"Because I wanted to protect him. He'd already lost one dad when Steven left-I didn't want him having to go through that again if Conrad decided to leave." She slumped into a chair, her hair frazzled, her clothes askew from nearly wrestling with Th.o.r.eau. "Maybe I should have."

She looked up at Jake, eyes full of venom. "Regardless, Shane didn't do this. He couldn't have."

"He confessed."

"To cover for me, no doubt."

"Are you saying you killed Conrad?"

"No. I'm saying Shane must have heard you stating the evidence against me and came to my rescue. We're all each other has. You can't do this."

"I don't have a choice."

Patty stood, her eyes narrowing, her sharp features taking on a hard edge. "We all have a choice. I suggest you make the correct one."

"That sounded like a threat."

Patty c.o.c.ked her head. "I'm simply asking you to do the right thing."

"I am. Your son confessed."

Her jaw tightened. "I told you, you have the wrong person. I will not allow you to take my son from me-whatever it takes. Do you hear me?"

"That's enough, Patty," Daniel said from the doorway. "We need to talk."

Patty glared at Jake and Kayden before doing as the lawyer instructed.

Kayden rubbed her arms. "Was it just me, or did Patty suddenly go creepy on us?"

"Definitely nasty," Jake said.

"He is her only son. I imagine a mother will do just about anything to protect her child."

"I can't imagine how Shane's going to feel when he learns the truth."

"The shock of discovering you killed your own parent . . ." She couldn't imagine. Couldn't imagine the thought of wanting to kill someone in the first place. Plain scary how easily Shane had moved from anger to murder.

Kayden waited in Jake's office while he, Patty, and Daniel broke the news about his parentage to Shane. She was utterly grateful not to be present for that conversation.

She walked the perimeter of Jake's office, noting the lack of personal items. No pictures or mementos of any kind. She wondered what his office in Boston had been like. What kinds of pictures had decorated his walls?

She moved to his chair with his jacket draped over the back and sank into it. Swiveling around, she spun a couple times for decompression, then settled facing his desk.

Jake stood, leaning against the doorframe, a gentle smile on his handsome face.

She straightened. "Sorry, I was just-"

"You're fine. I'm glad you made yourself comfortable."

"How'd it go?"

Jake grimaced.

"That bad?"

"Let's just say poor Shane has a lot to deal with."

"Did he change his story any?"

"Nope, but Patty's become more volatile, insisting we have the wrong person and need to let Shane go."

"Or what? Did she actually threaten this time?"

"She didn't go that far, but was just short of it. Told me she wasn't going to let me take her only son from her."

"O . . . k . . . a . . . y."

"Moms are protective. She's just doing and saying what she feels she needs to, to keep her boy safe."

"What's going to happen to him?"

"Landon's booking him now. There'll be an arraignment tomorrow, where he'll be formally charged and a trial date set."

She pulled her hair over her shoulder, needing something to fidget with. She started braiding. "It's all so crazy. You think Shane left those messages?"

"I guess he was trying to make Brody look guilty."

"He was at the gym that day. He could have slipped out and left that note on our car."

Jake exhaled. "I just pray this is the end of it."

She narrowed her eyes, a sick feeling settling in her stomach. "What do you mean?"

"I've got a bad feeling this one isn't over yet."

Waiting was agony, but she couldn't rush this. She needed to wait for the right opportunity. Jake Cavanagh had taken someone she loved with his meddling. It was only fair that she repay the favor in kind. The perfect moment would present itself soon enough, and then she'd strike. No more beautiful Kayden McKenna.

Such a shame, but inevitably necessary.

25.

"I still can't believe Shane killed his own father," Piper said, pa.s.sing the salad.

Kayden took it and put some on her plate. She really wasn't feeling very hungry. "He didn't know Conrad was his dad."

Landon snagged a roll from the basket before Gage scooped them up. "Any way you look at it, murder is murder."

"I know." Piper drizzled Gage's raspberry vinaigrette dressing over her salad. "It just makes it all the more horrific realizing you killed your own father, I would think."

"Sadly, it happens more than you realize," Jake said, spearing a forkful of salad.

Piper shook her head. "I couldn't fathom hurting any human being, but your own family . . . " She shuddered.

"Goes all the way back to Cain and Abel," Landon said.

The day had been rough-seeing Shane's lack of remorse, his cold withdrawn stare, and Patty's belligerent threats. The urge to pray welled inside, and Kayden lowered her head while her siblings talked around her.

Please, Father, I love my family so much. I know I'm not the best at showing it, but please let them know I love them. Please protect them. And Jake too . . .

She glanced over at the man who had stolen her heart.

Please bring healing and renewal to his life. I so want to see him happy and at peace.

She bit down on the homemade dinner roll Darcy had made. It wasn't as good as Gage's, but she was learning quickly. The two had spent the day holed up in the kitchen preparing tonight's McKenna family feast-salad with homemade vinaigrette, fresh rolls, Gage's seven-layer lasagna, and for dessert, homemade cannoli.

She'd caught a glimpse of them, sprinkled with powdered sugar, with miniature chocolate chips mixed in the filling, and her stomach had done a flip. She had to remain good. She was a health nut-as her siblings labeled her-for a reason, and she couldn't deviate from it.

"How is it?" Darcy asked.

Kayden looked at Darcy's expectant eyes, then to the roll in her hand. "Delicious."

Darcy smiled.

"She's a fast learner," Gage said, clasping Darcy's hand and rubbing his thumb along her skin. The two were so in love. Who would have thought all of her siblings would find love, even Reef.

Speaking of Reef . . .

"Shouldn't Reef and Anna be back by now?" According to Piper, the pair had taken the girls' husky, Rori, for a hike out on the south side of Tariuk.

"You know Reef." Gage slathered another roll with b.u.t.ter. It was a wonder he was as in shape and toned as he was, considering the way he ate. Ridiculous.

"The guy's an animal," Gage said. "He could hike all day." He bit into the roll, swallowing half of it in one bite.

A smile tugged at Kayden's lips. "He's not the only animal around here."

"What?" Gage smirked. "I'm a growing boy." He popped the rest of the roll in his mouth.

She laughed. "You're a mess."

Reef helped Anna over the rise. Perspiration dotted her brow and boredom her expression. How could she be surrounded by such beauty and not be enamored?

They'd gotten a later start to the day than he'd hoped. A much later start, but it was good. With only a few hours of daylight left, it'd help him keep his promise to Anna of only taking a short hike. And he could use all the help he could get. Once he was outside, it was so hard to curtail his time. He could go for days, but he'd honor his promise to Anna.

Rori whimpered on the leash at his side, looking as miserable as Anna.

He sighed. Piper had said to keep her on the leash, but they were in the middle of nowhere, with no one around. What harm could it do?

He let Rori off the leash, and she bounded through the fireweed like a young pup.

"Aren't the fields gorgeous?" Waves of fuchsia rolled along streams of green.