“Then tell me why he left.”
William glanced at Nora, a flicker of brief recognition crossing his face before his jaw tightened. “He knew about the pregnancy. He chose to leave. Take your daughter and go home.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“That is not my concern.”
Behind him, a voice echoed from down the hallway: “Dad, move.”
The door swung wider, and Caleb stepped out onto the porch, looking exhausted. For months, I had rehearsed what I would say, but the sight of him wiped it all away.
“How long did you know?” I asked.
“From the bookstore,” he admitted, his eyes dropping. “I recognized your name. Then I saw you…”
“And you let me fall in love with you without telling me you were part of the family that destroyed my mother’s life?”
“I was afraid you’d look at me and see him,” Caleb said, his voice breaking. “The night you told me you were pregnant, I drove straight here. I made him confess what he’d done to your mother.”
William gave a bitter laugh from the doorway. “Don’t make it sound like I volunteered.”
