“Are we meeting our father?”
The room became quiet.
I had never hidden Conrad’s identity from them. They knew his name and had seen old photographs, but I had never pushed them toward feelings they did not naturally have.
“Yes,” I said. “You are.”
Willa slipped her small hand into mine.
“Is he nice?”
That was harder to answer.
“I think today you should meet him and decide what you think for yourselves.”
Parker nodded thoughtfully.
“Are you nervous?”
I looked at all four of them.
“A little.”
Audrey smiled.
“Then we’ll stay close to you.”
That simple promise nearly broke my composure.
For years, I had thought I was the one protecting them.
Sometimes I forgot how much strength they gave me in return.
PART 3: Our Arrival in Montana
Conrad’s family owned a winter property outside Big Sky, Montana.
Calling it a house would have been absurd.
It was a sprawling mountain estate built from stone, timber, and enormous walls of glass overlooking snow-covered peaks.
Christmas wreaths hung beside the entrance.
Garlands wrapped around the porch railings.
Tall pine trees surrounding the property glittered with white lights.
