Sante wasn’t ready to hear the truth, but I’d run out of time. The reprieve Mom’s death had provided was at an end. Judging by Sante’s cryptic hint that Dad was moving forward with his plans, I had to make a decision. I could allow Conner to involve himself in my family drama and put him at risk, or I could step up and make the first move, which would almost certainly push Sante out of my reach, possibly forever.
I couldn’t guarantee how either scenario would play out, but it felt like having to choose between my husband and my brother—a choice I never dreamed I’d have to make. And I certainly never imagined, if faced with such a dilemma, that my brother would be the one I’d allow to slip away.
I’d laid in Conner’s arms as certainty warred with heartbreak, carving out a hollow chasm deep
