“I love you,” Paige said, “but I won’t pretend I didn’t see any of it.”

For the first time Gordon had no ready reply.

He pushed the gift bag toward her.

Inside was a bracelet she had mentioned liking months earlier.

“I don’t need this,” she said.

“I need you to stop making Mom the villain in a story you wrote yourself.”

PART 14

The next twist came in the mail.