Never once had Neil made a promise without every intention of keeping it. Didn’t plan on starting now.

“I swear to you, Syd, Melba wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

One week and one day ago, Sydney Rose had stood in that exact spot in the barn, eyeing Melba with the very same expression she wore now: pure alarm. “The way her tail’s whipping, I think she would. She could knock a fly flat with that thing.”

Both Indi and Lilian burst out laughing—Lil from her perch atop the stall’s gate and Indi from the open barn door, where two of her goats took turns knocking into her knees.

Teaching Sydney to milk Melba wasn’t the only promise he was currently in the process of keeping. He’d meant what he’d said Saturday night about it being time he and his sisters help her in her search for answers.

Which was why he’d coaxed Lilian and Indi downstairs extra early Sunday morning before church. Sat them down in the kitchen for a breakfast of Maggie’s blueberry waffles and his own bacon omelets. Then he’d had Sydney tell them about the photo she’d told him about the previous night as they’d walked from Wilder’s houseboat back to the square.

And then he’d asked his sisters to be a part of his plan.

“While Wilder’s busy chasing down whatever information he can find regarding Diana and CarleeAnn, we could be helping Sydney figure out who JP is. The way I see it, that’s a bigger lead than anything else. If we find Sydney’s father, he’ll be able to tell us which one was her mother.”

Assuming, that is, it really was her father in that photo.

“But that picture could’ve been taken anywhere. How do we know the JP in the photo was from Muir Harbor?” Lilian had asked the question. Though, surprisingly, it hadn’t been doubt or skepticism in her voice so much as interest. Maybe even intrigue.

“We don’t. But from what Syd says, all three people in the photo looked to be sixteen or so. And we know Diana and CarleeAnn were both in Muir Harbor at that age. Stands to reason JP was too.”

By the time they’d cleared their plates, both sisters were on board to help solve the mystery and Maggie was beaming and Sydney . . .

She’d blinked away tears. Mouthed a “thank you” to him. And for the life of him, he couldn’t have remembered why he’d ever thought her presence here an unwelcome thing.