“‘I harbored an irrational fear that he might try to take you away from me if he knew about you, and I couldn’t let that happen. I wish I had been a stronger person for both your sakes, and I’m sorry for what I’ve denied you both through my silence. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me and perhaps find him now that you are alone in the world. You should also know I named you Mallory because his real name is Malcolm. I thought you might someday appreciate that connection, however tentative, to the man who fathered you. I love you with all my heart. Mom.’”

Mallory folded the letter and returned it to her pocket. “I’m sorry to shock you this way. I don’t want anything from you. I just wanted to meet you, to fill in the blanks. I’ll go now. It was really nice to finally meet you. This is a beautiful place you’ve got here.”

As she turned to leave, something in him rose up, forcing him to react before she got away. “Wait. Don’t go yet.”

She stopped and turned to him. “Honestly, I meant it when I said I don’t want anything from you. I’m perfectly fine. You have your life, and I have mine. I just wanted to put a face to the name. That’s all.”

“You can’t just walk away after telling me you’re my kid,” he said, stammering over the words. He couldn’t recall ever being quite so rattled by anything.

“Why not?” she asked with an amused little smile that reminded him in some small way of Janey.

He couldn’t begin to fathom how this was going to affect his life, his family or his marriage, but he knew he’d never forgive himself if he let her walk away. “Because that’s not how I roll.”

“Excuse me?”

“If you think a kid of mine is going to be out there in the world for all this time without me knowing about her and then walk out of my life as casually as all that, well, that isn’t going to happen. You may not want anything from me, but I want something from you.”

“And that is?”

“I want to know you. I want you to know me. If what your mother says is true, you have five half siblings. Wouldn’t you like to know them?”

“Are you doubting the truth of what my mother said?”

“I don’t want to, but I’d be a fool to accept the word of someone I haven’t seen in more than…”

“Thirty-eight years,” she said tightly. “I’ll be thirty-nine on Wednesday.”

“I have a lot at stake here.”

“I told you. I want nothing from you.”

“Dad?” Mac asked as he approached them. He took a long measuring look at Mallory. “What’s going on?”