Mercy hadn’t felt a lot of sympathy for her. The woman had thrown her daughter out of their home for having two illegitimate children.

“I know. Sometimes I’m happy that I look like her and sometimes I hate looking in the mirror at myself.” She returned to her chair and sat, forcing herself to meet her brother’s worried eyes. “Mama’s mother changed her will. Left everything to the two of us. I’m the executor. I told her that I’d find you and tell you, but . . . I didn’t. Yours is still in trust.” She closed her eyes. “I found a good financial advisor. Your share has grown a lot.”

She fell silent, unable to make the necessary words come.

Gideon exhaled heavily. “Is that what you’re worried about? That you didn’t tell me about the money? I don’t care about money, Mercy. I care about you.”

Tears burned and Mercy could no longer hold them back. They felt hot on her cold cheeks. “No, it’s not just the money. I took my share and went to New Orleans.”

Gideon was silent so long that she opened her eyes. He was staring at her, his cheeks wet with his own tears. “Why New Orleans? Were you trying to get away from me? To go as far away as you could?”

“Yes and no. See, our grandmother had searched for us, but we were already in Eden by then.”

Gideon’s swallow was audible. “Why did she search for us?”

“Because our father’s parents came looking for Mama. Looking for you. They didn’t know that I’d been born, too.”

Gideon started to speak then shook his head. “Go on. I’m listening.”

“They went looking for her right after they found out that their son had fathered a child with a fourteen-year-old.”

“That was Mama.”

“No, another fourteen-year-old. He’d been in sales and traveled a lot, basically impregnating young girls all over the southern U.S. His parents—our grandparents—were appalled. One of the girls had him charged with statutory rape and he went to jail for a little while. His parents found out that there had been other girls.” She shrugged. “Our father kept pictures of all of his families. Like trophies. His parents wanted to make sure their grandchildren were being taken care of. They had money.”

Gideon was very calm and that was very unnerving. “Had? Then they’re dead.”

“Yes. They died several years before I got to New Orleans.”

“What about him?”

“Our father? He’s dead, too. Overdosed. The same year you escaped Eden, ironically enough.”

“Good. I hated him. He made Mama cry, every time he drove away.”

“You remember him?” Somehow that surprised her.

“Vaguely. I was three the last time he came sniffing after Mama. You were born nine months later.” He tilted his head, studying her. Still calm. “If this isn’t about money and everyone is dead, what are you so afraid to tell me?”

Here we go. “Not everyone’s dead. We have siblings. Half siblings, to be technically accurate. His parents hired PIs to track down all the grandchildren. We were the only two they didn’t find.”