That explained her photos. She was looking for truth the whole time, and when she didn’t find it, she created it. With camera angles and overlaid hot-pink love hearts.

Kelly stood and held Milly tight. “Is it my turn to ask a question?”

Milly nodded, her cheeks tugging with her emerging smile.

“With your school grades, was that all just to get our attention?”

Milly’s smile faltered, her quick eyes darting to Daniel’s face. “Um, yes.”

So there was more behind her performance at school. Thank goodness Anna had made a connection with her.

Kelly hugged Milly tighter. “Thanks for being honest with me. Can I ask one more question?”

“Sure,” Daniel and Milly answered in unison.

“Can we go inside? It’s freezing out here.”

Forty-Three

Daniel took a deep breath as he stood outside Anna’s open office door. He had to start with her. She deserved it.

At his polite knock, Anna looked up from her laptop and smiled. “You look better than the last time I saw you.”

“Things are on the up.”

Anna nodded. Professionally.

“I need to come clean with you.” He closed the door behind him.

“Okay.” She gestured to her couch and tapped her fingers together under her chin.

There was no other way to say it. “No Secrets was first written by Howard.”

Anna’s fingers froze mid-tap.

“When we were cleaning out his office after the funeral, I found the manuscript in his desk. I rewrote some of it, but it’s pretty much his.”

Anna’s eyebrow stayed low, but her mouth dropped open in shock. “You stole Howard’s book?” She retreated into professional silence.

“Yes.” He studied her.

Tears formed in Anna’s eyes. “How could you?”

Daniel knee-jerked into defense to justify what he’d done. After all, he’d saved the practice. But then he quickly thought better of it. “At the time it solved the problem of the bank wanting to shut us down, but that doesn’t change the fact that the book was Howard’s.”

“It’s not fraud, is it?”

Daniel shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve left a message with the publisher.”

Anna nodded, lips pursed, her eyes flicking around the room. “Well, even if it is, I’ll stand by you, as a professional and as a friend.”

Daniel was touched. “Thank you, and there’s something else.” The vertigo again pooled at the base of his spine as another uncomfortable revelation was about to be breathed into life. “Do you remember when we talked about Kelly thinking there was someone else? You asked me if I’d given her any reason to think there was. Well, I’ve been thinking about you inappropriately.”

Anna flushed. “Daniel!”

“No, not like that, but I’ve been relying on you more than I should be. More than on Kelly.”

Anna raised an eyebrow. That eyebrow. “So that’s why Kelly thought there was something between us?”