When she did finally stop, it was the little needle hovering just above the E on the dash that forced her to pull off I-15 into Baker. Jessica filled the tank at a 76 gas station, then parked next door at the country store, where she bought a six-pack of Bud Light.

“Long journey ahead?” asked the sales assistant.

“Yeah,” Jessica said.

“Where you going?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

Jessica handed him some bills and shoved the change in her pocket.

Outside, the world’s tallest thermometer read seventy-two.

Jessica climbed behind the wheel of the Silverado but didn’t start the engine. She popped the tab on a Bud Light and drained the can before crushing it and dumping it on the passenger seat. She retrieved the envelope from the glove compartment and ran a finger carefully under the gummed seal. Pulled out the letter.

It wasn’t a letter.

It was a DNA test report.

Dated a little over ten years ago. There were a lot of numbers she didn’t understand. There were three columns headed with a case number, the child’s name, and the alleged father’s name. The names were Jessica Shaw and Tony Shaw. The number at the bottom of the page she did understand. Probability of paternity: 99.9998 percent.

Jessica didn’t know how he’d obtained her sample. She didn’t care.

Tony Shaw.

Rob Young.

Brad Ferezy.

Only one name mattered.

Dad.

Back on I-15, Jessica drove another couple of miles, not knowing where she was heading to. She pulled onto the shoulder and got out of the truck. Stood in a dust cloud that had been kicked up by the big wheels and thought for a moment. Then she pulled a dime from her back pocket.

Heads for north, tails for south.

Jessica flipped the coin in the air and let it fall to the desert floor. Crouched down, picked it up, and wiped it clean of dust.

She looked at it and smiled.

Then she got back in the truck and drove.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wrote a story, but plenty of people played a part in helping to turn it into a book.

First of all, a massive thank-you to my brilliant agent, Phil Patterson, for believing in me and for being such a huge support throughout this journey so far. Thanks, also, to the rest of the team at Marjacq.

To the fantastic team at Thomas & Mercer, thanks for taking a chance on me and Jessica Shaw. Especially my editor, Jack Butler, for showing so much enthusiasm and belief right from the start.

I was lucky to have some awesome early readers who provided feedback and encouragement just when I needed it most. So thank you to Dan Stewart, Ian Patrick, Douglas Skelton, and Liz Barnsley.