Then he told me something Daniel never had.

Daniel had a son.

A grown son from a relationship before me.

His name was Evan.

They had been estranged for years.

Daniel had wanted to tell me more than once.

But shame stopped him.

So did fear.

And Evan had made it clear he wanted nothing to do with his father.

“Then why send me the watch now?”

“Daniel made me promise I wouldn’t tell you unless Evan ever came back.”

I stared at him.

“You waited three years?”

“There was nothing to tell you.”

“And now?”

“Evan contacted me two months ago.”

My chest tightened.

“He asked whether it was too late to meet you.”

I stared at Owen.

“You could have written me a letter.”

“Yes.”

“You could have knocked on my door.”

“Yes.”

“Instead, you froze my dead husband’s watch and left it outside like some kind of threat.”