Chapter One

The Visit Begins

The doorbell rang just after four, cutting through the quiet afternoon like a blade.

I wiped my hands on a kitchen towel and glanced toward the entryway. Ethan was already moving, a ready smile on his face as he pulled the door open. Voices spilled in Noah’s deeper register, a lighter feminine laugh, the shuffle of bags against the threshold. I stayed by the counter a moment longer than necessary, smoothing the front of my blouse even though it didn’t need it.

Then Noah stepped inside.

Four years had altered him more than photographs ever suggested. The lanky younger brother who used to sprawl across...