“Look at him. He has Jane’s eyes. It must be Jane’s brother.” Trevor looked up at Nora. “His name was Lucas. The same name Grandpa called me when he was at our house in Sacramento.”
Nora recognized the name Schaefer. Lucas Schaefer and his parents had been killed in the accident she was involved in. But no one ever told her that Lucas had an older sister. Did Mom and Dad know? Sadly, she was certain she knew the answer. A wave of icy coldness swept over her. How could they keep something like that from her?
“Hey, buddy! Time to get going.”
It was David. He stood at the door, ready to go. Hat and gloves clasped in his hands. “Grandma and Grandpa are waiting. Let’s go. You need to get away from that computer screen and get some fresh air. Meet me downstairs in five.”
David walked away.
Trevor looked at Nora. “I’m not ready to get in that pontoon.”
Her insides quivered. She needed to think. “I know,” she said to Trevor. “But the walk to the cottage will do you and Tank good. Go get some fresh air. After Dad fixes the garbage disposal, if you still don’t want to get on the boat, just say so. Nobody is going to make you do something you don’t want to.”
“Okay,” he said. “I guess.”
She smiled at him, tried to appear unaffected by what he’d discovered. But the truth was, it was all beginning to make sense. When Nora hit that car head-on, she had killed Jane’s parents and her brother, Lucas. Her mind spun with speculation. All this time she’d thought Jane was lonely and wanted to be part of her family. But it was more than that. How much more was the question.
“Are you okay, Mom?”
“I’m fine,” she lied. She wasn’t fine at all. Keeping all those thoughts and emotions about the accident tamped down had done more harm than good. After all these years, it was all coming to a head . . . stirring up the anguish and guilt she’d spent her life trying to reconcile. “I’m going to ride to town for a few things, but first I think I’ll walk with you and Dad to the cottage so I can say hi to Mom and Dad.” And get everything out in the open once and for all.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
When they arrived at the cottage, Nora ushered her mom outside so they could talk in private while Trevor and David chatted with Grandpa inside. Mom slid on her boots, then grabbed her jacket from the coat hanger by the door on her way out.
The morning air was chilly. Nora put her hands in her pockets, wishing she’d put on gloves and worn a thicker coat. “Why didn’t you and Dad tell me that Lucas had an older sister?”
Mom paled. “You were suffering from survivor’s guilt, feeling helpless and having trouble sleeping. Dad wanted to protect you.”
Nora brushed her fingers over her temple. Her hand trembled. “Did you know that Lucas’s sister’s name was Jane?”
Mom nodded. She looked sad. “When I first met Jane Bell and learned she wasn’t married, I was relieved because that meant she couldn’t be Lucas’s sister.” Mom’s shoulders fell as if they were suddenly weighed down by a bagful of bricks. “I had no reason to think she would have changed her name. Why would she unless she was trying to hide her identity?” Mom closed her eyes. “Please tell me Jane Bell isn’t Jane Schaefer.”
“One and the same,” Nora said. “She was born Jane Schaefer. After losing her parents, she was adopted by her aunt and uncle and became Jane Lewitt. She left home at the age of seventeen, and they haven’t talked to her since.”
Mom’s eyes widened. “You talked to the Lewitts?”
“Yes. I wanted to know more about Jane and find out if they were as horrible as she led me to believe. So I drove to Auburn, where they live, and—”
“Did they know who you were?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did you mention the accident you were in when you were a teenager?”
“No. Why would I? Until two minutes ago, I thought Jane was an only child. I had no idea there was any connection between my accident and Jane’s.”
Mom put a hand on her chest. Her shoulders relaxed a bit. “They wouldn’t know Nora Harmon because Dad made sure your full name—Eleanor Ruth Williams—wasn’t used in the settlement.”
“Greg and Barbara Lewitt were not good people. Did you know that?”
Mom kept shaking her head as if trying to will it all away.
“What do you remember about Barbara Lewitt?”
“In court, they were unrelenting. Barbara’s sister had been killed in that crash, and she wanted you put away for life.”
Nora’s stomach turned. She felt as if she might be sick.
Mom added, “Jane must have gone through their lawyers to collect the five-million-dollar settlement when she turned thirty.”
Five million dollars. Nora always figured the settlement must have been a large number, but she had no idea it had cost Mom and Dad in the millions. That’s how Jane Bell had funded IMPACT, Nora thought.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I really am. I caused you and Dad so much pain.”
Mom’s watery eyes met Nora’s gaze. “We never meant to make things worse for you. We—I should have told you long ago that Lucas had an older sister.”
“You and Dad lost everything.”
“But we didn’t lose you,” Mom said. “We were the lucky ones.”
Nora thought about Trevor and how, in the blink of an eye, she’d nearly lost him. Nora’s heart broke for Jane. “Jane lost everyone she loved in an instant. I ruined so many lives that day.”
“It was an accident. You must remember that.”
“Inadvertent or not, I killed three people.”
Mom kept shaking her head, refusing to hear Nora speak that way.
“A urine test proved you had been drugged,” Mom said. “There was no alcohol in your system. You never would have gotten behind the wheel if you had known that boy put something in your drink.”
It was all true, but it didn’t change the fact that Jane had lost her entire family . . . so much pain and suffering. “Jane was young at the time. Why wasn’t she with them?”
“Will it change anything?” Mom asked.
“Maybe not. But I’m tired of being in the dark. I need to know everything.”
Mom sighed heavily. “Jane was twelve. She was at a slumber party . . .” Mom closed her eyes for a moment before saying, “Jane called home. She was upset and asked her parents to pick her up.”
“Upset about what?”
“The girls at the party were teasing her, calling her names.” A tear slid down Mom’s cheek. “I don’t recall the exact details . . . only that it was beyond heartbreaking.”
Nora pulled Mom into a warm embrace. All these years, Mom had been forced to live with knowing what happened. “I’m so sorry. You’ve suffered so much, and I had no idea.” Nora wished she had known the truth earlier. Maybe she could have found a way to help Jane. Maybe she still could.
Mom stepped back, frowning. “Where is Jane now?”
“I found out from Richard that she lied about him breaking off the engagement. When I confronted her about it, she left . . . took a taxi home.”