e, their laughter, their be

dutiful daughter, the l

arade, and I was

emerging, one forge

eart," Julian Thorne said, his voice s

n't sa

g for what you

firm, "is someone loyal. Someone

e practical, even

uggested, my mind racing. A month

ers warm and strong, sending a

twinkling. He squeezed my hand gently. "Or at

rm was absurd, yet

from the tablet, "Once you ma

han, her words drippin

Grandfather always liked her best, the little orphan. But he' s gone

ence room, invisible to them as they lounged on the so

ance Publishing from collapsing under Marcus's inept lea

ght into the Vance family a decade a

ically worked to und

up from the tablet, her e

late?" Her voice was a perfect

rambled up,