Page 67 of Long Lost Winter

Sam seemed to be acting as kind of cohost.While Aly fluttered about the room, Sam made introductions.

“Bo, this is Landon Bennet.And Cal Bennet.Nate’s brothers.”

Landon saw what Cal was talking about.Just… something about the nose, the way his lips were shaped.It wasn’t Dad.

“Good to meet you, Bo,” Landon forced himself to say around the tightness in his throat.

Bo blinked at him, no doubt having the same reaction to how much they looked alike.

He cleared his throat.“Yeah, you too.”

“We’re just waiting on two more people,” Aly said cheerfully, but it was her fake cheerful voice.

Landon would have crossed to her, taken her hand, settled her some, but he felt rooted to the spot, looking at this man’snoseand trying to picture his mother.

Bo looked to Sam.“Like… more Bennets?”

Sam shook her head.“A neighbor and her granddaughter.Another possible connection.”

“Oh.Okay.”The guy nodded along, clearly so beyond uncomfortable.

But weren’t they all?Still, he just came off as… young.Sam had said how old, but Landon couldn’t remember.Twenties maybe?Cal was probably a decade older than him.But if Bo was in his twenties, he certainly had been born when Mom was still alive.

IfLandon followed the natural conclusion that Bo Lake was Benjamin Bennet’s long-lost son, it meant Dad had cheated on Mom.

Considering he’dmurderedher, that shouldn’t be a surprise.It was just Landon had thought he’d reached the end of all their father’s betrayals.

He should have known better.

Except, what Cal had said was true.Bo didn’tjustlook like Dad.

He looked like Mom too.

*

Jill felt sickto her stomach as she pulled her truck into the spot dug out of the snow for her in front of the Bennet house.

Grandma had spent most of the day on Jill’s computer typing something up.Jill hadn’t demanded answers, but she’d printed it out when Grandma had asked.Grandma hadn’tofferedanswers, she’d just folded up the pages and put them in her pocket.She’d also put some pictures in her purse, but she didn’t show them to Jill ahead of time.

So as Jill helped Grandma up the shoveled walkway to the house, she felt nothing but heavy, weighted dread.It was slow going, but they made it up the porch stairs and Jill knocked on the door.

Grandma gave her hand a squeeze, kind of like reassurance that everything would be okay.Jill wished she could feel reassured at this point.

“Hi, guys.”Aly’s smile was bright when she opened the door, but tight around the edges.“Come on in.Bo, this is Glenda and Jill Harrington.Our neighbors.”

Jill stepped into a living room full of Bennets.And Sam.And this new person.Who was so clearly a Bennet because the resemblance was staggering, really.

Jill looked at Grandma, but the woman’s gaze was direct on Bo.

Bo looked at Glenda, his eyebrows slowly drawing together as he stared at her.“Wait.I know you.Don’t I… know you?You look familiar.”

Jill felt like her heart stopped.

Glenda shook her head, but she moved across the room right to Bo.Once she reached him, she held out one of the photographs from her purse.

Clearly uncomfortable, Bo took the photo and looked down at it.

“That’s…” Bo looked up at Glenda.“That’s my dad.My adoptive dad.Matthew Lake.And my aunt Stevie.”