Page 122 of The Lost Book of First Loves

“Tell me what?” Loretta turned off the stove with a wary expression.

Alison looked at June again, then grasped her grandmother’s hands in both of hers.

“Do you remember when I took that DNA test after Dad died?”

Loretta’s brow furrowed with confusion. “Oh! I had forgotten all about that. Did you find out anything interesting?”

“You could say that.” Alison cleared her throat. “I found out I was closely related to another person who had taken a test through the same site. Someone with whom I share a substantial number of DNA markers.”

“Is that right?”

“According to the results, this person is a close relative like a sibling.”

“Half sibling,” June murmured.

Loretta frowned at Alison. “What are you talking about? You’re an only child.”

Alison hesitated while June fought the urge to slip out of the kitchen and rush back to the safety of the cabin.

“Apparently, I’m not. The shared DNA is on Dad’s side. Your side. I did some investigating and found the match was living in Seattle.”

Loretta clearly wasn’t slow to infer the truth from her granddaughter’s words. She gazed at Alison and then at June.

“You?” Her voice wobbled with shock.

“We still don’t know for sure,” June said quickly. “We both took a repeat DNA test today and it’s being sent to a lab for confirmation.”

“Juniper needs confirmation. I don’t,” Ali said. “Her mom obviously knew Dad as she had a copy ofPurgatory Riverthat was personally signed to her. We know that much, but there’s a lot more we don’t know. We probably never will, since they’re both gone. But I am a hundred percent convinced June is my half sister.”

She squeezed her grandmother’s hands. “That also makes her your granddaughter.”

Loretta stared at them both, myriad emotions crossing her expression, then she suddenly burst into tears. She reached for June, hugging her tightly.

“We still don’t know for sure,” she said feebly.

Loretta leaned away from her, expression intense as she studied her. “Oh, my dear. It must be true. You have my son’s eyes. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before.”

She hugged her again, a small sob of happiness bursting out of her as the doorbell rang.

While Ali ran to let in Beck, Loretta peppered her with questions that June had no idea how to answer. She was saved by the two others entering the kitchen.

Beck froze in the doorway, obviously picking up on the waves of emotion roiling through the room.

“I’m interrupting.”

“Not at all. I just found out I have another granddaughter!”

Loretta sounded giddy and stunned and emotional at the same time. She hugged June again and then, for good measure, she hugged Beck.

“Did you know about this, young man?” she asked through her tears.

He looked distinctly uncomfortable. “Yes. Ali confided in me after she found out about the test results and started looking for June.”

“I wish you had told me. But isn’t it wonderful news?”

He slanted a sideways look at June. “It’s wonderful if it turns out to be true. I understand why Juniper wants to be certain before she becomes any more embroiled in all of our lives.”

Oh, it was far, far too late for that.

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