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He closed the last small distance between them, and when he looked down at her, she saw the whole of their lives in his eyes, everything that had been theirs—the things that had happened between thele look, she saw that she wasn’t the only one who’d changed “Do you believe in second chances?”

“Of course”

He reached down and took her hand, as he’d done at so many of the critical hters? They’ve been hearing about you for years”

“When can we go get them?”

Winona had anticipated the question from her nephew, knew in fact that it would be his first question thisfroht “Soon”

“My dad is cool, isn’t he?” Noah said In the past twenty-four hours, Winona had seen this boy learn how to smile from the inside out Gone completely was the sullen, hair-in-his-face troubleh bad ti ood could still triumph

And Winona had given him that

“Thanks, Aunt Win,” Noah said as if reading her mind She supposed that didn’t surprise her, either She knehat he was thinking these days, too

“No Thank you, Noah” She turned to face hiest of my life Until you caht an apology was all I needed to offer All I had You gave e what I’d done So, thanks”

At about nine o’clock, the first call ca up, but a few ain, she knew their private tiuest bedroo to Winona talk about Luke “Coo The news is out”

A few minutes later, when Noah came down the stairs in clean clothes, with his hair washed and dried and tucked behind his ears, she kneas tio tell Dad”

Aurora groaned “I’d rather remarry Richard”

Winona smiled, but herded them out and into her car The drive to the ranch took almost no tiate

“Private property,” Winona reh, and closed it behind her

“What will Grandpa say?” Noah asked a few ot out of the car