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Bonus Scene: Epilogue for Strictly Family

The Twin Find

Ashlee Pryer

“Is this a mistake?” Ten minutes from our destination, I pulled my car over to the side of

the road. Gripping the steering wheel with both hands, I weathered a last-minute wave of panic.

“I’ve never lied to Thane.” Outside of his reaction to my parking lot ambush when I’d

announced he was the biological father of my daughter, Thane had been nothing but open and

supportive of me and I’d been the same with him.

From the back seat, my sister Joanie said, “You didn’t lie. You said you were going out

with Mom and me. We’re out.”

Turning in the passenger seat to face me, my mother laid her hand on my arm. “It’s not a

bad idea to see Thane unhappy before you marry him. Marriage is not for the timid and you

haven’t known him long enough to know what kind of temper he has.”

My eyes flew to hers. “I thought you liked Thane now.”

“I do,” she said, her hand tightening on my arm. “But I love you. I also know you rush

into things before fully thinking them through.” Ouch. Was that how she saw my engagement to

Thane? Something I was rushing into? “You’re here for the same reason you went to meet Thane

in the first place—you see someone hurting and you can’t not do something to help. You’ve

always been like that and you probably always will be. If he can’t handle that . . .”

Before I had a chance to defend Thane or my own admittedly impulsive decisions, Joanie

said, “Thane hasn’t done anything to suggest he can’t. He loves Ashlee just the way she is.” I

really did have the best sister. My mother and Thane were in a good place, especially since he’d

proposed, but Joanie had liked him from the start. My mother was a worrier, and although we

understood that was because she cared, sometimes it made things difficult. She’d been concerned

about Mike before he’d married Joanie and proven himself. Thane would win my mother over

too. Things just took time. Joanie continued, “Mom, Ashlee needs us on her side right now.”

I met my mother’s gaze. “It broke my heart when Thane told me he was postponing

contacting Zachary until after our wedding. He thinks we should wait until we’re living together

and things have settled before opening that door.”

“Are you sure that’s not the best choice?” my mother countered.

“I’m sure. Thane is a good man and, more often than he should, he puts his needs aside

for the sake of his family. He wants to meet his twin. I’ve seen the sadness in his eyes whenever

Zachary’s name is brought up. He’s putting off that meeting for not just me but all of us. He

wants to protect us.”

My mother’s hold on my arm softened. “Your father would do the same.”

“Mike too,” Joanie added quietly.

“But he shouldn’t have to. I need to do this for him, Mom. The negative possibilities of

what Zachary might be like or how he might react to the news that he has a twin aren’t based on

first-hand knowledge of him. Thane deserves a chance to know his twin, a chance to have him

stand beside him at our wedding. We can make that happen.”

Slowly, my mother released my arm. “If you’re that certain, why did you pull over?”

When I didn’t have an immediate answer, she added, “You did it because you know Thane may

be right. Zachary could be dangerous and once you open the door to him, there’ll be no closing

it. He’ll know not only about Thane, but also you and Sage . . .”

“That’s the point. How can Zachary accept us if he doesn’t know we exist? For once,

Mom, can’t you be optimistic about one of my ideas? You run a kitchen for burly truck drivers

and I’ve never seen you fear one of them. Mike brings Joanie in when one of his drivers melts

down because she could talk the devil himself out of a bad idea. We can do this.” Joanie smiled.

My mother continued to look less impressed by my confidence and I let my frustration show.

“Why are you here if you think it’s such a bad idea?”

Her eyes shone with emotion and I regretted my tone, but my chin rose as I held her gaze.

I’d never do anything to hurt my mother, but in my opinion, boundaries were healthy and not

agreeing on everything was okay. However, if she didn’t think we’d succeed at convincing

Zachary to meet Thane, why was she there? She looked from me to Joanie and back. “There’s

nothing on earth or above that matters more to me than my family. If you’re going to face down

a potential killer, there’s no way I won’t be at your side.”

I took one of her hands in mine. Before she’d shared the real story of how she’d met my

father, I would have thought she was being overdramatic, but I now understood that her fears

were glimpses at the scars she’d hidden for so long. “Zachary didn’t kill anyone. I’ve read the

police reports. He does have a history of clashing with police, but when you know the

circumstances around each clash, they make sense. His mother went missing and they thought he

was responsible. Imagine how that must have messed with his head. Then his friend dies in an

accident that he had nothing to do with and they investigate him again. Of course he was angry.

Who wouldn’t be?”

Joanie said, “Not to mention he was raised by a woman with a history of mental illness.”

She paused. “Although, I have my own theories on that.”

Both my mother and I turned to Joanie and waited.

Hands waving in the air, she said, “Neither of you think it’s odd that one of the symptoms

of her ‘psychosis’ was paranoia? Thane told me Zachary’s mother moved him around a lot, went

from man to man, changing Zachary’s last name each time she married, and saying she needed to

keep him safe from the people who were watching them.”

I gasped. “You’re right. From the little we’ve uncovered about the adoption agency that

separated Thane and Zachary, we know Simmons was not only evil but powerful. The exemployee

Thane tracked down was still afraid of being caught talking about him—and Simmons

is dead. I wonder if Zachary’s mother knew something she shouldn’t have . . .”

“And this is why I need to ask you again,” my mother said. “Are you sure you want to do

this? Thane promised to protect all of us, but what does he actually know about who was behind

the adoption agency? Did Simmons work alone? Are we shaking a bee’s nest that would be

better left alone?”

“If you knew I had a twin, Mom, and that twin had not lived the good life you’ve given

me . . . could you leave her out there . . . suffering . . . feeling that she has no one?”

My mother’s voice was tight when she responded. “I don’t know. If I thought contacting

her would put you at risk—” Her eyes filled with tears. “Wanting to protect both of you would

tear my heart in two.”

I blinked a few times, doing my best to fight back my own tears. “That’s the battle Thane

is fighting with himself. He doesn’t want to do anything that would endanger any of us . . . but he

knows Zachary is alone and it doesn’t have to be that way. Zachary didn’t buy land in Maine

because it was a dream of his. He retreated there, and I don’t blame him for giving up on the

world.” I took a deep breath. “You’re right, Mom, Zachary might not want to talk to us or hear

about Thane, but I have to do this. Thane would do it for me and I want to give him this win.”

A smile lit in my mother’s eyes. “You really do love him.”

“I really do, Mom. Joanie and I are as close as we are because you taught us how to work

out our differences. No matter how we fought, our love for each other was bigger than the issue.

Thane didn’t have you and Dad in his life. Let’s show him how it’s done.”

“It’s true, Mom, if we’re willing to go to the ends of the earth for the ones we love, it’s

all your fault. You taught us that’s what family does,” Joanie said lightly.

My mother sniffed and wiped at the corners of her eyes. “You two will be the early death

of me.” Her face transformed with a smile. “But I wouldn’t change a single thing about either of

you.”

“If you die early, it’ll be Joanie’s fault. Technically, she’s the one who tracked Zachary

down,” I joked. “It’s always the quiet one who’s trouble.”

Joanie laughed. “Throw me under the bus, why don’t you? Besides, Mike helped me find

Zachary, so he’s not innocent either.”

“Poor Mike,” I said with humor. “Thank God we have him to blame if today goes badly.”

In a more serious tone, Joanie said, “Now that we’re almost there and it won’t change

anything, I’m going to tell Mike where we are. You know, just in case Zachary really did off

both his mother and his friend.”

“Do it, but girls,” my mother said, “do not let this be a mistake or I’ll never hear the end

of it from your father.”

I turned forward in my seat and put the car in drive. “On the bright side, if Dad can

lecture us about today, it’ll mean we’re still around to be lectured.”

“Okay, that’s weird,” Joanie said slowly.

“What is weird?” I asked without looking away from the road.

“Mike asked me how close we were. I told him we’re almost there.”

“And?”

“All he wrote back was, NO.”

“That’s not good.”

“I probably shouldn’t have, but I answered, YES. Now he’s not responding.”

“Give him a moment,” my mother said with dark humor. “He may have passed out.”

Joanie’s voice lowered. “I should have brought him with us. He’s my best friend. I just

didn’t want him to feel that he’d kept a secret from Dad and Thane.”

“I hope he doesn’t say anything now. It’ll be much better for your father to hear about

this only when we’re all back home and safe.”

“I told him not to say anything,” Joanie said quickly.

My hands tensed on the steering wheel. “Did he answer you?”

“He said he’s on his way.” Joanie met my gaze briefly in the rearview mirror. “That’s

okay, right?”

I parked the car in front of a large wooden gate at the end of what I was reasonably

certain was Zachary’s driveway. Several signs were nailed to it: No trespassing, Do Not Enter,

Private Property, Enter at Your Own Risk.

Without allowing myself to second guess our plan again, I jumped out of my car,

unlatched the gate, swung it open, and drove through it. I stopped with the intention of getting

out again to close the gate but a quick glance back confirmed that it had shut behind us. “It’ll be

fine. Driving here will take Mike a few hours. By then, we’ll have won Zachary over. Mike will

see that and be able to help us explain to Dad and Thane that although this wasn’t the ideal way

to handle the situation, all that matters is that it worked out.”

Joanie laid a hand on my shoulder. “I believe you. I was certain when you decided to

follow Thane into the parking lot to tell him about Sage that he’d have you arrested, but instead,

he proposed. Things work out that way for you.”

My mother shook her head. “I’m still not happy that you let her do that alone, Joanie.”

“I know,” Joanie said with a grimace. “But I’m here this time.”

Placing her hand on Joanie’s, my mother said, “We both are. Ashlee, if anyone can

convince a potentially homicidal man to put aside his anger and give his twin a chance, it’s you.

I’m just glad I brought a gun.”

“Mom!” Joanie and I exclaimed in unison.

She sat back and picked her small purse off the floor, placing it on her lap without saying

a word.

“You said bringing Mom was a good idea,” I mumbled to Joanie under my breath.

“It’ll be okay.” Joanie forced a bright smile. “Just imagine how great this story will be

when I add it to my speech at your wedding reception. Everyone will see the humor in it—even

Zachary.”

“You’re right. I have to focus on the goal for today, not all the ways it can go wrong.” I

cleared my throat and squared my shoulders. “This is going to work because it has to. Mom, I

expect Zachary to be a little angry. Don’t be reactive; be supportive.”

My mother’s hands tightened on her purse. “Proof that I’m supportive is that I’m here. In

my heart, through Sage, this Zachary is already family. I want everything to work out as much as

you do, but if he lays a hand on either of you, it’ll be the last thing he does.”

I had no idea what to say to that at first. “Let’s do this.” I began to drive forward again.

“Mom, why do you have a gun? Do you even know how to shoot?”

Eyes averted, she said, “Those are questions for another day.”

Well, okay then. I said a little prayer, ignored the buzz of my phone in my coat pocket,

and drove up the long and winding dirt driveway. When we pulled up to a log cabin, the door to

it crashed open, and a man who looked enough like Thane that my heart skipped a beat stepped

out onto the porch with a rifle in his hands.

Zachary.

The bio-father of my daughter.

The brother of the man I’d given my heart and future to.

When I stepped out of my car, his expression tightened and there was an angry fire in his

eyes. “Get the fuck off my property.”

I raised my hands to show I was harmless even as my mother flew out of her side of the

car. “Zachary. My name is Ashlee Pryer—”

He stepped down a few stairs then fired a shot into the air. “That’s your one warning.”

“And this is yours,” my mother growled. Her words were followed by a click from the

gun she held out before her in a stance that revealed she not only knew what she was doing, but

might just have the aim to back up her threat.

Zachary lowered his rifle, so it was aimed at my mother, and my breath caught in my

throat. In my pocket, my phone buzzed again. This time I answered. “Thane.”

“I just got off the phone with Mike. Ashlee, don’t do this.”

My chest constricted with a combination of guilt and fear. “We’re already here, Thane.

I’m looking at your brother.”

“I don’t have a brother,” Zachary snapped. “Get the hell off my property. I don’t want to

shoot any of you, but I will if I have to.”

“Shoot?” Thane’s voice rose an octave and in the silence was loud enough that Zachary

must have heard it. “What’s happening over there? I’m in my helicopter and on the way. ETA

less than an hour. And I’m calling 911.”

“No,” I said quickly. “Zachary isn’t dangerous.” There wasn’t much to support my claim,

but my heart told me that there had to be some of Thane in him.

“Mom,” Joanie said gently from beside our mother. “You’re not helping. Put the gun

down.”

“Not while I have a rifle pointed at me,” she ground out.

Hoping to diffuse the situation a little, I led with the heart of the matter. “Zachary, once

upon a time you donated sperm to a clinic. I’m the mother of a beautiful little girl you made

possible. When I went looking for you, I found your twin brother. He’s a wonderful man and

we’re getting married. We may not know you, but we already love you. If you give us a chance,

you’ll see you don’t have to be alone.”

“I don’t know who you are or what you want, but I could not be clearer—you’re not

welcome here.” With that, he lowered his rifle, turned away, and disappeared into the house.

“Well, we have our answer.” My mother lowered her gun. “Now what do we do?”

“What answer?” Thane demanded.

My heart breaking for Thane’s twin, I said, “Zachary went back into his house.”

“I can’t believe you did this, Ashlee.”

I hugged my arms around my waist. “I’m sorry.” My mother worried about Thane’s

temper, but even though he wasn’t happy with me, I knew he’d never hurt me.

“I’m not angry,” he growled. “I’m fucking terrified. I love you, Ashlee. I can’t lose you.

Why did you do this?”

“Because I love you too, Thane.” Tears filled my eyes. “I want you to have what Jesse

has with Scott.”

“I told you I’d contact him after the wedding,” he said with so much emotion I nearly

couldn’t answer him.

“You are so good to everyone else. I wanted to fix this for you. I still do. Remember how

you doubted me in the beginning? Your brother has no reason to trust us. We’ll have to prove to

him he can.”

Joanie came to my side. “Ashlee, we should leave.”

“Yes, you should,” Thane said urgently. “Get in your car and get your family out of

there.”

The door of the cabin reopened. This time, Zachary was unarmed, but didn’t look any

friendlier.

“I can’t,” I said. “Do you trust me, Thane?”

“Of course I do,” he said slowly. “But I don’t trust him.”

Taking a deep breath, I held my phone out to Zachary. “You have no reason to believe

me, but I’m here because I believe love conquers all. You have a twin, Zachary, and he’s on the

phone right now.” I pressed the icon for FaceTime. When Thane’s face came on the screen, I

turned my phone toward Zachary. When he didn’t step closer, I did. “Please, take a moment to

look at him, listen to him. Neither of you was responsible for what happened to each of you and

if you talk to him you’ll see that.”

Zachary closed the distance between us and grabbed the phone from my hand, took one

look at the face on the screen, then dropped the phone to the ground and crushed it beneath his

foot before turning and disappearing into his house again.

“Now can we leave?” my mother asked.

To find out what happens, read Out of Office (The Twin Find)