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"Sofia wasn't married at the time she gave birth, but they married shortly afterwards. This is the only photograph I found of the baby, at the christening." He slid another photograph across the counter.
Keegan took the picture. Sascha was right in the middle of a group of people all fancied up. In her arms was a little baby, but it was impossible to tell much about what the baby looked like. Beside her stood a man who, according to the caption, was her husband. "What about her husband? Good guy?"
Brody shrugged. "Seemed fine. He remarried and has some kids. Rich finance guy with all the right connections."
"So, maybe she was happy before she died." He picked up the photograph of the obituary photo again, and saw the pain in her eyes. She wasn't happy. Not in that photograph. "It doesn't matter. It was a long time ago."
Brody laughed softly. "I'm your brother. Don't waste your time lying to me. I know. I always know."
Keegan took a breath, then shrugged his shoulders. "Let's set up a fund in the name of her and her daughter."
"Sure. What do you want to fund?"
Keegan thought for a moment, but came up with nothing. He didn't know Sascha well enough to know what would have mattered to her. "I don't know."
Brody nodded. "Well, think about it. You'll figure it out." He set a folder on the counter. "That's the rest of the info I have. It's pretty sparse, but maybe you'll find it interesting."
"Yeah. Thanks." Keegan didn't pick up the folder. "Maybe later. I need to get back to work."
Brody looked around at the kitchen, where the ingredients for pumpkin bread were spread across every surface. "Still working on that new pumpkin bread recipe?"
"Yeah." Every year, Keegan created a new recipe for his local customers, the ones who had stood beside him all those years ago, before he opened his business. When he was baking for fun. They always got a special treat a year before he introduced it to his bakery.
Brody raised his brows. "Christmas is a week away."
"I know. I'll get it. Bella said she'd help me brainstorm."
Bella was one of their sisters, and she owned the café that was on the half of their property that was a high-end dude ranch vacation destination. The other half was a ranch for rescued horses. Keegan often provided the desserts for her restaurant, and she was key in brainstorming new recipes for the bakery.
Brody nodded. "I need to get back to the ranch. The roads are sheer ice right now. Is Bella walking over?"
Keegan raised his brows. "She's almost thirty years old, Brody. I don't keep track of how she's getting to my house."
Brody grinned. "I'll never stop protecting my family, so don't bother trying to talk me out of it."
"I know." Keegan was suddenly restless, wanting to focus on the baking, and not the memories staring up at him from the folder Brody had handed him. "Look, I need to get back to work."
Brody nodded. "You okay?"
"Sure. It was a long time ago." A long time ago, yes, but at the same time, it felt like yesterday. And he couldn’t stop thinking about her daughter. Was she his? Had he had a kid, and he never knew it? The loss was staggering, even though he didn't know if it was true.
"All right." Brody rocked forward against the counter, as if he were going to say something else, but then shrugged. "Call if you want to talk about it."
"I won't. I'm fine." Keegan grabbed a potholder and opened the oven. "Say hey to Tatum for me." Brody's new wife was a shining light in the Hart family. She made his brother happy, and gave them all hope that at least one of them had found love.
"Will do."
Keegan didn't look over at his brother, concentrating on starting a fresh batch of batter.
Brody waited for a moment, and then turned to leave. He'd just put his hand on the door, when Keegan stopped him. "What was her name?"
"Who?"
"Sascha's daughter."
"Gabriella. Gabriella Holland. That was Sascha's married name. Sofia Pendleton Holland."
Gabriella Holland. Sofia Holland. The names meant nothing to him, but the photograph hadn't lied. "Thanks."
