True Colors: A Novel

Winona tells the family over Sunday dinner that Dallas has agreed to petition for a DNA test. Henry tells her to stop, but Aurora yells at her father and supports Winona. Noah is thrilled, but Vivi Ann is shaken; although she gives her blessing, the possibility of fresh disappointment is too overwhelming to bear. Noah journals about the chaos that erupted over dinner. He cannot understand why Vivi Ann is not happier, and his own feelings are conflicted because of it.

A well-prepared Winona arrives at the mayoral debate with her sisters to support her. However, she gets a cold reception from the spectators. After Winona answers her first question about law enforcement, Myrtle stands up and accuses Winona of painting the police, jury, and judge as stupid and Myrtle herself as a liar by reopening Dallas’s case. Winona tries to explain, but no one listens to her or cares about what she has to say.

Noah journals about how things have gone from bad to worse. Everyone in town is avoiding Winona, who lost the election by a landslide, Cissy is hiding from Noah and does not want to be seen with him, and Vivi Ann is sad and withdrawn.

Vivi Ann explains to Noah how waiting, hoping, and being disappointed tore her apart and made her a bad mother; she doesn’t want him to go through the same pain. However, Noah asserts that he won’t be alone like she was back then, as he has her.

Mark breaks things off with Winona, furious that she didn’t even warn Myrtle or him before filing the petition. He refuses to accept Winona’s explanation that eyewitness mistakes are common. He reveals that he never loved Winona and says that ending things is for the best.

Henry visits Winona and orders her to drop Dallas’s case, as people are talking. Winona stands up to him for the first time: She realizes Henry is selfish and will never tell her he is proud of her. However, she doesn’t care anymore and decides she will do the right thing despite his opinion.

Winona’s petition to test the DNA sample is granted. Noah is thrilled, but Vivi Ann is angry that Winona will not be realistic with Noah about how things could still go wrong. The results of the DNA test prove that Dallas is not a match. However, when Winona gives Dallas this news, he is skeptical that it will change anything. He believes the prosecution will claim that he had an accomplice.

As predicted, Sara Hamm’s office tells Winona that the prosecution still believes Dallas murdered Cat and is filing a motion to uphold the conviction. Vivi Ann and Henry watch a newscaster talk about Dallas’s case and interview Sara Hamm, who suggests that Dallas had an accomplice. Henry agrees with this opinion and claims Dallas’s son isn’t any better than Dallas himself, shocking Vivi Ann. Seeing her father as clearly as her sisters do for the first time, Vivi Ann tells Henry he knows nothing about love and that she feels sorry for him.

Noah journals his disappointment and frustration that the prosecution is trying to keep Dallas in jail despite him being innocent. Vivi Ann comes up to him while he is tending to Renegade and tells him about how Dallas helped rescue the horse and how Dallas could handle Renegade in a way no one else could. They reflect on how miserable Renegade has been since Dallas’s imprisonment and commiserate about how waiting can take a toll.

Winona and Sara both argue their respective cases regarding Dallas’s conviction, but the judge rules in favor of the prosecution. He refuses to grant a retrial, and Dallas is remanded back to custody. A stunned Winona is unable to approach Vivi Ann and Noah, who are sobbing together. To her surprise, Luke appears, praising her for her work.

Luke and Winona catch up. He tells her about his divorce; he is in town because he needs a friend and knows Winona needs one too. Winona runs into Mark at a store some days later. He apologizes for the way he behaved and asks if they can try again. Winona declines, reminding him they were never in love, but is happy to remain friends.

Vivi Ann visits Winona at her office, asking her to let Dallas’s case go. As they talk, Winona realizes that while the DNA test revealed the sample at the crime scene didn’t match Dallas’s DNA, they never checked if it matched with anyone else.

Noah has a hard time coping with the outcome of Dallas’s petition and begins acting out again at school. Vivi Ann takes him out of school for a day, and they visit Sol Duc together. Vivi Ann apologizes for not talking about Dallas more and promises to help Noah learn more about his father’s culture. Together, they come to terms with the fact that Dallas will never get out of prison.

Winona meets with Sara Hamm and requests to file a joint motion with her to vacate the original judgment in Dallas’s case and set him free. She shows Sara the evidence she has gathered: She cross-checked the DNA sample from the crime scene with the national database, and it matched a man named Gary Kirschner who is currently serving a prison sentence for rape. The unidentified fingerprint on the gun that killed Cat also matched Gary’s; he hadn’t been arrested yet when Cat was murdered, so his data didn’t show up when the prints were first checked. Sara promises to research the details before deciding what to do.

While Winona is still waiting to hear about Dallas, Aurora confronts her about why she has been distant from her sisters lately. Winona confesses that she found some new evidence that may exonerate Dallas, and Aurora says it is better that Vivi Ann doesn’t know yet.

Aurora drags Winona and Vivi Ann out to spend an evening together as sisters under the stars at the ranch. She reminds the other two that they are family and will stick together no matter what; together, they reminisce about the past. Vivi Ann asks Winona if she still loves Luke, and Winona admits she does; however, she wonders if it is too late for them to try again.

Noah journals about how his life has turned around completely. He describes how Winona came to pick him up one school morning, telling Vivi Ann she needed her nephew for the day. Winona took Noah to the prison, explaining the evidence she found and how the prosecution eventually agreed to join her motion. Together, they wait for Dallas as he is released from prison; father and son finally meet and embrace each other tearfully.

Aurora spends the entire day with Vivi Ann, leaving only at night. She finally calls Noah to discover that he is staying over at Winona’s, who will drop him at school the next day. Vivi Ann drifts off to sleep but wakes up to the sound of someone riding a horse. From her porch, she spots Dallas riding a rejuvenated Renegade bareback and initially believes she is seeing things. When she approached the paddock, she is overwhelmed to discover that Dallas is indeed here and real. The couple embrace tearfully, and he carries Vivi Ann back to the house, where they make love.

While Winona, Aurora, and Noah wait to hear from Vivi Ann and Dallas, Winona gets a call from her realtor, who reveals there is someone interested in renting her beach house and wants to meet her there immediately. Winona heads there and is surprised to find Luke waiting. Luke confesses his feelings for her and asks for a second chance, which Winona willingly grants.

By the next morning, reporters begin to call to ask about Dallas; Winona refuses to comment. She, Aurora, and Noah get ready to meet Vivi Ann and Dallas together. Henry, who has finally heard the news, expresses anger that Dallas is back. Winona insists that she has done the right thing and asks her father to join them in welcoming Dallas. Henry walks away without saying anything, but Winona, who finally recognizes her father will never change, no longer cares.

Vivi Ann opens the door of her cabin to find her sisters and son waiting; she and Dallas embrace the group tearfully and gratefully. Later, Noah writes about how Mrs. Ivers’s journaling assignment saved him. He details how people began showing up at Water’s Edge after Dallas’s return, including Cissy, Mark, and Myrtle. Myrtle apologized for her mistake, and Dallas forgave her. Cissy and Noah finally reunited. Noah reflects on how he finally has the answer to Mrs. Ivers’s first question: He is a Grey and a Raintree who belongs to Water’s Edge, and above all, he is his father’s son.