“And it’s you, too. I watched the two of you together. Was it like that all the time you were growing up?”
Jane nodded. “From the time we came together.” She glanced at Lisa’s face. There had been nothing in Lisa’s barren life that resembled the strength and tightness of the family bond Jane had known. “And perhaps you’re right. But I know how lucky I am.”
Lisa shook her head. “No, you don’t. You just think you do. But I can see why Caleb wanted to save her. He knew.”
“Eve was only interested in saving Michael. You must have seen how she adores him. He’s pretty extraordinary himself.”
Lisa’s eyes were narrowed on Michael’s face. “He said ‘swim.’”
“He lives on a lake. He’s been in the water all his life. Eve wanted to make certain he knew what he was doing, so she had an instructor out from the local YMCA who specializes in teaching toddlers to give him lessons.”
“Jody.” Michael lowered his cup. He’d evidently been listening. “She likes to float. Nice. But boring.”
“And lifesaving for most small children,” Jane said sternly. “She did a good job, Michael.”
He nodded. “Nice.”
Lisa suddenly chuckled. “Diplomatic, but noncommittal. And he already understands the concept of boring.” She turned to Jane. “I think I like him.”
“I’m sure he’ll be grateful.” Jane got to her feet. “And I’ll be grateful for a cup of coffee. But first, I have to run up to the tent to get his set of building blocks to keep him amused. He’s into construction right now. Will you keep an eye on him?” She’d already turned and was hurrying back up the hill. “Don’t look so wary. He’s completely nonthreatening.”
“So you say,” Lisa called after her as she watched Jane disappear into the darkness. Nonthreatening? He was a beautiful child and appeared to be good-tempered, but being responsible for any child is frightening, Lisa thought. That was why she had avoided them through the years. They had a tendency to slip beyond the barriers, and she didn’t allow anyone to do that. It hurt too much when they went away. But this is only for a short time, she told herself. It will be fine. She turned to Michael. “Okay, what do we do?”
He smiled at her. Dear God, that was an enchanting smile.
“Don’t give me that. Save it for all your fans.” She went back to kneading the biscuits. “I have to finish these biscuits, or I’ll lose my credibility with MacDuff. You have to give something to get something in this world.”
“Mist.”
She stiffened and looked at him. He was still smiling radiantly at her. Well, what had she expected? “Yes, exactly.” Though that had to be an accidental reference. “Want some more juice?”
He was on his feet and coming toward her. “No juice. Biscuits.” He plopped down on the ground beside her and watched her hands move on the board. His face was intent, his eyes fastened with fascination on the formation of the dough. “Me?”
“You want some dough?” She gave him some. “Okay, but don’t eat it raw. I don’t think that’s on a healthy kid’s diet.”
He shook his head impatiently. “Not eat. Build it.” His hands were separating, kneading, copying her movements. But he got the dough too thin and it fell apart as he tried to form the circle of the biscuit. He looked baffled and then he gazed up at Lisa again. “More?”
“Whatever.” She gave him some more dough and then stood up and took her completed biscuits and put them on the cookie sheet. “But you’re on the right track. That’s how I learned a lot of things. You just do it, and then make it better and better.” She straightened the biscuits. “Pretty soon, you’re the best. It’s important to be best. People can’t argue with best. It’s the—” She stopped. She had turned back to Michael and he was giving her that smile again.
And the biscuit in front of him was fully formed and round, a tiny bit off-kilter, but acceptable by even Lisa’s standards.
“Not best.” His smile widened eagerly. “Next time?”
She stared at that radiant, sunny expression and slowly nodded her head. “Maybe. I wouldn’t put it past you. But give yourself a little time. I get impatient, too, and sometimes I don’t let myself enjoy things.” She was sure this wasn’t how she should be talking to a two-year-old. Too bad. It felt right and she’d go with it. She held out her hand to him. “Come over to the fire and we’ll sit and smell the biscuits and watch them bake. Good idea?”
He took her hand but said firmly, “My biscuit, Lisa.”
She laughed and carefully picked up his biscuit. “By all means, your biscuit, Michael.”
*
“I just got off the phone with Joe,” Eve said as she came down from her tent an hour later, when they were all gathered for breakfast. “It seems we may get the first guest arriving for the ceremony today,” she wryly. “Rather unexpected. She won’t wait to come with Joe when he brings the others. The minute she heard what was happening, she told him she had to be with me right away.”
“I guess we don’t have to guess who that is,” Jane said ruefully. “And it’s not unexpected. You know how protective Cara is about you and Michael. It was barely okay as long as you were safely ensconced with Joe only hundreds of miles away from her school. An ocean is a different matter.”
Jock stiffened. “Cara’s coming?”
Eve nodded. “Joe wanted her to stay another week and finish her semester. She wasn’t having any of it. She told Joe to put her on the first plane out today.”
“Cara,” Lisa repeated trying to dredge down to make the connection. “Cara Delaney? She lives with you, Eve?”
“When she’s not at Juilliard. She’s sort of our ward. Family.” She made a face. “But she sometimes thinks Michael and I are her wards.”
“Today?” Jock’s body was tense as he leaned forward, ignoring everything but what was important to him. “When?”
“Four today,” Eve said. “Joe’s putting her on a flight to Edinburgh in a few minutes. He asked me to send one of MacDuff’s men to pick her up.” She glanced at MacDuff. “I thought maybe Robbie Madonald would be—”
“Not bloody likely,” Jock said sharply. “I’m going to go get her.”
“MacDuff needs you at the north bank,” Eve said quietly. “I don’t want to be here one day and start disrupting routines.”
“You’re not doing it. It’s Cara,” he said curtly. “She should have stayed with Joe, where she’d be safe.”
“Joe wouldn’t have sent her if he hadn’t thought it would be safe for her.”
“Then we don’t agree.” He smiled recklessly. “And I’m on the spot, so I win.”
“I can go after her, Jock,” Jane said.
“With all due respect, I don’t regard your capabilities in the same league as Joe’s.” He turned to MacDuff. “I can give you until two today and then I have to go get her.”
MacDuff shrugged. “I don’t like it. You’re sure it’s necessary?”
“I’m sure. She’s a target. She’s the granddaughter of the most influential mob boss in Russia. He has enemies who might love to hand Cara’s head to him on a platter.”
“But the fact that she’s Koskov’s granddaughter also offers her protection. Nothing’s happened to Cara since Eve took her under her wing. Wouldn’t they hesitate to go after her if it meant facing him?”
“Hesitate? Screw hesitate. It’s not going to happen. I won’t have it. And how do you know they wouldn’t have gone after her?” He got to his feet. “I’m going down to the mists and get started. Don’t worry, I’ll bring her to you, Eve.”
“I know you will.” She was gazing at him thoughtfully. “And you said ‘wouldn’t have gone after her,’ Jock. Curious sentence. It makes me wonder if you put some insurance in place to keep her safe during these last months. Did you?”
He didn’t answer.
“Jock?”
“Aye.” He shrugged. “She was alone in New York at that school. Perhaps I had a contact keep an eye on her.”
“‘Perhaps’?” Eve shook her head. “And no one can take care of her but you? We love her, Jock.”