Cara always thought she should take care of her, Eve thought with rueful affection. From the moment she had come into their lives, she had wanted to repay Eve and Joe for taking her under their wings and protecting her from the cartel enforcer who had killed her sister. That devotion could be both touching and exasperating. “I always need you.” She kissed her on the cheek. “But that’s because I love you. No service required. Where’s Jock?”
“Coming. He told me he’d bring down the luggage. I think he wanted to give me time to say hello.” She smiled as she looked out at the lake. “It’s just as I remembered it. I don’t wonder you wanted to have the wedding here. Not everything that happened at Gaelkar was good, but I think you and Joe were happy here.” She gazed at the mist. “And it wasn’t because of the place. There’s music here, Eve.”
“Is there?” And who would know better than Cara, who was filled with music herself? “I believe you. I don’t hear it, but sometimes I think I can feel it.”
“It’s there. Sometimes sad, sometimes joyous, always strong.”
“Like life?”
She nodded and pulled her gaze away from the mist. “Where are Jane and Michael?”
“I think she needed a break from having Michael watch her painting that portrait of him. He’s fascinated, but he wanted to do it himself. She decided that she’d take him for a walk along the bank to meet Lisa and MacDuff when they came back for supper.”
“Maybe I’d better go after them and help her with—”
“No.” Jock was suddenly beside them. “You go to your tent and change and catch a few minutes of rest.” He set her violin case and duffel down. “Trust me. I’ll go make sure that they don’t disappear into the mist.”
“I didn’t think that Jane would—”
But Cara was talking to air as Jock strode away from them down the bank. She made a face. “Bossy. I just wanted to help.”
“You always do.” Eve’s lips were twitching as she picked up Cara’s duffel. That moment she had witnessed between them was so very familiar. Jock, the strong, charismatic young man; Cara, no longer a child but not yet a woman. But the strength of the bond almost visible between them. “I’ll help you get settled. You started traveling early this morning. You’ve got to be tired.”
“A little.” Cara started up the hill toward the tent area. “But the trip here from the airport wore me out more than the jet across the ocean.” She was frowning as she looked back at Jock. “He’s always so … difficult these days. Why can’t he just be happy?”
“Because he’s Jock,” Eve said. “Because of the life he’s led. Because he never expected that anyone like you would come into his life, someone for whom he’d suddenly feel responsible.” She paused. “Of course, if you don’t want to deal with that difficulty, you could just let him go.”
“No.” Cara’s eyes widened with alarm. “I couldn’t do that,” she whispered. “Never. I just want him to be happier. He should be happy. He has that wonderful shining inside.” She stopped at the tent. “I have you. I have my music. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. Except for Jock.”
Eve nodded. “And that’s probably not going to go away anytime soon. It’s a long-range problem that you’ll probably have to deal with yourself.”
“And I’ll do it.” She gave Eve a hug. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to complain. Slap me if I do that again.”
“I’ll take that under consideration. At the moment, I’m too glad to see you to inflict violence.” She set Cara’s bag down inside the tent. “So just do what that ‘bossy’ Jock told you to do and get a little rest. I’ll call you when it’s time for supper.” She stopped as she was going to leave. “What kind of delay was Joe having that you didn’t opt to wait for him to bring you?”
“Margaret Douglas,” Cara said. “He couldn’t find her and he knew she would want to be here.”
“I should have guessed,” Eve said. “Margaret is as close to a Gypsy as anyone I’ve ever met.”
“I know. I like her. You told me that she had a wonderful talent with animals.”
Eve nodded. “She has friends at a special veterinary clinic on Summer Island, in the Caribbean. I’ll tell Joe to put out feelers there.” She smiled. “He’s not had an easy job. My friends appear liable to be in the four corners of the earth at any given moment.”
“He’ll find them,” Cara said. “And you’re not the only one. He had his own list. He was also looking for someone named Venable and a Sean Galen.”
“Then it’s good that you didn’t wait,” Eve said. “Venable is CIA and can be very elusive.”
“I’m glad that you’re not upset with me,” Cara said. “I know that I can be annoying when I push too hard. It’s just so important that I take care of you and Michael. You sent me away to school, so I can’t do it all the time. But let me do it during the next week or so, okay?”
“Okay,” Eve said gently. “But you’ll find plenty of other things to do here, Cara. MacDuff is close to finding his treasure. And Caleb’s sister, Lisa, is always trying to do too much.” She tilted her head. “I wonder how the two of you will get along. She’s not at all like you.”
“I’ll just do what you tell me. I won’t cause you any trouble.”
Eve laughed. “Not at all like you,” she repeated. She gave Cara another kiss on the forehead. “I’ll see you in an hour.”
The sun was low on the horizon and casting a golden glow on the mist as Eve left the tent. She could see MacDuff, Lisa, and Jock coming toward the camp with Jane and Michael, who were following them at a slower pace. Lisa was walking stiffly, holding her shoulders very straight.
She’s hurting, Eve thought. She had done too much. She was supposed to have had a light day, but she’d probably pushed herself and not let MacDuff see how tired she was getting.
Then she saw Jock grab Lisa’s backpack, ignoring her protest, and then fall back to where Jane and Michael were walking. He was smiling as he said something to Michael and then lifted him on his shoulders.
She saw Michael laughing as Jock trotted ahead of the others in the group coming down the bank. The sunlight fell on Jock’s shock of fair hair and burnished it as he moved.
He has that wonderful shining inside.
Cara’s words came back to her as she watched him. That beautiful exterior and the scars that sometimes hid that shining that Cara could see so well and that Jock refused to believe was there.
Eve could see it now. She could see the strength and beauty in all of them. MacDuff, with his humor and tough drive, which hid a heart that made his people love him. Lisa, who was emerging from pain and struggle and yet would give her life for Caleb. Jane, her wonderful Jane, who had been through so much and was still battling.
Eve suddenly had a sense of infinite rightness as she looked down at them with the lake of golden mist behind them. Her friends, her family, this place, this time.
Did you ever feel like that, Cira?
Somehow she thought that she might have.
She kept her gaze fixed on those very special people enveloped in that golden haze as she slowly started down the hill to join them.
JUMAIRA, DUBAI
It was here!
Teresa Romano quickly took the document from the FedEx envelope and turned and went back inside the villa.
Gino was sitting by the indoor Moroccan pool and looked up with a scowl. “Only seven more days, Teresa. You promised me Santara would come through for us. I never should have believed you.”
More complaints. She was sick to death of putting up with him. She’d increased the drugs she made available to him. She’d furnished him with different whores every day to distract him, but he still managed to get in her way. She had been nervous enough herself during these last days without having to soothe Gino.
Just a little longer. Then she would be on that plane to Moscow and wouldn’t have to serve anyone but herself.
“Santara will come through. He’s not clever, but he’s efficient. I can still work with him. He just had to be guided in the right direction.”