She hesitated. “Play it by ear?”

“Send her to a private school?”

“No,” she said sharply.

He threw back his head and laughed. “I didn’t think so. I was just testing you. You want to take her home with us.”

“It may only be for a little while. Just until we can get her happily settled.”

“And it may be for a long, long time.” He leaned forward and kissed her. “Another Jane, Eve? Our Jane was only a little younger than Cara when we took her in.”

“There will never be another Jane. Just as there will never be another Cara. We know where Jane is in our lives, and it’s all love. Cara is a clean slate, and we don’t know what will be eventually written in the relationship.” She frowned. “But how do you feel about it, Joe? She’s had a troubled life, it could be … difficult. Even if it’s for only a short time.”

“I’ve only spent the morning with her. She’s quiet and withdrawn and polite. She appeared very grateful I didn’t drop her when she threw herself into my arms. The rest I’ll have to learn with experience. But I didn’t know much more when we adopted Jane.” He smiled. “But she’ll be a challenge. Just keeping her alive will be a task in itself.”

She shuddered. “I wish you hadn’t said that.”

“Face it. You haven’t chosen an easy way. But we can make it work and keep her safe.”

She nodded. “She said that Jenny told her I’d need her. And that she’d need me.”

“It might be true. You’ve been feeling a little lonely since Jane left home. And Cara certainly is going to need you.”

“Us,” she corrected.

He nodded. “Us.” He got to his feet. “And now I’ll go and talk to Nalchek and Margaret and make sure that they don’t disclose anything to local law enforcement. Then I’ll arrange to whisk Cara away from here as if she’d never been. Preferably before Salazar finds out that Walsh is dead.”

“I guess I’d better talk to Cara. Would you send her to me?” She made a face. “Though I should really get up and go to her. It’s ridiculous that I’m still lolling in this bed. I shouldn’t have given in and let you talk me into a full exam. You know those idiotic tests aren’t going to find anything, Joe.”

“Can’t be too careful. I figured it couldn’t hurt. You’re always too busy to go in to see the doctor.” He headed for the door. “We’ll get the results in another hour or so.”

“Joe.”

He looked over his shoulder. “Yes.”

“Come back here.”

He tilted his head as he saw her expression. “Delighted.” He whirled, and the next moment, he was beside her, lifting her, kissing her. “Hey, did I forget something?”

“No, I did.” She kissed him again. “I forgot to tell you that most of the time you meet my every wish and that I’m damn grateful.” She pushed him away. “And that I love you, Joe Quinn.”

“Most of the time?”

“You were supposed to stay in San Francisco at that hospital. Instead, you came flying up here smack in the middle of the fray. That was definitely not according to what I wanted, and you know it.”

“Yep, but you knew there was a strong possibility. I’ll just have to make it up to you in other ways to lull you into forgetting it.” He straightened and turned toward the door. “And I’ll start doing that right away, after I send Cara in to see you.”

*   *   *

“So what do you say, Cara?” Eve asked quietly. “Is it something you might want to do?”

She didn’t speak for a moment. “I’d live with you?”

“At least for a while. You wouldn’t have to be committed to us for the long haul. We could try it out and see how you liked it.”

“And how you’d like it.”

Eve nodded. “We’re pretty much strangers. I don’t see why we wouldn’t get along, but it’s better that we make it a trial run.”

“You wouldn’t send me back to Mexico?”

“No, that wouldn’t be best for you. Why? Do you wish to go back?”

“No, Elena told me that I mustn’t ever go back there.” She shook her head. “I don’t remember anything about it except being with Jenny and Elena. But she said it would be bad for me, that I would be hurt.”

“Joe and I think that’s true. But it might be difficult for us to keep you from being sent back. That’s why we thought that you should change your name. Okay?”

“Again?” Cara nodded. “If that’s what you want. I don’t care.”

“Does that mean that you’re willing to come to live with us?”

“Of course it does. I told you that I wouldn’t leave you, that I’d hold on as long as you let me.” Her voice was suddenly fierce. “And I don’t care about all that trial business. I’ll be so good that you’ll want to keep me. Jenny told me that you’ll need me, and I have to be there for you.”

“Cara, come here.” She held out her hand. “It goes two ways.” She drew the girl into her arms and held her. Cara didn’t fight her, but her body was stiff and unyielding. It might be a long time before she would be able to physically respond to anyone after the death of her Elena. She had told Joe it might be difficult to bring her into their home. Don’t force her. Everything must be slow and easy. She released her and smiled into her eyes. “I know you love Jenny, but this is between you and Joe and me. Can you start thinking of it like that?”

Cara nodded jerkily. “If that’s what you want.”

“That’s what I want.” She kissed her on the cheek and released her. “Now let’s make a list of everything that you’ll need from your apartment. Don’t worry about clothes. We’ll take care of that when we get home to Atlanta. Any personal items?”

She shook her head. “I don’t need anything. Only my violin. Elena would have taken it, but you said everything in her car was burned.”

“Yes, it was. We’ll get you another violin.”

A brilliant smile lit her face. “Thank you.”

They couldn’t take away the music, Jenny had said.

And no one must take away Cara’s music, either.

“You’re welcome. I look forward to hearing you play.”

She nodded eagerly. “Yes, that’s something I can give you. It’s part of me and—”

“Hi, everything settled?” Joe came into the room. “Yes, I can see that it is.” He smiled at Cara. “We’ll get everything finalized before Eve leaves here today. But there are a few things I have to go over with Eve first. Would you run out to the hall, where Margaret is waiting?”

Cara didn’t move. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

But there was something wrong, Eve realized. Cara’s instincts were right. She recognized the tension in the way Joe was carrying himself. “Whatever it is, it has nothing to do with you, Cara.”

Cara slowly got to her feet. “If it’s me, I’ll make it right, Eve.”

“It’s not you,” Joe said shortly. “I promise.”

Cara gave him another troubled look as she left the hospital room.

“She has good instincts. You’re not easy to read,” Eve said. “I’m glad that it wasn’t about her. It would have been difficult explaining a sudden change of heart. Do you know, I’m starting to look forward to having Cara staying with us.” She shook her head. “Bonnie was talking about a change in my life. This may be what she meant.”

“Not necessarily.”

Eve went still. She couldn’t miss that jerky roughness in his tone. “What are you talking about? What is wrong?”

“Not wrong. Strange. Bizarre.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what else.”

“Stop playing around with words. Talk to me.”

“I don’t know how to say it.”

“Just tell me.”

“The hospital has the results from all the tests. The doctor stopped me in the hall to go over them.”

“The results? Joe, I know you’ve been ramrodding everything connected to my treatment since you brought me to this hospital, but that’s going a little too far. Why go over them with you and not with me?” She tried to smile. “Some terrible disease popped up that he thought you should break to me?”

“God, I’m not doing this right. No terrible disease. You’re very healthy and ready to go home. He just didn’t want you to leave the hospital without knowing.”