Whatever. She wasn’t going to sit here all night and try to think of names when her mind seemed to be stuck on that one. It didn’t matter anyway.
“Okay. Lisa it is.” She closed the sketchbook and got to her feet. “Now either let me go back to sleep or tell me what I’m supposed to do to help you.” She moved across the porch and went inside the house. “I’ll take a stab at finding you tomorrow, but I can’t promise anything.…”
But she could still see that drop of blood trickling from Lisa’s cut lip.
And she could see those huge dark eyes staring out at her with fear and a knowledge of her own mortality.
“Well, maybe I’ll spend more than just tomorrow,” she murmured. “But help me, dammit.”
*
Eve was smiling as she passed Michael’s nursery. Satisfied?
Satisfied.
Jane really can take care of herself, you know. She didn’t need us. She would have worked it out for herself.
But you would have gone to her anyway.
More than likely. Now go to sleep, Michael.
I will. Only waiting for you …
He was gone, slipping away into sleep like the healthy toddler he was.
And thank God he is that healthy, she thought as she opened the bedroom door and glided over to the bed where Joe was sleeping. Though no one could call her son exactly normal, he was healthy and caring and possessed joy, serenity, and an occasional mischievous streak that was wonderful to be around. Okay, so he seemed to sense emotions and disturbance in those around him and could still link with her as he had when she had been pregnant with him. It had been almost as if they were aware of each other’s thoughts, as if they were truly one entity. That might fade in time, but for now she cherished that closeness.
She slipped out of her robe and slid into bed beside Joe.
“Everything okay?” He rolled over and took her in his arms. “Michael?”
“In a way.” She cuddled closer. “It was really Jane.” Her lips brushed his bare shoulder and then she rubbed her cheek on the warmth of it. “She’s been dreaming again.”
He stiffened. “Cira?”
“That was my first question. No, someone else. A woman, but Jane doesn’t have any idea who she is. She’s going to ask you to take her sketch to the precinct in the morning and try to identify her.”
“Long shot.”
“But you’ll do it.”
“I’ll do it.” He made a face. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and she’ll stop dreaming about her.”
“That might not be so lucky for that woman Jane is dreaming about. She may be in trouble.” She cuddled closer. “It’s not as if this happens that often. Cira has always been the main event, and our practical Jane fought tooth and nail against admitting that dream had any basis in fact. She’s fighting this one, too.” She paused. “But she’s disturbed. She thinks she might know her. I don’t want her worrying, Joe. It took Jane a long time to come back after Trevor was killed while trying to save her. She loved him so much, and it scared me that I couldn’t seem to help her then. I don’t want her spiraling down again.”
“You did all you could. Jane just had to have time.” He gently stroked the hair at her temple. “And I’ll do my best to find this mystery woman as quickly as possible. Definitely no dragging of feet.”
“I just wanted to explain. I knew you’d do it.”
“Of course, there was no question. Jane is family.”
“Family,” Eve repeated softly. “I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately.”
“No surprise. It’s been less than two years since you gave birth to Michael. You’d be likely to be very family-centric.”
“No, that’s not it. Or maybe it is. I just feel as if I want to make sure that everything is tight and safe for everyone I love. I want everything that touches them to be just right.”
“Not entirely possible.” He kissed her. “There’s a little thing called fate that we have to look out for. But everything that I can do will be done.” He lifted himself on one elbow to look down at her. “And I’ll wrestle fate if it comes our way and we don’t like it. Anything for you, Eve.”
“You’re joking. I mean this, Joe.”
“I’m not joking. I wouldn’t dare.” But his face was alight with humor. “I’m just having trouble worrying about the future when I’m so damn happy.” He buried his face in her throat. “It’s good, isn’t it, Eve? Better than ever before,” he said thickly. “So don’t borrow trouble.”
Her arms slid around him. “I’m not borrowing trouble. I feel as if we’ve been given gifts, and I want to protect them.”
“Tell me how.”
So that he could go out and battle her dragons as he’d always done since the first day she’d met him. “I’m still thinking about it.” She kissed him and whispered, “But I promise you’ll be the very first to know when I do.”
*
“It’s time for you to leave, Jane.” Eve opened the door of Michael’s nursery and ruefully shook her head as she saw Jane sitting cross-legged on the floor with her son. “You have a plane to catch. Joe’s waiting in the car.”
“Just one more minute,” Jane said absently as her pencil flew over the sketch she was doing of Michael. “I can finish this once I get to Scotland, but I want to catch…” Her voice trailed off as she concentrated on getting the curve of Michael’s mouth just right.
“Jane.”
“Okay. Okay.” She reluctantly closed the sketchbook. “But children change so quickly at this age. I just came in to give him a hug good-bye and I saw the sun coming in the window and his hair looked more red than dark chestnut like it usually does. And then he smiled, and I was lost.” She got up and knelt beside Michael and held him close for a moment. “See you next time,” she said softly. “You take care of your mother and Joe. Do you hear?”
He cuddled closer to her. “I hear.” His small hand touched her cheek. “Jane…”
She moved her lips and kissed his palm. “And take care of yourself, too, young man. We can’t do without you.” She sat back on her heels and looked down at him. So beautiful, with the satin skin that all very young children had. His wide-set eyes were the same tea color as his father’s, but his hair was a shade between red and chestnut that seemed to gather light. He was wearing blue jean overalls and a blue shirt this morning. She had to remember how that blue set off his coloring. She’d only had time to draw his face and hair this time.
She gave him another kiss, released him, and stood up. “I’ll be thinking about you.”
He nodded. “Me, too.” His smile lit his face with a special radiance. “See you soon, Jane.”
Adorable. She wanted to go back and scoop him up again.
“Jane,” Eve said.
“Coming.” She turned quickly and left the room, followed by Eve. “It’s your fault, you know. You produced that heartbreaker.”
“Did I? Joe and I aren’t sure how he showed up on the radar. We just thank God for him. When you finish that sketch, I want it.”
“If I don’t decide to make it a painting instead. Then you’ll have to wait until I finish it and put it on exhibition for a few months. I think this one may turn out to be something special. He’s looking up at me so inquiringly and yet you’d swear that he had all the wisdom of the ages.”
“Maybe he does. Maybe all children do before their vision becomes clouded by life.”
“Nah. It’s Michael.” She grinned at Eve over her shoulder as she reached the porch. “And it’s going to make a hell of a portrait. Which will please my agent, since she’s not been getting much of anything but landscapes from me for the last year or so. She says that lake in Gaelkar, Scotland, is very picturesque, but she’s ready for something different.”
“Hasn’t she ever heard of Monet’s water lilies? I think there’re way over two hundred of those. And that lake is mystical. I loved it when I was there.”
“I do, too, when I’m not frustrated.” She made a face. “I might have given up trying to help MacDuff find the treasure that Cira brought from Herculaneum if that lake itself wasn’t such a puzzle. A lake that never loses its mist, that’s totally impenetrable?”