Iris Johansen: Blood Game

Eve felt stunned as Jane’s words hit home. Dear God, was Jane right? Eve had thought she was protecting herself from everyone thinking she was a nutcase. She had thought she was protecting her relationship by not letting Joe know how overpowering was her obsession.

But she was actually keeping Bonnie a deep, precious secret so that she wouldn’t have to share her. As selfish as a miser hoarding her gold.

“It’s true, isn’t it?” she whispered.

“Only you will know that, Eve,” Jane said gently. “Nothing could be more natural than for you to react like that. She’s your baby. She was taken away from you in life, so you want to keep this spirit of Bonnie close and safe. But either way you have to face it so that you can handle it. As I said, things are different now.” She reached over and kissed Eve’s cheek. “I’m going to go in and get out those steaks and start packing.”

Eve still stood there after Jane had gone inside, staring down at Joe beside the lake. His brown hair was rumpled from the breeze and his tea-colored eyes were squinted slightly from the rays of the setting sun. His shirt was open and even from where she stood, she could see the tiny wounds that scarred his chest and abdomen. Wounds that Jelak had inflicted because Joe wouldn’t allow Jelak to use him as bait. He was stubborn and loyal and giving and as loving as he was tough.

Emotion surged over her as she stared at him. Dear Heaven, she loved him.

She started down the steps. “Joe!”

JOE TURNED TO SEE EVE COMINGdown the steps. She was smiling, her expression eager.

“What?”

“Jane’s going back to Paris.” She had reached the bottom of the steps. “I thought we’d have a barbecue for her. Okay?”

“Sure. But you didn’t have to come down to tell me. You could have called me back to the house from-” He stopped, stiffening, his gaze going to the top step of the porch behind Eve.

Bonnie.

She stood there behind Eve like a loving shadow.

No, there was nothing shadowlike about the little girl on the step. She was standing straight, her legs slightly parted, all bright curly hair and eyes that shone as brilliantly as the sun on the water. Not a shadow. A guardian, fearless, vigilant, watching over Eve.

And watching over him?

“Joe?” Eve said.

Bonnie met his eyes and slowly nodded.

Then her luminous smile lit her face.

“What’s wrong, Joe?” Eve had stopped on the bank in front of him.

He pulled his eyes away from Bonnie. “Nothing.” He was bewildered, uncertain, and yet he was absolutely sure that nothing was wrong.

He looked back at the porch. No little girl. Bonnie was gone. What else could he expect? She was the one who had taught Nancy Jo the trick.

He tried to clear his head and remember what Eve had said. “You didn’t have to come down to get me.”

“I wanted to come down. I wanted to be near you.” She stopped in front of him. “Touch you.”

He smiled. “Be my guest.”

She reached out and put her hand on his bare chest. He could feel the warm smoothness of her palm, the strength of her fingers from years of working the clay. His heart began to beat harder as it always did when she touched him.

“And I want to talk to you,” she said. “I want to sit down here on the bank and talk about all the years we’ve been together.”

He grimaced. “Past history. Let’s strike new territory. I’d rather talk about the future.”

“No, first we have to talk about the past.” She looked up and met his eyes. “Because then we have to talk about Bonnie.”