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  Laughter bubbled into Kayla’ s throat when she thought of how they’ d first met, she and her sisters in crime. Things hadn’ t gone so smoothly in the beginning. Talk about adolescent egos. Child genius Samantha, smart-mouthed Tory, eagle-eyed Josie, eager-to-please Darcy and cool-as-a-cucumber Alex. Kayla had been the overly serious one, the girl who took everything and anything too close to heart. Come to think of it, being Jazz’ s age hadn’ t been easy, either. How had she forgotten how difficult being a kid could be?

  But Rainy had pulled the ragtag group together.

  At first, Sam had walked around with a chip on her shoulder the size of Mt. Everest. Part of the problem had been the fact that she was about two years younger than everyone else and nobody really tried to relate to her. Kayla and the others had felt far too old for fraternizing with a “ kid.” Tory had never, ever shut up. The girl had to be the center of attention. Oh, yeah, and Josie was nothing but a tattletale. Kayla grinned. How had she forgotten those quirky little details?

  Admittedly, she’ d lacked any sense of humor whatsoever. So she hadn’ t been so easy to get along with. Ah, but then there was Alex’ s snobby ways. And Darcy’ s constant ass kissing. Darcy, apparently, thought being a yes-girl would hoist her a little farther up the food chain. Alex had evidently assumed that the world should and would bow to her every wish.

  Rainy saw through all the superficial crap every last one of them oozed. She knew that each of her assigned mentees were good where it counted, deep down inside. All she had to do was polish that goodness and bring it to the surface. Not such a simple task.

  Kayla would never forget having to stay at the Academy when their first break rolled around. Rainy had insisted. Principal Christine Evans had agreed. The Cassandras were grounded, no going home for break. Kayla would never forget the indignation.

  “ Why do we have to go on a field trip?” Tory griped. “ We’ re supposed to be going on break. I wanna go home.”

  “ Because I said so,” Rainy tossed back. “ Any questions?” She surveyed the gloomy group. “ I thought not.”

  Kayla hadn’ t been too keen on the idea of going on an overnight survival trip into the wilds of the White Tank Mountains, which really amounted to a trip into the farthest reaches of the Academy property. Not such a big deal looking back, but, at the time, it had felt like going to the ends of the earth… in the dark with a bunch of quarreling buttheads, when she should have been at home with her loving family watching her mother weave or her grandmother bake.

  The Cassandras had no sooner foraged into the creepy, dark landscape than disaster struck.

  “ I can’ t find her anywhere!”

  Kayla saw the fear on the other girls’ faces. Rainy was lost. They had looked everywhere. It was so dark. She shivered. They were all terrified. What would they do now? Rainy was their leader… what would they do without her?

  “ Are you sure?” Kayla asked Josie. Josie never missed anything. God, if she couldn’ t find Rainy…

  “ All right,” Alex piped up in that authoritative heiress voice of hers. “ Here’ s what we’ ll do.” She divided up the area to be searched and sent two girls into each quadrant, just like they’ d learned in class. “ Stick with your partner,” she’ d instructed, “ and we’ ll find her.”

  Every one of the Cassandras had loved Rainy. Respected and looked up to her. They just hadn’ t been able to get past their irritation with each other long enough to show it. But that night, all those years ago in the middle of nowhere in the dark, they had worked together. When they’ d found their beloved leader she was injured, a sprained ankle that prevented her from walking without assistance.

  Everyone pitched in immediately. Tory told jokes to keep Rainy’ s sprits up. Josie, Darcy and Kayla had built a shelter while Sam and Alex started a fire to stay warm. Alex had busily splinted Rainy’ s ankle. Using the stars as her guide, Sam had figured out in which direction the school lay. The next morning they would be prepared for getting Rainy back to the safety of the Academy.

  The whole transition had occurred like magic. They were all suddenly working together as a team. When all was done the girls, exhausted from their labors, had settled around the campfire with Rainy to wait for daybreak. And then something else unexpected had happened.

  “ I have a secret to share with you,” Rainy said in a mysterious tone.

  Kayla, like all the others, leaned forward a bit, anxious to hear whatever their fearless leader had to say. They were all so awed by her. She’ d been injured and lost and yet she’ d never worried. She had felt certain her Cassandra sisters would rescue her. The realization that they had done just that warmed Kayla. Even on a cool night in the foothills of the mountains she felt that heady glow more deeply than the heat from the fire.

  Rainy looked from one expectant face to the other. “ I was never lost… or injured.” She shucked the splint Alex had carefully applied and wiggled her foot. “ I was only pretending.”

  Gasps echoed in the firelight. Eyes went wide, mouths gaped.

  “ But why?” Darcy wanted to know.

  Rainy smiled at each of them. “ Because I needed you to look past your differences and to see each other for who you really are.”

  The girls glanced at each other, awed and sort of bewildered at the same time. It was that very night, at that precise moment, that something special passed between Kayla and Alex. Something very special happened between them all.

  “ We’ re a team. Like sisters,” Rainy continued. “ Nothing can pull us apart or divide us as long as we stick together.”

  Cheers went up around the campfire. And the Cassandras were baptized in their unity.

  Sisters… there for each other… forever.

  “ What did you want to talk about, Mom?”

  Jazz’ s question jerked Kayla back to the here and now. She blinked away the sentimental tears that burned in her eyes. “ Oh… you’ re ready.” She smiled for her daughter, couldn’ t help wondering what kind of character-building adventures she would have if she attended the Academy.

  Kayla got to her feet and draped her arm around her daughter’ s shoulders. Another few inches and she’ d be as tall as her mother. How time flew.

  “ Come on, I’ ll tuck you in and we’ ll talk.”

  As her daughter climbed into bed Kayla glanced around her room and contemplated how much longer the little-girl décor would last. Before long a redo would be in order. Maybe that would make a good birthday gift, since Christmas was already taken care of. Jazz had asked for a laptop computer for Christmas. It was a bit extravagant but she could use it for school. Especially if she went to the Academy.

  “ Can we put up the tree this weekend?” Jazz asked as Kayla settled on the edge of the bed next to her.

  “ You bet.”

  “ Aunt Mary already has hers up.”

  “ I noticed.” Kayla’ s sister always had the best tree.

  “ Am I in trouble?” Jazz asked, then chewed her lip as if prepared for the worst. “ I haven’ t been on the Internet anymore without asking first. I didn’ t even play computer games at Aunt Mary’ s. I did my homework just like you said.”

  Jazz’ s big hazel eyes peered up at Kayla. Kayla’ s heart squeezed at how very much like Mike’ s those gorgeous eyes were. He certainly couldn’ t deny his child. Any more than Kayla could, since every other feature besides those eyes were an exact replica of Kayla’ s.

  “ No, sweetie, you’ re not in trouble at all.” She sighed, couldn’ t help herself. “ But I had a visitor today.”

  “ A visitor? Who?”

  Jazz looked so innocent, her expression naively inquisitive. She had no idea her life was about to change in so many ways.

  Kayla picked up the framed photograph from her daughter’ s bedside table. “ We haven’ t talked about your father in a while.”

  Jazz took the photograph from her mom. “ I wonder about him sometimes. Does he still live far away?”

  Not able to break
her daughter’ s heart by telling her the whole truth, she’ d just told her that Mike was in the Air Force and stationed far away. God, what a cop-out that had been.

  “ Actually, he’ s moved closer now,” she said cautiously. “ In fact, he came by today and told me he’ d like to visit with you if you wouldn’ t mind.”

  Jazz studied the picture a little longer, then set it aside. “ Mom.” She looked directly into Kayla’ s eyes. “ I know you don’ t like to talk about him.”

  “ Jazz, I— ”

  “ I know, okay?” she butted in. “ Every time I ever mentioned him I could see the way you looked.” She shrugged those slim shoulders clad in pink flannel. “ So I didn’ t bring him up much. But I know what happened.” Her face clouded. “ He didn’ t want us so he went away.”

  “ No.” Kayla shook her head. This was exactly what she hadn’ t intended to let happen. She should have been smarter. Should have realized her bright daughter would figure out her reasons for silence. “ It wasn’ t like that. We were just young. But he’ s older now. He realizes that not being around was a mistake.” She prayed he did. God, if he broke her baby’ s heart… . “ He’ s your father. He does want to be with you. But being in the military makes it difficult for him. Maybe he thought it was better this way… until now.”

  Jazz shrugged again. “ Maybe. What did you tell him?”

  How strong her daughter was. Kayla was so proud, but she would not cry. She had to be strong too. “ I told him we’ d give him a call and set up a time to have lunch or watch a movie. Something like that. That okay?”

  “ Only if you’ re with us.”

  Kayla pressed a kiss to her forehead. “ Count on it.”

  Jazz nodded. “ Tell him we’ ll give it a try.”

  Kayla had to laugh. When had her baby grown up so?

  “ I’ ll call him now.”

  When she would have gotten up, Jazz tugged at her arm. Kayla turned back to her. “ You have more instructions for me?” she teased.

  Jazz’ s face turned serious as she shook her head.

  Kayla’ s gut clenched. Had the reality of the conversation only now caught up to her child?

  “ I love you, Mom.”

  Relief flooded Kayla. “ I love you too, sweetie.”

  After hugs and good-nights, Kayla made the call.

  Mike answered on the first ring. He’ d been waiting.

  “ It’ s me,” Kayla’ s entire body, her throat especially, felt tight with emotion.

  “ I’ m glad you called.” She heard relief in his voice.

  Oddly, that only made this harder for her. “ We’ d like you to come for dinner on Friday evening.”

  “ Why not tomorrow?”

  Kayla held on to her emotions. Anger wouldn’ t help right now. Tears wouldn’ t either. “ She has choir practice after school. They practice twice a week. She’ ll be late getting home.”

  A beat of silence passed. “ All right. Friday then. Seven?”

  “ Seven’ s good.” Kayla tried to think what she should say next, but she just wanted to hang up. She needed to sever the connection before her composure crumpled completely.

  “ Thank you, Kayla. You don’ t know how much this means to me.”

  She managed a polite goodbye and hung up.

  Mike Bridges would visit his daughter for dinner on Friday evening. Day after tomorrow.

  Kayla climbed into her own bed then and pulled the covers up close around her. She tried to be strong, but she just couldn’ t do it. She cried. Cried for the mistakes she and Mike had made. Cried because she was awed by her young daughter’ s perceptiveness and strength. Cried for Marshall and all he’ d lost.

  Lastly she cried because she was lonely.

  Nights like this she desperately wished she could put her arms around a big, strong man.

  One exactly like Peter Hadden.

  Before she could chastise herself for the weakness she drifted off to sleep.

  Early Thursday Investigator Devon called Kayla to let her know her bike-pirating perp had rolled over on one of the biggest car thieves in the state. The guy hadn’ t been bluffing when he’ d made the offer. Cars, bikes, anything with wheels were pretty much on his connection’ s agenda.

  This was a major coup. Investigator Devon had concluded that Kayla’ s anonymous tip had come from a competitor who had known one of the three she caught would drop a dime on their main connection. The strategy was as transparent as glass— take the competition off the street.

  Devon also wanted to warn Kayla that for his testimony Mr. Terrence Swafford would get a mere slap on the wrist. In fact, he would be taken into protective custody today and kept in an undisclosed location until the trial, after which he would receive a reduced sentence. Devon added that he felt compelled to give her the heads-up since this guy could pose a threat to her later on.

  Kayla would also be expected to testify as to what happened the day of the bust. She had assured the investigator that the district attorney could count on her. She wasn’ t going anywhere.

  And she sure as hell wasn’ t afraid of some loose-lipped bike thief who might be looking for a little payback. The only worry she had in that area was in keeping her daughter safe from scum like Swafford.

  Just another reason Jazz would likely be better off at Athena. Security was tight when it came to protecting the students. She thought of Rainy. Well, most of the time, anyway.

  “ I’ ve got to run a couple errands,” she told Jim around 11:00. Jazz had choir practice again today so that gave Kayla a few hours to check out a couple things on Rainy’ s case. “ Call me if you need me.”

  Jim, neck deep in reports, only grunted. When it was slow, like today, it wasn’ t uncommon for the deputies on duty to take a little free time to take care of personal business. If Jim needed her he would call her back in. He didn’ t ask where she was headed. He likely assumed she had last-minute Christmas shopping to attend to.

  She was glad he didn’ t ask. Lying to her partner wasn’ t something that came easy to her. But sharing information with him about Rainy was definitely not a good idea. This had to be kept between the Cassandras. Well, and some aspects had to be shared with Peter Hadden. She had little choice there.

  As she climbed into her Jeep she gave herself another mental kick for allowing Hadden to slip into her thoughts too often. After last night’ s too-close-for-comfort moment in his car she’ d managed to dream about him in spite of her nerve-racking heart-to-heart with her daughter.

  Who would have thought that Peter Hadden could kick worries about Mike right out of her head? She’ d expected to have dreams about Mike trying to horn in on her close relationship with their daughter, not close encounters of the sexual kind with Hadden.

  She had to get her head back on straight on the subject of Peter Hadden. Last night had ventured over the line. But she wasn’ t the only one having trouble. In fact, he’ d been the one to bring up the awareness between them. She had to be the one to end it. Until she cleared up the mystery around Rainy’ s death she had no choice but to be involved with Hadden. After that they wouldn’ t see each other again.

  Why get involved with a man she wouldn’ t even be seeing in the future?

  By the time she reached Marshall Carrington’ s home in Tucson, Kayla had convinced herself she’ d made the right decision. She had her immediate future under control, at least in her mind.

  She’ d called Marshall that morning and he had assured her he would be home all afternoon. He’ d lectured his final class yesterday until after Christmas vacation. He had no plans for any research trips until the new year. He would love to see her.

  Kayla wondered how he would spend the holidays without Rainy. If he was smart he’ d plan some time away with friends and family. Anything to get out of the house. The notion that maybe she should invite him to join her family for the holidays crossed her mind but she imagined he already had invitations from his own relatives as well as Rainy’ s parents.
/>   Would being with Rainy’ s family be too difficult for him? She should ask if he’ d talked to the Millers recently. Then again, questions along those lines might disturb his tenuous grip on normalcy.

  She parked in his driveway behind his luxury sedan. The best thing to do in a situation like this, she reminded herself, was to go with the flow. She’ d feel out the situation and go from there.

  “ Kayla!”

  Marshall stood in the open doorway waving as if he were profoundly happy to see her. She couldn’ t help noticing that the front of the house was undecorated. Rainy had always been eager to drape the Christmas lights and hang the seasonal wreath on her door. Would Marshall even bother with a tree without his wife to share the festivities?

  “ It’ s great to see you, Marshall.” She gave him a quick hug. Memories of how things had almost gotten out of hand shortly after Rainy’ s death kept her from lingering too long in his strong arms.

  “ Please come in.”

  She followed Marshall inside and waited until he had closed the door before she began. “ How are the Millers?” she asked before she could stop herself. It felt so strange to be in Rainy’ s house and not talk about her. The question just felt necessary.

  Marshall gestured toward the living room, then started to move in that direction as he spoke. “ They’ re coming down a few days before Christmas. We’ re going to Rainy’ s grave together.”

  Kayla sat down on the sofa and Marshall settled into one of the leather chairs facing her. “ That’ s good. Rainy always did love Christmas.” Memories of Christmas drinks and presents shared over the years with Rainy instantly flickered through Kayla’ s mind. God, how she did miss her.

  Marshall nodded. “ I’ m having a special wreath made for her headstone.”

  “ Jazz and I will stop by. I’ m sure it’ ll be beautiful.”

  He pasted on a smile. It was obvious to Kayla that the smile was only there for her benefit. “ I mentioned that my classes are finished until the new year, didn’ t I?”