The Survivor (Eve Duncan #30)

She shook her head. “Do I look like I’m joking?” She made a face. “Look, I hoped I wouldn’t have to go into this with you or Cade but that’s not going to happen. Cade intrigued her and then you mentioned your medical background. Bailey’s been worrying lately about the animals on the property. She thinks she might need help.”

“Then get her help. Is it the horses? You mentioned that you have a fine stable here. I’m certain you must have equally fine vets to take care of them. Cade and I would be glad to help out, but I’m sure you wouldn’t consider us qualified to care for your valuable animals.”

“It’s not what I consider, it’s what Bailey thinks,” Maya said flatly. “And she appears to have taken a shine to you.” She shrugged. “I’ll try to find a way to ease you away from what might be an awkward situation for you. But it would help if you didn’t encourage her.”

“I’ll do my best, but as you say, she’s very appealing. I refuse to be rude to her, Maya.”

“Did I ask that?” Maya grimaced. “I’m completely nuts about Bailey. I realize that she poses a number of problems for me right now, but there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make her happy. All I want you to do is not to give in to everything she asks… even if she makes it sound reasonable.”

“Why don’t you just hire her a great vet and put her worries about the animals to rest?”

“Believe me, that wouldn’t solve the problem.”

Riley frowned, puzzled. “Why not?”

Maya took another look at her expression and then gave up the fight. She waved her hand in a gesture of surrender. “Because Bailey would probably know more than your super-duper vet and not listen to his advice.”

“What?”

Maya sighed. “I told you she was very smart.”

“You didn’t tell me she was that smart.”

“Now I’m telling you. She scores off the charts whenever they test her. She just doesn’t let it get in her way,” Maya said. “But sometimes it does get in the way of the people around her.”

“Like you?”

“Absolutely not. I know how lucky I am just to have her on this earth. She would never get in my way.”

“You said she was stubborn.”

“When she thinks she’s right. And she almost always thinks she’s right when it comes to the animals.” She shook her head. “Most of the time it’s true. She has an instinct. From the time she was three years old she seemed to know what they were feeling, what they needed, when no one else did.”

“Three,” Riley murmured thoughtfully. Then she suddenly grinned. “That’s a little young even by Amazon standards. Didn’t you tell me that women of the clan had to know how to take care of their horses by the time they were four?”

“And Bailey’s abilities could have nothing to do with the fact that she was Silvana’s descendant,” Maya said immediately. “It could be purely coincidental.”

Riley chuckled. “But can you tell me that you haven’t thought of the possibility that she might be a throwback to our Silvana? You know your daughter and you’ve studied Silvana; haven’t you imagined you’ve seen a sign or two?”

“She’s her own person,” Maya said firmly. “I won’t believe anything else.”

“But so was Silvana,” Riley said. “Wouldn’t that make them even more alike?” She held up her hand as Maya started to protest. “Just questioning. Actually, I think you’d be a fantastic person to carry on the Silvana heritage.”

“I don’t,” Maya said. “And I wouldn’t want Bailey saddled with it, either. I want her to be free.”

“Not if she’s as special as you say,” Riley said quietly. “Eve’s son Michael is very special, and she agonizes the same way you do about Bailey. I’m certain she’d like him to be free, too. But only if the freedom comes with safety.”

“That goes without saying,” Maya said. “But there has to be a way to have both.”

“I hope you’re right,” Riley said. “But there are all kinds of prisons. Cade has been in one all his life and learned to deal with it.” She forced a smile. “Which reminds me. He was supposed to join us for lunch.” She took out her phone. “It’s time I nagged him and got him back here… You can convince him to be tough with Bailey. I don’t seem to be doing so well.”

CHAPTER 7

Cade was full of the stories he’d gleaned from Alex Galdar and the other island officers when he sat down at the table several minutes later. He turned to face Maya after one of the stories concerning the hunt for poachers in the mountains. “But you’d probably heard that one. Galdar said you’d led them into the mountains where they’d caught up with the bastard. Do you often go hunting with them?”

“Not often. Only when necessary. It’s one of my duties to maintain the environment of the island and mountains. Poaching is forbidden. When I receive reports, I have to follow up on them.”

“I agree.” He lifted his glass of wine to her. “I’m a great one for follow-ups. And Galdar and his men seem to have great respect for you. You must do it extremely well.”