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“And I like the idea of you taking it easy until you know what those rules are.” He stood up and pulled her to her feet. “That means embracing civilization. Let’s head back to the Run so that I can return this treasure chest I borrowed from MacDuff before he sends Scotland Yard after me.”
“He wouldn’t do that. He’ll be grateful that you took down Bohdan.” She glanced at MacDuff; he was a little distance away giving orders to his marines, who were still rounding up the last of the soldiers streaming out of the forest. “Besides, he appears to be having too good a time to let it bother him.” She paused. “It’s over, isn’t it? We don’t have to worry about them any longer. No one is going to come after you?”
“Not anyone from the Congo at least.”
“That’s enough for right now. We can discuss anything else later.” She began walking toward the Range Rover. “There’s still so much to do for MacDuff and his people. I’ll have to see how I can help.”
“Later,” Caleb said quietly. “I can see you’re revving up to mount a vigorous campaign to save the world, but that’s not first on our agenda.”
“Of course it is. We owe MacDuff for all the damage done to his property. We not only need to help with the repairs, but I told you what I’d discovered about what lies beneath that MacClaren painting. There’s a good chance that if we followthoseinstructions, we’ll be able to give MacDuff the real treasure that would pay for those castle repairs a hundred times over.”
“Later,” Caleb repeated. “I see where you’re going and that was my first reaction, too. But I decided it’s the wrong time.”
“What are you talking about?”
“We’ve just blown Bohdan and his soldiers to hell and back. To do it, we’ve spun that tall tale about the fake treasure, and that story is going to not only be told but retold by every crook and con man in the business. Plus on the other side, it will be bragged about by MI6 agents who helped take down Bohdan’s forces. It might have been the big lie, but it will be absolutely notorious for months. Which means that these Highlands are going to get plenty of visitors who want to see if that bogus story might actually be true. At least until word finally gets around that it’s completely bullshit. We need to wait to go looking in the correct direction for the treasure until we’re not stumbling over all the treasure hunter wannabes.”
She could understand the logic of what he was saying, but she was disappointed. “And when will that be?”
He shrugged. “If we’re lucky, a few months. It will start when MacDuff returns the treasure he lent me to the bank. Which will be today. Then we wait and see.”
“I want to tell MacDuff right away.”
“I know you do. But you know MacDuff will be curious and want to go hunting for it. That’s his nature. And it’s not as if he doesn’t have money to burn to keep on with the repairs.” His voice lowered persuasively. “Look, I’ll send Rodland to take care of MacDuff’s Run for the next few weeks or months. Whichever you prefer. He’ll do a superb job and keep us informed about all of MacDuff’s decisions.”
“Maybe. But that’s not what I want to do. And you’re being entirely too controlling.”
“On the contrary. I’m not being controlling at all. This is exactly what you want to do.” He added coaxingly, “You told me you wanted to go home. It’s what I promised you. I offered you a trip on Bezos’s spaceship, but you said the lake cottage would be fine.” He added gently, “You wanted to go home to Eve and Joe. I believe you still have a need for family. Perhaps more than ever now. You’ve not even told Eve that you’re going to have a child. You should do that, Jane. It will give her the opportunity to anticipate and think about what’s to come.”
“Yes, it would.” And the idea of being together with Eve and sharing that news was bringing that same wonderful anticipation to Jane. “You’d come with me?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” He smiled. “It will be an experience.”
“Better than that. You’ll be able to test the waters of how it feels to be a member of a real family. Iwantthat for you, Caleb.”
“Then I want it, too.” He opened the door of the Range Rover and watched her get in the passenger seat. “Why don’t you call her now on the way to the Run? It seems like a good time.”
Jane looked out the window as he started the car. A good time? Smoke. Small fires burning in the forest. Soldiers being taken into custody by MI6. Violence and terror.
But they had overcome all this and soon it would go away. Just a little longer…It was time for life and laughter and the love that could heal all pain.
She punched in Eve’s number. “Hi, Eve. Do you feel like having visitors? I need to see you. I’m so excited. Because I have very special news…”
Epilogue
Lake Cottage
Four Months Later
I’m big as a house.” Jane frowned as she looked down at her belly. “I don’t remember you looking like this when you were pregnant with Michael.”
“I did. You just don’t recall because I always wore my loose chambray shirts all the time when I was working on the reconstructions.” Eve brought Jane a cup of tea and sat down on the couch beside her. “You look beautiful. And you’re not as big as a house.”
“At least a small house,” Jane said. “And I can’t stand not being able to keep up with Michael when he does his morning runs.”
“And you haven’t seen Caleb since he and Joe headed to Montana two weeks ago.” She gave a mock sigh. “Poor Jane. I guess you’ve been deserted.”
Jane wrinkled her nose. “Okay, I’m behaving like a brat. I guess I don’t have enough to do. I finished transferring all the sketches to canvas this week and I’ve been envying Caleb being busy ever since. Selfish, since I was the one who suggested that he go track down the descendants of Fiona and Farrell MacClaren so that I could determine if MacDuff was right about my really being a relation.”
