The Girl Who Came Back

The phone rang again.

“Maybe that’s them now,” Eliza said, dashing out to the base of the stairs to answer.

“Eliza?” It was Chelsea again.

“What?” Eliza said in exasperation. “I need the phone. I’m expecting a call.”

“Cade hates you. He never wants to see you.” Chelsea was gloating, no doubt about it.

“Fine. I’ll stay out of his way. I’m not feeling too positive about him myself!”

“I lied. My brother would never cheat on you. You’re the fool. Now he won’t forgive you. You’re history. But he’ll always be here for me, no matter what. He’s my brother, and we don’t need you pushing your way in, trying to take him from me.”

“Chelsea, you’re crazy. I wasn’t trying to take him from anyone.” Eliza felt her heart drop. Had Chelsea really lied about Marlise? Or was she lying now? Eliza had seen Cade kissing Marlise with her own two eyes.

“Forget him, he’s not for you.” The words were full of venom. “I’ll make sure you never get your hands on him again.”

Eliza slammed down the receiver. She’d known Chelsea was a little wacko. She was also a drama queen. But she was Cade’s sister, and Eliza had always tried to be polite to her. If Chelsea had lied…

The implication struck Eliza with full force. Cade hadn’t cheated—but she had. He would never forgive her. She should have asked him for an explanation, not gone off for the day with Shell, the guy with the worst reputation in school. Well, not the worst. Heller had that honor. But Shell was trouble from way back. His hands all over her today had proved that.

April came into the hall.

“Was that Jo or Maddie?”

“Chelsea again. She said she lied about Cade and Marlise.”

April gave a whistle.

“But I saw them together.” Doubt niggled at Eliza. What if she’d made a mistake? She loved Cade. He was the best thing ever to happen to her. He was due to graduate in another few weeks, and she would follow the next year. They had been going together for months. He was kind, caring, sexy.

But she had seen him kiss Marlise.

“So talk to the guy,” April suggested.

They heard a car in the driveway and hurried to the back door. Maddie got out of the old sedan. She seemed surprised to see the two girls at the door. A deputy’s car turned in behind hers.

“Where’s Jo?” April asked from the doorway.

“She’s in the hospital.” The older woman walked to the back door, looking ten years older than when they’d seen her that morning. “She won’t be coming home.”

“What? She’s going to die?” Eliza couldn’t believe it. Jo had been healthy that morning. How badly was she hurt?

“No, not that.” Maddie walked past them and went to sit at the kitchen table. “She’s being taken to another home.” She looked at each of them. “You two are being reassigned, as well. No one believed me when I swore I hadn’t touched Jo.”

The deputy stepped inside the kitchen and stood near the door.

She stared at her hands. “How could they think I would strike a child?”

“What do you mean, we’re being reassigned?” Eliza asked.

Maddie raised her eyes. “You and April are to pack and be ready to leave by nine in the morning. Social Services will be taking you to another foster home after the sheriff asks you both some questions. The deputy is here to make sure you two stay safe until morning.” Maddie’s voice was strained.

Stunned, Eliza looked at the cop. What had Jo told the police?

April touched her arm. They left the kitchen together, not speaking until they were in April’s room.

“We have to find out what’s going on,” April said. “And just where they plan to send us. Maddie didn’t hit Jo. She couldn’t possibly have caused the damage I saw. Why would Jo say she had?”

“I don’t know. Why would Chelsea lie about Cade and Marlise?”

“It’s hardly the same thing,” April snapped.

“It is to me. Both lies are changing my whole life.” Eliza headed for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To find out something.”

She sneaked down the stairs. There was only silence from the kitchen, so she picked up the phone and dialed Cade’s number. She would talk to him as April had suggested. And tell him she was being reassigned. Where would they go? She couldn’t think of an available foster facility in town. But Social Services wouldn’t assign them out of town, would they?

The phone rang and rang. Finally Chelsea picked up.

“Cade, please,” Eliza said.

“He’s gone to work. He’s so angry. I’ve never seen him so angry before. He hates you.” Chelsea was practically shouting. “I’ll make sure he always hates you. You can’t have my brother!”

“Shut up, Chelsea. He’s your brother, not your boyfriend.”

“He’s mine. He loves me. You tell him I never lied to him.”

“Tell him yourself.”

There was a pause. Then Chelsea said, softly, almost in a singsong voice, “I won’t be here to tell him. But he won’t ever forget me. Or what you did.”

“Where are you going?” Eliza asked despite herself.

“Nowhere. I’ll be dead.” The receiver slammed down.

Eliza couldn’t believe Chelsea would ever even think of such a thing. How like her to be so melodramatic. How Cade stood it was beyond her. Eliza listened for a moment. No sounds came from the kitchen. Slowly she walked to the front door and eased it opened. She had to talk to Cade. Had to hear his side of things and explain her own.

And what was she going to do about Social Services? He had to help her or she was going to lose her home. Chelsea couldn’t be right. He would forgive her. Nothing had happened between her and Shell. It was Cade she loved. She couldn’t lose him.

CHAPTER ONE

ELIZA SHAW SWORE AGAIN as she shifted to balance her dripping, overstuffed handbag, stack of damp mail, twisted skeleton of an umbrella and soggy bag of food, all the while trying to unlock her apartment door.

“Dammit!” she muttered through clenched teeth. The perfect ending to the day from hell. She hated days like this. She was wet from head to toe and had a raging headache to boot. Sometimes it didn’t pay to get out of bed.