"She's had a rough few days."

"She's more worried about Haley, but Haley will be all right. Between the two of us, we'll make sure of it."

"You'll adopt her?"

"Absolutely," Vince said. "We'll get a jump start on our family with Haley Leone."

Mendez grinned and clapped him on the back. "Congratulations."

"I'm a lucky man," Vince said. "How about you?"

"I heard Steve Morgan moved out. He told Sara he never had an affair with Marissa. Marissa wouldn't have him because of Sara and Wendy. But he would have done it, and that's what counts."

"And what are you going to do?"

Mendez stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged as he leaned back against the car. "Listen when she wants to talk."

"One step at time."

"Yeah," he said ducking his head. "I think maybe I'll go take one now."

104.

Anne watched Haley playing in the gra.s.s with the kittens that had moved into Casa Leone. There was nothing quite like a near-death experience or two to make one appreciate the simple things in life.

"But why did any of this have to happen?" Wendy asked. "Why do all these bad things have to happen?"

They sat side by side on the patio sofa, Anne with her arm around Wendy's shoulders. Sara had brought her over hoping she could stay for a few hours while Steve moved out of their house.

"I don't know," Anne said honestly. "We don't get to have a nice neat explanation for everything that happens in life-bad or good. I guess that's what life is: Things happen, and how we deal them makes us who we are. We can either choose to learn and rise above, or give up and let the bad things defeat us."

"It's so hard!" Wendy said, tears springing to her eyes.

"I know, honey, but you're not alone, and you'll get through it. You won't let the bad things beat you," Anne said, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "I have something for you. Watch Haley. I'll be right back."

Anne went inside the house and came back out with a small wooden plaque with an inscription engraved on a bra.s.s plate.

"Someone gave this to me last year after ... what happened. And I looked at it every day, and thought about what it means and what it means to me in my life. And now I'm going to give it to you. And I want you to look at it every day, and think about it, and think about what you choose for your life."

Engraved on the plaque was a quote from Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms A Farewell to Arms.

"The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places."

May you grow strong at the broken places.

"Do you understand what that means?" Anne asked her.

Wendy nodded and hugged her carefully. "I won't let the bad things beat me."

Anne smiled. "Why don't you go help Haley play with those kittens?"

As Wendy went to play with Haley, Vince came out onto the patio and sat down beside Anne, leaning down to kiss her gently.

"How are you feeling, Mrs. Leone?"

Anne looked up into the shining dark eyes of the man she loved. What would the future bring them? Good and bad. The adoption of their first child and the trial of Peter Crane. Their love had been forged in adversity and tempered by another trial by fire. And here they were. Together, a family. Strong at the broken places.

"I feel lucky, Mr. Leone," she said. "I feel lucky."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

Tami Hoag's novels have appeared on national bestseller lists regularly since the publication of her first book in 1988. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages worldwide. She is a dedicated equestrian in the Olympic discipline of dressage and shares her home with two English c.o.c.ker spaniels. She lives in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Also by Tami Hoag

Deeper Than the Dead

The Alibi Man

Prior Bad Acts

Kill the Messenger

Dark Horse

Dust to Dust

Ashes to Ashes

A Thin Dark Line

Guilty as Sin

Night Sins

Dark Paradise

Cry Wolf

Still Waters

Lucky's Lady

Sarah's Sin

Magic