Bonnie

CONTENTS

Title Page

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Also by Iris Johansen

About the Author

Copyright

CHAPTER

1

Atlanta, Georgia

The Past

“WHAT STAR IS THAT, MAMA?” Bo

“That’s not a star, it’s a planet. It’s Venus.” She cuddled her daughter closer on her lap. “I’ve told you about Venus, Bo

“I guess I forgot.” She leaned back against Eve’s shoulder in the big rattan chair. “Or maybe it’s because everything seems so … different tonight.”

“Different? We sit out here on the porch almost every night, baby.” It was a precious time for both of them. After supper, they came out on the front porch and looked at the night sky. Eve had even bought a book on astronomy so that she could point out the constellations to Bo

“I don’t know.” Bo

Eve chuckled and gave her a hug. “Maybe that’s what you should do when you grow up. Would you like to be an astronaut and go from planet to planet?”

Bo

“It could still work.” She smiled as she leaned her head back and gazed up at the sky. “But those stars are very far away, and you don’t know what you’ll find there. Would you be afraid, baby?”

Bo

“Bo

“I won’t be afraid, Mama.” She turned her head and looked Eve directly in the eye. “And don’t you be afraid either. I’ll be fine.”

Eve’s smile faded. There was something in Bo

Nonsense. It had to be imagination. “I won’t.” Eve gave Bo

“Just one more minute.” Bo

Eve didn’t want to leave Bo

“But tonight is special, tonight is … different,” she whispered. “Don’t you feel it?”

Every day, every minute, was special with Bo

*   *   *

BONNIE CAME RUNNING into Eve’s bedroom in her yellow pajamas with the orange clowns all over them. Her wild red curls were bouncing, and her face was lit with her luminous smile.

“Mama, Lindsey says her mother is going to let her wear her Goofy T-shirt to the park tomorrow for the school picnic. Can I wear my Bugs Bu

Eve looked up from her English Lit book open on the desk in front of her. “It’s not can, it’s may, baby. And you may wear Bugs tomorrow.” She smiled. “We wouldn’t want Lindsey to put you in the shade.”

“I wouldn’t care. She’s my friend. You said we always had to want the best for our friends.”

“Yes, we do. Now run along to bed.”

Bo

“Your grandmother loves to read you stories, baby.”

Bo

Eve glanced at her Lit book. She’d be up until after midnight as it was, studying for that exam. She looked at Bo

Bo

Eve sat down in the blue-padded rocking chair that she’d used since Bo

“I know you do.” Bo

“I think that’s a reasonable request,” Eve said solemnly. The two of them had their little traditions, and every night since she was a toddler, Bo

“‘All the Pretty Little Horses.’” She turned around on Eve’s lap and hugged her with all her might. “I love you, Mama.”

Eve’s arms closed around her. Bo

Bo

“Hushabye, don’t you cry,” Eve sang softly.

Bo

The moment was so precious, so dear. Eve’s arms held Bo

Bo

*   *   *

SHE SHOULD GET BACK to her studies, Eve thought.

Not yet. She couldn’t pull herself away yet. Bo

She stood looking down at Bo

But sometimes she seemed to have a wisdom far beyond her years. She had always been a special child from the moment Eve had given birth to her. Bo

And she had thought that she might give her up for adoption, Eve remembered wonderingly. Gazing down at her daughter it seemed impossible to even contemplate. From the moment she had seen her in the hospital, she had known that they had to be together forever.

Forever.

Those teasing words they’d spoken on the porch had only underscored the fact that Bo

Pain.

She didn’t have to think of that yet. Bo