Hello curious readers and lovers of Klaroline,

I have finally decided to publish another multi-chapter story for this fandom. And because I'm kind of unsure concerning the direction of the more complex and longer other Klaroline story I'm working on, I thought I'd publish this one instead and see how people like it.

Even though I do some research before writing my stories, please be ready to suspend your disbelief regarding some minor aspects of this one (Caroline's job, inner workings of the foster system, living in New York).

Disclaimer: I think it's not even necessary anymore but hey, why not: I don't own the characters or songs used in this story.

Without further ado, here's the first chapter. Let me know what you think!

"Okay, it has happened. You my friend have become absolutely and certifiably insane now." Katherine shook her head as she reached for her wine glass, disbelief still etched on her face

"I wouldn't go as far as saying that, but are you sure you've thought this through, Care?" Bonnie, her other best friend sounded more encouraging than Katherine, but the doubt was still apparent in her features.

The young woman in question sighed, not without feeling annoyed at their attitude. They were acting like it was completely unreasonable for a 28-year-old successful woman in New York to take up being a foster parent. Well, maybe it was a bit unorthodox and unheard of. However, that did not mean that Caroline had not thought this through. If there was anything she was a master of, it was planning in advance and being a control freak.

"These kids, they have often been put through the ringer. Abuse, money problems, being shifted from family to family…many have psychological trauma and anger issues. Your job is stressful enough… are you sure you're equipped to deal with this?" Bonnie asked, concern evident.

Katherine nodded, her glass emptied and already flagging down their waiter for another. "Yeah. And your dating life sucks already as it is; how do you intend to find a guy if you have to take care of traumatized children?"

Caroline and Bonnie both rolled their eyes at their friend's statement. They loved Katherine to death, but she was definitely not a particularly warm and emotionally open person. No wonder she managed to dominate every courtroom she entered despite her young age.

"Ignoring Kat's completely unnecessary comment for a moment here. Yes Bonnie, I know what I'm getting into. It's not like they'll just drop some kid at my doorstep and vanish. You need to provide your salary statements of the last two years, a copy of your lease and a clean criminal record before they even consider registering you as a foster parent. You also have to take several classes on how to foster a child in a healthy environment."

Katherine raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you've done your research. How long will it take for you to be considered for your first troublemaker?"

At Caroline and Bonnie's glare, she shrugged. "What? I'm just being realistic. Care, if you're expecting to get the brother or sister you always wished for, I have bad news: that's not going to happen. Besides, how young will these kids be? Babies?"

Caroline shook her head. "No, I asked for a child ten years or older and they agreed with me. They probably thought I'd change my mind or couldn't handle a toddler. Which definitely would have been true."

"So, you already dealt with the whole bureaucratic process?" Bonnie asked surprised.

Caroline nodded somewhat sheepish. "Months ago, actually. I'm telling you now because I'm getting a foster child tomorrow."

Now both of her friends' mouths dropped open at the news. "Are you fucking kidding me? A bit of a heads-up would have been nice. How are we supposed to go out anymore if you've got a kid to take care of?"

Caroline shot her a side look. "Seriously? When was the last time we went anywhere further than this restaurant? Most of the time, we end up watching some trashy movie at your apartment. Besides, when has our reluctance ever stopped you from having fun?"

Bonnie shook her head in disbelief. "I can't say I'm not shocked about this development. But it's a very noble thing to do and you could improve somebody's life significantly, Care. If you need any help, we'll be there for you."

Caroline smiled her friend's words. She knew she could count on those two if anything else failed.

The next morning at around ten o'clock, Caroline was waiting to be picked up at the Family Foster Care office in Queens. She had taken the following two days before the weekend off work – something unusual for her – and spent two hours deciding what to wear before the appointment. She wanted to look professional and mature for the social service people, but also approachable and hospitable to her foster kid. In the end, she had decided to wear black jeans, ankle boots and a pastel floral blouse.

She checked her watch nervously while looking around. Jenna Sommers had been the social worker who had contacted her her about a fourteen-year-old girl who she thought would fit well with Caroline. Foster child, girl and in the middle of puberty? That sure did not sound challenging at all.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the opaque glass door to her left opened. A woman in her early thirties walked towards her with a blonde teenage girl behind her.

"Caroline Forbes? Hi, I'm Jenna Sommers and this is Rebekah Mikaelson." Jenna's smile was warm and genuine, but Rebekah glared daggers at her. "What is this, some kind of joke? How old are you even?"

Caroline's smile cracked a bit at the teen's biting tone. "I turn 29 in October."

Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "And you're fostering children already? Are you some sort of religious cult leader or something?"

Caroline grinned. "Nope, I just happen to have a guest room in my apartment which isn't of any use at the moment. You're too young to join the cult anyway."

She winked at that statement and Rebekah frowned. Before she could answer, Jenna asked her to wait until she discussed some things with Caroline. The teen rolled her eyes, took out her phone and plopped down at one of the chairs while Caroline followed the social worker into her office.

"Do you have any questions?" Jenna asked after gesturing for Caroline to sit down at one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"Well…do I need to know anything specific? Appointments, school, doctors?"

Jenna opened the file in front of her and took out some papers. "Rebekah has one weekly meeting with me and another with her therapist. I'll visit you at home at least twice this month, later every three weeks depending on the duration of Rebekah's stay. We also offer voluntary group therapy twice a month, she hasn't attended any of those meetings yet though. All things considered, Rebekah's mentally very stable and doesn't require any medication. She's highly allergic to vervain, but that shouldn't be much of a problem around here. She's starting high school next month and she's already registered. Rebekah's actually pretty smart and a good student, but she tends to get into fights a lot, with teachers and students alike."

Caroline gulped. "Physical fights?" She asked, hardly believing that the petite, regal looking blonde teen would bother to get her hands dirty.

"Well… not with the teachers at least." Jenna answered and chuckled at Caroline's shocked face. "I'm sorry if you were expecting to get an easy case Caroline, but to be honest: there are no easy cases. I just thought that your personality would be good for Rebekah. Maybe you'll get her to open up a bit; her previous foster families had problems with her, partly because of her brother."

Caroline could not help but open her mouth a bit in surprise. "She has a brother?"

Jenna nodded. "Yes. He's 29 years old and has been trying to get custody back for a while now. He has a bit of a troubled past and is currently not in a stable enough employment, so he can't be Rebekah's provider."

The young woman frowned a bit at that. She had not expected that there was a family member who would want to take care of the girl she was supposed to foster. "Does his troubled past include a criminal history?"

Jenna shook her head quickly. "No, nothing like that. He's not violent by any means. He just had some issues; had to quit school when their mother died and has trouble keeping employment going long enough to get permanent custody back. They are close, as you can imagine, and other foster families had trouble to set boundaries with him before. If you need any help getting rid of him, let us know."

Caroline frowned again. "I'm not sure if Rebekah would approve of me prohibiting her brother from seeing her. She can hardly be thrilled by having to stay with a stranger when she has a grown-up brother who she could be living with."

Jenna shrugged. "Well, that's up to you to judge. Just don't let him pester you too much. You're responsible for Rebekah now and you set the rules."

A couple of minutes later, Caroline had called them an Uber and stood outside of the building with a wary looking teenager next to her.

"Where do you live?"

"I have an apartment in Brooklyn. I checked: your school is not too far away, only a couple subway stations."

"Terrific." The girl answered in a less than enthusiastic tone.

Their ride arrived, Caroline put Rebekah's small suitcase into the trunk and the two towards the other county. Caroline's two-bedroom apartment was on the third floor of a nice townhouse near the East River, right across her friend's fantastic small coffee shop which provided her with her morning dose of caffeine and scones before work every day.

Rebekah took her suitcase from Caroline and looked up at the building, at Caroline and shook her head in disbelief.

When they reached the third floor and she was about to unlock the door, Caroline felt suddenly nervous. She loved her apartment. Hardwood floor, high ceilings, an open kitchen-living room combo and two cozy bedrooms made up for the lack of a balcony. It was big for New York, but nothing compared to Katherine's apartment, which she had moved to some six months ago. The modern high rise overlooking Central Park had been right up her alley, coming from a rather wealthy family. Caroline was sure – even though her friend would never admit it – that Kat had only stayed in their apartment for so long because she would not have been able to afford the rent by herself. But as soon as Caroline got promoted at CBS, Katherine had announced she would be looking for a new apartment.

She just hoped Rebekah would not think of her as a stickler for order. Not that it wouldn't be true, but her tendency for stress cleaning had left the apartment in a ridiculously spotless condition.

She opened the door at last and let the girl in. The AC had kept the place at a comfortable temperature amidst the early August heat and Caroline sighed relieved, dropping her keys into the little bowl on her shoe cabinet.

"Alright, I'll show you around. You can put any jackets or shoes in here" she gestured at the wardrobe door on her right and moved forward into the apartment. "So, there's the kitchen and the living room. Down the hall you'll find the bathroom on the left, my room's at the end of the hall and uhm, this is your room." She moved down the small hallway and opened the wooden door to Kat's former sleeping quarters. Her friend had left the queen-sized bed with the ornate gold metal frame and her dresser behind. Caroline had gone out to buy new curtains, a desk, a fluffy rug and a bedside table for Rebekah. Still, the room lacked the personal touch of a teenager.

"It's a bit bare but has all the essentials, I guess. You can of course decorate it as you wish. Just please don't nail anything to the walls or my landlord will kick me out."

Rebekah cracked a small grin at that and moved her suitcase next to the wardrobe door. She took a slow spin, looked at everything and slowly sat down on the teal bed spread.

"I like it. What do you do that you're able to afford this place?"

Caroline let out a small breath. "I'm a newscast director at CBS. But the place is rent controlled, so I lucked out."

Rebekah nodded appreciatively. "CBS, wow. I was expecting something like event planning or PR. You give off control-freak vibes."

Caroline kinked an eyebrow with a small, amused smile. "Yeah, I try to hide it better, unsuccessfully so far. Are you hungry? We could order an early lunch. Or we could head over to the café across the street, they have a great menu and offer breakfast the whole day."

Rebekah contemplated her proposal. "I could do breakfast food. But I'd rather get settled first if you don't mind."

"Brunch it is then. No problem, I'll go get something. Any preferences?"

Rebekah shrugged. "I don't know…Pancakes and a mocha?"

"Are you allowed to drink coffee already?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "I'm fourteen and mocha can hardly count as coffee."

Caroline's response was halted by the buzzing of Rebekah's phone, who glanced down on it.

"That's my brother. I suppose Jenna warned you about him?"

Caroline tried to keep her face neutral. "I've heard of him, yes. Do you want to invite him over?"

The young blonde looked at her in astonishment, phone still buzzing relentlessly.

"Are you serious?"

"Sure. He's your brother after all and I'm not trying to keep you away from him. Go ahead, answer before he thinks you're in trouble. You can invite him for dinner if he wants to come."

Rebekah, still looking slightly suspicious, answered the call at last. Caroline stepped out to give her privacy.

So, inviting the pestering brother had been a bit of a spur of the moment decision and surprised Caroline as much as Rebekah. However, she supposed her gut had made the right call. If he really was difficult to deal with, it was better that they got off on a good start. If she banned him from seeing his sister, he would probably become more insistent and Rebekah would be less willing to open up around her or even cooperate at all. Besides, Jenna would have told her if the brother was in any way dangerous or if he should not be able to contact Rebekah. Why not start this process amicably?

Half an hour later, the two girls were sitting at Caroline's small dining table. The older blonde had gone a bit overboard, not only buying the requested food for Rebekah, but also French toast with blueberries and a caramel latte for herself, fresh fruit, croissants and some scones. Rebekah had sat down reluctantly but one bite of her fluffy pancakes had made her moan in delight and she had started digging in. Caroline had snickered discreetly and joined the teen at the table.

"I'll take it you like the food?"

Rebekah nodded, taking a sip from the mocha and sighing. "This is so good."

"I'm glad you like it. You can go there as much as you like. I'm friends with the owner and he sometimes offers discounts."

Rebekah nodded, taking a strawberry from the tray. "So, you're single?"

The young woman choked on her latte and coughed to clear her throat. "Um, yeah. Don't worry, no men in this apartment. Which applies to you too, by the way. I've never fostered a child before, but I've been a teenager as well. I want us to get along and I want you to live comfortably. I won't try to be a hard-ass or anything, but I'm responsible for you now and I don't want anything happening to you under my watch. Okay?"

Rebekah stared at her and shrugged at last, putting a few raspberries on her plate. Caroline cringed inwardly. The girl had been in the system for quite a while, she sure had heard the same speech or a variation of it more than once. That sure would not make her seem any more trustworthy in her ears.

"So, what did your brother say? Will he join us for dinner?"

"He's not believing your invitation to be sincere but asked me to give him a time anyway."

Caroline sighed. Of course, he would assume an ulterior motive behind it. Well, she did have an ulterior motive but certainly not what he had in mind.

"How about seven? I'm not much of a cook but I make great lasagna. If I ruin it, we can still order in."

Rebekah nodded, pulling out her phone to text her brother the time and address. "Can I go unpack now?"

"Sure." Caroline answered and Rebekah immediately left, slamming the door behind her. Not three seconds later, she came back for the fruit plate. "Thanks." Cue slammed door.

The blonde could not help but snort a laugh. Rebekah actually reminded her somewhat of herself as a teenager. She did not know, if she liked that.

It was twenty minutes until the brother would arrive, the lasagna nearly finished in the oven and Rebekah was still in her room, listening to music from what she could hear. Well, at least she had not sneaked out.

She checked her watch. Enough time to get dessert from the café before brother dearest stopped by. She contemplated telling Rebekah about her whereabouts but decided against it. She did not want to annoy the girl too much and interrupt the flow of the soothing indie music she could hear through the door.

Caroline quickly grabbed her purse and headed outside.

As soon as she entered the Armory, she was greeted by Enzo's grin. "Hello there, Gorgeous. Back already? How much does your foster child eat exactly?"

She rolled her eyes and approached the counter. "I don't have time to chat about Rebekah's eating habits; her brother is coming over for dinner and I need some dessert."

Enzo raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You invited that kid's brother over? Is he some kind of criminal? Do you need somebody strong to protect you in case he's violent?"

"Great idea. Is Matt working today?"

"Funny, Goldilocks. But I was serious."

She waved him off. "No, he's neither violent nor dangerous. At least I hope he isn't, but the social worker would have mentioned that. But I need a pie to go like yesterday."

Enzo looked a bit hesitant but put Caroline's favourite pie in a to-go-box. "Wait! Should I take something more classic? People usually don't like rhubarb that much."

"Yeah, not everyone's weird like you. It's the only whole pie left though."

Caroline sighed. "Fine, I'll risk it. Maybe they won't want to eat dessert anyway."

"There you go. It's on the house for this special occasion. If you do need any help though, just send me a text."

The genuine concern in his voice made her smile. If anybody had told her in high school that she would be best friends with a guy she had hooked up with once, she would have called them crazy. Nevertheless, they both had agreed four years ago that they had no sexual compatibility whatsoever, but had potential to become awesome friends. And friends they had become for sure.

She thanked him and quickly made her way back across the street, being promptly stopped by an unknown stranger standing at the steps leading up to the front door. After checking her watch she surmised that it could be Rebekah's brother if he was a stickler for punctuality like she herself was.

She cleared her throat and he turned around. The first thing she noticed was his scowl, which made him look downright intimidating. The second thing she noticed was how attractive he was. What? She broke things off with Tyler over a year ago and had only had the odd date leading to nothing since that. It was really no crime noticing how hot her foster daughter's brother was. Seriously.

His scowl melted into suspicion, which immediately made her see the resemblance to Rebekah. His dirty blonde curls and other features hidden beneath a light stubble had not made their sibling connection obvious, but that look was a dead giveaway.

She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, you must be Rebekah's brother?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I suppose I must, love. She did not mention just how young you are."

Caroline frowned, pulling back her outstretched hand. And was she crazy or did he have an accent? Where the hell did that come from? She really needed to get to know Rebekah's history as soon as possible.

"Well yeah, I'm young. But I'm also going to take care of your sister. Is that a problem? And it's Caroline, by the way."

He did not answer immediately but his hardened features softened at least a little. He sighed at last, stretching out his hand. "I'm Klaus. I apologize for my manners, but I have done this countless times before."

Caroline nodded, having guessed beforehand that Rebekah had been put into various foster families already and that they did not have the best relationship with him.

"Alright then, let's head upstairs. I have food in the oven and I'm not sure if Rebekah hasn't masterminded an escape by now."

Klaus snorted but did not say anything.

When they reached her apartment, he took in his surroundings curiously and somewhat apprehensive. Caroline walked to the kitchen, placing the pie on the counter and checking on her food. The lasagna was luckily not burned and would be ready in a few minutes.

"Her room's down the hall, right door." He nodded at her and walked towards it.

She could hear him knock and Rebekah's exasperated "Finally, Nik!" and another slammed door. Well, at least she did not use that tone only with her.

While the siblings talked, Caroline got the table ready for dinner. She contemplated adding wine glasses but hesitated. She had not heard anything about an alcohol problem, but there had been mention of a troubled past. Maybe it was better to keep the wine in the fridge for this dinner.
Just as she was putting the piping hot dish on the table, the brother sister duo entered the room and approached the dining table. Rebekah immediately sat down and poured herself some seltzer. Amused, Caroline noticed that it was the same chair she had used during their brunch. Fair enough, she could have her own place. She gestured for Klaus to sit down and walked back to the kitchen to get the salad. She put the glass bowl down without much fanfare and took a seat as well.

As she sat down, Klaus cleared his throat. "Thank you for inviting me, Caroline. You really did not have to do it."

She nodded. "No problem. You're Rebekah's brother and should be allowed to see her whenever you want to."

He gave her a short, intense look and then shook his head. "You know, I'm trying to get custody of her as soon as possible."

"Yeah, makes sense."

Both their heads snapped to her, again a mixture of surprise and suspicion. "You don't mind?"

Now it was Caroline's turn to frown. "Of course not. You two are family, it only makes sense for you to take care of her. I was told you need to have a stable job for a certain amount of time before Rebekah can move back in with you?"

Klaus nodded, still wary. "Full-time, five months minimum."

Caroline nodded herself. "Well, then Rebekah will stay five months minimum with me. If you have met the requirements by then, I won't stand in your way. If not, well then she can still stay with me. I don't want to separate you two and since I'm doing this for the first time, I sure as hell could use some help."

For the first time, Klaus' stoic face allowed a tiny smile to appear. Unfortunately, that was enough to show some dimples and Caroline cursed inwardly. As if it was not enough that he was attractive, he had to be cute as well.

On her right side, Rebekah helped herself to some lasagna. "Sounds alright to me. As long as I get to eat breakfast from that café again and get use of your credit cards."

Klaus eyes snapped to her. "Rebekah…"

The teen shrugged and looked innocently at her brother. "What? Caroline's some important executive at CBS, she can afford it."

The woman in question snorted a laugh at the girl's blunt demand. "Yeah, I'm not sure that'll happen. But we can agree on an allowance. I wanted to suggest going shopping tomorrow anyway."

For the first time since arriving, Rebekah's eyes lit up. "Well, as long as I can max out that credit card of yours. This food is great by the way."

Klaus shook his head and sighed. "I don't know how I managed to raise somebody so materialistic. She is right about the food though. You're a marvelous cook, Caroline."

Those words made her laugh out loud. "I'm glad I was able to trick you into thinking that. I suck at cooking except a few dishes I know by heart. But I promise that Rebekah will be fed regularly and with as much nutritional value as possible."

Klaus cracked another small smile at that and Caroline had to keep herself from swooning. Jesus, she really needed to get out more.

"Nik, how did the job interview go?" Rebekah asked while going for her second serving.

Caroline could see the young man tense beside her. "It went alright I suppose. They pay is miniscule, but it covers the apartment and they offer health insurance."

Rebekah regarded him for a moment and then turned her attention back to her phone and food.

Caroline put on her most encouraging smile. "So, what is it that you do?"

Before Klaus could even attempt to answer that question, Rebekah piped in. "He's an artist."

Surprised, Caroline turned from her to him and saw him actually blush at her declaration.

"Don't listen to her. I have an unfinished degree in art history and zero work experience in the field. I had to take care of Rebekah and had a rather difficult time finding a job without a college degree. If this interview today goes anywhere, I will be working as an office assistant for an insurance company on the Upper Westside."

Caroline was a bit taken aback, not having expected that much honesty from him. It was depressing really; he had to drop out of school to take care of his little sister and gets punished by not being able to find a job he is passionate about.

"Sounds boring." Rebekah added, not very helpfully. "Is there dessert?"

Caroline's eyes widened at her crass statement, feeling bad as she noticed Klaus' defeated expression. "Yeah, I got pie from the Armory. I hope like strawberry rhubarb."

Rebekah's eyes widened comically, which in turn made Klaus chuckle. "It's her favourite, actually."

Relieved, Caroline prepared new plates and put the pie on the table. "Mine too."

Klaus smiled his cute little dimpled smile again. "Fantastic, you two have something in common already."

The rest of the evening went on more relaxed than the beginning. Caroline learned a bit more about their life, even though neither wanted to give away too much. It was clear that they were still on the guard and probably expected for Caroline to change her mind soon. She could not really blame them.

She learned that Rebekah used to take ballet classes as a child and had wanted to become a figure skater. Unfortunately, Klaus had not been able to afford either ballet or figure skating lessons after their mother's passing. Caroline knew that it might be a little too late to get into ballet again, but she'd see if she could find a new hobby for Rebekah. They definitely would head to the rink at Rockefeller Center as soon as it opened though. They also liked a few of the same TV shows, which would make evenings at home so much easier.

Klaus also opened up a bit and talked about his personal life. He did not have much time for hobbies because he had been working constantly, but he still managed to go to a museum here and there to consume art.

"He also paints himself, you know." Rebekah mentioned with a cheeky grin, in between scrolling through Instagram and eating her third piece of pie. Ah, to have the metabolism of a fourteen-year-old girl again.

Caroline turned to look at Klaus, pleasantly surprised. Though, she supposed it made sense. Somebody who studied art history being an artist himself was not too far-fetched.

"You any good?"

He looked down at his plate, shy grin in his face and somewhat bashful. The contrast between the intimidating, scowling man in front of her house earlier this evening and now could not be bigger. "I'm alright, I suppose. I don't find much time for it now aside from sketching here and there."

Caroline nodded, deciding not to press further.

"What about you, love? With such an important job I can only assume you did not drop out of college?"

He smiled somewhat teasingly and she smirked back. "No, I did the whole nine yards. Degree, sorority, parties, internships. People told me I was crazy to pursue a journalism degree, but I had a plan and majored in business as well. I might have tried to open my own business if I hadn't gotten that amazing internship at CBS in my last year at Columbia."

Low whistle from Rebekah. "Columbia, huh? My foster mommy is one of the smart ones."

Now it was Caroline's turn to blush. "Attending an Ivy League is hardly the only indicator of intelligence. I have plenty of former fellow students who could prove that."

The siblings chuckled at her declaration. Caroline took the opportunity to ask Klaus if he wanted another coffee.

"No, thank you, love. I work part time at a bar and have a late shift tonight. I should get going."

Apparently, this was Rebekah's cue because she quickly took their dessert plates, put them in the dishwasher and hugged her brother. "Bye Nik. Keep me posted about the job and say hi to Cami."

Caroline's smile cracked a bit at that. Of course a guy like that would have a girlfriend.

"Good night, Beks. Don't be a pain in the arse for Caroline."

"I can't promise anything." She shouted while walking towards her room, slamming the door once again in the process, making Caroline cringe.

Klaus saw her expression and looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, do you have difficult neighbors? The door slamming started when she got her own room and has only increased since she hit puberty. Interestingly enough, she closes doors very quietly when she's angry. It's quite the disparity."

Caroline waved him off. "I'll get used to it. I might have been an over-achiever in school but I was still a bratty teenager. I'm just glad that my flat's on the third floor. Makes window escapes more difficult."

Klaus raised an eyebrow curiously. "You liked to sneak out?"

She shrugged. "Well, my room was on the ground floor. I guess my parents didn't think about my teenage years when they put me in it."

He chuckled again. "I see. Well, it seems like you will be perfectly capable of dealing with Rebekah. She can be quite a handful, but has a good heart somewhere underneath that teenage attitude."

Caroline nodded. "Thank you for making this so easy and comfortable. I must admit, I was a bit worried about you."

He frowned lightly. "Yes, the center doesn't like me much. Some former foster families of Rebekah weren't very fond of me either. Not everybody is making this complicated situation so agreeable. Thank you, love."

"Don't thank me yet. This could still go horribly wrong with Rebekah hating me or you not being happy with my parenting skills."

He regarded her for a long moment and shook his head lightly at last. "I'm hoping for the best. Thank you for the dinner invitation, Caroline."