He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and an equally faded khaki shirt. The collar of the shirt was open, and Kate realized she was staring at the crisp, dark hair that grew there. She caught herself and came back to her senses instantly as she realized the stranger was reaching for her valuables.
“Hold on just one second before you touch my things. Who are you?”
“Jared Hawthorne. You’re Katherine Inskip, right?”
She eyed him warily. He didn’t look like a fan who might have recognized her from the photo the publisher put on the inside of her book’s back cover. “How do you know my name?”
“I’ve been looking for you. Billy said you’d gotten tired of waiting around for your ride to Amethyst Island and had decided to do some sight-seeing.”
“Billy being the Billy of Billy’s Ruby Island Dive and Tackle Shop? The same Billy who told me that through absolutely no fault of my own I had missed the one flight a day to Amethyst Island? The Billy who was going to arrange for me to spend the night in that fleabag of a hotel on the waterfront until I informed him that if he did not contact the management at the resort on Amethyst Island at once and tell them to send a boat I would be leaving on the next plane for the States?”
Jared Hawthorne winced. “Sounds like the same Billy, all right. He owns that fleabag of a hotel, by the way. But you’re in luck. When his message arrived I decided to come over and pick you up.”
“I should think so,” Kate said. “I’m booked into Crystal Cove Resort for a solid month. The least the resort can do is provide convenient transportation.”
“Take it easy. I’m here, aren’t I? You’ve got your transportation. What do you say we get moving? I’ve got better things to do than hang around here on Ruby.”
“So do I. I certainly hope the Crystal Cove Resort offers a few more amenities than Billy’s hotel does.”
“Crystal Cove offers everything you’ll need for a relaxing vacation on a tropical island,” Jared said. “Within minutes after your arrival you will discover that time has slowed to an ancient, unhurried crawl and you are in another world.”
“You’re quoting directly from the brochure, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. I wrote it.” He leaned down and effortlessly scooped up a compact, hairbrush and several magazines, which he dumped into the empty purse.
“How long have you worked at Crystal Cove?” Kate asked.
“Since it was built. I own the place.” He grabbed the strap of one of her flight bags and slung it over his shoulder. “Ready?”
That explained why he didn’t have to bother with snatching tourist wallets, Kate decided. He didn’t need them. In his line of work people willingly handed over their credit cards. “The resort must have a very small staff if the owner himself has to make the run to Ruby Island to pick up guests.”
“Don’t worry. There will be plenty of people to wait on you hand and foot at Crystal Cove, madam.”
“I don’t need a lot of servants, just air-conditioning. It’s hot as hell here.” Kate picked up one of the magazines and fanned herself with it. “Right now I would trade just about everything I brought with me for five minutes in front of a real air conditioner.”
A glint of what might have been amusement lit Jared’s silver eyes. “Sorry. Ceiling fans.”
Kate blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“The resort is built to take advantage of the prevailing breezes. All the rooms have screens and ceiling fans instead of air-conditioning.”
“Good grief. You mean I’m going to have to endure this heat for the next month?”
“The afternoon rains cool things off. Nights are balmy. Mornings are pleasantly warm. The heat only gets a little unpleasant during the middle of the day. Smart people stay in the shade or in the water during that time period. They don’t run around buying souvenirs.” Jared regarded the lava statue with amused disdain.
“I see.” Kate snatched the small statue from his hand and dropped it into her purse. “Is it always this hot during the middle of the day?”
“No. Sometimes it’s hotter.”
“That does it. I’m going to strangle my two best friends the minute I get back to Seattle.” Kate hoisted one of the stuffed flight bags and gritted her teeth against the weight.
“Why?” Jared took the bag from her and slung it easily over his own shoulder.
“They’re the ones responsible for sending me to this godforsaken place. You know,” Kate confided almost wistfully, “I used to have a rather romanticized view of tropical islands. I imagined them as remote, mysterious, exotic locales where anything could still happen.”
“What’s the matter? Has the image been shattered?”
“You can say that again. I didn’t want to take this vacation in the first place, but during the first leg of this trip I tried to be a good sport. After all, my friends meant well. I managed to convince myself I might actually be able to enjoy a few weeks on a tropical island.”
“I take it you’ve changed your mind already?” Jared motioned for her to precede him out of the alley.
“When I discovered in Hawaii that the airline had somehow lost my baggage during a nonstop trip over the Pacific Ocean, I began to change my mind. When I sat in the Honolulu airport for six hours waiting for my bags, I had a few more second thoughts. After I landed here on Ruby Island and discovered I had missed my connection to Amethyst I became seriously concerned. And now, after having nearly been robbed at knife point here in paradise and after discovering that there is no air-conditioning awaiting me at my so-called luxury resort accommodations, for which I am paying a fortune, I realize I am the innocent victim of a malicious joke.”
“Don’t get paranoid. You’re just shaken up from your encounter with Sharp Arnie.” A degree of indulgence softened his eyes. “Not surprising, really. That knife of his can be intimidating at first glance. Give yourself a little while to calm down. Just relax.”
“Sharp Arnie was merely the last straw. If it wasn’t for the fact that I can’t bear the thought of getting on one more airplane today, I would turn around and head back for Seattle this minute.”
“There isn’t another flight out of here until tomorrow.”
“And that’s another thing I don’t like about these remote islands. They’re too damned remote.”
“Sharp Arnie had a point. Don’t you ever close your mouth?”
“Only when I’m working, and I didn’t come all this way to work. I’m supposed to be on vacation. Stress, you know.”
“Stress makes you mouthy?”
“Among other things.” Kate led the way back through quaintly twisted streets to Billy’s Ruby Island Dive and Tackle shop where the remainder of her luggage was waiting. She was aware of Jared Hawthorne following behind her like a porter. His dignity did not seem offended, she noticed. He carried the heavy flight bags as if they weighed only a few ounces.
The narrow, sun-drenched streets of the small port village were nearly empty. As Jared had noted, most people were wisely staying indoors to avoid the heat of midday.
Port Ruby was picturesque in its own way, Kate grudgingly decided, but hardly romantic. It was hot, dusty and run-down. An array of ramshackle shops and open-air bars lined the harborfront. Here and there a few dogs of questionable pedigree flopped in the shade of scraggly palms. Everything, including the dogs, looked as though it needed a coat of paint. Kate fervently hoped that Crystal Cove Resort had a bit more to offer in the way of atmosphere.
The door to Billy’s shop hung askew on its hinges, the old screen torn and the weathered wood peeling. Kate stepped into the dark interior and breathed a small sigh of relief at the slight reduction in temperature. The now-familiar figure of Billy, who appeared to be somewhere between fifty and seventy and outfitted with skin that resembled tanned leather, stirred from the seat behind the counter. He rose ponderously to his feet, a can of beer in his hand.
“Hey, Hawthorne.” Billy’s cheerful grin exposed a few missing teeth and so
me gold ones. “I see you found the little lady.”
“Sharp Arnie found her first.” Jared dumped the flight bags onto the wooden floor. “He was up to his usual tricks with a knife.”
Billy’s grin faded. “Sharp Arnie? Is he back on the island?”
“Yeah. Better tell Sam.”
Kate glanced at each man in turn. “Everyone seems to be very familiar with Sharp Arnie. If he’s such a well-known public menace, why isn’t he in jail?”
Billy shrugged. “He winds up in jail from time to time, but mostly he just gets kicked off one island and washes up on another. He makes a sort of circuit around our neck of the Pacific.” Billy scowled suddenly as if a thought had just occurred to him. “You all right? He didn’t hurt you or nothin’, did he?”
“No.” Actually, her knees felt quite wobbly, Kate suddenly realized. Delayed shock. Or perhaps it was the heat. Whatever the cause, she wanted very much to sit down. Just wait until she told Sarah and Margaret about this little incident. “Thank you for your concern, Billy.”
“Sure, sure. Sharp Arnie usually don’t go around stickin’ that knife of his into anyone unless he gets real provoked. Don’t worry about your wallet. Sam will get it back from him before he kicks the little punk off the island.”
“Fortunately, I am still in possession of my wallet. Thank goodness. Imagine trying to notify all those credit card companies from here!”
Billy looked puzzled. “He didn’t take your wallet? Hey, that’s real lucky, huh? What happened? Hawthorne get there in time to run him off?”
“No,” said Kate.
“Hawthorne,” Jared said coolly, “got there in time to watch Ms Inskip kick the, uh, stuffing out of Sharp Arnie. The poor bastard was running for cover last I saw him. Ms Inskip was yelling at him and that seemed to be upsetting him.”
Billy swung a startled gaze back to Kate and then gave a crack of laughter. “Nice goin’, Ms Inskip. Always did admire a woman who could take care of herself. Here, have a cold beer.” He fished a can out of a small refrigerator and slapped Kate on the back as he handed it to her.
“Thank you.” Kate staggered a bit under the blow but quickly caught her balance. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jared watching her as she pulled the tab on the blessedly chilled can. He had that arrogantly amused glint in his silver eyes again, she thought. It annoyed her. Dammit, she thought, why does he look so familiar? I must have seen him somewhere before this. I know this man.
“Where did you learn to handle folks like Sharp Arnie?” Jared asked very casually as he accepted a can of beer from Billy.
“I took a two-week course in self-defense techniques for women that was offered at my athletic club last year.”
“You’ve had all of two weeks’ worth of training, huh? Impressive.”
His condescension was annoying. “It was enough, wasn’t it?”
“Enough to terrorize Sharp Arnie, I’ll give you that.”
“A woman on her own has to learn a variety of skills.”
“I’ll just bet she does.”
Kate gulped the beer and sighed. She was not up to sparring with this familiar stranger just now. Her knees felt a little less wobbly, but exhaustion was hitting her like a wave. “When can we get out of here? Right now even a ceiling fan sounds good.”
“It does, don’t it?” Billy observed, glancing up to where the shop fan hung motionless in the heavy air. “Hopin’ to get mine fixed soon. Parts are supposed to be in any day. Ordered ‘em six months ago.”
“Six months.” Kate was horrified. “You’ve waited six months just to get a broken fan fixed?”
Billy shrugged philosophically. “Island time.”
“Speaking of time, we’d better get going. I’ve got a resort to run, remember?” Jared set aside his unfinished beer and picked up Kate’s bags. He glanced casually at Billy. “You want to cut the cards for the fuel?”
“Not on your life, Hawthorne. I ain’t takin’ a chance on getting stiffed like last time.”
Jared shook his head. “I’m disappointed in you, Billy. Where’s your sporting spirit? Suit yourself. Put the fuel on the resort’s tab.”
Billy grinned widely and scratched his stomach. “I’ll just do that. Uh, you want me to help you with the rest of Ms Inskip’s luggage?”
“Forget it. I can handle these two flight bags.”
Billy cleared his throat. “That’s not quite all her stuff.”
“It certainly isn’t,” Kate said. “You couldn’t possibly expect me to pack everything I’d need for a month in two small flight bags.”
“Where’s the rest of it?” Jared asked, looking resigned.
“Got it all back here safe and sound,” Billy said, heaving two suitcases up from behind the counter. He bent down for a third.
Jared watched the luggage pile up on the counter. “I take it you don’t believe in traveling light, Ms Inskip?”
“Blame the two so-called friends who shanghaied me. They did the packing.” Kate smiled blandly. “They weren’t sure exactly what I’d need, so they packed for all eventualities.”
“No wonder the airline lost your luggage,” Jared muttered as he picked up one of the suitcases. “The baggage handlers probably got tired of dealing with it and decided to chuck it. Come on, Billy, let’s get this stuff on the boat.”
“Sure thing, Jared.”
“Wait a minute,” Kate said. “Shouldn’t somebody be calling this Sam person so he can arrest Sharp Arnie?”
“Plenty of time for that,” Billy said, hoisting a suitcase. “Sharp Arnie ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
“What if he leaves the island?” Kate asked worriedly as she followed the two men outside to the dock where a sleek blue-and-white cabin cruiser was tied. The glare off the water hit her full force, and she scrabbled in her bottomless purse for her oversize sunglasses.
“If he’s got enough sense to leave the island, good riddance,” Billy called over his shoulder. “It’ll save Sam some work.”
“But if he leaves Ruby he’ll only show up on another island. You said yourself he makes a circuit?”
Billy chuckled. “If you’re frettin’ about Sharp Arnie jumping over to Amethyst, don’t. Arnie knows better’n to try to work the tourists over there. He tried it once a couple years back and Hawthorne here took him aside and explained he wasn’t welcome over there.”
“Explained he wasn’t welcome?” Kate echoed in disbelief. “I must say the approach to law and order around here is extremely casual.”
“Yeah, but it works.” Jared tossed her luggage into the back of the boat and bent to untie the lines. “Hop aboard, Ms Inskip. We’re ready to leave.”
“Not so fast. Just why is Sharp Arnie so willing to spare Amethyst Island?”
It was Billy who answered. “Let’s just say Arnie is real respectful toward Jared here. See, Hawthorne owns most of Amethyst. What he says over there goes, don’t it, Hawthorne?”
“Most of the time,” Jared agreed. “Makes life simple.” He leaped lightly on board and reached out to grasp Kate’s arm. He hauled her off the dock and into the boat with little ceremony. “Sit down, Ms Inskip.” He guided her rather forcefully into a seat and gave her a wicked smile “Wouldn’t want you to fall overboard between here and Amethyst. Something tells me I’d never hear the end of it. So long, Billy. See you later in the week. Thanks for looking after the lady.”
Billy grinned. “No problem Have a nice vacation, Ms Inskip.”
Kate opened her mouth to explain once again that so far her vacation was not off to a great start, but she closed it in frustration when Jared Hawthorne rudely gunned the engines.
Abandoning the effort, she sank wearily into a seat and gazed dully out over the water. As she watched, Port Ruby began to shrink in the distance. It occurred to Kate that she could not remember ever having felt so bone weary.
When she got bored with watching Port Ruby, she allowed her gaze to wander back to Jared Hawthorne who was concentrating on guid
ing the sleek craft through the necklace of small islets that protected Ruby Island from the full force of the sea.
When they got beyond the bits and pieces of land, Kate was suddenly aware of the vast expanse of turquoise sea that lay ahead. She had not spent much time in boats of any size, let alone one as small as the cruiser.
“I assume you’re reasonably good at handling a boat?” she called to Jared.
“You’ll find out soon enough, won’t you?” he retorted cheerfully. Then he seemed to notice the tension in her face. “Hey, take it easy. I make this run three or four times a month. Amethyst is just a short hop.”
“I see.” The eerie sense of familiarity returned to Kate as she studied Jared’s lean profile. Idly she tried to pin down who it was he reminded her of. His hair was dark, nearly black, worn unfashionably long and silvered here and there with hints of gray. He must be nearly forty, she decided. Try as she might, she could not think of anyone she knew who resembled him. Her curiosity overcame her.
“Look,” she finally said, pitching her voice above the roar of the engine, “this is going to sound silly, but do I know you from somewhere?”
Jared gave her a curious glance. “No. Definitely not. Believe me, I’d remember if we’d ever met.”
“Of course. I told you it was a silly question. It’s just that I’m so tired I can’t think straight.” She ran her fingers through her short hair. The breeze generated by the moving boat was refreshing. “How long until we get to Amethyst?”
“About an hour.”
“I think I’ll take a nap, if you don’t mind.”
“Suit yourself?”
“Thank you, I usually do,” Kate said as she settled back in the shade of the cruiser’s canopy.
“What a coincidence,” Jared said half under his breath as he watched her eyes close. “So do I, Ms Inskip. And something tells me that could be a problem.”
She looked different with her lashes lowered and her mouth closed, he thought, studying her objectively for the first time. More vulnerable, a little softer. Attractive, even.
Damned attractive, if you liked the type.
He decided Kate Inskip was probably only a few years younger than he—thirty-three or maybe even thirty-four. The wide belt of the wilted safari-style dress revealed a slender waist and hinted at full, round hips. The large, button-flap pockets on the front of the dress successfully concealed most of the contours of her breasts, however. That was okay, though, Jared finally decided. A man should have something to look forward to discovering on his own.