Memories of the laughter theyad shared last night came flooding back, drowning out some of the uneasy unfamiliarity Kate had felt all morning. aIall lock the doors,a Mitch.e.l.l volunteered, starting toward the terrace.

aThereas lots of food left over from breakfast on the table out there. Help yourself,a Kate said to his back as she unrolled the top of the flat, almost weightless paper bag.

aI couldnat find a store that sold leashes and I ran out of time, so I bought those instead,a he said, walking outside to inspect the covered plates on the table.

From the bag, Kate extracted two of the gaudiest neckties shead ever seen, one with palm trees on it, the other with the wordsSt. Maarten emblazed in neon yellow on a background of electric blue. With an inner smile, she crouched in front of Max, blocking him from Mitch.e.l.las view, while she swiftly removed the makeshift terry-cloth leash. Kate had learned to tie a Windsor knot in a manas necktie when she worked at Donovanas during college, and her fingers worked rapidly as she wrapped the palm-tree necktie over Maxas neck and duplicated the procedure. She glanced over her shoulder as Mitch.e.l.l lifted the lid off one of the breakfast dishes. aCall me overly fastidious,a he remarked, abut I refuse to be the second one to chew on a steak bone.a Moments later, she heard him close and lock the terrace doors, and she straightened the ends of the necktie with an expert tug; then she pulled her sungla.s.ses off the top of her head and perched them on top of Maxas head, giving him a rea.s.suring pat so that he wouldnat shake them off.

aIam not sure your atourist looka is an improvement over my aspa look,a a Kate said as Mitch.e.l.l came to a stop directly behind her. Swiveling on her heels, she gave him an un.o.bstructed view of Max.

aAt least the ties are lightweighta"a he began; then he gave a shout of laughter and looked down at Kate, his eyes warm, his grin lazy and appreciative. aVery clever.a Kate stood up slowly, smiling back at him, her eyes locked with his, and she felt the spell of the night before begin to wrap itself around them. He obviously felt it, too, because he slipped his hands around her waist in a light caress, and his deep voice acquired a husky, intimate note. aHi,a he said, smiling into her eyes.

aHi,a Kate whispered back. The telephone rang, and she jumped; then she looked guiltily at it. Mitch.e.l.l glanced at the ringing phone, mentally grimacing at the lawyeras irritating sense of timing. Instead of kissing her as head intended to do, he dropped his hands and said, aLetas get out of here.a Kate nodded and bent down to remove Maxas necktie; then she knotted it together with the other necktie in the bag, creating a long, makeshift leash.

aHe was a little uneasy about being on a leash when I took him outside in the garden this morning,a she told Mitch.e.l.l as they walked down the path from the villas toward the hotelas main entrance, abut he didnat try to get away from me.a aWhich proves he knows a good steak when he eats one,a Mitch.e.l.l replied, but he noticed the big dog seemed content to walk close by her side, rather than trying to test the length of his makeshift tether, and he thought it surprising that a wild stray would come so willingly to her heel. Evidently, he decided wryly, Kate Donovan had that same effect on male astrays,a whether they were canine or human. aLetas hope heas just as docile about getting into a car and riding on a boat,a he added.

Mitch.e.l.l had already put the convertible top up so the dog couldnat jump out of the car, but no amount of urging or shoving from Kate could get the animal to climb into it. After tossing her suitcase into the trunk, Mitch.e.l.l went around to the pa.s.senger side of the car to help Kate, and ended up standing back, enjoying the view instead. She was bending over the dog, trying to plant his front feet onto the floor of the backseat, and for the first time, Mitch.e.l.l realized that, from the rear, Kate Donovan looked adorable in snug jeans. aIf you get in first,a he suggested finally, aMax may be willing to follow you.a The ploy worked, and Mitch.e.l.l closed the pa.s.senger door behind the dog; then he walked around the car and opened the driveras door so Kate could climb out of the backseat and get into the front.

IN THE PARKINGlot on the other side of the driveway, Detective Childress watched Wyattas vehicle pulling away from the curb and glanced at his watch. Reaching for the surveillance notebook lying on the seat of the little white rental car, Childress jotted down the exact time of Wyattas departure while Detective MacNeil emerged from the hotel lobby and jogged across the driveway. aDid you find out who the redhead is?a Childress asked, shoving the car into gear the instant MacNeilas door closed.

aNot yet. The doorman gave me the same answer I got last night from the manager and the other doormana"that itas against hotel policy to divulge the names of hotel guests to anyone.a Wyattas convertible was already making a right turn onto the main road, and Childress accelerated sharply. aDid you slip the doorman five bucks before you asked?a MacNeil snickered. aI slipped him ten bucks, not five, and thatas the answer I bought. However, the a.s.sistant manager, Mr. Orly, is in charge today, and Orly looks very fl.u.s.tered. While I was in the lobby, a couple named aWainwrighta checked in, and Orly couldnat find their reservations. After he got that ironed out, he sent for a bellman to show them to their villa and referred to them as aMr. and Mrs. Rainright.a I didnat ask Orly about the redhead while I was in there because he wouldnat have told me, but maybe aMr. Wainwrighta can get it out of him.a As he spoke, MacNeil pulled his cell phone out of his shirt pocket and called the Island Club. aIad like to speak to Mr. Orly,a he told the hotel operator.

After a significant delay, Orly answered MacNeilas call, sounding so hara.s.sed that his sentences ran together. aThis is Mr. Orly Iam sorry to have kept you waiting How may I be of service?a aThis is Philip Wainwright,a MacNeil lied, trying to sound authoritative and, at the same time, willing to overlook Orlyas earlier screwups during the check-in procedure if he cooperated now. aWhen my wife and I were on our way to breakfast, we met a young woman who remembered us from when we were here before. My wife and I both recall spending an enjoyable evening with her last spring, and wead like to invite her to have c.o.c.ktails on the beach with us later, but we cannota"for the life of usa"recall her name. She has red hair and she mentioned sheas staying in villa number six. What the devil is her name, anyway?a aIam very sorry, Mr. Wainwright, but itas strictly against hotel policy to reveal the ident.i.ty of a guest to anyone.a aI am not just aanyone,a Iam another guest!a MacNeil exclaimed indignantly.

aThe hotelas policy applies to other guests, as well as to outsiders.a aLet me speak to Maurice,a MacNeil demanded, knowing the manager was absent. aIave known him for years, and he wonat hesitate to tell me who she is!a The a.s.sistant manager hesitated. aMaurice is away . . . however, if youare certain he wouldnat hesitate to tell you . . .a MacNeil smiled to himself as he heard the sound of pages being flipped back and forth, but Orlyas next words were frustrating, rather than informative. aVilla number six is registered to a gentleman, and there is no indication of the ladyas name. Iam sorry, but I have another phone calla"a aWhatas the gentlemanas name in villa six?a MacNeil said quickly. aThat might jog our memory.a aHis name is Bartlett, and I donat mean to be rude, but I really must answer another call now.a aWell?a Childress asked expectantly.

MacNeil turned off his cell phone and slipped it back into his pocket. aVilla number six is registered to a gentleman named aBartlett,a a MacNeil replied, repeating Orlyas words. aThere is no indication of the ladyas name.a Traffic on the island moved at a lazy pace, and the black convertible was mired in it, less than a quarter mile ahead. aIall bet you Wyatt is heading for Blowing Point,a Childress predicted, referring to the wharf where ferries and charter boats picked up pa.s.sengers and returned them to the island. A minute later, the black convertibleas right turn signal began to flash. as.h.i.t, I was righta"Wyatt is heading for Blowing Point and weare in for another d.a.m.ned boat ride. Iam already getting nauseated.a aTake a pill.a aI canat take them, they make me groggy.a aThen you should have taken one last night, instead of hanging over the edge of the boat, barfing your brains out.a aWhen you report in to the stateas attorney today, you tell Elliott that if I have to sleep on a boat tonight because the yacht Wyatt is on is out in the middle of a harbor, then we need a bigger boata"one that doesnat bob like a cork every time thereas a ripple in the water. I donat mind being seasick for half an hour when we chase him from island to island, but I canat do my job when Iave been up all d.a.m.ned night blowing chunks.a That last remark doused most of MacNeilas amus.e.m.e.nt, because Childress was truly superb at vehicular surveillance. Behind a steering wheel, Childress could maneuver through any kind of traffic, darting and ducking in and out of it, without attracting any notice. He also had an almost uncanny knack of knowing when he needed to close the distance between Wyattas vehicle in order to see where Wyatt was about to go, and when it was safe to drop far back and stay completely out of Wyattas rearview mirror.

Because of that, Childress did most of the driving on land, while MacNeil handled piloting their boat. As a precaution, they rented different cars and different boats each day, but MacNeil was far more confident of Childressas ability to handle his job than he was of his own ability to pilot a boat larger than the twenty-four-foot outboard fishing craft they were using today.

aHow big is the boat Wyatt is using today?a Childress asked as he flipped on his right turn indicator.

aI donat knowa"thirty-six feet, maybe thirty-eight feet.a aIf I have to sleep on a boat again, I want one that size.a He waited until Mac finally looked directly at him and said, aIam not kidding, Mac.a MacNeil opened his mouth to make a joke but bit it back. Beads of sweat were already popping out on Childressas forehead at the mere antic.i.p.ation of another boat ride, and beneath his newly acquired tan, Childressas skin was turning a grayish-green. Rather than admit he didnat think he could handle a larger boat, MacNeil said, aWyatt left his luggage at the hotel in St. Maarten this morning. I donat think he plans to sleep on Benedictas yacht tonight.a

Chapter Fourteen.

THE WHARF ATBlowing Point was bustling with activity. Two catamarans flying brightly colored flags and loaded with tourists were pulling away from the dock, and more tourists were lined up to board the regular ferry that ran back and forth between Anguilla and St. Maarten at half-hour intervals.

Mitch.e.l.l found a parking s.p.a.ce near the far end of the wharf where the boat he had chartered was tied up, its captain standing on the bow, smoking a cigarette. aI hope Max is as willing to follow you onto a boat as he was to follow you into a car,a he said, opening Kateas door and helping her out. Leaning into the backseat, he picked up the end of the dogas makeshift leash. aHeas shaking all over.a aHeas nervous,a Kate said sympathetically. Patting the side of her leg, she called, aCome here, Max, letasa"a The big dog erupted from the backseat in a frenzied leap that nearly knocked her over. Laughing, she staggered backward, recovered her balance, and reached for his leash.

aLet me hold on to that until we get him on the boat,a Mitch.e.l.l said. Wrapping the end of the necktie-leash around his hand for better control, he tightened his grip; but he neednat have worried, because once the dogas feet were firmly on the ground, Max sidled up next to Kate and trotted happily beside her. aHave you always been able to tame wild beasts, or is Max an exception?a Mitch.e.l.l asked half seriously.

aMax isnat completely wild,a Kate said, scratching Max behind his ears. aHe may have been running loose his whole life, but he likes humans, which means that he was around someone who played with him and handled him when he was a little puppy. If that werenat truea"if he hadnat been asocializeda back thena"he wouldnat want anything to do with us now.a She shot Mitch.e.l.l an apologetic look and explained, aMy best friend and former roommate is a vet.a They reached Mitch.e.l.las chartered boat, and Kateas attention turned to the task of getting Max aboard. aLet me get on first,a she said. Taking the captainas outstretched hand, she stepped off the dock into the boatas stern; then she turned and patted the side of her leg as she had before. aCome on, Max,a she called.

Max backed up, body trembling with fright, but just as Kate decided they would have to lift him aboard, he gave a giant leap forward and landed against her legs, knocking her into the captain, who grabbed her arms to steady her.

aSo far, this has been easier than I expected,a Mitch.e.l.l remarked, stepping down into the boat.

aEasier onyou, not me,a Kate laughed, dusting dog hair off her jeans.

Mitch.e.l.l chuckled at her quip and walked over to the railing to stand beside her, trapping the dog between them. The captain started the engine and Mitch.e.l.l angled sideways, idly watching her long ponytail shifting in the breeze as the pier slid away and the boat picked up speed.

aWhy are you staring at me?a she asked.

Mitch.e.l.l was staring at her because she had the greenest eyes, the smoothest skin, and the most beautiful mouth of any woman head ever known. And, if her tender devotion to a stray mongrel was any indication, she also had the softest heart. He was thoroughly enchanted with all her attributes except the last one. For some reason, that one made him feel vaguely, inexplicably uneasy. aI was thinking that you have a beautiful smile,a he replied, then he turned toward the railing and leaned his forearms on it, watching the boatas churning wake spread into a wide V.

The unexpected compliment filled Kate with pleasure, but since he hadnat sounded entirely pleaseda"or convincinga"when he answered her question, she decided not to reply.

Ten minutes later, as they neared St. Maarten, the captain finally broke the silence. aAre either of you folks fans of Zack Benedict, the movie actor?a he called.

When Mitch.e.l.l said nothing, Kate looked over her shoulder at the captain. aIam a huge fan of his.a aThatas Benedictas boat over there,a the captain told her, pointing off to the left at a gleaming white motor yacht riding at anchor inside the harbor. aItas called theJulie. a aThen itas named after his wife,a Kate explained to Mitch.e.l.l as she admired the graceful lines of her favorite movie staras boat.

aSome tourists told me they saw Benedict aboard this morning, reading a newspaper,a the captain provided. aDo you want me to take you over there? I can get you in real close, and you could get a look at him if heas on deck.a aNo,a Mitch.e.l.l said emphatically at the same time Kate said politely, aNo thank you.a Startled by his forceful reply, Kate looked curiously at him. aYou arenat a Zack Benedict fan?a His brow furrowed and an inexplicable smile edged his mouth while he appeared to give her question grave consideration. aI canat, in good conscience, describe myself to you as Zack Benedictas fan,a he said finally. aHowever,a he added, aIad be interested in hearing why youare such a ahuge fana of his.a Kate thought he was being condescending, but she refused to back down from her statement. aI admire him even more as a person than as a movie star,a she explained very firmly. aMen thought he was ultramacho when he escaped from prison a few years ago and took Julie Mathison hostage, but women all over the world fell madly in love with him when he forgave her for leading him into a trap and getting him recaptured. When he went back to the small town she lived in and asked her to marry him, half the women in America were in tears when they saw the newsclips of how he did it.a aWere you in tears?a Mitch.e.l.l asked, turning fully toward her.

aOf course.a aYou sound like a hopeless romantic.a aI probably am,a she admitted.

aShe betrayed him,a Mitch.e.l.l reminded her. aIf the real murderer hadnat been found, Zack Benedict would still be rotting in prison because he trusted her when he escaped and she betrayed him.a aYou arenat very forgiving, are you?a aLetas just say Iam not a romantic.a Although he sounded very sure of that, as Kate looked at his handsome face, she considered some of his actions the night before and arrived at her own conclusion. Smiling a little, she turned away from him and gazed at Zack Benedictas yacht instead.

aWhat was that all about?a he asked with amused curiosity.

aI was deciding for myself whether youare a romantic.a aWhat did you decide?a aI think you are.a aAnd you think you can tell things about me by looking into my eyes?a Kate nodded in the affirmative, but her answer was a little shaky. aI really, really hope so.a Mitch.e.l.l suppressed a grin at her uneasy tone and toyed with the idea of surprising her tomorrow by taking her aboard Zackas boat and explaining that he knew both Zack and Julie well, and that he liked Julie. At the moment, however, he wasnat inclined to say anything that would lead to a prolonged discussion of her favorite romantic hero, and he didnat want to commit himself to any plan other than going to bed with her.

Chapter Fifteen.

aTHE VETaS OFFICEis a few blocks from here,a Mitch.e.l.l said as he helped her off the boat at Captain Hodges Wharf in Philipsburg, a bustling, picturesque little town on the Dutch side of St. Maarten. aWe could walk there easily, but with your suitcase and the dog, weall be better off with a taxi.a aYouare probably righta"a Kate began, but her cell phone rang and she paused to take it out of her purse and look at the calleras name. aI need to take this phone call. I left a message for a business a.s.sociate to call me at this number.a aIall take the dog and your suitcase and find a taxi,a Mitch.e.l.l said, already walking toward the street.

Kate put the phone to her ear and covered her other ear with her hand, but there was so much background noise from street traffic and boat motors that she finally took the phone away from her ear and turned the volume all the way up. aI couldnat hear you before, Louis, but I can hear you now. Did anything happen yesterday that I should know about?a Following slowly behind Mitch.e.l.l, Kate listened to Louis Kellard go over one dayas events at the restaurant: The vegetable supplier had delivered only half their order, and the featured evening entre had to be changed partway through the night; the bartender had refused to serve any more liquor to an inebriated customer who made a scene and had to be escorted out; this morning his attorney had called, threatening to sue the restaurant for causing embarra.s.sment to his client; the wine cellar needed to be replenished before Kate returned . . .

Kate slid into the backseat of the taxi and Max jumped in behind her, so she scooted to the middle of the seat while she gave instructions to Louis: aIf the attorney calls back, do not say anything to him, just refer him to our attorney. Which bartender was involved?a When Louis told her it was Jimmy, she said, aTell Jimmy to exercise more tact from now on. My father told me Jimmy was becoming a prima donna, and he was thinking of letting him go. Did you talk to our vegetable supplier and find out why we got only half our order?a While the taxi made its slow way along Front Street, which was lined with shops and crowded with tourists, Kate listened to the rest of Louisas litany of problems, and she did her best to help solve them, but most of the time she could only answer Louisas questions with a question of her own: aWhat would my father have done?a By the time Louis was finished, Kate felt panicked and helpless. aCall me back this morning, as soon as you find out what happened to our vegetable order and why our linen inventory is suddenly so low,a she reminded him before he hung up. She turned her cell phone off and slipped it into her purse; then she glanced at Mitch.e.l.l and found him watching her, his dark brows drawn together in puzzlement. aI imagine youare wondering about that phone call,a she said.

aI couldnat help overhearing it. I was under the impression that youare a social worker and that your father owned a restaurant. Just now, it sounded as if youare running it for him.a Kate drew a shaky breath but managed to keep her voice steady. aMy father is dead. He was killed on his way home from the restaurant three weeks ago. It was late at night, and the police think it was a random, drive-by shooting, because there had been another one in the same neighborhood a few days before.a aAnd youare going to try to run the restaurant in his place, is that it?a Kate nodded. aI quit my job at DCFS so that I could give it my best effort. I worked at the restaurant part-time during high school and college, but Iam not at all sure I know how to run it the way my father did. Iama"a She broke off and looked down at her lap, belatedly realizing that Maxas head was resting on her knee, his eyes fixed worriedly on her face.

Mitch.e.l.l quietly finished the sentence shead been unable to complete. aYouare afraid youare going to fail.a aIamterrified, a Kate admitted.

aHave you considered trying to sell it?a aThatas not as easy to consider doing as it seems. My father loved that restaurant, and he invested his whole life in it. He loved me, too, and because he spent most of his time there, most of my happy memories of being with him are centered right there. The restaurant was a part of both of us. Now, itas all I have left of hima"and itas also all thatas left of aus.a Itas difficult to explain . . .a Surprised by a sudden desire to tell Mitch.e.l.l about her life with her father, she reached out and stroked Maxas head, trying to resist the impulse. After several moments of indecision, she stole a look at Mitch.e.l.l, half expecting him to look preoccupied or bored.

Instead, he was watching her intently. aGo on,a he said.

Kate tried to think of a good example of why the restaurant held such cherished memories of her life with her father and settled for the first one that came to mind. aNormally, the restaurant was closed in the afternoons between three oaclock and five oaclock, so when I was young, I used to do my homework sitting beside my father at the bar while he did whatever work he had to do. He sat next to me so he could help me with my homework anytime I needed it. Actually, he sat next to me because that was the only way he could be sure Idid my homework. Anyway, he enjoyed math and history and science, but I knew he hated English grammar and he hated drilling me on spelling.a With a rueful smile, Kate finished, aI hated homework, period, so I used to make him help me with English grammar and drill me on spelling, day after day after day, just to get even with him.a Instead of commenting, Mitch.e.l.l lifted his brows, silently inviting her to say more. A little surprised that he seemed genuinely interested, Kate tried to think of another example to give him. aWhen I was in fourth grade,a she said after a moment, aI decided I wanted to take roller-skating lessons at the rink. My father disapproved of the sort of kids who hung around there, so he enrolled me in ballet cla.s.ses twice a week instead, even though I didnat really want to take ballet lessons. The ballet school burned down the day after I started my lessonsa"I had nothing to do with that, in case youare wondering.a aThe possibility never crossed my mind,a Mitch.e.l.l said.

Kate realized he was completely serious and bit back a laugh at his apparent belief that she was a little angel, rather than the little brat she had actually been. aWhen the ballet school burned down, the nearest one was a bus ride away, and I knew head never let me take the bus to it, so I went on and on about how bad I felt for the ballet teacher and how disappointed I wasnot to be able to take ballet lessons any more . . .a aAnd?a Mitch.e.l.l prompted when Kate drew a laughing breath.

aAnd so my father invited the ballet teacher to conduct her cla.s.ses at the restaurant instead. G.o.d, it was so funny to see him trying not to grimace while thirty ballerinas in little tutus pirouetted around his dining room twice a week and a three-hundred-pound woman pounded away on his antique piano.a Kate fell silent, smiling . . . thinking of the birthday parties her father gave for her at Donovanas. When Mitch.e.l.l seemed to be waiting for her to say more, she told him what she was remembering: aEvery year on my birthday, he threw a big asurprisea party for me at the restaurant and invited all my cla.s.smates from school. He had balloons all over the place and a beautiful cakea"always a chocolate cake decorated with pink frosting, because I was a girl. For weeks beforehand, head try to fool me into thinking he wasnat going to have the party. Head tell me head booked the dining room for someone else because we needed the money, or head tell me he had to be somewhere else that day. He wanted me to be surprised when I walked into the restaurant after school and saw everyone there.a aAnd were you surprised?a Kate shook her head. aNever. How could he possibly have expected me not to notice a big vat of pink frosting in the kitchen the day before my birthday, or all the extra containers of chocolate ice cream in the freezer, or two hundred balloons and a helium machine in the back room? Besides that, he always asked one or two of my friends to be sure all my cla.s.smates were invited, so of course I heard about it from one of them.a aI see why you were never fooled,a Mitch.e.l.l said with a grin.

Kate started to return his smile, then she sobered and said, aActually, I did get fooled oncea"on my fourteenth birthday.a aHow did he fool you that time?a aBy deciding not to have a party for me at all.a To divert him from asking about that one miserable birthday, Kate ended her reminiscences completely and returned to his original question about whether shead considered selling the restaurant. aEven if I decide I should sell the place, Iad still have to keep it open in order to do that, so I really have no choice right now except to run ita"if I can.a Rather than offering her empty words of encouragement about her ability to do that, which was what Kate expected him to do, he put his arm around her shoulders and curved his hand around her arm, sliding it slowly up and down in a gesture of comfort. Kate leaned against him, letting the movement of his hand soothe away her qualms about the future, at least for now.

aIam sorry about your fatheras death,a he said after a minute. aI wondered why you had a book about coping with grief with you in the restaurant yesterday.a Kate shot him a startled look. aYou donat miss anything, do you?a aNot when Iam concentrating on something. Orsomeone, a he added, and shifted his gaze meaningfully to her lips.

Kate knew he was deliberately flirting with her in an effort to distract her and cheer her up, and she smiled and went along with his plan. aYou were concentrating on your shirt yesterday, not on me.a aI have a rare gifta"I can concentrate on two things at the same time.a aSo can I,a she teased, awhich is whyIam aware the taxi has stopped and the driver is waiting for us to get out.a

Chapter Sixteen.

THE VETERINARIANaS OFFICEwas in a narrow pink clapboard house, and the waiting room area was obviously the vetas living room. Mitch.e.l.l had found the vetas name in a phone book earlier that morning and phoned for an appointment, but even so, they had to wait nearly forty-five minutes, during which time Kate filled out the vetas information sheet and Max sniffed every inch of the cramped room, including an indignant cat, a shy poodle, and a terrified yellow canary in a birdcage, all of whom were already there with their owners when Mitch.e.l.l and Kate arrived.

When the vet finally came out and asked for aMary Donovan,a Kate left her purse on the chair next to Mitch.e.l.l so that shead have both hands free to deal with Max while the vet looked him over.

Mitch.e.l.l watched her disappear through a doorway; then he picked up a tourist guide written in Dutch because there was nothing else in the waiting room to read. Kateas cell phone rang shortly afterward, and he let the call go through to her phoneas voice mail system, rather than trying to answer it for her.

A few minutes later, it rang again, and her voice mail picked up that call, too.

Ten minutes later, she received another call. Mitch.e.l.l frowned at her purse, wondering if the lawyer-boyfriend was trying to reach her. If so, he was either very persistent, Mitch.e.l.l decided, or else some sixth sense was warning him that his girlfriend was ignoring his calls because she was straying with another man. Gazing at her purse, Mitch.e.l.l envisioned a prosperous, middle-aged attorney whoad probably been physically attractive when Kate first met him years before, but who was now getting fat and out of shapea"and becoming desperate to maintain his hold on a much younger womana"one who, he feared, might be tiring of her role as his aplaything.a Mitch.e.l.l had witnessed that scenario often enough in the past to be certain he was right, but this time he reminded himself to feel a little gentlemanly compa.s.sion for the lawyer. After all, the poor son of a b.i.t.c.h had spent a small fortune to take her on a vacation at a premier spot in the Caribbean, and while he was stuck in Chicago, Mitch.e.l.l was about to take her to bed.

He looked up as Kate emerged with the vet, who was repeatedly patting her arm in a way that struck Mitch.e.l.l as being rather inappropriate. aIall take some X-rays of Maxas head and shoulder just to be on the safe side,a the vet promised. aIall dip him for fleas and give him all his shots. If you want me to board him again tomorrow night, just give me a call. In the meantime,a he added as Mitch.e.l.l rose to his feet, aIall get all the papers ready so you can take him back to the States.a Mitch.e.l.l stared at her in amused disbelief; then he picked up her suitcase from beside his chair and handed her purse to her. aInstead of calling an ambulance for Max last night,a he joked as he held the front door open for her, aI should have bought him a plane ticket.a Kate accepted the gibe with a quick smile and explained her decision. aI have to take him home with me, or heall end up being euthanized.a aIs that what the vet told you?a Mitch.e.l.l asked as he stepped off the cracked sidewalk in front of the vetas house and flagged down a cab turning the corner.

Kate nodded. aHe said thereas virtually no chance of finding a good home for him here or on Anguilla. Max is a stray, and because heas large, heas expensive to feed.a A battered gray Chevrolet with the wordtaxi on the door stopped in the street in front of them, and when they were both inside, Kate elaborated and Mitch.e.l.l gave the driver instructions. aI phoned my friend, Hollya"the vet in Chicagoa"this morning,a she clarified. aHolly told me the treatment for rabies isnat a big deal anymore, but on rare occasions, the rabies injection has serious, even fatal side effects for some people. That physician last night was already in a panic even though rabies isnat a problem on the island. Instead of quarantining Max for the rest of the ten days, the physician can euthanize him and find out immediately if Max had rabies. And I think head decide to do exactly that.a She was probably right, Mitch.e.l.l knew, so he changed the subject. aYou had several phone calls while you were with the vet.a aProbably from Louis at the restaurant and Holly,a Kate said, already reaching for her purse. Forgetting that shead turned the volume on her phone up to its maximum, Kate pressed the b.u.t.ton to retrieve her voice mail messages while Mitch.e.l.l politely pulled a tourist booklet from the pocket on the back of the driveras seat and glanced through it.

The first message wasnat from Louis; it was from Evan, and he sounded so concerned that Kate felt a stab of guilt.aKate, why didnat you return my phone call last night, honey? I called you again at the hotel this morning and left a message, and I still havenat heard from you. Iam getting worried. Are you feeling ill? Are the headaches back?a Evanas second message made Kate feel even worse.aHoney, I just called Holly and she said she talked to you yesterday and this morning, and youare feeling fine. Evidently youare so angry with me for not being there that you wonat even take my calls anymore. I miss you terribly, Kate, and Iam tired of having to go away with you so that we can spend all our days and nights together. We should be able to do that right here in Chicago. Weave been together for years, and we know we make each other happy. We both want the same thingsa"a home, children, and each other. What else matters? Ia"a Unable to bear another word, Kate snapped her cell phone closed without listening to the next message. She stole a sidelong glance at Mitch.e.l.l, relieved that he seemed to be engrossed in reading the tourist pamphlet he was holding, but he was frowning and his jaw looked tense. After a moment of uneasy silence, Kate said brightly, aEverything is fine.a In response to that he stuffed the pamphlet back into the seat pocket and directed a challenging brow at her. aYour boyfriend seems to think otherwise.a aYou heard?a aI couldnat help hearing it. Is he married?a aNo, of course not! Why would you think such a thing?a aFor one thing, you said youave been together for years, but from what I heard him say just now, you apparently donat live together. How old is he?a aHeas thirty-three. Why do youa"a A realization hit Kate and she twisted toward him in the seat. aAre you under the impression Iam some sort ofaa"she hesitated and then settled for the least awful of the descriptions that came to minda"aa kept woman?a aI havenat dwelled on the possibilities, but that was the most likely one, based on what I know of similar situations.a aDo you have a lot of experience with asimilara situations?a He leaned back, stretched his legs out, and hesitated; then he looked at her and said bluntly, aYes.a Before Kate could recover from that statement, he changed the subject: aWhy did the vet call you aMarya?a aBecause I filled out his questionnaire with my legal name, which is Mary Katherine. Until I was a teenager and could make them stop, everyone called me Mary Kate. My father never stopped calling me that.a aMary Kate,a he repeated a little grimly. aVery cute. Perfect, in fact, for an Irish choir girl.a Startled by his tone, Kate said, aI was never a choir girl in the way I think you mean. In fact, I was a wild child.a aGood,a he said tightly.

Kate turned her head and gazed at the foothills of the mountains on her right while she tried to come up with an explanation for his att.i.tude. Something head heard in the last few minutes was bothering him, but she couldnat figure out exactly what it was.

Chapter Seventeen.

AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES,Kate glanced sideways and caught him looking at her, his forehead furrowed into a thoughtful frown. Suppressing a self-conscious impulse to smooth her hair, she broke the silence with the first inane subject that came to mind. aThe weather here is certainly beautiful this time of year.a aYes, it is.a aI thought it might rain today, but there isnat a cloud in the sky.a aIf it rained without a cloud in the sky, it would be surprising,a he agreed solemnly, but he was on the verge of smiling, and Kate was so relieved that she gave him a rueful grin.

Mitch.e.l.las gaze dropped from her bright green eyes to her soft lips, and the impulse to kiss her was so strong that he had to turn his head and look in a different direction. His conscience had suddenly developed a voice after decades of silence on the subject of s.e.xual ethics, and it was in an uproar over the true picture head just formed of Mary Kate Donovan. In the taxi, on the way to the veterinarian, shead told him about her father and their lives together. As she spoke, it had been obvious even to Mitch.e.l.la"who had little personal knowledge of loving family relationshipsa"that Kate had loved her father deeply and she was grieving over his death. She was also, by her own admission, terrified of the responsibility she now had of trying to run his restaurant in Chicago. The absentee boyfriend, who Mitch.e.l.l had originally a.s.sumed was a wealthy, aging playboy using Kate for a toy, was actually a year younger than Mitch.e.l.l, and he not only cared about Kate, he wanted to marry her. Head taken her to a wonderful hotel on a lush, tropical island, undoubtedly to help her recuperate. When he needed to return to Chicago, head left behind in that seductive setting a beautiful, grieving, worried Kate who had probably never cheated on him before, but who was so weakened by loneliness and sorrow that she was ready to fall into Mitch.e.l.las arms.

Next week, or next month, shead start regretting going to bed with him, and then shead have guilt to deal with on top of all her other burdens. She was so tenderhearted that in the midst of her own misery over her fatheras death, she was determined to take a stray dog home with her to keep him safe. Shead end up torturing herself for doing anything as acruela as betraying her boyfriend.

Mitch.e.l.las conscience pointed out that if he truly liked Kate as much as he felt he did, head spare her the ramifications of sleeping with him by telling the cabdriver to turn around and take them back to Philipsburg. He himself wasnat boyfriend material. Among other things, he had no intention of staying in Chicago longer than a week after he returned. His appearance at Cecilas birthday party had been noted by theTribune as social columnist, and if he continued to be seen in Chicago, someone was going to start digging around, and sooner or later his personal history would become tantalizing gossip among people he wouldnat voluntarily share an evening with, let alone the sordid story of his life. Furthermore, he felt an inexplicable, intense aversion to acknowledging his relationship to the ill.u.s.trious Wyatts, but in the city where Kate Donovan lived, he no longer had a choice.

Mitch.e.l.las logic went to battle with his conscience and argued that Kate was old enough to decide for herself what she wanted to do and what was best for her. Moreover, prolonged pa.s.sionate lovemaking would provide her with an excellent, temporary diversion from her woes. That last part wasnat logic, it was l.u.s.t, Mitch.e.l.las irate conscience pointed out.

The cabdriver chose that moment to look over his shoulder and ask Mitch.e.l.l for instructions. aHow much farther ahead is the turn?a Lost in his thoughts, Mitch.e.l.l hesitated, and then said, flatly, aSeveral miles.a l.u.s.t and logic had fewer arguments, but louder voices, than his conscience.

Kate expected him to turn to her now and explain where they were going, but he looked out his own window again and said nothing. Baffled by his silence, she reached across him for the tourist pamphlet head been looking at earlier. Shead already gotten a similar pamphlet in the lobby of the Island Club, and this pamphlet reiterated much of the same information: St. Maarten was a small island occupying only thirty-seven square miles; it was divided between two governmentsa"the northern section being French, the southern section Dutch.

A map of the island was attached to the back of the pamphlet, and Kate unfolded it, hoping to gauge where she was. Theyad been traveling on a main highway, and according to the map, there was only one of those, and it made a full circle of the island. She remembered pa.s.sing exit signs to Simpson Bay and Princess Juliana Airport soon after they left Philipsburg, which meant theyad been going east. Based on the landmarks shead seen since then, they were now traveling north along the coastline of the French section, with the Caribbean Sea on the left and the foothills of the mountains on the right.

Their destination was obviously in the French section, so Kate started reading about the French sectionas exciting nightlife, fabulous shops, open-air markets, and glorious beaches, some of which were nude. Concentrating on all that was easier than wondering what was bothering the man beside her. It also prevented her from thinking about Evanas phone messages.

She was reading her third pamphlet when the taxi rounded a curve, slowed, and then turned right into a winding landscaped lane bordered by ornamental stone walls. For several minutes the lane wound upward around a hill covered in dense tropical foliage; then the cab rounded a sharp bend and stopped at a stone gatehouse, where a uniformed guard stood next to a pair of tall black iron gates with aThe Enclavea in bra.s.s lettering across them.

Mitch.e.l.l leaned forward and gave the guard his name; the gates swung open, the cab drove inside, rounded another bend, and Kate gasped with pleasure at her first glimpse of their destination: An elaborate, four-story, Mediterranean-style hotel was snuggled back against a hillside overlooking the Caribbean Sea, with several sets of balconied stone steps leading down to a long, secluded crescent of pristine white sand. Waiters were trotting up and down the steps carrying trays of food and drinks to sunbathers on the beach, who were concealed from view by large aqua beach umbrellas attached to chaise longues. aWhat a beautiful setting!a Kate exclaimed.

A doorman opened her door and Kate slid out of the cab, tipping her head back to look up at the hotel. The roof was made of aqua tiles, and the structure was of white stucco with gracefully rounded open balconies dotting its facade and much larger, enclosed balconies on each side.

Inside, the lobby was cool and elegant, with polished stone floors and French doors opening out onto a hillside dining balcony. Kate walked with Mitch.e.l.l past the conciergeas desk, where a couple was arranging for scuba gear and a sailboat, but when Mitch.e.l.l continued past the elevators toward a desk with a sign on it that said Guest Registration, she glanced uncertainly at him.

aI havenat registered yet,a he explained.

aArenat you staying here?a He shook his head. aIam staying on a friendas boat, but I thought this would be more comfortable for the two of us.a Rather than go with him to the registration desk, Kate gestured toward a group of chairs near the elevators with a table between them that held a stack of hotel brochures. aIall wait over there.a As Mitch.e.l.l strode toward the registration desk, two very attractive women emerged from one of the shops in the lobby. Both women glanced at him, stopped laughing, and then turned partway around to stare after him. They held their comments until they neared the elevators, where Kate was seated.

aIs he not the best-looking man youave ever seen in your life?a one of them said to the other.

aHe is what you call aG.o.d !a her friend agreed in an awed French-accented voice; then she turned clear around for another look at him.

Kate automatically followed her gaze. Mitch.e.l.l was standing at the registration desk signing the usual forms. From behind, his shoulders looked a yard wide, Kate realizeda"but then another realization hit her that banished all thoughts of his manly physique: The aG.o.da hadnat brought a suitcase with him!

The only explanation she could think of for this was that Mitch.e.l.l had decided to remain naked with her until they checked out tomorrow, and that conclusion made Kateas stomach lurch. Last night head specifically told her to bring something nice to wear because he wanted to take her out gambling, but he hadnat brought a single change of clothes, not even a bathing suita"

Because the beach and swimming pool here were probably nude!

According to the pamphlet shead read in the taxi, some beaches in the French section were nude beaches, and this hotel was definitely in the French section. The prospect of being on a nude beacha"let alone being nude herself on onea"sent a shiver of horror dancing up and down Kateas spine, and she sank back in her chair. She couldnat possibly walk around naked or even topless in front of strangers. She just couldnot.

The hotel manager waylaid Mitch.e.l.l when he finished registering and was on his way toward her. aIam so glad I was able to accommodate you with the suite of your choice, Mr. Wyatt,a the manager said, reaching out to shake Mitch.e.l.las hand. aIt required some delicacy, but the other party was very satisfied with your offer. Actually, they were greatly relieved.a Kate watched Mitch.e.l.l casually reach into his pocket before he shook the manageras hand, and she wondered idly how much money changed hands during that handshake. Then she wondered what aoffera had been extended and who the aother partya was.

aDiederik is upstairs, waiting for you,a the manager continued. aHeas already taken care of all your needs.a Kate hoped those needs included some clothing and a bathing suit for Mitch.e.l.l. That notion was so unlikely it was absurd, and she looked down to hide her nervous urge to giggle. Mitch.e.l.las shoes appeared directly in front of her a moment later.

aReady?a he said.

Kateas gaze slid upward along his legs, past his narrow waist, over the black shirt covering his muscular chest and broad shoulders, and finally encountered his tanned face and piercing blue eyes. aWhat needs of yours has Diederik taken care of?a Kate asked as she rose, a laugh in her voice.

His expression softened at the sight of her smile. aI hope itas lunch.a