Homeport

consider this a field trip.”
    “You need to see the final design for the exhibit.”
    “Miranda, if I didn’t trust you there, completely, you wouldn’t have my property.” He sipped his wine and reluctantly shifted his thoughts to work. “In any case, you sent my office daily reports on it. I imagine I’ve got the picture.”
    “Working on it’s giving me some time to put other things in perspective. I don’t know what we can accomplish by all this, other than the obvious benefit to your organization and mine, and a hefty contribution to NEA. The other—”
    “The other’s progressing.”
    “Ryan, we should give all the information we can to the police. I’ve thought about this. It’s what should have been done right from the start. I let myself get caught up—my ego, certainly, and my feelings for you—”
    “You haven’t told me what those are. Are you going to?”
    She looked away from him, watched the tall iron buoys wave gently and without sound. “I’ve never felt for anyone what I feel for you. I don’t know what it is, or what to do about it. My family isn’t good with personal relationships.”
    “What does your family have to do with it?”
    “The Jones curse.” She sighed a little because she didn’t have to glance back to know he smiled. “We always screw it up. Neglect, apathy, self-absorption. I don’t know what it is, but we’re just no good at being with other people.”
    “So you’re a product of your genes, and not your own woman.”
    Her head twisted sharply, making him grin at the quick insult in her eyes. Then she controlled it and inclined her head. “That was very good. But the fact remains that I’m nearly thirty years old and I’ve never had a serious, long-term relationship. I don’t know if I’m capable of maintaining one.”

    “First you have to be willing to find out. Are you?”
    “Yes.” She started to rub her nervous hand on her slacks, but he took it, held it.
    “Then we start from there. I’m as much out of my element as you are.”
    “You’re never out of your element,” she murmured. “You have too many elements.”
    He laughed and gave her hand a squeeze. “Why don’t we behave like a comfortable couple and I’ll tell you about my trip to San Francisco?”
    “You saw your brother.”
    “Yes, he and his family will be coming out for the gala. The rest of the family will come in from New York.”
    “All of them? All of your family’s coming?”
    “Sure. It’s a big deal. Anyway, I should warn you, you’re going to be checked out thoroughly.”
    “Wonderful. One more thing to be nervous about.”
    “Your mother’s coming. And your father—which is a small dilemma, as he thinks I’m someone else.”
    “Oh God, I forgot. What will we do?”
    “We won’t know what in the world he’s talking about.” Ryan merely grinned when she gaped. “Rodney’s British, I’m not. And he’s not nearly as good-looking as I am, either.”
    “Do you really think my father’s going to fall for something like that?”
    “Of course he will, because that’s our story and we’re sticking to it.” He crossed his ankles, drew in the cool, moist air. And realized he hadn’t been completely relaxed for days. “Why in the world would I have introduced myself to him as someone else—particularly since I was in New York when he came to see you. He’ll be confused, but he’s hardly going to stand there and call Ryan Boldari a liar.”
    She let it simmer a moment. “I don’t see what choice we have, and my father certainly doesn’t pay close attention to people, but—”
    “Just follow my lead there, and smile a lot. Now, when I was in San Francisco I looked up Harrison Mathers.”

    “You found Harry?”
    “I found his apartment. He wasn’t there. But I spent an interesting half hour with the hooker across the hall. She told me he’s been gone a few days, and that—”
    “One moment.” She tugged her hand free of his and held up a single finger. “Would you mind repeating that?”
    “He’d been gone a few days?”
    “No, there was something about you spending time with a prostitute.”
    “It was well worth the fifty—well, hundred actually. I gave her another fifty when we were done.”
    “Oh, would that have been like a tip?”
    “Yeah.” He beamed at her. “Jealous, darling?”
    “Would jealousy be inappropriate?”
    “A little jealousy is very healthy.”
    “All right, then.” She bunched her recently