The Pirate & The Adventurer & The Cowboy

of pink, as she always did when she met an enthusiastic fan. This was a part of the business she never quite got accustomed to handling. One of the things she liked about writing for a living was that for the most part she could be quite anonymous.

    "The colonel says that in addition to stomping Sharp Arnie, you've managed to shake up Jared a bit, and that's great news as far as I'm concerned," Letty confided cheerfully. "It's wonderful to see Jared take an interest in someone like you. He's been very lonely for a long time, though he'd never admit it."

    "If you're playing matchmaker, Letty, I think I should warn you you're wasting your time. I got the distinct impression I don't fit Jared's image of the ideal woman," Kate said. Although that certainly hadn't stopped him from making a very heavy pass a few minutes ago, she reflected. Just as knowing what he thought of her had not kept her from responding.

    She must have been out of her mind out there in the garden.

    "Nonsense. Come with me, my dear." Letty winked at the colonel as she took Kate's arm and led her a short distance away from the two men. She halted and said in a low voice, "I hope you won't take anything Jared Hawthorne says about women too seriously. Like most men, he doesn't really know what he wants."

    "I'm not sure we should be discussing this," Kate said uneasily.

    "Probably not, but I've already talked to David and I feel obligated to plead his case. He's decided he wants you and his father to get to know each other better, you see. He's quite taken with you. Told me all about how you're going to teach him your special karate trick."

    "This is getting more embarrassing by the minute."

    "Don't be embarrassed," Letty said. "The colonel is very observant, a real student of human nature, you know, and he says Jared's fascinated by you. The details of that little scene between the two of you in the bar the other night are making the rounds and, frankly, the whole thing sounds delightful. Just like something out of one of your books. I'm sorry I missed it."

    "I doubt if Jared found it delightful."

    "Nonsense. It's no secret that Jared bases his notions of what he wants in a woman on his memories of his first wife. And it's quite true that Gabriella was an angelic creature. Just ask anyone. But Gabriella died five years ago and Jared is a normal, healthy man in his prime. He needs a woman, and to be quite honest, I don't think he needs another angel."

    Kate studied her champagne glass. "Why do you say that?"

    Letty smiled knowingly. "It can be hard to live with an angel when a man has as much of the devil in him as Jared has. Enough said, hmm?"

    Kate cleared her throat. "Please, Letty, before you get any more ideas, I think I should remind you that I'm only going to be on Amethyst for a month."

    "That's precisely why I took the liberty of speaking to you tonight, my dear. There isn't a moment to waste, is there?"

FOUR

    « ^ »

    "C ome on, Dad, you can tell me. I won't tell Travis, or even Carl, honest. You were kissing Ms Inskip under that tree last night, weren't you?"

    Jared glanced speculatively at his son, who was sitting at the kitchen table, kicking his sandaled feet and grinning hugely. Behind David the entire wall was open to the morning breezes and a sweeping view of the cove.

    "Why do you want to know?" Jared sliced two ripe papayas in half and picked up a lime.

    " 'Cause. I just want to, that's all."

    "Son, you're getting old enough to be told a few of the rules men have to live by when it comes to dealing with women."

    "Yeah? What rules?" David was obviously fascinated.

    "The first one is that a gentleman never discusses in public what he does with a lady in private."

    David's face fell. "That's dumb. Who made that rule?"

    "The ladies all got together and made it a long time ago."

    "Can they do that?"

    "They did it."

    Jared squeezed the lime over the papaya and brought the plates to the table, just as he had every morning since Gabriella had been gone. Somehow, without his or David's being aware of it, breakfast had become an important ritual over the years, something they both unquestioningly shared and took for granted.

    The other meals were inevitably eaten in the hotel restaurant. Slicing papayas and making toast was about the limit of Jared's capability or interest in the kitchen, though he could make a decent cup of coffee. There was not much point in having three gourmet chefs on the staff if one didn't