The Pirate & The Adventurer & The Cowboy

quarrel with Kate had spread even faster than the news of his affair with her. He also knew that if it was all over the resort, it would be all over the island by now, too.

    "Well, well, well, decided to come out of hiding, eh?" The colonel rested both hands on the bar and grinned in masculine commiseration. "Don't worry, it's safe enough in here for the moment. The lady's nowhere in sight. Haven't seen her all day."

    "Is that right? And how do you know I've been in hiding?" Jared dropped onto a stool and hooked his foot over the brass rung.

    "Lani was behind the front desk this morning when Kate came out of your office. I gather Ms Inskip looked more than mildly annoyed after her early morning interview. She didn't say anything, according to Lani, but it was obvious she'd just gone toe-to-toe with someone and the only other person in your office, Lani says, was you. You yourself have apparently been snapping off heads right and left all day. Everyone agrees that makes it official: you and Kate must have quarreled."

    Jared swore, knowing there was no stopping the local rumor mill. "Is everyone else enjoying this as much as you are, Colonel?"

    "Far as I can tell."

    "Where's Kate?"

    "I have no idea. Haven't seen her."

    "She's probably sulking in her room. I'll give her a little while longer and then I'll go see if I can smooth a few feathers."

    "You think it's going to be that easy?"

    "She'll calm down. She's just a little pissed at the moment."

    "I'd say she's more than a little pissed."

    "Only because she lost the argument. She'll get over it."

    "I wouldn't count on that happening anytime soon. I get the impression Ms Inskip is not accustomed to losing an argument. And since you're not exactly an expert at losing, either, I'd say we're in for a long siege."

    "What's she going to do? Spend the rest of her vacation in her room? She's not that silly or irrational."

    The colonel polished a glass and contemplated that. "She might decide there are more pleasant places to spend a vacation than AmethystIsland."

    That jolted Jared. His jaw tightened. "You think she'd leave just because I put my foot down with her over something that was none of her business in the first place?"

    "Is that what you did?"

    "Yeah, that's what I did. Apparently she hasn't had too many people do that to her."

    "I can see why," the colonel said. "As far as her getting ready to leave the island, I can't say for certain one way or the other. Haven't heard a thing on that score. Guess we'll find out soon enough, though, won't we? Hank will be making his usual afternoon run back to Ruby in about an hour. If she's on the plane we'll have our answer. A lot of people have a lot of money riding on it, you know."

    "Who's handling the bets?" Jared asked, resigned to the inevitable.

    "Jim at the front desk."

    "Figures." The news irritated Jared but did not particularly surprise him. He was suddenly far more concerned about another matter. Until that moment it hadn't occurred to him that Kate might actually leave the island because of the quarrel. He thought about that possibility a moment longer and then stood up quickly. "See you later, Colonel."

    "Where are you going?"

    "To catch Hank. I want to make sure he knows he hasn't got a spare seat on that Cessna of his."

    "Hank almost always has a spare seat on the afternoon hop."

    "Not today he hasn't."

    Twenty minutes later Jared drove swiftly back from the small paved strip that served as AmethystIsland's airport. He killed the Jeep's engine in the resort driveway with a quick, savage motion of his hand.

    He wasn't in a good mood, but he was momentarily satisfied. Hank Whitcomb had been willing to see reason the moment Jared had pointed out that there were other island pilots who wouldn't mind getting a guaranteed daily schedule between Amethyst and Ruby.

    "Sure thing, Jared," Hank had said with a grin when Jared handed him enough cash to cover the cost of one empty seat to Ruby. "No seats available on this here flight. None whatsoever. Good luck with that little lady, pal. Sounds like she's got you running around in circles."

    He was not running around in circles, Jared assured himself as he stalked into the lobby. He was simply drawing a few lines for a woman who needed them drawn.

    He found the front desk vacant and promptly hit the bell to summon a clerk.

    "What can I do for you?" asked the thin young man who emerged from the office. He had started talking before he realized