The Pirate & The Adventurer & The Cowboy

fault of my own I had missed the one flight a day to AmethystIsland? 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 RubyIsland 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 room 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 RubyIsland and discovered I had missed my connection to Amethyst I became seriously concerned. And now, after having nearly