The Reef

still had control.
    “Kiss me,” Tate demanded and dragged Matthew hard against her. “And make it good.”
    “Ah . . .” Hayden fiddled with his glasses. “Would someone tell me what’s going on?”
    “It feels like we walked in on the last act,” Lorraine agreed. “Was that Silas VanDyke, entrepreneur, benefactor and friend to marine scientists?”
    “That was Silas VanDyke.” Tate gave Matthew a violent squeeze. “Loser. I’m crazy about you, Lassiter. Let’s find that waitress and bring the newlyweds up to date.”

C HAPTER 29
    “I T ’ S A STORY with everything,” Lorraine mused.
    On the deck of the gently rocking boat she studied the stars and the lovely silver moon. It was past midnight, the explanations, exclamations, victory dinner and celebratory toasts were over.
    She’d left her new husband poring over treasures with the others and had slipped away for a quiet moment with her former shipmate.
    “The ending’s the best part.” Content to play truant, Tate lingered over the last glass of the last bottle of champagne.
    “I don’t know. You’ve got murder, greed, lust, sacrifice, passion, sex—”
    “Okay, maybe the sex is the best part.”
    With a chuckle, Lorraine tried to squeeze a few more drops from the bottle standing between their chairs. “I left out witchcraft. Do you think Angelique Maunoir was really a witch?”
    “This from a scientist.” But Tate sighed. “I think she was strong and powerful, and that love can work magic of all sorts.”
    “Maybe you should worry about owning that amulet, gorgeous as it is.”
    “I like to think she would have approved of who found it, and what we intend to do with it. We’ll be able to tell her story. And speaking of stories . . .” Generously, Tate poured half her glass of wine into Lorraine’s. “What about yours and Hayden’s?”
    “It’s not as legendary, but I like it.” Pursing her lips, Lorraine held up her hand to study her wedding ring. There was just enough starlight to make it glint. “I hooked him on the rebound.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous.”
    “Well, maybe it’s not quite like that. You know, when you and I were working together, I never really understood you. There was Hayden, watching your every move with those wonderful cow eyes, and you never blinked. Of course now, meeting Matthew, it all comes clear.” She gave a dreamy little sigh.
    “I hope you won’t take this the wrong way, but I was thrilled when you were called away from the Nomad. Lorraine, I told myself, the coast just cleared.” Gesturing with her glass, she nearly sloshed out champagne. “Get to work.”
    “You worked fast.”
    “I just love him. I swear, Tate, he made me feel like a clumsy puppy begging for scraps the whole time we were working together. I’d always been in control with men, you know? With Hayden, all bets were off. I finally had to swallow any semblance of pride. I cornered him in the lab one night when he was working late, and seduced him.”
    “In the lab?”
    “You bet. Actually, I’d made a few moves before, just to get his attention. I told him I loved him, that I was going to dog his heels wherever he went.
    “He studied me very seriously before he said that it seemed best if we got married.”
    “He said that?”
    “Exactly that.” Lorraine sighed over the romance of it. “And then he smiled. And then I cried like a baby.” Lorraine sniffled and tossed back the rest of her champagne. “If I’m not careful, I’ll cry again.”
    “Don’t, you’ll set me off. I guess we both got lucky.”
    “It’s taken me practically my whole life to get lucky. Shit.” With a shrug she slurped more champagne. “I’m just drunk enough to admit it. Forty-three years. I’m a goddamn middle-aged marine chemist who’s really in love for the first time. Damn it, I am going to cry.”
    “Okay.” Tate sniffled. “Are you up to playing matron of honor in a couple of days?”
    “Yeah.” Lorraine blubbered sentimentally into her empty glass. She looked up with a watery smile and misty eyes as Hayden and Matthew came on deck.
    “What’s going on out here?” Hayden asked.
    “We’re drunk and happy,” Lorraine told him. “And in love.”
    “That’s nice.” Hayden patted her on the head. “You be sure to mix yourself up something to fix the hangover you’re going to have in the morning. We’ve got a busy day ahead.”
    “He’s so . . .” Lorraine rose, rocked and draped herself over