JAKrentz - The Pirate, The Adventurer, & The Cowboy (3 page)
"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
"Don't get paranoid. You're just shaken up from your encounter with Sharp Arnie." A degree of indulgence softened his eyes. "Not surprising, really. That knife of his can be intimidating at first glance. Give yourself a little while to calm down. Just relax."
"Sharp Arnie was merely the last straw. If it wasn't for the fact that I can't bear the thought of getting on one more airplane today, I would turn around and head back for
"There isn't another flight out of here until tomorrow."
"And that's another thing I don't like about these remote islands. They're too damned remote."
"Sharp Arnie had a point. Don't you ever close your mouth?"
"Only when I'm working, and I didn't come all this way to work. I'm supposed to be on vacation. Stress, you know."
"Stress makes you mouthy?"
"Among other things." Kate led the way back through quaintly twisted streets to Billy's Ruby Island Dive and Tackle shop where the remainder of her luggage was waiting. She was aware of Jared Hawthorne following behind her like a porter. His dignity did not seem offended, she noticed. He carried the heavy flight bags as if they weighed only a few ounces.
The narrow, sun-drenched streets of the small port village were nearly empty. As Jared had noted, most people were wisely staying indoors to avoid the heat of midday.
Port Ruby was picturesque in its own way, Kate grudgingly decided, but hardly romantic. It was hot, dusty and run-down. An array of ramshackle shops and open-air bars lined the harborfront. Here and there a few dogs of questionable pedigree flopped in the shade of scraggly palms. Everything, including the dogs, looked as though it needed a coat of paint. Kate fervently hoped that Crystal Cove Resort had a bit more to offer in the way of atmosphere.
The door to Billy's shop hung askew on its hinges, the old screen torn and the weathered wood peeling. Kate stepped into the dark interior and breathed a small sigh of relief at the slight reduction in temperature. The now-familiar figure of Billy, who appeared to be somewhere between fifty and seventy and outfitted with skin that resembled tanned leather, stirred from the seat behind the counter. He rose ponderously to his feet, a can of beer in his hand.
"Hey,
"Sharp Arnie found her first." Jared dumped the flight bags onto the wooden floor. "He was up to his usual tricks with a knife."
Billy's grin faded. "Sharp Arnie? Is he back on the island?"
"Yeah. Better tell Sam."
Kate glanced at each man in turn. "Everyone seems to be very familiar with Sharp Arnie. If he's such a well-known public menace, why isn't he in jail?"
Billy shrugged. "He winds up in jail from time to time, but mostly he just gets kicked off one island and washes up on another. He makes a sort of circuit around our neck of the Pacific." Billy scowled suddenly as if a thought had just occurred to him. "You all right? He didn't hurt you or nothin', did he?"
"No." Actually, her knees felt quite wobbly, Kate suddenly realized. Delayed shock. Or perhaps it was the heat. Whatever the cause, she wanted very much to sit down. Just wait until she told Sarah and Margaret about this little incident. "Thank you for your concern, Billy."
"Sure, sure. Sharp Arnie usually don't go around stickin' that knife of his into anyone unless he gets real provoked. Don't worry about your wallet. Sam will get it back from him before he kicks the little punk off the island."
"Fortunately, I am still in possession of my wallet. Thank goodness. Imagine trying to notify all those credit card companies from here!"
Billy looked puzzled. "He didn't take your wallet? Hey, that's real lucky, huh? What happened?
"No," said Kate.
"
Billy swung a startled gaze back to Kate and then gave a crack of laughter. "Nice goin', Ms Inskip. Always did admire a woman who could take care of herself. Here, have a cold beer." He fished a can out of a small refrigerator and slapped Kate on the back as he handed it to her.
"Thank you." Kate staggered a bit under the blow but quickly caught her balance. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jared watching her as she pulled the tab on the blessedly chilled can. He had that arrogantly amused glint in his silver eyes again, she thought. It annoyed her.
Dammit
, she thought,
why does he look so familiar? I must have seen him somewhere before this. I know this man
.
"Where did you learn to handle folks like Sharp Arnie?" Jared asked very casually as he accepted a can of beer from Billy.
"I took a two-week course in self-defense techniques for women that was offered at my athletic club last year."
"You've had all of two weeks' worth of training, huh? Impressive."
His condescension was annoying. "It was enough, wasn't it?"
"Enough to terrorize Sharp Arnie, I'll give you that."
"A woman on her own has to learn a variety of skills."
"I'll just bet she does."
Kate gulped the beer and sighed. She was not up to sparring with this familiar stranger just now. Her knees felt a little less wobbly, but exhaustion was hitting her like a wave. "When can we get out of here? Right now even a ceiling fan sounds good."
"It does, don't it?" Billy observed, glancing up to where the shop fan hung motionless in the heavy air. "Hopin' to get mine fixed soon. Parts are supposed to be in any day. Ordered 'em six months ago."
"
Six months
." Kate was horrified. "You've waited six months just to get a broken fan fixed?"
Billy shrugged philosophically. "
"Speaking of time, we'd better get going. I've got a resort to run, remember?" Jared set aside his unfinished beer and picked up Kate's bags. He glanced casually at Billy. "You want to cut the cards for the fuel?"
"Not on your life,
Jared shook his head. "I'm disappointed in you, Billy. Where's your sporting spirit? Suit yourself. Put the fuel on the resort's tab."
Billy grinned widely and scratched his stomach. "I'll just do that. Uh, you want me to help you with the rest of Ms Inskip's luggage?"
"Forget it. I can handle these two flight bags."
Billy cleared his throat. "That's not quite all her stuff."
"It certainly isn't," Kate said. "You couldn't possibly expect me to pack everything I'd need for a month in two small flight bags."
"Where's the rest of it?" Jared asked, looking resigned.
"Got it all back here safe and sound," Billy said, heaving two suitcases up from behind the counter. He bent down for a third.
Jared watched the luggage pile up on the counter. "I take it you don't believe in traveling light, Ms Inskip?"
"Blame the two so-called friends who shanghaied me. They did the packing." Kate smiled blandly. "They weren't sure exactly what I'd need, so they packed for all eventualities."
"No wonder the airline lost your luggage," Jared muttered as he picked up one of the suitcases. "The baggage handlers probably got tired of dealing with it and decided to chuck it. Come on, Billy, let's get this stuff on the boat."
"Sure thing, Jared."
"Wait a minute," Kate said. "Shouldn't somebody be calling this Sam person so he can arrest Sharp Arnie?"
"Plenty of time for that," Billy said, hoisting a suitcase. "Sharp Arnie ain't goin' nowhere."
"What if he leaves the island?" Kate asked worriedly as she followed the two men outside to the dock where a sleek blue-and-white cabin cruiser was tied. The glare off the water hit her full force, and she scrabbled in her bottomless purse for her oversize sunglasses.
"If he's got enough sense to leave the island, good riddance," Billy called over his shoulder. "It'll save Sam some work."
"But if he leaves Ruby he'll only show up on another island. You said yourself he makes a circuit."
Billy chuckled. "If you're frettin' about Sharp Arnie jumping over to Amethyst, don't. Arnie knows better'n to try to work the tourists over there. He tried it once a couple years back and
"Explained he wasn't welcome?" Kate echoed in disbelief. "I must say the approach to law and order around here is extremely casual."
"Yeah, but it works." Jared tossed her luggage into the back of the boat and bent to untie the lines. "Hop aboard, Ms Inskip. We're ready to leave."
"Not so fast. Just why is Sharp Arnie so willing to spare
It was Billy who answered. "Let's just say Arnie is real respectful toward Jared here. See,
"Most of the time," Jared agreed. "Makes life simple." He leaped lightly on board and reached out to grasp Kate's arm. He hauled her off the dock and into the boat with little ceremony. "Sit down, Ms Inskip." He guided her rather forcefully into a seat and gave her a wicked smile. "Wouldn't want you to fall overboard between here and Amethyst. Something tells me I'd never hear the end of it. So long, Billy. See you later in the week. Thanks for looking after the lady."
Billy grinned. "No problem. Have a nice vacation, Ms Inskip."
Kate opened her mouth to explain once again that so far her vacation was not off to a great start, but she closed it in frustration when Jared Hawthorne rudely gunned the engines.
Abandoning the effort, she sank wearily into a seat and gazed dully out over the water. As she watched, Port Ruby began to shrink in the distance. It occurred to Kate that she could not remember ever having felt so bone weary.
When she got bored with watching Port Ruby, she allowed her gaze to wander back to Jared Hawthorne who was concentrating on guiding the sleek craft through the necklace of small islets that protected
When they got beyond the bits and pieces of land, Kate was suddenly aware of the vast expanse of turquoise sea that lay ahead. She had not spent much time in boats of any size, let alone one as small as the cruiser.
"I assume you're reasonably good at handling a boat?" she called to Jared.
"You'll find out soon enough, won't you?" he retorted cheerfully. Then he seemed to notice the tension in her face. "Hey, take it easy. I make this run three or four times a month. Amethyst is just a short hop."
"I see." The eerie sense of familiarity returned to Kate as she studied Jared's lean profile. Idly she tried to pin down who it was he reminded her of. His hair was dark, nearly black, worn unfashionably long and silvered here and there with hints of gray. He must be nearly forty, she decided. Try as she might, she could not think of anyone she knew who resembled him. Her curiosity overcame her.
"Look," she finally said, pitching her voice above the roar of the engine, "this is going to sound silly, but do I know you from somewhere?"
Jared gave her a curious glance. "No. Definitely not. Believe me, I'd remember if we'd ever met."