Неизвестно - Megan's mate

This from Lilah, who slouched on a sofa, her head in the crook of her husband's arm, a baby in her own.

Don't let him rush you

into anything, Jenny. Slow is always best.

She'd know,

Amanda commented.

Lilah's spent her life studying slow.

I'm not ready to give up my girl.

Holt scooped Jenny up.

Especially to a

broken-down sailor.

I can outpilot you blindfolded, Bradford.

Nuh-uh.

Alex popped up to defend the family honor.

Daddy sails the best. He

can sail better than anybody. Even if bad guys were shooting at him.

Territorial, Alex wrapped an arm around Holt's leg.

He even got shot. He's got a

bullet hole in him.

Holt grinned at his friend.

Get your own cheering gallery, Nate.

Did you ever get shot?

Alex wanted to know.

Can't say that I have.

Nathaniel swirled his whiskey.

But there was this Greek in

Corfu that wanted to slit my throat.

Alex's eyes widened until they were like saucers. From his spot on the rug, Kevin inched closer.

Really?

Alex looked for signs of knife wounds. He knew Nathaniel had a tattoo of a fire-breathing dragon on his shoulder, but this was even better.

Did you stab him back and kill him dead?

Nope.

Nathaniel caught the look of doubt and disapproval in Megan's eyes.

He

missed and caught me in the shoulder, and the Dutchman knocked him cold with a bottle of ouzo.

Desperately impressed, Kevin slid closer.

Have you got a scar?

Sure do.

Amanda slapped Nathaniel's hand before he could tug up his shirt.

Cut it out, or

every man in the room will be stripping to show off war wounds. Sloan's really proud of the one he got from barbed wire.

It's a beaut,

Sloan agreed.

But Meg's is even better.

Shut up, Sloan.

Hey, a man's gotta brag on his only sister.

Enjoying himself, Sloan draped an arm

around her shoulders.

She was twelve hardheaded little brat. We had a mustang stallion nearly as bad-tempered as she was. She snuck him out one day, determined that she could break him. Well, she got about a half a mile before he shook her off.

He did not shake me off,

Megan said primly.

The bridle snapped.

That's her story.

Sloan gave her a quick squeeze.

Fact is, that horse tossed her

right into a barbed-wire fence. She landed on her rump. I don't believe you sat down for six weeks.

It was two,

she said, but her lips twitched.

Got herself a hell of a scar.

Sloan gave her butt a brotherly pat.

Wouldn't mind taking a look at it,

Nathaniel said under his breath, and earned an arched-eyebrow look from Suzanna.

I think I'll put Christian down before dinner.

Good idea.

C.C. took Ethan from Trent just as the baby began to fuss.

Somebody's hungry.

I know I am.

Lilah rose.

Megan watched mothers and babies head upstairs to nurse, and was surprised by a quick tug of envy. Funny, she mused, she hadn't even thought of having more babies until she came here and found herself surrounded by them.

So sorry I'm late.

Coco glided into the room, patting her hair.

We had a few

problems in the kitchen.

Nathaniel recognized the look of frustration on her face and fought back a grin.

Dutch giving you trouble, darling?

Well...

She didn't like to complain.

We simply have different views on how things should be done. Oh, bless you, Trent,

she said when he offered her a glass.

Oh,

dear, where is my head? I forgot the canapes.

I'll get them.

Max unfolded himself from the sofa and headed toward the family kitchen.

Thank you, dear. Now...

She took Megan's hand, squeezed.

We've hardly had a

moment to talk. What do you think of The Retreat?

It's wonderful, everything Sloan said it would be. Amanda tells me all ten suites are booked.

It's been a wonderful first season.

She beamed at Trent.

Hardly more than a year

ago, I was in despair, so afraid my girls would lose their home. Though the cards told me differently. Did I ever tell you that I foresaw Trent in the tarot? I really must do a spread for you, dear, and see what your future holds.

Well...

Perhaps I can just look at your palm.

Megan let go with a sigh of relief when Max came back with a tray and distracted Coco.

Not interested in the future?

Nathaniel murmured.

Megan glanced over, surprised that he had moved beside her without her being aware of it.

I'm more interested in the present, one step at a time.

A cynic.

He took her hand and, though it went rigid in his, turned it palm up.

I

met an old woman on the west coast of Ireland. Molly Duggin was her name. She said I had the sight.

His smoky eyes stayed level with hers for a long moment before they shifted to her open palm. Megan felt something skitter down her spine.

A stubborn hand. Self-sufficient, for all its elegance.

He traced a finger over it. Now there was more than a skitter. There was a jolt.

I don't believe in palmistry.

You don't have to. Shy,

he said quietly.

I wondered about that. The passions are there, but repressed.

His thumb glided gently over her palm's mound of Venus.

Or

channeled. You'd prefer to say channeled. Goal-oriented, practical. You'd rather make decisions with your head, no matter what your heart tells you.

His eyes lifted

to hers again.

How close am I?

Much too close, she thought, but drew her hand coolly from his.

An interesting

parlor game, Mr. Fury.

His eyes laughed at her as he tucked his thumbs in his pockets.

Isn't it?

By noon the next day, Megan had run out of busy-work. She hadn't the heart to refuse Kevin's plea to be allowed to spend the day with the Bradfords, though his departure had left her very much to her own devices.

She simply wasn't used to free time.

One trip to the hotel lobby had aborted her i.e. of convincing Amanda to let her study the books and files. Amanda, she was told by a cheerful desk clerk, was in the west tower, handling a small problem.

Coco wasn't an option, either. Megan had halted just outside the door of the kitchen when she heard the crash of pots and raised voices inside.

Since Lilah had gone back to work as a naturalist in the park, and C.C. was at her automotive shop in town, Megan was left on herown.

In a house as enormous as The Towers, she felt like the last living soul on the island.

She could read, she mused, or sit in the sun on one of the terraces and contemplate the view. She could wander down to the first floor of the family area and check out the progress of the renovations. And harass Sloan and Trent, she thought with a sigh, as they tried to get some work done.

She didn't consider disturbing Max in his studio, knowing he was working on his book. As she'd already spent an hour in the nursery playing with the babies, she felt another visit was out.

She wandered her room, smoothed down the already smooth coverlet on the marvelous four-poster. The rest of her things had arrived that morning, and in her perhaps too-efficient way, she'd already unpacked. Her clothes were neatly hung in the rosewood armoire or folded in the Chippendale bureau. Framed photos of her family smiled from the gateleg table under the window.

Her shoes were aligned, her jewelry was tucked away and her books were stored on the shelf.

And if she didn't find something to do, she would go mad.

With this in mind, she picked up her briefcase, checked the contents one last time

and headed outside, to the car Sloan had left at her disposal.

The sedan ran like a top, courtesy of C.C.'s mechanical skills. Megan drove down the winding road toward the village.

She enjoyed the bright blue water of the bay, and the colorful throngs of tourists strolling up and down the sloped streets. But the glistening wares in the shop windows didn't tempt her to stop and do any strolling of her own.

Shopping was something she did out of necessity, not for pleasure.

Once, long ago, she'd loved the idle pleasure of window-shopping, the careless satisfaction of buying for fun. She'd enjoyed empty, endless summer days once, with nothing more to do than watch clouds or listen to the wind.

But that was before innocence had been lost, and responsibilities found.

She saw the sign for Shipshape Tours by the docks. There were a couple of small boats in dry dock, but the

Mariner

and its sister ship, the

Island Queen,

were

nowhere to be seen.

Her brows knit in annoyance. She'd hoped to catch Holt before he took one of the tours out. Still, there was no reason she couldn't poke inside the little tin-roofed building that housed the offices. After all, Shipshape was now one of her clients.

Megan pulled the sedan behind a long, long T-Bird convertible. She had to admire the lines of the car, and the glossy black paint job that highlighted the white interior.

She paused a moment, shielding her eyes as she watched a two-masted schooner glide over the water, its rust-colored sails full, its decks dotted with people.

There was no denying the beauty of the spot, though the smell and look of the water was so foreign, compared to what she'd known most of her life. The midday breeze was fresh and carried the scent of the sea and the aromas of lunch from the restaurants nearby.

She could be happy here, she told herself. No, she would

be happy here. Resolutely

she turned toward the building and rapped on the door.

Yeah. It's open.

There was Nathaniel, his feet propped on a messy and ancient metal desk, a phone at his ear. His jeans were torn at the knee and smeared with something like motor oil.

His mane of dark mahogany hair was tousled by the wind, or his hands. He crooked his finger in a come-ahead gesture, his eyes measuring her as he spoke on the phone.

Teak's your best bet. I've got enough in stock, and can have the deck finished in two days. No, the engine just needed overhaul. It's got a lot of life left in it. No problem.

He picked up a smoldering cigar.

I'll give you a call when we're finished.

He hung up the phone, clamped the cigar between his teeth. Funny, he thought, Megan O'Riley had floated into his brain that morning, looking very much as she did at this moment. All spit and polish, that pretty rose-gold hair all tucked up, her face calm and cool.

Just in the neighborhood?

he asked.

I was looking for Holt.

He's out with the

Queen.

Idly

Nathaniel checked the diver's watch on his wrist.

Won't be back for about an hour and a half.

His cocky mouth quirked up.

Looks

like you're stuck with me.

She fought back the urge to shift her briefcase from hand to hand, to back away.

I'd like to see the books.

Nathaniel took a lazy puff on his cigar.

Thought you were on vacation.

She fell back on her best defense. Disdain.

Is there a problem with the books?

she

said frostily.

Couldn't prove it by me.

In a fluid move, he reached down and opened a drawer in the desk. He took out a black-bound ledger.

You're the expert.

He held it out to

her.

Pull up a chair, Meg.

Thank you.

She took a folding chair on the other side of the desk, then slipped dark-framed reading glasses from her briefcase. Once they were on, she opened the ledger. Her accountant's heart contracted in horror at the mess of figures, cramped margin notes and scribbled-on Post-its.