Chapter 21

Kyle sat on the rail while Chuck poured cocktails for the group gathered on Thunder Island’s back porch. Three days had passed since Hurricane Frances decided to spare Key West. During that time Jennifer had done everything she could to avoid him. He’d given her space.

What choice did he have?

Every day after class, she rushed off to the clinic to visit Sadie. Then Jennifer spent hours on the firing range. It had been well after one each night when she tiptoed up the hall and quietly let herself into her room.

Why was she avoiding him?

“Nothing to drink for me,” Raven told Chuck, breaking into Kyle’s thoughts. “The club reopened. I’m dancing tonight.”

“That’s too bad.”

Kyle silently agreed with Chuck. Even though the hurricane had done little damage to the key, the tourists had fled. Most of the bars and restaurants on Duval Street had been closed. It was a rare moment in paradise—locals only time.

“Oh, my,” Lisa said. She’d been sitting in the long shadows cast by the setting sun, not saying anything. “Who’s the stud with Thelma Mae?”

Kyle looked toward the side of the house where Thelma Mae was showing the beach to a tall man with black hair and dark, striking eyes.

Chuck gazed at Raven, presumably to gauge her reaction to the handsome stranger, but Raven hadn’t bothered to turn around. “Fun’s over,” declared Chuck. “The tourists are back.”

“You mean the fun’s just beginning,” his sister said with a wink.

Kyle could have been annoyed at how quickly Lisa went for another man after she’d spent the last few days coming on to him, but he wasn’t. His mind was on Jennifer. The next time he saw her they were going to have a serious talk.

Thelma Mae promenaded across the lush lawn on the stranger’s arm. The man was young enough to be her son, but any fool could see how taken she was with him. She giggled at something the guy said and lowered her lashes flirtatiously.

This was a side of the cool Thelma Mae that Kyle hadn’t seen. She was an insular woman with a dark undertow to her personality. Kyle wasn’t positive he would like her if he really knew her.

“This is Tyler Langley,” Thelma Mae announced with unmistakable pride.

As she proceeded to introduce Langley to everyone, Kyle studied the man. It was hard to dislike the guy. Tyler Langley had an easy smile and an unaffected manner despite his good looks.

“Right-o,” Plotzy called as he bounded up to the porch from the beach. As usual he had once again avoided “the curse” by being in the ocean when the sun set, but he’d spotted the handsome stranger anyway.

Kyle gave Langley credit for acting as if everyone wore faded Speedos with leopard-print suspenders when they went swimming. Tyler said, “Hi, there,” as he shook Plotzy’s extended hand.

Raven might not have bothered to look at Tyler when they had first seen him, but now she couldn’t keep her eyes off the guy. Chuck was not a happy camper, Kyle decided as he watched the way Chuck was frowning.

Out of the blue, Plotzy told Tyler, “Jennifer threatened to turn me into a toad.”

Now, that would be an improvement.

Tyler chuckled. “I haven’t met Jennifer, but I like her already.”

Look, buddy, don’t even think about Jennifer.

“Where is Jennifer these days?” asked Chuck. “We haven’t seen much of her lately.”

“She’ll be here soon,” Plotzy told Tyler, even though the stranger didn’t know Jennifer and hadn’t asked the question. “She’s bringing Sadie home this evening.”

Unfuckingbelievable! The looneytune Plotzy knew more about Jennifer than he did.

Jennifer lifted Sadie out of her car and gently put her on the footpath leading to Thunder Island. The dog hobbled along, doing amazingly well on three legs.

“Atta girl, Sadie. You’re almost home.”

The sun had set but the sky was fired with its afterglow, backlighting the trees lining the path with a hazy wash of gold. Ahead near Thunder Island’s gate, she saw a man leaning against the white picket fence. Sadie spotted him and immediately her tail surged upward, wagging joyfully.

Kyle strode toward them, but it was too shadowy to see the expression on his face. She’d successfully avoided him for the last few days. She didn’t want to see him now. No matter how she’d suffered in the past, no matter what her rational brain told her, something inside her traitorous body responded to Kyle.

In spite of what had happened.

“Hey, Sadie,” Kyle said. “Look at you. We’re going to have to call you gimp.”

Sadie’s tail chopped the air, and she danced a three-legged jig. Kyle bent down and fondly petted Sadie’s head. He took one long ear in each hand and jiggled them.

He looked up at Jennifer, saying, “You should have asked me to help you.”

“We managed.”

Kyle stood up and stared down at her. “What’s going on? Why are you avoiding me?”

She gazed into his intense green eyes and saw something she didn’t quite recognize. She wasn’t sure if he was angry, or something even more ominous.

“I don’t know what I was thinking. I love Chad.”

Before she could protest, he hauled her into his arms. “You sure as hell have a strange way of showing how crazy you are about Chad Roberts.”

She pulled away and silently cursed herself. “It’s just because you were the first man I cared about. Puppy love.”

“Well, call me a dog.”

There was something so cute about the way he said it that she almost smiled. Almost. Experience had taught her to be cautious where Kyle was concerned. She was far, far too vulnerable to his charm.

“Look, Kyle, I’ve got to think.”

“About what?”

“How I feel about …” She intended to say “you,” but stopped herself, astonished that she wasn’t thinking of Chad first.

“About me?” he asked with another adorable grin.

“Hey, Kyle! Jennifer,” Chuck called from the porch. “Hurry up. Dinner’s being served.”

Thelma Mae loved stirring the pot. She loved to cook and throw in unusual ingredients. Even more, she loved to throw odd people together and see what fireworks followed. She glanced around the table, terribly pleased with herself.

Tyler Langley had ratcheted up the testosterone level at Thunder Island. Chuck was glowering at Tyler while Kyle silently ate his dinner. All the women were fascinated by Tyler’s deep sea diving stories.

“Now that Mel Fisher is dead, Key West could use another treasure hunter,” Jennifer said.

Kyle silently watched Jennifer as she spoke. Thelma Mae smiled to herself. A new box of condoms—French Ticklers—had appeared in Kyle’s nightstand two days ago. So far, not one had been used.

Jennifer was too loyal to fool around with Kyle, Thelma Mae assured herself. She had made an exception by letting Jennifer move into Thunder Island ahead of the others on the waiting list. She didn’t want to be disappointed in Jennifer’s character.

Tyler smiled at Jennifer, then turned to Raven and Lisa seated to his right, saying, “I believe the Atochia is not the only wreck in the area. Mel got lucky when he found it.”

“Lucky,” scoffed Chuck. “The man searched for years and spent a fortune to find the Atochia.”

“Right-o,” added Plotzy. “I knew Mel and he was a hard worker.”

Thelma Mae nearly gagged on the cold cucumber soup with just a hint of sorrel. Mel Fisher had been one of the friendliest men in town, never failing to smile and wave at the locals. That’s how Plotzy knew Mel, but, like the women at the table, Plotzy was enchanted by Tyler and was angling for a way to get his attention.

“I have the greatest respect for Mel, but I have some ideas of my own.”

As Tyler said this, he winked at Thelma Mae. She beamed back at him. The world was full of men. Only a few of them were special.

“Whose soup is that?” asked Raven, indicating the empty place across from Thelma Mae.

Thelma Mae had been wondering when someone would notice. She had a very strict rule about showing up for dinner on time. If you didn’t arrive when the first course was served, the china was removed and you missed dinner.

She’d never made an exception. Until now.

“I’m expecting a guest. His plane must have been late. He’ll be along shortly.”

“Really?” Chuck and Lisa said in unison. Sometimes she thought the twins were joined at the hip. Their minds were often on the same track. “You’re making an exception to Rule 9?”

“Some rules are meant to be broken,” Tyler said with what could only be interpreted as a suggestive smile at Raven.

Chuck’s brows drew together so tightly a furrow appeared between his eyes. He looked as if he was preparing to break something, but it wasn’t a rule. Thelma Mae smiled inwardly. Boy, oh, boy did she love stirring the pot. And it was only going to get better.

Kyle watched Tyler bullshit everyone, laying it on with the devil’s own smile. Kyle didn’t know what to make of the man. He was full of himself in a strange way. Tyler Langley didn’t seem to be taken by his looks, which had captivated every female at the table, but Langley wanted everyone to be impressed by his abilities as a treasure hunter.

Why? Kyle wondered. Tyler hadn’t mentioned any experience to speak of, unless you counted commercial scuba diving with tourists in the Cayman Islands. That Tyler could even think about stepping into Mel Fisher’s shoes took balls.

“Tell us about the treasure you’ve found,” Jennifer said.

She hadn’t spared Kyle more than a quick glance, but she looked at him for an instant as she questioned Tyler.

Tyler hesitated for the briefest of seconds—hardly enough time to blink—but long enough to make Kyle suspicious. “I’ve uncovered several significant pieces.” He leaned forward with a smile, implying he was letting them in on a deep dark secret. “I can’t say what because word might get out—”

“And someone else might steal your find,” Lisa finished for him.

Kyle’s eyes met Jennifer’s. He knew they were both thinking the same thing. Tyler Langley was not in Key West to hunt sunken treasure. What was he after?

“Oh, my stars!” cried Thelma Mae. “There you are.”

Kyle looked toward the doorway and saw Spike—Chad—Roberts walking into the dining room. Just his luck. When he was finally getting somewhere with Jennifer the cocky jerk shows up.

Kyle had no doubt women flipped over Chad. He had blond sun-streaked hair and pale-blue eyes, the type of looks and attitude Kyle associated with surfers. Sure as hell, you’d never think Roberts was with the DEA just by looking at him.

“Chad! What a surprise. I thought you were going to call.” Lisa jumped up and raced over to Chad. She threw her arms around him, pressing every inch of her voluptuous body against his. The deep-throat kiss that followed left the table in astonished silence.

Kyle’s gaze cut to Jennifer. She was staring at the couple with something too intense to be mere shock. She bit down on her full lower lip, then her eyes shifted to him.

“Hey, you two,” Kyle said to break the tension. “You’d better come up for air.”

As he said it, Kyle noticed the tight expression on Thelma Mae’s face. Chuck seemed to be pissed off at the spectacle his sister was making of herself. For some strange reason, Plotzy appeared to be as upset as Chuck, which didn’t make any sense. How could Plotzy know Chad? What was Chad doing here anyway?

“Thelma Mae, baby,” Chad said as he wrenched himself out of Lisa’s clutches. He had the gall to smile at everyone as if the scene with Lisa had been totally natural and head for the open place opposite Thelma Mae. “Sorry I’m late.”

Kyle noted Chad neglected to say why he’d been late. Thelma Mae didn’t ask. Her pinched expression disappeared as Chad dropped into the seat opposite her.

Kyle stole a sideways glance at Jennifer. She was idly playing with her wine glass as if this man meant nothing to her. Chad had yet to look at Jennifer or even glance in her direction.

Why not?

Granted, Roberts might want to keep his so-called engagement from being public knowledge to protect Jennifer from drug lords, but Kyle clearly recalled what Sam Halford had told him. The son of a bitch might have used the engagement bit to lure Jennifer into bed.

Jennifer waited, silently fuming while Chad flirted with Lisa. What was going on here? Lisa acted as if she were the one engaged to Chad.

She concentrated on the main course being served, conch chowder. Thelma Mae prepared the traditional dish with a unique flair by adding calamari and bay scallops to the dish. It was usually one of Jennifer’s favorite meals, but tonight she had to force herself to eat.

She was all too conscious of Kyle watching her, and she didn’t want him to know how upset she was. Upset and confused. On one level she was furious with Chad for ignoring her, yet on another level, she was relieved. She couldn’t possibly love Chad the way she’d thought and still have become involved with Kyle.

How do you feel?

Jennifer’s silent question to herself was difficult to answer. For so many years, she’d worked hard at avoiding heartfelt emotion. Precisely because there was a casualness about Chad, she had felt safe with him, knowing he didn’t expect too much from her.

Kyle was completely different. He would accept nothing short of total commitment, something she could not give without opening a door to the past that she was determined should remain shut.

“How did you find out about Thunder Island?” Kyle asked Chad, interrupting her thoughts.

Chad glanced at Lisa, then looked across the table at Thelma Mae. The older woman smiled, a fond almost affectionate smile. Jennifer found Thelma Mae’s reaction odd. The woman was usually all business, yet tonight she’d saved a place for Chad and now was smiling at him with the same pleased expression she’d shown with Tyler. If she had a thing for younger men, it didn’t include Kyle or Chuck.

“I was down here on a top secret project,” Chad responded to the question. “Someone brought me to Thunder Island, and I’ve been coming ever since.”

What? Jennifer silently contradicted Chad. When they’d been in Miami, he had told her in detail of how he’d sought out Thelma Mae Horton. She had been the mother of a DEA buddy who had been killed in Colombia. The two had become friends, and he visited when he could.

Why would Chad deliberately not tell the truth about such a simple matter?

Finally, the group rose and went out onto the terrace to enjoy dessert and coffee. Instead of following everyone, Jennifer went down the hall and into the laundry room to check on Sadie. Although the dog could walk, Sadie wasn’t able to get up the stairs to Jennifer’s room. Thelma Mae had agreed to let Sadie stay down here until the cast was removed.

She opened the door and flicked on the light. Lurching to one side, Sadie staggered to her feet, tail wagging. Jennifer dropped to her knees and fondled Sadie’s ears the way Kyle did, jiggling them.

“You’re wondering what you did to get shut in here, aren’t you, girl?”

Sadie licked her hand and wagged her tail even harder.

“I could carry her up and down the stairs for you. That way Sadie could stay in your room.”

She started, turning slowly, not having heard Kyle come up behind her.

“That would be great. Thanks. I’ll need to walk her outside first.”

Sadie scrambled toward Kyle, ridiculously happy to see him. They walked the dog out to the side yard near the swimming pool. Jennifer waited, expecting some smart-aleck comment about the way Chad had taken up with Lisa, but Kyle remained silent as they let Sadie do her business.

It wasn’t until they were back in the house at the bottom of the stairs that he spoke, “Okay, Sadie, here we go.”

He effortlessly lifted the bloodhound into his arms and carried her up the stairs. Jennifer opened the door to her room, instantly regretting she hadn’t taken the time to put things away. The T-shirt she slept in was tossed across the unmade bed. The message in hot pink script was still visible:

Anyone Who Says Money Can’t Buy Happiness

Doesn’t Know Where To Shop.

Kyle put Sadie down on the braided rug next to the bed. He towered over Jennifer, asking, “What in hell is going on with Roberts?”

Jennifer shrugged, acting as if she didn’t care, but the way Chad ignored her had been terribly embarrassing. Worse, she’d discovered the man she thought she wanted to marry was a liar. Being involved with him demonstrated what poor judgment she had when it came to men. It would be a long, long time before she allowed herself to become involved with a man.

She turned away from Kyle, but he spun her around to face him. “Roberts is a nut case. If I’m away from you for five minutes, it’s all I can do to keep my hands off you. I’d be damned if I could be separated from you for weeks and not kiss you the second I saw you again.”

Before she could respond, he bent down and gently kissed her lips. It was a short, fleeting kiss, but one of indescribable sweetness. Without another word, he turned and walked out the door.