Fatal Tide (21 page)

“What the hell is this? A conspiracy between the two of you?”

“Well, I figured I couldn’t be any deeper in your bad books.”

“You were wrong.”

Nicholas shrugged. “She said she needed to go back to the island. She’s been through a hell of a lot. I can see how she’d need some downtime.”

“Then why didn’t she talk to me about it?”

“You’ll have to ask her.” He reached in his pocket. “She left you a note.”

The note had two lines.

I’ve gone back to the island. Please take care of Pete and Susie.

Melis

“Son of a bitch!”

L
ONTANA
’
S
I
SLAND

The sunset was beautiful, but she missed having Pete and Susie come to say good night.

And that wasn’t all she missed.

Melis squared her shoulders, turned, and left the lanai. She had work to do and there was no use putting it off. She had done what she had to do. What would be, would be.

She went to the bedroom and pulled out her suitcase. There should be some boxes around here. They might smell of—

“What the hell are you doing?”

She went still. She was afraid to turn around. “Kelby?”

“Who else could get past those barriers you set up around yourself?” he said harshly. “I’m surprised you didn’t up the electricity to keep me away.”

“I wouldn’t do that.” Her voice was uneven. “I’d never hurt you.”

“You did a pretty good job. Turn around, dammit.”

She took a deep breath and turned to face him.

“What kind of note was this?” He threw a balled piece of paper at her feet. “No good-bye. No reason. No
it’s been good to know you
. Just
take care of the dolphins
.”

“Is that why you came halfway around the world? Because you’re angry?”

“It’s reason enough.” He took four steps and grasped her shoulders. “Why did you leave?”

“I had to come back to the island and pack up. I can’t live here anymore.”

“And where were you going?”

“I’ll find a job someplace. I’m qualified.”

“But not back to me.”

“It would depend.”

“On what?”

“On whether you wanted me enough. On whether you followed me.”

“Some kind of a test?” His hands tightened on her shoulders. “Yes, I want you enough. I’d follow you to hell and back. Is that what you want to hear?”

Joy soared through her. “Yes.”

“Then why the hell did you take off? I would have told you that when I got back to the ship. All you had to do was talk to me.”

“I had to give you the choice. You could have read the note and said, ‘To hell with the rude bitch.’ I gave you the out.”

“Why?”

“I promised you I wouldn’t hold you.”

“I’ve been the one who’s been holding tight.”

“But you had no reason now. You have Marinth. Archer is dead. I had to be the reason. The only reason.” She looked him in the eye. “Because I’m worth it, Kelby. I can give you more than Marinth, but you have to give me what I need.”

“And that is?”

“I . . . think I love you.” She moistened her lips. “No, I do love you. It’s just hard for me to say.” She took a deep breath. This was even harder for her to say. “And I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

“Jesus.” He drew her close and buried her head in his shoulder. “Melis . . .”

“You don’t have to say you love me. I promised I wouldn’t—”

“Screw your promise. I never asked for it. I don’t want it.” He kissed her, hard. “I don’t want to be alone either. You had me on the ropes even before we left this place.” He cupped her face in his two hands. “Listen to me. I do love you. I would have told you a long time ago if I hadn’t been afraid you’d skip out on me. You were so grateful that we were so beautifully noncommittal.”

“It was only fair to you.”

“I don’t want you to be fair. I want you to make love to me and eat with me and sleep with me.” He paused. “And when you’re absolutely sure I’m the one who you want to spend the next seventy years with, I want a cast-iron commitment. Understand?”

A brilliant smile lit her face. “I don’t need to wait to be sure.”

“Yes, you do. Because there’s no going back with me. You saw how I was about Marinth. Multiply that into infinity and you’ll see how hard I’d make it for you to leave me.” He brushed a kiss on her forehead. “You’d have to go live with the dolphins.”

“I don’t have the lungs for it.”

“Then you’d better stick with me.”

She put her head on his chest. She whispered, “I think you’re right.”

They left Lontana’s Island the next evening.

As the boat picked up speed after stopping at the nets, Melis looked back at the island shimmering in twilight haze.

“It’s a beautiful place,” Kelby said quietly. “You’re going to miss it.”

“For a while.”

“I’ll buy you another island. Bigger, better.”

She smiled. “That sounds like you. I don’t want an island. Not now. I want to stay on the
Trina
with you.” She frowned. “Can’t you change that name?”

“Henpecked already. Shall I name it after you?”

“Heavens, no.”

“Our first child?”

Her eyes widened. “Maybe,” she said cautiously. “You are thinking of commitment.”

He grinned. “I didn’t say our third or fifth.”

“Perhaps
Trina
’s a fine name for a while.”

“Coward.”

“You have Marinth to bring to life. I have to study the dolphins that live there. I have an idea they’re going to be different from any I’ve ever observed. We’re going to be busy.”

“And you have to take care of Pete and Susie.”

She nodded. “Always.”

“But you left them in my care.”

“If you hadn’t come after me, I would have gone back and found a way to watch over them. They’re my responsibility.”

“You may need an island after all. You told me about all the hazards that threaten wild dolphins. Are you sure you won’t want to bring them home to a safe haven?”

“No, I’m not sure. It depends on the conditions. If you have control of the project, you’ll have power to protect the dolphins.” Her lips tightened. “If not, we may gather all of them up and take them to safety.”

He chuckled. “I’m not sure this place would support all those hundreds of dolphins, but we could try.”

She shook her head. “I’m going to deed the island to the Save the Dolphin foundation in Carolyn’s name. That will be a constant source of irritation to Phil. I’m sure he thought I’d eventually deed it back to him. No ship. No island. He’ll have to start over.”

“I don’t think so.”

There was a note in his voice that made her gaze fly to his face. “No?”

He shook his head.

“Dead?” she whispered.

“He had a fall off the cliff.”

“You?”

“No. And that’s all I’m going to say about it.”

Then it must have been Nicholas. She was silent, letting the knowledge sink in. All those years working with and protecting Phil. It seemed strange to realize he was gone. She finally said, “I don’t feel anything but relief. I was so afraid. He would have kept on trying to take Marinth away from you, and I couldn’t have let that happen. It’s everything to you.”

He smiled. “Not nearly everything.”

“That’s good to know.” She glanced back again at the island. It looked smaller, lonelier from this distance. So many years, so many memories of Pete and Susie.

Yet there were better years to come, richer memories to create. So what if she felt just a little sad? Deal with it.

And she knew just how to do it.

She reached out and covered Kelby’s hand with her own.

Wonder.

Bantam Books by Iris Johansen

Fatal Tide

Dead Aim

No One to Trust

Body of Lies

Final Target

The Search

The Killing Game

The Face of Deception

And Then You Die

Long After Midnight

The Ugly Duckling

Lion’s Bride

Dark Rider

Midnight Warrior

The Beloved Scoundrel

The Magnificent Rogue

The Tiger Prince

Last Bridge Home

The Golden Barbarian

Reap the Wind

Storm Winds

The Wind Dancer

FATAL TIDE

A Bantam Book / September 2003

Published by

Bantam Dell

A Division of Random House, Inc.

New York, New York

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2003 by Johansen Publishing LLLP

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law.

Bantam Books is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

Visit our website at
www.bantamdell.com
.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Johansen, Iris.

Fatal tide / Iris Johansen.

p.  cm.

eISBN 0-553-89797-7

I. Title.

PS3560.O275F37 2003

813'.54—dc21

2003044391

Published simultaneously in Canada

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