Elusive Dawn by Kay Hooper Page A

nearby and take a ride in a glass-bottomed boat. How does that sound?"
    "Great." She frowned slightly. "Tie up? Won't we just drop the anchor?"
    "We'll tie up in the marina tonight, since we'll be leaving the boat. And once we reach Key West, too. In between, we'll just drop anchor in some little cove."
    "Swim and fish?" A smile played over her lips.
    He sent her a quick, answering smile. "Sure. I wouldn't advise swimming out here in the open sea, but the coves should be safe enough. Have you ever fished?"
    "Years ago, but never in the ocean. I'll just watch you."
    "That won't be any fun."
    Silently, she thought: That's what you think! Aloud, she murmured, "How long does it take to get to Key Largo?"
    "A couple of hours, if the wind holds."
    A companionable silence fell between them. She joined him in staring out to sea, wondering what he was thinking and trying to make sense of her own thoughts. When he finally spoke, she almost wished he hadn't.
    "Do I really look so much like him?"
    Robyn felt her fingernails biting into her arms and had to make a conscious effort to relax. "Not really. He was dark but blue-eyed. And you're taller." When Shane turned his head to meet her steady gaze, she repeated, "Not really."
    "Tell me about him. How you met."
    She hesitated, staring at him. "Shane-"
    "I have to know, Robyn."
    Robyn stared down at her knee for a moment, then told him what she could. "We met at a party..." She looked up quickly, wishing she could recall the words, but Shane showed no reaction other than a slight frown. Hastily, she went on.
    "My father had died recently, and I wasn't really used to going out much. But I was attracted to Brian. He always seemed to be smiling. We dated for a few months. He traveled quite a bit in his... work." She took a breath and finished calmly, "He asked me to marry him and-and I accepted."
    "You don't like talking to me about your husband, do you?" he asked quietly.
    "No," she replied honestly.
    "Why not?"
    "Because I'm afraid." The stark words were out before she could halt them, and they had to be explained. "I'm afraid you believe that I'm seeing Brian whenever I look at you, and that's not true. And I don't want you to see Brian's ghost every time you look at me."
    Staring straight ahead, Shane told her huskily, "When I look at you, honey, I see you. I see a beautiful woman whose life I very badly want to be a part of. If there were ten men in your past, a dozen ghosts at your side, it wouldn't matter."
    Robyn took a deep, shaky breath. "Then can we put the subject behind us? At least during the trip?"
    He nodded, automatically glancing down to check their direction by the compass and then swinging the brass wheel slightly to starboard. "We'll put it behind us," he agreed.
    This time, the companionable silence stretched for nearly an hour, broken only by an occasional comment. Robyn was enjoying the sound of the wind snapping the sails, the steady slapping of water against the hull, and the feel of the salt spray in her face.
    A pair of dolphins joined them as Key Largo came into sight, and Robyn was completely entranced by their antics. The beautiful mammals leaped in and out of the blue-green sea, bright black eyes seeming to invite the watching humans to join their game. Robyn laughed in delight as their friendly escorts stood up on their tails and chattered gaily, clearly wishing their observers a fond good-bye before heading rapidly back out to sea.
    She stared after them, unaccountably wistful. "Oh, Shane, aren't they beautiful?" she marveled.
    "Beautiful," he confirmed softly.
    But she saw he wasn't looking at the dolphins.
    They spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring, leaving the boat tied up in the marina. They put the past behind them and threw off the trappings of dignity and caution. Cheerfully, they became more and more childlike as the day wore on, each trying to top the other and stretching toward the heights of absurdity.
    Shane solemnly told the other