Fatal Tide by Iris Johansen

service for your friend was over. You can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous for you. Are you going back to your island?”
    “Yes.”
    “Will you let me go with you?”
    She could tell he was expecting her to refuse. She glanced back over her shoulder at the sea where Carolyn’s ashes had been scattered.
    Good-bye, my friend. Thank you for all you gave me. I won’t forget you.
    Her lips tightened as she turned back to face him. “Yes, by all means, come with me, Kelby.”
     
    “Quite a setup.” Kelby watched her lower the net. “And your dolphin friends never try to get out?”
    “No, Pete and Susie are happy here. Once I attached a radio tag and tried to release them, but they kept coming back to the net and calling me to let them in.”
    “They didn’t like the big world?”
    “They know it can be dangerous. And they’ve had all the adventures they wanted.” She fastened the net after they floated over it. “Not everyone loves dolphins.”
    “It’s hard to believe. Pete and Susie are certainly appealing.” He grinned as he watched the dolphins swim giddily around the boat. “And they appear to love you.”
    “Yes.” She smiled. “They love me. I’m family.” She started the motor. “And family is important to dolphins.”
    “Did they adopt your friend Carolyn?”
    She shook her head. “They liked her. Maybe they would have gotten closer if she’d been able to spend more time with them. She was always busy with her practice.” She waved. “There’s Cal on the pier. He’ll be relieved I’m back. Pete and Susie make him uneasy. They sense he gets nervous and play tricks on him.” She guided the boat to the pier and cut the engine. “Hello, Cal. Everything okay?”
    “Fine.” He helped her from the boat. “The dolphins have actually been good while you’ve been gone.”
    “I told you they liked you.” She gestured to Kelby. “Jed Kelby, this is Cal Dugan, your new employee. You’ve talked to each other on the phone. Cal can show you your room. I’ll go and shower and leave you to get to know each other. I’ll see you at supper.” She moved down the pier toward the house.
    “I seem to have been dumped,” Kelby murmured, his gaze on Melis. “I guess you have to be a dolphin to get her attention here.”
    “Pretty near,” Cal said. “But at least she let you come. She doesn’t issue many invitations.”
    “Unless she has a hidden agenda.”
    “There’s nothing much hidden about Melis. She’s up-front and out in the open.” He grimaced. “She always tells you exactly what she thinks.”
    “Then she’s not ready to tell me why I’m her guest.” He stared after her speculatively. “At least not yet.”
     
    The sun was setting when Kelby came out on the lanai. Melis was sitting with her feet dangling in the water, talking softly to Pete and Susie.
    He stopped for a moment, watching her. Her expression was soft, radiant. She looked completely different from the woman he had known since Athens.
    That didn’t mean she wasn’t one tough cookie. He had to remember that and ignore this woman who looked like a child talking to her dolphins. Women were always the most dangerous when they seemed no threat at all. He was here for one reason, and nothing must get in the way.
    Yeah, sure, a hell of a lot had already gotten in the way. But they had made it through that mess in Nassau. Now he could zero in and move toward the objective.
    He strolled across the lanai toward her.
     
    “They act as if they understand you.”
    Melis stiffened and looked up at Kelby. “I didn’t know you were there.”
    “You were totally absorbed. Do they always come up and visit you after supper?” Kelby sat down on the edge of the lanai and watched Pete and Susie speed away and start playing in the sea.
    “Most of the time. They usually come right at sunset. They like to say good night.”
    “How do you identify them in the water? Or should I say how would I identify them? You seem to have a