"You're going to need a new treasure-hunting outfit, honey. This one's shot."
"Shut up, Josh. Look in the pocket."
"Probably found a diamond that fell out of somebody's ring," he muttered. "Thinks she's hit the mother lode."
But his fingers closed over the coin. With a puzzled frown he drew it out. Spanish coin, more than a century old and bright as summer.
"I don't hear any laughing out there," she called out. "Or any apology, either." She began to hum to herself as the churning water loosened her muscles. Sensing him in the doorway, she flicked him a glance from under her lashes. "You don't have to grovel. A simple 'Please forgive me, Margo. I was a fool' will do nicely."
He flipped the coin and caught it neatly before sitting on the ledge. "One doubloon does not
a treasure make."
"Rudyard Kipling?"
He had to grin. "J. C. Templeton."
"Oh, him." She closed her eyes. "I always thought he was cynical and overblown."
"Take a breath, darling," he warned, and dunked her.
When she surfaced, sputtering, he turned the coin over in his hand. "I admit it's intriguing. Where exactly did you find it?"
She was pouting and blinking water out of her eyes. "I don't see why I should tell you. Seraphina's dowry is a girl thing."
"Okay." He shrugged and picked up his wine. "So, what else did you do today?"
"At least you could wheedle," she said in disgust.
"I've cut way back on my wheedling." He passed her the soap. "You really need this."
"Oh, all right, then." One long, gorgeous leg shot out of the water. She soaped it lavishly. "It was on the cliffs in front of the house. Kate put a pile of stones up to mark the spot. But we searched there for hours after I found the coin and didn't find so much as a plug nickel."
"And what exactly is a plug nickel? Just a rhetorical question," he said when she hissed at him. "Look, duchess, I'm not going to spoil your fun. You've got yourself a nice little prize here. And the date's right. Who knows?"
"I know. And Kate and Laura know." She dragged her fingers through her wet hair. "And I'll tell you something else. It meant something to Laura. She lost that look in her eyes, that wounded look that always seems to be there if she doesn't know you're watching."
When his face went grim, she was sorry she'd said it. She covered his hand with hers. "I love her too."
"Firing the bastard wasn't enough."
"You broke his nose."
"There was that. I don't want her hurting. I don't know anyone who deserves it less than Laura."
"Or who seems to handle it better," she added, giving his hand a quick squeeze. "You should have seen her today. She was laughing and excited. We even got the girls in on it. I haven't seen Ali smile like that in weeks. It was so much fun. Just the anticipation of what might be there."
He eyed the coin again before setting it down to gleam on the ledge. "So when are you going back?"
"We decided to make it a regular Sunday outing." She wrinkled her nose at the water. "I might as well be taking a mud bath." And pulled the plug. "I'm starved. Do you mind eating in tonight? I have to shower off and wash my hair."
He watched her rise up, water sluicing off creamy skin in streams. "Can we eat naked?"
"Depends." She laughed as she padded toward the shower. "What's on the menu?"
The next morning, loose with love, she stretched as Josh maneuvered through traffic. "You didn't have to drive me in," she told him, "but I appreciate it."
"I want to drop by the resort anyway. Check on a few things."