Written in the Stars (12 page)

“You’ll have this evening at the Crescent Key Yacht Club. I’m not up to going to the
festivities, after all.”

Cordelia had been looking forward to Midsummer Night, to celebrating the Summer Solstice,
her birthday, and a night of magic, echoing whispers of her supernatural inheritance
from Elizabeth. But if her mother didn’t want to go…

“Mom, you have to come.”

“I know it’s your special day, but I’d rather not leave the ship. Out here, I feel
closer to Clive than I have since he died. It’s a wonderful feeling.”

“Then I won’t go, either. I’ll stay here with you and—”

“Give me some room, honey. I’m glad you got me here. Remembering all those hunts with
your father is filling my heart. I need a little time alone with his memory. You understand,
don’t you?”

“Of course.” Though she didn’t. Not really. Not when she’d never experienced the kind
of love and commitment her parents had had for each other.

“Then stop pushing, please. I want you to have a good time with Innis. The best birthday
ever.”

Though Cordelia knew she had, indeed, been pushing her mother to rise up from the
depression that had taken over her life, she still wasn’t certain if her mother was
insisting on the time alone for herself or to let her daughter have time alone with
a special man. Either way, she was going to respect her mother’s request for her to
stop pushing. But while on the subject of her father…

“How did you know Dad was the right man for you?”

A sad smile slipped across her mother’s lips. “From the moment we met, I couldn’t
imagine my life without him.”

Words that had recently seared her heart. “Elizabeth said the same about Will.”

“You’ve been reading her journal again.”

“Last night. She talks about a love that will live through the ages.” She could almost
hear Elizabeth’s heartfelt message, as if she’d been there. “I can’t imagine ever
feeling such emotion. And yet I feel connected to her.”

“She was our ancestor.”

“Four centuries ago. It’s difficult to explain, but I feel like she’s here now, with
me somehow.”

“The journal has touched your heart.” Mom picked up Cordelia’s hand and kissed the
birthmark on her wrist. “You are special, my lovely daughter. Never forget that. You
have her mark.”

While the Posey ring and treasure box had been passed down from mother to daughter
for four centuries, the birthmark, along with psychic ability, skipped generations.

“Do you ever regret not having the connection?” Cordelia asked.

“I had your father to keep me content. The women who have borne the mark haven’t always
fared well in love.”

“You think there’s a connection?” One that affected her?

“Who is to say? You’re an exceptional woman. Anything is possible for you. Perhaps
you hold Elizabeth’s magic as well.”

Oh, sure. The biggest trick Cordelia had ever managed was a little telekinesis.

Not that moving things around with her mind was easy for her.

The last time was several months ago, when she’d sent a vase of flowers flying against
a wall. Her supposed date had them delivered after standing her up when he’d told
her to meet him in front of a movie theater.

Spotting a magazine that had fallen to the deck of her mother’s chair, Cordelia concentrated
on it, willed it to move back where it belonged. A couple of pages fluttered—her or
the breeze?—and Cordelia gave up. She’d been trying to make telekinesis work for her
off and on all her life, but it seemed that strong emotions had to be involved or
she simply couldn’t do it.

“Magic, huh?” she mused. “That would be great if it translated into my finding the
mother lode before that treasure hunter gets his hands on it.” On the knife with the
jeweled handle in particular.

“I’m glad you found the journal, but don’t get lost in the romance of Elizabeth’s
story.”

Having told her mother about several of the journal entries, Cordelia wondered what
bothered her. “Why the warning?”

“If Elizabeth’s belief that she and Will shall find each other again is true, then
Carlyle shall certainly try to stop them from being together.”

Despite the icy fingers that crept down her spine, Cordelia laughed. “C’mon, Mom.
Elizabeth was the ultimate romantic. That’s not me. I’m far too pragmatic to believe
in such a haunting love story.”

She glanced at Innis, walking toward them with a sparkle in his eyes and a smile hovering
about the lips that had kissed her.

And for a heart-tripping moment, she wondered if it could all be true.

Chapter Twelve

Later that afternoon, several crew members from Foley’s Treasure were getting ready
to go down for the last dive of the day. And Innis was going with them.

“Maybe I should join you.” An anxious Cordelia didn’t want to miss anything. She wasn’t
one to sit mesmerized watching a video feed for an entire dive. “I have only done
that one dive this morning.”

“Save your energy for tomorrow when the hunt really begins.” Innis did a final check
on his regulator and slipped into his vest and tank. “It’s up to you, but I thought
you might want to spend some time this afternoon with your mother, being that she’ll
stay onboard alone tonight.”

Even though Mom had insisted, Cordelia couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. “You
do have a point.”

“And I have enough divers to finish setting up the grid. I promise you, that’s all
we’ll do today.” Grinning at her, Innis leaned close enough that she could feel his
breath on her cheek. “I wouldn’t think of searching for treasure without you.”

A little breathless, she said, “All right, then.”

Still, she glanced over to her greatest worry—the Sea Rover, anchored but a hundred
yards away.

“And don’t give Murphy another thought, Cordelia.” Innis’s brow furrowed and his mouth
tightened. “If he becomes a problem, I’ll take care of him.”

Did he mean physically? Cordelia hoped not.

“Innis, please don’t do anything foolish. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“How do you know I would be the one hurt?”

“In-n-nis!”

“All right.” He smiled at her. “I’ll take it as a compliment that you’re concerned
about me. I won’t do anything foolish.”

He brushed his lips over hers in a kiss so quick she didn’t have time to react. Then
he saluted her and joined the members of his crew who were making the dive.

Cordelia crossed back to the Evening Star, which was still anchored against Foley’s
Treasure. But rather than joining her mother immediately, she watched the divers roll
into the water, wishing she were going with them. She couldn’t keep herself from standing
at the rail for long enough that she wondered what was going on below the surface.

Again, she checked out the Sea Rover. The only person visible was an older man who
watched the waters with what seemed to be a sharp eye.

“Aaah!” Cordelia vented her frustration.

Certain that Murphy and his men were still down below and trying to beat her to the
treasure, she only hoped they didn’t find anything. And that they didn’t make trouble
for Innis or his crew. Why couldn’t this have been the idyllic treasure hunt she’d
hoped for? Her father’s memory deserved to be honored. Her mother deserved to have
a reason to truly regain her life.

Surely Murphy wouldn’t succeed in stealing that from the people she loved.

As if thinking about the treasure hunter had summoned him, Murphy rose up next to
the boat like Poseidon emerging from the sea. Shocked by his presence, Cordelia stared
down at him, openmouthed, stomach tightening, as he used the dive ladder to climb
aboard. Not that he’d been diving. She thought he’d just swam over from his boat.
He wasn’t sporting any gear. Or much in the way of anything else. His short skins
were tight enough to show off his trim waist and muscular thighs. And, well, all his
assets.

Her mouth went dry.

He shook his head as if trying to clear his ears. Water whipped from his long hair
and pelted her.

“Thanks for the shower, Murphy!” she forced out. “What do you think you’re doing,
boarding my boat without permission?”

And why was her pulse thundering so hard?

His lips quirked. “Would you have granted me permission?” When she didn’t answer,
he said, “That’s what I thought. I wanted a chance to talk to you without Foley around
to interrupt.”

“Innis Foley is—”

“Your partner, right? Or is he something more?” His tone changed slightly. “Lover?”

How dare he ask her something so personal? That she’d hired Innis and had given him
a stake in the find was her own business. “What we are—or aren’t—is none of your concern.”

Although his asking sent a trickle of awareness through her, made her wonder if he
was interested in her personally. He was a fine-looking specimen, but she didn’t want
to be blinded to his real purposes by something as mundane as lust. She had to consider
the man himself, just as she did Innis. She couldn’t forget about Innis.

“So your relationship is strictly business,” he went on.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t say otherwise, either.”

He punctuated the last with a smile. No, more of a smirk, really. Cordelia’s knees
grew soft and she covered by gripping the rail.

“What is your point, Murphy? Why did you want to speak with me?”

“I wanted to know if you would be reasonable.”

“Reasonable? About the site? After all the years my father put into finding the Celestine?”

“But your father didn’t find it.”

“Because he died first. Tragically.”

“On another dive.” He nodded. “I read about it. My condolences.”

Mollified just a little that he sounded sincere, she calmed herself down. “I’m taking
up his cause, making his dream come true. A find like that would grace any museum.”

“Or a museum could be built to house it.”

“A museum with a stiff entry price?” she asked.

“Why not?”

“I’m not in this for the money.”

“You can afford to have a disdain for money when you haven’t had to work your butt
off to get enough for the hunt, wondering if it will even happen.”

“I’m not going to apologize because I come from money.”

“And I’m not going to apologize because I don’t,” he said, took a breath and then
added, “Now, about my proposal. Will you agree to be reasonable?”

Flustered by the argument, she tensed. “What do you mean by reasonable?”

“I’m not going away.”

“I got that, Murphy.”

“I want to know if we can be friendly competitors.”

“How friendly?” she asked, suddenly edgy.

“No dirty tricks. No sabotage. No violence.”

Cordelia was appalled that he would think she would resort to anything so underhanded.
“No one has ever accused me or my family of any of those things before!”

“I wasn’t accusing you. However, Innis Foley could be a loose cannon. The reason I
wanted to know your relationship status. Do you have a leash on him or not?”

A leash? Now Cordelia was getting angry. “Go away, Murphy. I’m not even going to respond
to your insults. Get off my boat!”

“As you wish.” He backed up to the rail and hopped on. “Just know that if you don’t
keep Foley and his men in line…well, I can give as good as I get!” With that, he rolled
backward into the water.

For a moment, Cordelia watched him swim toward the Sea Rover. It was only then she
realized her wrist hadn’t burned, nor had her ring tightened the way they had when
he’d shown up that morning. Did that mean he wasn’t a danger? Or had he’d simply caught
her off guard?

Determined not to let the treasure hunter have any power over her, she turned away
and nearly ran into her mother.

“I heard the argument.”

“I’m sorry if we disturbed you, Mom.”

“You have no reason to be sorry.”

“You’re right. The man is a lout.”

“Well, at least you didn’t call him a pirate again. I don’t think he is a pirate.
Or a lout. I think he has history…not all good. I’ve heard more than a few tales of
underhanded behavior among treasure hunters. Perhaps he has reason to fear being victimized
somehow.”

“Morgan Murphy is no victim.”

“No, I can’t imagine he ever has been. But he’s been in the business for a very long
time, since he was a child at his mother’s knee. He comes from a family of treasure
hunters. Lovely parents—Clive and I met the Murphys once —but they’re nothing like
their son. They might have his sense of purpose, but they don’t have his strength.
I believe he had to work at it consciously to be so certain of himself. Who knows
what experience has played into his history?”

An observation that sobered Cordelia.

Had Murphy developed a persona that made him look like a pirate as a defense, as a
means of self-protection?

Or was she fooling herself, creating a story to make him seem more acceptable?

Only time would tell.

…

The seductive evening and being with Innis, a man who obviously was infatuated with
her, drugged Cordelia into being giddy, open to new possibilities. Despite seeing
flashes in her mind’s eye of Murphy in those tight diving skins, she focused on Innis,
concentrated on the man with whom she had history.

The Crescent Key Yacht Club was the perfect setting for Midsummer Night, the perfect
way to rekindle an old romance. Innis had reserved a table on the terrace where they
could see the band that provided atmospheric music. In his tropical white suit and
bronze shirt, he was positively mouth-watering. The perfect escort, he wined and dined
and charmed her. She couldn’t remember feeling so carefree since her father died.

“That music is tempting, don’t you agree?” he asked of the slow Latin number the band
was now playing.

“Mmm, indeed.”

He held out his hand. “I can’t resist the urge to hold you close with a breeze ruffling
your hair and moonlight casting its glow over your lovely features.”

Cordelia bit back a laugh and made do with a smile even if she thought Innis was being
overly dramatic with his compliments.

“Such a romantic,” she murmured.

“And I hope it’s catching,” he said, leading her to the terrace and pulling her into
his arms.

Cordelia let herself soften in his arms, gave him the lead. They danced mere yards
from the musicians. A sultry breeze shimmered around them, twirling the delicate hibiscus-print
skirts of her backless dress so the material tangled around their legs. The sky was
clear, the waning moon set in a swath of stars. Candlelight glowed from nearby stands
and tables. Though it was cool near the water, she was heating up, thinking of how
they would have the yacht to themselves on the way back to the site. Her mother had
stayed behind on Foley’s Treasure.

“Happy birthday,” Innis murmured in her ear.

“Mom squealed on me!”

He grinned at her. “She did. I even bought a bottle of champagne to celebrate on the
Evening Star later.”

“What a perfect evening.”

“What a perfect partner.”

“Really? I’m a little rusty—”

“I didn’t mean the dance.” He returned his mouth to her ear. “I meant the woman.”

Warmth flushed through her and she couldn’t help but remember her conversation about
romance with her mother. “You flatter me.”

“I mean to. I’ve never gotten over you, Cordelia. That summer we spent diving together
and lying around on the beach and talking about our dreams for our futures was unforgettable.
I’ll never forgive Hurricane Ella for destroying that wreck site and taking you away
from me.”

Cordelia remembered those days fondly. “I thought my heart was broken when we left
for home. But really, we were so young.”

“I was old enough to know what I wanted. From the moment I met you, I knew you were
the woman for me. I haven’t changed my mind.”

Another echo from the journal.

Cordelia’s chest tightened and her pulse picked up. Could it be? She felt closer than
ever to Elizabeth. She suddenly knew that with all her heart she yearned for the kind
of love that Elizabeth and Will had shared.

The way Innis was looking at her…the way his face edged closer to hers… Certain he
was about to kiss her, she wet her lips, left them parted, half held her breath as
she waited for his mouth to descend on hers.

And then her wrist began to burn.

She jerked slightly in his arms.

His expression immediately concerned, Innis asked, “What is it?”

Her ring tightened.

“I’m not sure…”

And then she was.

She couldn’t miss Morgan Murphy, leaning against the terrace railing. Watching her.
He looked every bit the pirate tonight. Tight black pants, black leather boots, full-sleeved
white shirt billowing in the breeze, shoulder-length hair tied back with a strip of
leather.

Innis stiffened. “What the hell is Murphy doing here?”

“I guess you’ll have to ask him yourself,” Cordelia said, as Murphy left the railing,
his gaze locked onto hers.

Her wrist burned hotter, the Posey ring tightened…tightened…tightened…warning her
of impending danger. Her heart began to thud and her throat felt like it had gone
solid. She couldn’t even swallow.

“Seems he wants to say something to us.” Innis stopped dancing. “I’ll take care of
him.”

Not that he had a chance.

The moment Innis drew himself together and let go of Cordelia, the treasure hunter
swooped down on her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

“C’mon, Cordy, let’s call a truce.”

“It’s Cordelia,” she ground out through clenched teeth.

He swept her onto the dance floor away from Innis. She glanced back in time to catch
the other man’s murderous expression. For a moment, she thought Innis would come after
them and start a scene. Then he seemed to get hold of himself and went straight to
the bar.

Annoyed that her romantic evening had been interrupted, she demanded, “Now what do
you want?”

“Can’t I simply want to dance with a beautiful woman?”

“I would have to trust you to believe that.”

“No trust? You wound me.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “What is the real reason, Murphy?”

“Morgan to you,” he said.

“Fine. Morgan.”

“Maybe I just want to get to know my competition a little better—”

“Now that I believe.”

“—to give you another chance to enter into a reasonable bargain with me.”

Cordelia had an idea of how to protect her find. If it was money he wanted…

He held off the thought with a series of complicated turns and dips. Cordelia had
to concentrate to keep up with him. They danced in perfect harmony, as if they’d been
partners before. She felt the pulse in her throat as he led her closer and closer
to the railing and the sea and farther and farther away from the crowd.