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fact, if you look closely enough, you can see it from here.”
    â€œOh, really?”
    â€œYes, you can,” he said, chiding her for her skepticism. He pointed toward the cliffs of Sausalito. “Look there at the flowers tumbling down the hillsides, the little twisty roads. Doesn’t that remind you of an Italian seaside village?”
    â€œMy imagination must not be as vivid as yours. It looks like Sausalito to me.”
    â€œThen I think our first stop should be to buy you some rose-colored glasses. Any true romantic could see what I see.”
    â€œI haven’t had a lot of time for romance in my life,” she said, unable to prevent a wistful note from creeping into her voice.
    Brad’s fingertips were warm against her cheek as he vowed, “Then that’s about to change.”
    Hand in hand, they returned to the car. With Brad’s dangerous promise still ringing in her ears, Karyn sat silently looking out the window as they crossed the bridge. Her world was suddenly spinning like a top, reeling away from reality as she had known it—dull, consistent, unchanging. What was emerging was a way of life colored with vibrant, passionate shades and throbbing with excitement. After a few days of this, would she ever be content with her humdrum existence again?
    It didn’t matter, she told herself staunchly. The taste of enchantment was worth whatever heartache might follow. Determined to savor it all, Karyn put her hand trustingly into Brad’s as they left the car near the ferry dock and began the walk through the winding streets of the quaint village.
    With the total enthusiasm of a dedicated shopper, Brad dragged her in and out of one boutique after another, watching her closely as she tentatively touched the unique jewelry, studied the paintings or ran her fingers over the fabric of handcrafted woolens or delicately screened silks. She fell in love with a scarf inshades of gold and red, but Brad shook his head and reached instead for one in bright blues and boldest turquoise. When he held it close to her cheek, she could see at once that he was right. It brought out the warm peach tones in her skin and emphasized the unfamiliar sparkle in her eyes.
    Astonished by the difference, she teased, “You have quite a knack at that, Mr. Willis. Have you spent a lot of time picking out women’s clothes?”
    â€œSome,” he murmured and Karyn’s heart fell. “But never as successfully as this.” He turned to the salesclerk. “We’ll take it.”
    â€œBrad, no,” she protested, glancing at the exorbitant price tag. “It’s far too expensive and impractical.”
    He shook his head. “What am I going to do with you? Vacations are meant for frivolous purchases. Now pay attention and repeat after me—for the next week, if I see something I really, really want, I’ll buy it. That’s lesson two.”
    Karyn laughed at his serious expression. “And who will pay the bill for all these extravagances?”
    He waved aside the practicalities. “That’s something you worry about over the long months between vacations. Besides, this is a gift from me to you.”
    â€œI can’t accept it. It’s one thing for you to be entertaining me all week long. This is too much.”
    â€œDon’t you want me to enjoy this vacation as much as you do?”
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œThen you’ll have to accept the gift. It makes me happy to give it to you, to see your eyes light up when you look at it and at me.”
    The rich colors and cool silk of the scarf tempted, but not nearly as much as the hopeful gleam in Brad’s eyes. For a fraction of a second, Karyn could almost believe it really mattered to him whether she accepted the present. “Thank you,” she said finally.
    â€œYou’re welcome,” Brad replied, his eyes locked with hers as he wound the scarf loosely around her neck. His