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wouldn’t have used you. He said you had to finish college before you could go into the business with him. He meant it.”
    Sean looked at Ian with pity. “You’ve wasted a lot of years making this into something it wasn’t. He could have used me, did you think of that? I was out of school then. I was even working with him then.
    “You know why he didn’t? It was because he knew how dangerous it was. He let his emotions rule his logic. He found out the Heart had changed owners. He thought it being so close was a sign to him to act. He had to have it and he was willing to take ridiculous risks to get it. He didn’t want me to be involved; he wouldn’t have even considered you. He chose the Zappas because he didn’t care how risky it was for them. He thought that by being daring and bold he could pull it off. He was determined to have it back and he paid dearly for that decision.”
    Then he muttered, almost under his breath, “We all paid dearly for that decision.”
    Sean released his breath in a deep sigh. “I’m tired of all this. I’m going down to bed. You coming?”
    Ian shook his head. “In a while, I need to think a bit.”
    Sean headed for the door, walking like an old man; the conversation and the memories taking their toll on him.
     
    *  *  *
     
    The door opened abruptly before he even finished knocking.
    “Well, where in the hell was she? I waited at the buffet for two hours, dawdling over the food, trying to remain inconspicuous and I never even saw her. And I never heard from you.” Kim was more than annoyed. She was angry.
    He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Sorry, really. It was all a mess and I couldn’t contact you. I called your cabin, but you had apparently left, so there was no way to alert you of the change.”
    She looked at him doubtfully, then sighed, shrugged, turned and led the way into her cabin. “We’re going to have to work out a way to send messages. This could get dicey.”
    He nodded. “The old lady refused to go to the early seating. She said families with small children and doddering old fools ate at the early seating and she was neither. She couldn’t be convinced, so everything had to be changed. It cost plenty in tips to the maitre d’, but it finally got worked out.”
    Kim looked alarmed, then sympathetic.
    He assured her. “So from now on she’ll be eating at the eight-thirty seating and judging by today, we won’t be finished until a little after ten. I’m sure Anita will be dining in the buffet during that time.”
    Kim nodded. “Okay, tomorrow’s another day. I’ll do my best.”
    He smiled with relief as he pulled her into his arms. He needed Kim. He wanted her to stay happy and willing.

 

CHAPTER THREE
     
     
     
    “Well, good morning, sunshine,” Claire said brightly as she dropped into the chair opposite Lucy in the coffee bar.
    Millie, who had detoured to the bar to order coffees for them arrived and took another chair. “Lucy, we thought you were going to sleep the morning away.”
    Lucy shook her head and took another sip of her coffee. “Don’t I wish, but there was way too much going on in the corridor to sleep very long. What’s with all these morning people?”
    She was still a little grumpy. She needed her coffee to get started. “What have you two been doing and where’s Ruth? Is she sleeping in too?”
    “Hardly! We had breakfast, did the crossword puzzles, checked out the spa, the library and computer room before we lost Ruth to a group in the card room, who needed a fourth for bridge. We’re going to the lecture on Victoria before lunch. I thought you’d probably show up for that.”
    Lucy nodded. “Yes, I plan to attend, but I’m starving.” She glanced at her watch. “Oh, well, hopefully my growling stomach won’t disrupt the lecture. How was breakfast?”
    “It was wonderful. You don’t sit at your dinner table, they seat you as you come in and you share the table with whoever else is there,” Claire