and lush greenery graced by her presence.
He felt like an intruder. But he had some news, and it couldn’t wait. Bad news, it seemed, never could.
“Kathy?” he said softly.
She turned. “Oh, hi. I didn’t know you were back.”
“I haven’t been here long.” He hated to spoil the serenity, the beauty of what he had come to think of as her garden. Her enchanted garden. He had no right to be there. Dakota wasn’t a dreamer. To him life consisted of reality—hard, strong doses of it.
“Any new information?” she asked.
He nodded. “A valuable necklace was stolen last night, and Thunder is convinced Payune is responsible.” Dakota shifted his stance. “It belonged to the Duchess of Olin. A rare ruby heirloom that will command a substantial price on the black market.”
“Now Payune has another means to fund his revolution.”
“That’s right. He couldn’t get his hands on the Lone Star jewels, so he went after the next best thing.”
Kathy frowned. “How are we going to get around this? You can’t very well infiltrate Payune’s operation if he doesn’t need the money you intend to offer.”
“True. But Payune is still powerless until he fences the necklace.” Dakota felt a surge of adrenaline rush through his veins, nervous energy he couldn’t shake. This mission had become even riskier, and his wife was his partner. That thought didn’t sit well. “I have to retrieve the necklace. Steal it back, so to speak.”
Kathy’s face paled. “How’s that going to work? Payune will become suspicious of everyone who comes into contact with him. If the necklace is taken from him, he’ll know that someone is trying to stop him from funding the revolution. And it won’t take him long to look in your direction, not once you approach him with your cover.”
“This won’t affect my cover.” Dakota resisted the urge to pace, to stalk the garden path. “The Duchess has a paste copy of the necklace. It’s the one she wears in public, and it’s extremely high quality—identical to the original. So all I have to do is switch them. Payune will never know he was robbed.”
“Not until he tries to fence it and discovers it’s fake.”
“True, but that’s the beauty of this plan.” Because Kathy was still frowning, Dakota sent her a roguish grin. “Payune will think he nabbed the wrong necklace to begin with, rather than suspect foul play.”
She chewed her bottom lip. “It could work.”
“It has to. We don’t have much time. Thunder thinks the necklace will be fenced right after the ball. Late that night. He has a pretty good handle on who’s backing the sale.”
“The ball is three days from now.”
“Which is why I’ve secured a meeting with Payune tomorrow. I need to establish my cover before he tries to sell the necklace. If I wait to approach him, he just might put two and two together.”
A light breeze blew the loose stands of Kathy’s hair. “When are you going to switch the necklaces? You have to do it before the ball.”
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. I’ll let you know when I’ve got the details worked out.” Dakota was going to need her help. And Thunder’s, too. It would take the three of them to pull this off.
He motioned toward the stone path leading back to the cottage. “Why don’t we go inside? I could use a cup of coffee.” He had more news. Something that would take an emotional toll on Kathy, something he hated to tell her.
While Kathy brewed a pot of coffee, a wave of homesickness washed over Dakota. Not for Texas, but for her. He missed having her nearby, watching her do simple tasks. Her feet were bare, and more of her hair had come loose. He could almost imagine them snuggling in front of the TV, eating popcorn the way they used to.
Life had never been particularly simple for Dakota, but being married to Kathy made the world a better place. She brought out the good in him. Or at least he’d thought so. Kathy must have felt differently. A woman didn’t leave a good man.
She handed him a cup of the dark brew. He carried it into the living room while she doctored hers with sugar and cream.
He lowered himself onto the sofa, and she entered the room and sat across from him in an overstuffed chair.
“I can tell there’s something else going on,” she said. “What is it?”
“You won’t like it.”
“Dakota. Quit stalling. That isn’t like you.”
“You’re right.” He wondered why he was trying to protect her from someone else’s life. “There are rumors circulating about the king and queen.”
She placed her coffee on a nearby table. “What kind of rumors?”
“That their marriage is in trouble.”
She pushed a stray lock of hair away from her face, her posture suddenly tense. “I don’t believe it. People like to make things up. Create scandals. That happens to every royal family.”
“Don’t hide your head in the sand, Kathy. Plenty of couples have problems. And royalty are like everyone else in that regard.” Our marriage failed, he wanted to say. And we were supposed to be happy. Why not a king and queen?
She thrust her chin in a stubborn gesture. “This does not mean Queen Nicole is having an affair with Payune.”
“I didn’t say it did.”
“But that’s what you’re thinking.”
“No, it’s not.” He was thinking about his own life, about why Kathy had walked out on him. He wished to hell he knew what he had done wrong. But now wasn’t the time to ask. Dakota had to concentrate on retrieving the stolen necklace, on trapping the revolutionists and sending them to jail.
This mission wasn’t about the hole in his heart. It wasn’t about the woman seated across from him, messy locks spilling out of her proper hairdo, her long slim body draped in a summer cotton dress. This romantic little cottage wasn’t home, and he would do well to remind himself of that. Every chance he got.
Three
Kathy couldn’t sleep. Tired of tossing and turning, she slipped out of bed, then stood before the French doors. She knew her garden was out there, and beyond it a grassy terrain dotted with wildflowers. Below the hills, a midnight ocean crashed upon the shore. She gazed out, but it was too dark to see anything but an eerie reflection of herself.
A woman in white silk, her hair a long, tousled curtain. She looked like a mysterious shadow. A faded image. The silhouette of a lady longing for her lover.
Suddenly she could see this woman, this shadow of herself, roaming the hills, the wind whipping through the night, a sheer nightgown clinging to her skin. She was naked beneath the gown, waiting for her lover to come to her. He was forbidden, she knew. But she wanted him. Wanted to tumble to the ground with him, tear at
