Secrets of the Dragon’s Heart (Mysteries of Dragon’s Island #6)

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

***CAMERON***

M ax answered the door wearing an apron, a bowl of something white and frothy in one hand, a whisk in the other, and it took Cameron a second to absorb what he was seeing. “You’ve gone domestic on me,” he said, trying not to laugh. “That apron looks good on you. A few ruffles would add something, though.”

“Very funny,” Max said, stepping back to let him in. “I’m just finishing up dessert, and you won’t get any if you aren’t nice.”

“I gave you a compliment, that’s nice,” he said, following his friend through the cabin into the kitchen. “And something smells good. You clearly know what you’re doing.”

“That’s better,” Max said, plunking the bowl down on the counter. “I’m on my own here. Learning to cook was mostly a matter of survival, but I do enjoy it at times, and strangely enough, I’m good at it.”

“Well then, I’m in for a treat,” he said. “Are Keith and Stella here yet?”

“They should be here any time,” Max said, then turned to look over at him. “I know you think I’ve got a screw loose, but I want you to keep an open mind. I’m beginning to think that we can’t explain everything away with science.”

“I’m a scientist, Max, so those are fighting words, but I don’t jump to conclusions,” he said. “I promise to listen to everything you have to say, just don’t expect me to change my view of the world that easily.”

“I wouldn’t want you to,” Max said, shaking his head. “Hell, I don’t want to, but you haven’t been here the last few months. Things have happened, things that can’t be explained.”

Before Max could say more, there was a knock on the door. " Is anybody home?” Keith called. “We heard there was a wild party going on here tonight, and we wanted to get in on it.”

His old friend appeared in the doorway a few minutes later, with a big smile on his face, looking happier than Cameron had ever seen him, a very pretty dark-haired woman trailing behind him. Before he could say a word, Keith strode across the kitchen and gave him a big bear hug, then stepped back and studied him for a second.

“You haven’t changed a bit, you’re still the geek of the bunch,” Keith said, grinning at him, then pulled the woman up next to him. “I want you to meet my wife, Stella.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” he said, shaking her hand. “Max tells me that you’re an architect.”

“And an engineer. Stella is smarter than all of us combined,” Keith said, beaming at his wife. We’re building the new staff quarters for Max. You should come over to the other side of the island and take a look when you have time. Stella’s designs are brilliant.”

“Ignore him,” Stella said, a blush on her cheeks. “He gets a bit carried away sometimes.”

“Can you blame me? I’m the luckiest man alive,” Keith said, pulling Stella into his arms. “And if it wasn’t for the island, it might have never happened. Now I have the perfect little family, and it’s going to get bigger in a few months.”

“Congratulations,” he said, truly happy for his friend. “You don’t really think the island had anything to do with it, right?”

The three exchanged a look. “I think you’d better hear about what happened to us before I answer that question,” Keith said. “There’s something special about this island. I don’t know what it is. The truth is I don’t really care. Without the island, Stella would be dead, so I’m not going to question it.”

“Come on, everyone. Dinner is ready,” Max called, coming back in from the patio. It’s going to get cold if we don’t eat it right now, and we can talk about all of this while we eat.”

The table, which had been groaning with food, looked like it had been hit by a tornado; empty plates, bowls, and platters littered the surface. There were smudges of food on the white tablecloth, and the candles had burned away to nothing. He’d listened to Keith and Stella’s story first, then, with growing concern about the rest of his friends who’d visited the island. When Max finally sat back and let silence fall over the table, he wasn’t sure what to say and needed a few minutes to absorb what he’d heard. He didn’t believe for a second that the island has some kind of special power to make people fall in love; he wasn’t even close to conceding that point.

“Well, what do you think?” Max finally asked. “You have to admit that there are a few too many coincidences to think that there isn’t something going on around here.”

“I can understand why you might think that,” he said. “But I’m sure there are logical explanations for everything that’s happened.”

“Then I’d sure like to hear them,” Max said, an edge of anger in his voice. “Explain to me how Theo and Eden traveled back in time or something and found an ancient tribe of natives. While you’re at it, I’d really like to know how Simon changed his entire appearance. You didn’t see him, Cameron, it was…strange.”

“What about Archie and Felicity sharing the same dreams?” Keith asked. “I know that you’re the smart one in the group, Cameron, but even you can’t explain that. There’s a force on this island that brings couples together. I can’t tell you how it works, but it does. Maybe you have to experience it to understand. Things happen on the island, strange but wonderful things, and there’s not a single one of us who would have wanted it any other way.”

Feeling a little panicky, a sinking feeling in his stomach, he searched his mind for anything that would explain what had happened to his friends, but he couldn’t think, couldn’t process anything at that moment because his head was filled with visions of Kennedy. Battling a wave of desire that rushed through him, he took several deep breaths, telling himself that he was just getting caught up in the moment. He wasn’t next, he wasn’t going to fall in love. It was all just superstition and legends; none of it had any real place in the modern world, no matter how much his friends seemed to believe it.

“What you’re talking about just isn’t possible,” he finally said, shaking his head. “Magic isn’t real,and this island is just a pile of rocks and dirt, there’s nothing special about it. I’ll find a way to prove that to you all, I just need some time.”

“Take all the time you want,” Max said, shrugging his shoulders. “You’re in the hot seat now, so if things go the way they have been, you’ll be finding out what the island is capable of any time now.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked, looking around the table. “Are you trying to say that I’m going to fall in love and get married next?”

“That seems to be the way things are going,” Max said, an apologetic look on his face. “For all we know, it might already be too late.”

Kennedy popped into his mind again, but he wasn’t about to let her stay there because hey, he couldn’t afford to, so he pushed her back out. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I’m not going to fall in love. It wouldn’t matter if I did anyway, I can’t marry anyone but a woman my father approves of. You all know that. I’d like to see the island change that; I’d like to see it free me from my obligations to the clan and my family. That would really be magic, but we all know that isn’t going to happen.”

There was a long silence around the table, and he regretted his outburst instantly but knew that he couldn’t take it back. “Sorry, Cameron, I guess I forgot about all that,” Max said. “Falling in love with someone while you’re on the island might not be the best thing. Maybe I shouldn’t have invited you.”

“I keep telling you that I’m not going to fall in love. It’s time you gave up on this idea about the island,” he said, stubbornly. “Now, didn’t you say something about dessert?”

***Kennedy***

Kennedy rushed up to Montgomery, pretending she didn’t see Cameron standing by the little sailboat, a look of annoyance slowly spreading across his face. “Oh, dear, I hope I’m not late,” she said. “I can’t seem to keep track of the time since I got to the island. I guess it must be vacation brain.”

Cameron let out a little snort.

“There’s no such thing,” he said. “Haven’t you ever heard of a watch? ”

“Oh, Cameron,” she said, looking surprised to see him. “Are you taking a sailing lesson too?”

“I was planning on it,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “But it looks like we’re never going to get started…”

Montgomery looked a little surprised by their exchange but stepped between them. “Now that we’re all here, I think we should get right to it,” he said. “We have to go over safety first, and then we’ll see about getting into the water. Have either of you ever sailed a boat before?”

They both shook their heads. “Good, then no one will be bored when I go over the basics,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot to remember, so don’t feel bad if you can’t remember everything, that’s what I’m here for.”

Half an hour later, they were putting on lifejackets, then climbed into the boat after giving it a push, and Montgomery fired up the little engine on the back. “Sit back and relax for a few minutes,” he called over the sputtering. “We’ll cut the engine as soon as we get past the current that runs around the island, then we’ll unfurl the sails and see how much you learned on the beach.”

Taking her seat, Kennedy looked over at Cameron, who was staring out at the water, a look of uncertainty on his face. She felt a little twinge of empathy for him. “You’re going to do fine,” she called. “I bet you’ll be better at this than me.”

He gave her a dirty look and let out a long sigh. “Water has never been my favorite thing,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. I’m not exactly scared; I’m just not comfortable around it. I had a bad experience when I was a kid.”

She scooted as close as she could without tipping the balance in the boat. “I’m sorry about all that yesterday at the beach,” she said, meaning it. “I get carried away sometimes. I should have kept my mouth shut. What you do with your life is your own business. I was out of line. ”

“You might have been right, well, just a little bit,” he said, relaxing for the first time since she’d walked up. “The thing is, I wasn’t very happy to be there. I did want to be working, heck, I’d rather be working now, but I came here to help Max, so…”

“You’re doing what he wants you to do to make him happy,” she said, hating the way that made her feel just a little warm down deep inside. “That’s very sweet, especially since water isn’t your thing.”

“Max and I have been friends for a long time. We’ve been through a lot together, and I don’t mind making a few sacrifices for him,” he said. “It’s everybody else in my life I don’t want to bend over backward for, I wish they would all just leave me alone.”

She was as surprised by the admission as he was and they both fell silent for a few minutes as the island slowly faded from view. “Well, it was a nice thing to do,” she finally said, unable to think of anything else to say. “Who knows, you might like it. Stranger things have happened.”

He studied her for a second, his brown eyes locked on hers, making her stomach do funny things. “I bet you’re one of those people who see the glass half full,” he finally said. “Do you always try to see the bright side of things?”

Surprised by the question, she had to think about it for a second. “I guess so, I’ve never really thought about it before,” she said. “Why, is that a bad thing?”

“No, I guess not,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “But it must be exhausting to always look on the bright side, that’s all I’m saying.”

“So, I should wallow in my pain and disappointments?” she asked. “That seems like a terrible way to live.”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” he said, then hesitated. “I don’t know what I meant. Let’s just pretend we never had this discussion. I’m not very good at this stuff. ”

“What stuff?” she asked, confused.

Cameron didn’t say anything for a second. “Talking to women,” he finally admitted. “I do fine at work, but this…here with you…”

“You’re doing just fine,” she said, reaching over and putting her hand on his arm, surprised when a tingle of electricity traveled through her fingers into her hand, up her arm and spread through her body. “Don’t give up so easily.”

“Okay, you two, we’re far enough out for the sails,” Montgomery said, cutting the engine. “Who wants to go first?”

She looked over at Cameron, who looked slightly miserable, and wondered for the first time if she’d made a mistake. He didn’t seem like a master criminal or a criminal at all. But she had the proof, she reminded herself: the invoices for special equipment and supplies, the mysterious trips Cameron took all the time, the locked door in the lab, it all pointed to something illegal. Just because he didn’t fit the profile didn’t mean he wasn’t up to something. In fact, this might all be an elaborate act he put on in public to keep people from being suspicious.

“I’ll go first,” she said when Cameron stayed silent. “I just hope I don’t sink us.”

“No worries about that while I’m around,” Montgomery. “Just listen to what I tell you to do and everything will be fine.”