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By Root 667 0

to do something outrageous, Tyler thought. Two hours of clam chowder tasting, chatting with Kate's friends, and listening to local bands had done nothing to quiet the reckless feeling in his gut. He wondered if Kate felt the same way. She'd glance at him, then look away without saying a word. She'd barely touched her food, which was unusual, because in his experience she was not shy about eating. And then there was the way her fingers tapped nervously, or was it impatiently, on the red-checkered tablecloth. He wanted to put his hand over those fingers and pull them to his lips in a silly, old-fashioned kiss.

Maybe it was the small-town party atmosphere that made him feel like a stranger in his own body. Or maybe it was the magic of a summer night, He wasn't a romantic, but he suddenly wanted to tell Kate how beautiful she looked in the deepening twilight, how the music made him want to take her in his arms in a long, slow dance. He drew in a deep breath and let it out, wondering how he could feel so hot when the evening air was decidedly chilly.

"You haven't said a word in a long time," Kate remarked.

"Neither have you."

"Do you want to go back to your hotel?"

"Only if you're going with me."

She quickly looked away. "That's not what I meant. I thought you might be bored. This can't be very exciting for a big-city reporter."

"It's so exciting my heart is beating double-time." He grabbed her restless hand and pressed it against his chest. "Feel that."

"You're definitely still alive," she said somewhat breathlessly as she tried to pull her hand away. "Let me go. People will look. They'll talk."

"And what will they see? What will they say?"

She thought about his questions for a moment, and when she gazed back at him, her expression was somber. "They'll see the local bookstore owner losing her head over a sexy stranger."

"Would that be so bad?"

She ignored his question, getting to her feet. "Do you want to see one of my favorite places on the island?"

"Absolutely. Is it your bedroom?"

She smiled. "No, but nice try. Let's walk back to the store and pick up my car."

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" he asked, following her down the street.

"What would be the fun in that?" she countered.

*

After picking up Kate's car, they drove to the other side of the island, to an isolate building out on the bluffs. And it wasn't just any building, but a castle with a drawbridge, towers and turrets.

"What the hell is that?" Tyler asked.

"The Castleton Castle, also known as Frank's Folly. Frank Castleton was one of the original settlers on the island. He built the castle on a whim. At one time he envisioned an entire island filled with castles." Kate gave him a smile. "Fortunately no one else shared his vision. It's not just a castle; it's also a lighthouse. Do you want to go inside?"

"Sure."

"No one lives here anymore," she said as they got out of the car. "Frank was the only, one who actually spent time in the castle. Apparently he'd hoped for a Cinderella to share it with, but as the legend goes he was more of a toad than a prince."

Tyler followed her across the drawbridge that lay over a dry gully, which he surmised was supposed to be a moat. The huge wooden door opened to Kate's gentle push. It was dark and dusty inside.

"There's a kitchen down here, a small dining area, and a bedroom. But the best room is upstairs." Kate took his hand and led him up a staircase that opened onto one very large, round room. The walls were glass, and the only furniture was a wooden bench window seat that encircled the room. The rising moon sent shafts of light through the windows, creating an atmosphere of dark, romantic intimacy.

"What do you think? Doesn't it feel magical?" Kate asked, doing an impulsive little twirl that reminded him of Amelia.

He chased that thought right out of his mind. The last person he wanted to think about right now was Amelia. At least he was doing one thing Mark had asked him to do; he was sticking