In Deep Waters. Melissa McClone

      

      Captain’s Log

      July 10

      Today we took on a distraction the size of the Titanic-sinking iceberg. She might look great in a pair of shorts, but her presence is already disrupting the crew, turning a bunch of practical, hardworking men into giddy schoolboys. There’s no room on this ship for a good-looking, starry-eyed dreamer. Kayla Waterton has to go!

      It shouldn’t be hard to convince her to leave. She says she wants to be one of the crew—so I’ll put her to work. A few midnight survey shifts, and she’ll be begging to go back to the comfortable world she knows. My own sanity depends on it!

      In Deep Waters

      Melissa McClone

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      For Mackenna and Finn

      MELISSA McCLONE

      has a degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, and the last thing she ever thought she would be doing is writing romance novels, but analyzing engines for a major U.S. airline just couldn’t compete with her “happily-ever-afters.”

      When she isn’t writing, caring for her two young children or doing laundry, Melissa loves to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea, her cats and a good book. She is also a big fan of The X-Files, and enjoys watching home decorating shows to get ideas for her house—a 1939 cottage that is slowly being renovated.

      Melissa lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon, with her own real-life hero husband, daughter, son, two lovable but oh-so-spoiled indoor cats and a no-longer-stray outdoor kitty who decided to call the garage home. Melissa loves to hear from readers. You can write to her at P.O. Box 63, Lake Oswego, OR 97034.

      Contents

      Prologue

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Prologue

      “Please tell me about Atlantis, Daddy.”

      Jason Waterton covered nine-year-old Kayla with a quilt and tucked in the edges. “What about the leprechauns?”

      “Tomorrow. I want to hear about Atlantis tonight.”

      Her eyes, the same gray-green of her mother’s, sparkled like the ocean at sunrise. Each year, Kayla’s resemblance to her mother grew. Same eyes, same smile, same golden mane of hair. A heavy weight bore down on him, reminding him of all they’d left behind. How he missed—

      “It’s my favorite, but Heidi Baxter said Atlantis and mermaids don’t exist.” Lines formed on Kayla’s forehead. “They’re real, aren’t they, Daddy?”

      The hopeful tone in her voice tugged at Jason’s heart. She was such a dreamer. A dreamer with a pure heart. Her classmates sometimes teased her about her belief in the whimsical, but he hoped she never changed. “If you believe they’re real, they will be, love.”

      With a satisfied smile on her face, she snuggled against her pillow. “I believe.”

      “You must always believe.” Jason kissed her forehead. The intensity of his love for her never ceased to amaze him. He couldn’t imagine life without Kayla.

      “I will.” She smiled. “Can I hear about Atlantis now?”

      He always gave her what she wanted. He only wished he could give her more. Jason sat on the edge of her twin bed. “A long time ago in a sea far, far away, a magical island called Atlantis existed. The people of Atlantis knew no hardship. The land provided unlimited food and natural resources. Science rid society of all diseases and invented technology to simplify life. It was a perfect existence.

      “Until one day, smoke and ash spewed from a mountain in the center of the island. Lava flowed. The smell of sulfur made it difficult to breathe. The island fought bravely against the pressure of the volcano and the movement of the earth, but in the end lost the battle. Atlantis sank to the bottom of the ocean.”

      Kayla shivered. “That must have been so scary.”

      Jason held her small hand. “But Atlantis had been good to the sea, taking only what it needed and never any more. So the sea allowed a large dome of earth to cover the island and provide a pocket of air for the people to breathe. Scientists helped the people adapt to their new underwater home.”

      “The people became mermaids.”

      He nodded. “Over time, the people of Atlantis evolved into ‘mer.’ They could live in the sea with gills and a tail, or out of the sea with lungs and legs, but most preferred the freedom of the water.” Jason closed his eyes for a moment. “To leave the confines of Atlantis behind… To be connected to the other creatures of the sea… To be surrounded by water and able to swim anywhere was…total exhilaration.”

      Kayla sighed. “I wish I could be a mermaid.”

      “So do I, love—” Jason kissed her cheek “—so do I.”

      Chapter One

      Foamy green swells tossed the supply ship back and forth like a child’s plaything. Kayla Waterton grasped the railing and peered over the edge. She’d done her research and knew what to expect while at sea. Still, she couldn’t hide her awe at the water’s power or the secrets buried in the murky depths.

      “This will keep you safe while you transfer to the other ship, Miss Waterton.” Pappy, who looked more like Santa Claus than the ship’s captain, connected a lifeline to her life jacket in case she fell into the water when she transferred to the other ship tied alongside them. “Just wish I knew what turned the water so rough all of a sudden.”

      As soon as the Xmarks Explorer, a survey-and-salvage ship, had appeared on the horizon, the calm waters had turned choppy. None of the supply ship’s crew could explain why, but Kayla thought she knew the answer.

      The sea was angry.

      She wasn’t supposed to be in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. She’d promised her father she would stay away from the sea. If only he was here with her. But he was gone and she’d taken up where he’d left off—locating lost shipwrecks. Piecing together and solving the secrets of the past gave her such satisfaction. She found comfort reading old journals and maps, comparing cargo ledgers and insurance claims, putting the bits and pieces of research into reports for search expeditions.

      And for the first time ever, she was going on an expedition herself. She couldn’t deny her excitement, even though she’d had no choice in coming. Her father’s dream had been to find the Isabella—a pirate ship of untold value lost nearly three centuries ago, but the bozo running the search expedition was looking in the wrong place, wasting valuable time and money.

      “Are you ready, Miss Waterton?” Pappy asked.

      Kayla nodded, but she felt less than confident. Spray from the swells hitting the ships flew through the air. She would have to walk right through the mist, but she was more worried about the waves washing over the narrow plank bridging the gap between the two ships. A shiver ran down her spine. Kayla liked reading about adventure on the high seas, not experiencing one herself.