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Prologue

It’s late evening, mid-October, the day after the southwest monsoon withdrew from the entire nation of India, ending monsoon season. The vast greenish-blue water surrounding the port of Kochi slaps against the Disillusioned Illusion’s hull. DR—Dr. Ray to his colleagues—lounges alone on the stern’s lower deck.

The sun clings to the darkening horizon as voices and the scent of food from a nearby restaurant fill the air. The ocean’s soothing rhythm pulses through his senses like a heartbeat—one with an expectation. Another magical night begins to set in while the sun relinquishes its hold on the horizon’s end, nature’s big show and his refuge vanquished as a crescent moon winks of the night’s possibilities.

With his hopes for a romantic adventure, possibly a woman to love now in question, DR exhales, grabs the back of his head with both hands, eyes closed, and roughs up his hair. Only weeks earlier, he’d thought it too soon for romance, but now, it’s all he can think about.

Has he blown it?

“Why is romance so hard for me?” he asks aloud, knowing the answer. His is a life full of days where you can see the sun and moon at the same time, where promises dim or flicker out so trouble can shine through. And evenings like this give him too much time to contemplate the past, supposing the inevitable is going to happen—again.

During their first conversation ten days earlier, after the others left to go on a tour, she’d stayed. While they discussed the ship’s security, her eyes took delight in searching him, but he barely noticed, only knowing she pleased his.

“I’m here to get on with my life. It’s time for a new adventure, and who knows… maybe love.” Debbie had returned her focus to the sea and then back to studying him. She’d sipped her coffee while leaning toward the railing, the early morning sun reflecting in her eyes. “It’s been five years. I’m ready—No, no, I need to live again.”

Somehow, even lacking the finer romantic skills, he’d known she was trying to convince herself as well as him. She’d held her pert chin so high, the sunlight caressing her simple beauty, the breeze blowing her perfume.

Shifting now, he swallows hard. Oh, how he remembers her perfume, its magical lasso drawing him that morning, and now too.

That stupid rule. Why now?

Laughter and voices drift from the marina and his pool up front, travelers and his passengers enjoying an evening filled with sangrias and fun, getting to know one another while he lingers, stuck in an all-too-familiar place. His thoughts and hopes of a new love rising and falling faster than the ocean’s tide. Even in this exotic setting with hopes of romance, he shivers as that place fixed in time draws him like an eddy in the current.

Why me? Am I a bad person? Was it my fault? Or did God forsake me?

Some people say God takes a bad thing and uses it to make things better, all things working together for good. He snorts. “Try telling that to someone who has experienced a lot of ‘all things.’ They don’t always see it that way.”

He didn’t. Once he loved God—but things change, people change.

Chapter 1

Eleven years earlier…

At Dukes School of Archaeology in Madrid, DR had his first run-in with Gail Kelly. The school, located in the heart of downtown and offering many other sciences, boasted a pulse so quick and electric it drew thousands of young adventurous students every year. So she should’ve blended in. She did not, and again, he found himself approaching her as they received their scores for the latest test.

“You’re so used to getting your way, always being first. Are you an only child?” He cocked his hip against the desk beside her and pushed his sandy hair back from his eyes.

“So? What’s it to you?” She huffed, then returned to her desk, and slunk down beside her best friend.

“It’s nothing to me.” But he spoke just loudly enough to make sure she heard it. Yeah, crybaby.

As coincidence or fate would have it, they shared the same major, archeology. Already, they were sharing classes. Their studies pushed them together, and their competitive natures clashed. Didn’t matter how much the girl impressed him—no way was he willing to settle for second place, which apparently further fueled her dislike of him.

“See how smug he is? He’s a know it all. That’s what he is.” Her lip curled under, and her scowl deepened while she glared at the second-place marks on her test score. “We’ll just have to study harder—that’s all. Great. More nights and weekends in the library. Probably not far from Mr. America.” She shuddered.

“You mean you’ll have to study harder. I’m not in your friendly little competition.” Her roommate’s snicker carried to DR. “I’ve got a life.”