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  “Yeah, yeah,” he said with a quick grin. “I need counseling. We can talk about that later—didn’t mean to get off the track. I was telling you what I did today, right?”

  Very slowly she nodded. “Yes.”

  “Okay, after the meeting, Phil made some smart remark, so I punched him, and we beat on each other for a bit. That felt good too. Then I talked to Seth about the things I should have talked to him about before, and I listened to him the way I should have listened before, then we just sat for a while. That felt good, Anna, and it felt right.”

  Her lips curved. “I’m glad.”

  “There’s more. I knew when I was sitting there that that was where I wanted to be, needed to be. Only one thing was missing, and that was you. So I came to find you and take you back.” He pressed his lips gently to her forehead. “To take you home, Anna.”

  “I think I want to sit down.”

  “No, I want your knees weak when I tell you I love you. Are you ready?”

  “Oh, God.”

  “I’ve been real careful never to tell a woman I loved her—except my mother. I didn’t tell her often enough. Take a chance on me, Anna, and I’ll tell you as often as you can stand hearing it.”

  She hitched in a breath. “I’m not getting married in Vegas.”

  “Spoilsport.” He watched her lips bow up before he closed his over them. And the taste of her soothed every ache in his body and soul. “God, I missed you. Don’t go away again.”

  “It brought you to your senses.” She wrapped her arms tight around him. And it felt good, she thought giddily. It felt right. “Oh, Cam, I want to hear it, right now.”

  “I love you. It feels so damn perfect loving you. I can’t believe I wasted so much time.”

  “Less than three months,” she reminded him.

  “Too much time. But we’ll make it up.”

  “I want you to take me home,” she murmured. “After.”

  He eased back, cocked his head. “After what?” Then he made her laugh by lifting her into his arms.

  He picked his way through the wreckage, kicked a very sad-looking banana out of the way. “You know, I can’t figure out why I used to think marriage would be boring.”

  “Ours won’t be.” She kissed his bruised head. It was still bleeding a little. “Promise.”

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The Penguin Putnam Inc. World Wide Web site address is

  http://www.penguinputnam.com

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters,

  places, and incidents are either the product of the

  author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any

  resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or

  locales is entirely coincidental.

  RISING TIDES

  A Jove Book / published by arrangement with the author

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright © 1998 by Nora Roberts.

  Excerpt from Inner Harbor copyright © 1999 by Nora Roberts.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any

  form without permission.

  Making or distributing electronic copies of this book

  constitutes copyright infringement and could subject the

  infringer to criminal and civil liability.

  For information address:

  The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Putnam

  Inc.,

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  The Penguin Putnam Inc. World Wide Web site address is

  http://www.penguin.com

  ISBN: 1-101-14609-5

  A JOVE BOOK®

  Jove Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

  a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014. JOVE and the “J” design are trademarks belonging to Penguin

  Putnam Inc.

  Contents

  Prologue

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  DEAR READER,

  The heart and soul of the Maryland Eastern Shore are its watermen, the men who make their livings on the Chesapeake Bay and its channels.They face hardships, storms, short seasons.Day after day, year after year, they ply the waters—setting their crab pots, dredging for oysters, and are privy to a world many of us will never know.Seeing the red dawn break over dark water, watching a storm roll in slow and black from the east.In their rubber boots and thick gloves they pilot their workboats through frigid dawns or sweltering afternoons searching for the blue crab the area is famous for.

  Ethan Quinn is a waterman.He wasn’t born to the tradition, but has embraced it.He’s a quiet man whose heart runs as deep as the waters he loves.In Rising Tides he’ll face more than the challenge of making his living on the Bay or struggling to make the .edgling boatbuilding business he and his brothers began a success.

  There’s a young boy who needs him, and a woman and child he loves but never believed he could have. To shape his life around them, Ethan must face his own dark past, accept not only who he is but what he hopes to become.

  Turn to the back of this book for a special SNEAK

  PREVIEW of the next book in Nora Roberts’s

  Quinn Brothers Trilogy . . .

  INNER HARBOR

  Available in paperback from Jove Books

  DON’T MISS NORA ROBERTS’S STUNNING

  DREAM TRILOGY . . .

  Margo, Kate, and Laura were brought up as sisters amid the peerless grandeur of Templeton House. Though they came from different backgrounds, they were united by friendship, loyalty, family—and dreams . . .

  DARING TO DREAM

  The daughter of Templeton’s housekeeper, Margo Sullivan had always wanted to make her mark in the world. But when her life fell apart, she returned to the onlyhome she had ever known, to .nd herself—and love ...

  HOLDING THE DREAM

  Rather than languish among the luxuries of Templeton House, Kate Powell made her own way, rising to the top of the .nance business.But when she was faced with a professional impropriety, Kate was forced to look deep within herself, only to .nd something missing in her life—and in her heart ...

  FINDING THE DREAM

  The daughter of a wealthy hotelier, Laura Templeton had always known comfort, privilege, and security.But by the age of thirty, her storybook marriage had dissolved, leaving her emotionally and .nancially devastated.Laura had always de.ned herself as a wife, a daughter, or a mother.Now, she had to discover Laura the woman . . .

  PRAISE FOR NORA ROBERTS’S SWEEPING

  NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

  MONTANA SKY

  ‘‘Roberts paints a vivid picture of the raw beauty of Big Sky country.’’

  —Chicago Tribune

  ‘‘[An] epic tale of love, lust, and overpowering passions.’’

  —Booklist

  ‘‘Exciting, romantic, great fun.’’

  —Cosmopolitan

  ‘‘Sexual tension and sexy dialogue ...suspense ... humor ...a good read.’’

  —Kirkus Reviews

  ‘‘A rich narrative ...Roberts balances the tension ... with three romances, crackling dialogue, and a snappy infusion of humor.’’

  —Publishers Weekly

  ‘‘If it is passion, suspense, and emotional power you want, Montana Sky has them
all.’’

  —Tulsa World

  ‘‘NORA ROBERTS JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER.’’

  —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

  DON’T MISS NORA ROBERTS’S EXQUISITE

  TRILOGY OF THREE MODERN WOMEN

  OF IRELAND . . .

  The Concannon sisters are women of ambition and talent,

  bound by the timeless spirit and restless beauty

  of their land.

  BORN IN FIRE

  Maggie Concannon is a glassmaker, whose stunning works re.ect her spirit.But when she is swept away by romance, her reclusive world opens to a .ery love that can forgive her dark past ...

  BORN IN ICE

  Brianna Concannon’s bed-and-breakfast became a cold and empty place when a harsh winter descended upon Ireland.But then a restless wanderer with a painful past came into her life—and Brianna learned that sometimes fate has a plan of its own ...

  BORN IN SHAME

  A talented graphic artist, Shannon Bodine’s life turned upside down when she traveled to Ireland to meet the family she never knew she had.And amid the lush landscape, she discovered the possibility of a love that was meant to be ...

  ‘‘MOVE OVER SIDNEY SHELDON: THE WORLD HAS A NEW MASTER OF ROMANTIC SUSPENSE, AND HER NAME IS NORA ROBERTS.’’

  —REX REED

  ALSO BY NORA ROBERTS . . .

  HIDDEN RICHES

  Antique dealer Dora Conroy has a passion for the .ner things in life—but sometimes spossession can be a lethal obsession . . .

  ‘‘This latest treasure from Roberts stars a heroine who’ll charm readers.’’

  —USA Today

  ‘‘A sure winner!’’

  —Library Journal

  PRIVATE SCANDALS

  In the world of television talk shows, dark secrets hide behind its brightest stars . . .

  ‘‘The incomparable Nora Roberts once again delivers ...tense, compelling, and riveting.’’

  —Romantic Times

  ‘‘A fun read!’’

  —Publishers Weekly

  ‘‘Top-notch ...First-rate reading.’’

  —Rendezvous

  HONEST ILLUSIONS

  The daughter of a world-renowned magician, Roxy Nouvelle has inherited her father’s talents—and his penchant for jewel thievery.

  ‘‘Roxy and Luke will steal your heart.They are magic ... ’’

  —CATHERINE COULTER

  ‘‘A captivating story.You’ll fall in love with these wonderful characters just as I did.’’

  —JULIE GARWOOD

  ‘‘ Honest Illusions is pure magic.’’

  —EILEEN GOUDGE

  Titles by Nora Roberts

  HOT ICE

  SACRED SINS

  BRAZEN VIRTUE

  SWEET REVENGE

  PUBLIC SECRETS

  GENUINE LIES

  CARNAL INNOCENCE

  DIVINE EVIL

  HONEST ILLUSIONS

  PRIVATE SCANDALS

  BORN IN FIRE

  BORN IN ICE

  BORN IN SHAME

  HIDDEN RICHES

  TRUE BETRAYALS

  DARING TO DREAM

  HOLDING THE DREAM

  FINDING THE DREAM

  MONTANA SKY

  SEA SWEPT

  RISING TIDES

  INNER HARBOR

  SANCTUARY

  HOMEPORT

  THE REEF

  FROM THE HEART

  ( anthology )

  ONCE UPON A CASTLE

  ( anthology with Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan,

  and Marianne Willman )

  RIVER’S END

  in hardcover from G. P. Putnam’s Sons

  Titles written as J. D. Robb

  NAKED IN DEATH

  GLORY IN DEATH

  IMMORTAL IN DEATH

  RAPTURE IN DEATH

  CEREMONY IN DEATH

  VENGEANCE IN DEATH

  HOLIDAY IN DEATH

  CONSPIRACY IN DEATH

  SILENT NIGHT

  ( anthology with Susan Plunkett, Dee Holmes, and Claire

  Cross )

  For the witty and delightful Christine Dorsey

  Yes, Chris, I mean you.

  PROLOGUE

  ETHAN CLIMBED OUT OF his dreams and rolled out of bed. It was still dark, but he habitually started his day before night yielded to dawn. It suited him, the quiet, the simple routine, the hard work that would follow.

  He’d never forgotten to be grateful that he’d been able to make this choice and have this life. Though the people responsible for giving him both the choice and the life were dead, for Ethan, the pretty house on the water still echoed with their voices. He would often find himself glancing up from his lone breakfast in the kitchen expecting to see his mother shuffle in, yawning, her red hair a wild tangle from sleep, her eyes half blind with it.

  And though she’d been gone nearly seven years, there was a comfort in that homey morning image.

  It was more painful to think of the man who had become his father. Raymond Quinn’s death was still too fresh after a mere three months for there to be comfort. And the circumstances surrounding it were both ugly and unexplained. His death had come in a single-car accident in broad daylight on a dry road, on a March day that had only hinted of spring. The car was traveling fast, with its driver unable—or unwilling—to control it on a curve. Tests had proven that there had been no physical reason for Ray to crash into the telephone pole.

  But there was evidence of an emotional reason, and that lay heavy on Ethan’s heart.

  Ethan thought of it as he readied himself for the day— giving his hair, still damp from the shower, a cursory swipe with his comb, which did nothing to tame the thick waves of sun-bleached brown. He shaved in the foggymirror, his quiet blue eyes sober as he scraped lather and a night’s worth of beard from a tanned, bony face that held secrets he rarely chose to share.

  There was a scar that rode along the left of his jawline—courtesy of his oldest brother and patiently stitched up by his mother. It had been fortunate, Ethan thought as he rubbed a thumb absently over the faded line, that their mother had been a doctor. One of her three sons was usually in need of first aid.

  Ray and Stella had taken them in, three half-grown boys, all wild, all damaged, all strangers. And had made them a family.

  Then months before his death, Ray had taken in another.

  Seth DeLauter belonged to them now. Ethan never questioned it. Others did, he knew. There was talk buzzing through the little town of St. Christopher’s that Seth was not just another of Ray Quinn’s strays but his illegitimate son. A child conceived with another woman while his wife was still alive. A younger woman.

  Ethan could ignore the talk, but it was impossible to ignore the fact that ten-year-old Seth looked at you with Ray Quinn’s eyes.

  There were shadows in those eyes that Ethan also recognized. The wounded recognized the wounded. He knew that Seth’s life, before Ray had taken him on, had been a nightmare. He’d lived through one himself.

  The kid was safe now, Ethan thought as he pulled on baggy cotton pants and a faded work shirt. He was a Quinn now, even if the legalities hadn’t been completely worked out. They had Phillip to deal with that. Ethan figured his detail-mad brother would handle that end of things with the lawyer. And he knew that Cameron, the eldest of the Quinn boys, had managed to form a tenuous bond with Seth.

  Fumbled his way to it, Ethan thought with a half smile. It had been like watching two angry tomcats spit and claw. Now that Cam had married the pretty social worker, things might just settle down some.

  Ethan preferred a settled life.

  They had battles yet, with the insurance company refusing to honor Ray’s policy because there was suspicion of suicide. Ethan’s stomach clutched, and he took a moment to will himself relaxed again. His father would never have killed himself. The Mighty Quinn had always faced his problems and had taught his sons to do the same.

  But it was a cloud over
the family that refused to blow away. There were others, too. The sudden appearance in St. Christopher’s of Seth’s mother and her accusations of sexual molestation, made to the dean of the college where Ray had taught English literature. That hadn’t held— there’d been too many lies, too many shifts in her story. But there was no denying that his father had been shaken. There was no denying that shortly after Gloria DeLauter had left St. Chris again, Ray had gone away, too.

  And he’d returned with the boy.

  Then there was the letter found in the car after Ray’s accident. An obvious blackmail threat from the DeLauter woman. There was the fact that Ray had given her money, a great deal of money.

  Now she had disappeared again. Ethan wanted her to stay gone, but he knew the talk wouldn’t stop until all the answers were clear.

  Nothing he could do about it, Ethan reminded himself. He stepped out into the hall, gave a quick knock on the door opposite his. Seth’s groan was followed by a sleepy mutter, then an annoyed curse. Ethan kept going, heading downstairs. He had no doubt that Seth would bitch again about getting up so early. But with Cam and Anna in Italy on their honeymoon, and Phillip in Baltimore until the weekend, it was Ethan’s job to get the boy up, to get him headed over to a friend’s house to stay until it was time to leave for school.

  Crabbing season was in full swing, and a waterman’s day started before the sun. So until Cam and Anna returned, so did Seth’s.

  The house was silent and dark, but he moved through it easily. He had a house of his own now, but part of the deal in gaining guardianship of Seth had been for the three brothers to live under the same roof and share the responsibilities.