“It’s not something we can put off too much longer.” Efficiently, she scooped up the eggs and slid them onto plates. “I’m beginning to think we should expedite the excavation rather than dragging it out for what may very well be several more weeks. Then, of course, if we’re talking about excavating the entire site, it would be months.”

“Not now.” Ky turned off the burner under the skillet. Taking both plates from Kate, he set them on the table. “Look, I have to do something, and I’m not sure I’ll do it very well.”

Turning, Kate took silverware from the drawer and went to the table. “What?”

“Apologize.” When she looked back at him in her cool, quiet way, he swore. “No, I won’t do it well.”

“It isn’t necessary.”

“Yes, it’s necessary. Sit down.” He let out a long breath as she remained standing. “Please,” he added, then took a chair himself. Without a word, Kate sat across from him. “You saved my life yesterday.” Even saying it aloud, he felt uneasy about it. “It was no less than that. I never could have taken that shark with my diver’s knife. The only reason I did was because you’d weakened and distracted him.”

Kate lifted her coffee and drank as though they were discussing the weather. It was the only way she had of blocking out images of what might have been. “Yes.”

With a frustrated laugh, Ky stabbed at his eggs. “Not going to make it easy on me, are you?”

“No, I don’t think I am.”

“I’ve never been that scared,” he said quietly. “Not for myself, certainly not for anyone else. I thought he had you.” He looked up and met her calm, patient eyes. “I was still too far away to do anything about it. If…”

“Sometimes it’s best not to think about the ifs.”

“All right.” He nodded and reached for her hand. “Kate, realizing you put yourself in danger to protect me only made it worse somehow. The possibility of anything happening to you was bad enough, but the idea of it happening because of me was unbearable.”

“You would’ve protected me.”

“Yes, but—”

“There shouldn’t be any buts, Ky.”

“Maybe there shouldn’t be,” he agreed, “but I can’t promise there won’t be.”

“I’ve changed.” The fact filled her with an odd sense of power and unease. “For too many years I’ve channeled my own desires because I thought somehow that approval could be equated with love. I know better now.”

“I’m not your father, Kate.”