Shane shoved his hands into his trouser pockets as he waited impatiently on the dock for Rachel Knight to show up. He had called her room at the Salem Inn and asked her to meet him here.

He had to find a way to spare his family the embarrassment the article would create. Kim wanted to support him, but she would only be hurt if she did. And he did not see how else to help her. He had suggested earlier that she and the children leave Salem, but now, as he thought it over, he knew they could not. They would still be in danger from Jericho, Alamain, or whoever was behind the attacks on Andrew.

"Damn," he spat as he looked out over the water and fought his mounting frustration. It was like there was no aspect of his life that he could control. Everything was in shambles.

He spun around as he heard the clicking of high heels on the stairs that led down to the dock. Rachel was coming down. She reached the bottom of the stairs and began sashaying toward him.

"I'm glad you got my message," she said, giving him that same sly smile she had in Riyadh.

If she had any expectation of a repeat performance, she was dead wrong, but Shane reminded himself that he needed to play nice for the moment.

"I did," he replied. "I want to know is why you're dredging up Kim's past? It accomplishes nothing."

Rachel stopped a few feet away from him. "Oh, I wouldn't say it does nothing. It got you here and, if you're here, I assume that means you're willing to tell me all about your mission. How about we start with you telling me who Malik Abbas was?"

Shane forced himself to stay calm. "I can't do that, Rachel. Whatever I was doing was classified. Like I told you, I won't break the law for you."

"Even if it saves your own skin and helps your ex-wife avoid the humiliation of the world finding out about her past profession?" Rachel gave him a toothy grin. "Maybe she got through the locals finding out, but once I publish the story, it will get picked up by every media outlet in the country. Does Kimberly really want to hear the pundits on CNN talking about her sordid past or have some French or Italian tabloid publishing an exclusive interview with some past 'customer'?" She giggled. "I'm sure University Hospital will love fielding calls from all over the world asking how it can let an ex-hooker work with children."

"Stop it," Shane snapped. "You have no idea who Kimberly is or what her life was like."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Kim's not who you think she is," Shane explained, trying to convince her. "She cares about people and she's kind. She works at the clinic because she understands what those children are going through and she helps them."

Rachel smirked a little. "So she's the Mother Theresa of Salem, and I shouldn't publish the truth in my article because it might tarnish her reputation?"

Shane just looked at her in disbelief. "Kim's past has nothing to do with anything. . . . Don't you have some decency? You're talking about destroying a good, innocent woman for no reason."

"That's quite a defense of your ex," Rachel said. She turned away from him and added, in a slightly amused voice, "But from what people in this town tell me, Kimberly Brady is hardly 'innocent.'"

Grabbing her arm, Shane pulled her back around. "What have they been saying?"

"Well that certainly got your ire up." Rachel continued to smirk. "That does seem to go against your reputation. What is it people have said? 'Cool' and 'unemotional' were used a few times. And 'British reserve' was mentioned a few more. But then I guess I've already seen what's underneath that icy exterior."

"I'm not joking, Rachel," Shane said, ignoring her reference to their fling. "Write whatever you want about me, but leave Kimberly out of this. It took a long time for her to put the past behind her and move on with her life, and she doesn't deserve to have her name dragged through the mud."

Rachel just shook her head. "For a man people claim has no emotions, you're certainly showing a lot now. Were you as emotional when you found out she was having another man's child?"

Shane froze for a moment. How did she know about that? "Who said anything about her child?"

"This isn't that big a town," Rachel said. "Do you really think people don't know her baby isn't yours?"

He tried to mask his anger and shock. The family and some friends knew Jeannie was Cal's child, but they had kept the truth secret from everyone else. Shane ran a hand through his hair and tried to think. It would be bad enough for Kim's past to come out; how could he spare Kim even further humiliation?

"Please, Rachel. . . . What can I do to convince you not to publish that?" He knew he sounded desperate. "That has nothing to do with this. If you report it, you'll make Kim look like she's still. . . ."

"Still a whore?"

"But that's not who she is," Shane pleaded. "And what about the baby? She just a little girl."

"One that I hear you have little contact with," Rachel said. Then she stopped and looked him over. "Perhaps . . . perhaps I don't have to include the details about the girl. . . ."

So that was going to be the starting point of a negotiation, Shane thought. But he also knew where Rachel was going. "I can't tell you about Iraq," he said. After Kim's insistence, he would stick to his guns on that.

"Oh, I knew that." Rachel stepped closer to him. "I was just thinking that I've been in Salem for a week and . . . the Salem Inn can be a rather lonely place."

Shane tensed. She can't be serious.

Batting her eyelashes, Rachel gave him a coy look. "You enjoyed it last time."

Now that Rachel had shown her true colors, he knew exactly what she had in mind. Get him into her hotel room so she could try to make him lower his defenses. She would use any opportunity to push for information. He had made that mistake already by letting her into his hotel room in Riyadh, where she found the draft letter to Malik's parents. Besides, he doubted he could trust her to keep her word even if he went along with her proposition.

Shane shook his head angrily. "I'm not going to sleep with you."

"Not to protect Kimberly Brady and her daughter?" Rachel reached a hand out toward him, but he grabbed her around the wrist and stopped her before she could touch him.

"You really are a vindictive piece of work," Shane growled. "The answer is no. Not only was there no chance of it after the garbage you've spewed since you've come to Salem, but I'm not going to do anything to hurt Kim any more. It was bad enough to have you throw Riyadh in her face; I'm not going to give you more ammunition to hurt her." I've hurt her enough.

Rachel shrugged. "Very well. I guess freedom of the press survives. I'm sure you and your precious Kimberly will enjoy the news the next few days." She pulled her hand free of Shane's and walked to the stairs. Over her shoulder, she said, "That was your last chance, Captain Donovan. Nobody rejects me twice."

As she climbed the steps, Shane raised a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. Just when things seemed like they could not get any worse, now Jeannie's paternity had to be added to the mix. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. Even if he could trust Rachel to keep her word, he could not have slept with her. That would have hurt Kim more than just about anything right now.

A mix of fury and helplessness filled him. "Dammit!" Shane hissed, as he turned toward the water. Then he heard a voice behind him.

"That was one hell of a conversation, dude."

Shane turned. As if this day couldn't get worse, he said to himself as Steve walked toward him.

"I'm not in the mood, Steve," Shane warned.

"Fine," Steve said. "I'm not here to fight. But . . . I couldn't help overhearing a bit of that with the reporter."

"Steve. . . . I'm not going to explain. Not to you or anyone else in Salem." Shane turned away.

Steve did not seem to get the message, because he kept talking. "What's to explain, Donovan? You'd have to be deaf not to realize that you're still in love with Kim."