Searching For Love – the Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls)

by Melissa Foster

  “Bring that pretty little lady in here so I can meet her.” Roddy motioned with his hand for them to come in.

  “Nononono,” Carly whispered. “I’m naked over here…”

  “Hold tight, babe. I’ll get us out of this,” Zev reassured her.

  “Roddy, what the heck, man?” A big, brawny guy walked out of the cabin on the boat beside Roddy. He had a small tattoo on his neck, muscles upon muscles, and a scowl on his handsome face. “It’s the ass crack of dawn and you’re out here hollerin’.”

  “Ohmygod!” Carly sank lower into the water, and Zev angled himself toward the guy so he couldn’t see her body. “Who is that?”

  “He’s a buddy of mine, Archer Steele,” Zev said. “He’s a good guy with a big chip on his shoulder.”

  “Sorry, Archer.” Roddy nodded toward the water and said, “I saw Braden out there and wanted to say hello.”

  “Zev’s back?” Archer squinted out toward the water.

  Carly ducked a little lower. Nothing to see over here. Please go away!

  “Hey, dude. Sorry to wake you,” Zev hollered. “We were just…taking a morning swim.”

  Carly imagined him smirking.

  “I bet you are.” Archer chuckled and shook his head. “Hey, Roddy, give these two some privacy, will ya?”

  “What?” Roddy scratched his head. He looked at Carly and Zev again and said, “Aw, Jiminy Cricket. Been there myself a few dozen times with the missus. Nice to meet you, Carly. You kids have fun. I’ll just be on my way.” He turned and walked down the dock toward shore.

  Archer hollered, “You’re welcome!” and headed into the cabin of his boat.

  Carly let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding as Zev turned around with the biggest grin she’d seen in a long time. When she opened her mouth to complain, all that came out was laughter.

  “Sorry, babe,” Zev said through his laughs. “I forgot that Roddy comes out here so early.”

  “Like I said…” She wound her arms around his neck and said, “What’s the worst that can happen?”

  “You know I’m too possessive to let anyone see you naked,” he said, and pressed his lips to hers.

  “Zev!” another male voice called out. “Get your naked ass out of that water! We brought breakfast.”

  “What’d you do, sell tickets?” Carly said, scrambling behind Zev again.

  A tall, fit guy with short light brown hair was walking down the dock carrying a to-go tray of coffee cups. He wore a long-sleeved shirt, shorts, and a cocky smirk. Behind him, a slim brunette in a sweatshirt and shorts was talking with Roddy.

  Zev chuckled. “It’s just Ford. That’s Randi behind him.”

  “Great,” she said and hollered, “Anyone else want to see me naked?”

  Zev looked over his shoulder, flashing a wolfish grin.

  Carly shook her head and said, “You had better find a way to get me out of here without my coochie being seen, or it’ll be a long time before you see it again.”

  “FAIR WARNING,” ZEV hollered as he climbed into the boat. “Sea snake on board.” He grabbed one of the towels Ford had tossed on the deck and toweled off.

  “Cover up those raisins before you embarrass all of us,” Ford called from the equipment room, where he and Randi were looking over their supplies.

  Zev pulled on his shorts. Chuckling, he held up a towel as Carly climbed out of the water, blocking her from Ford’s view, and wrapped it around her.

  “Thanks.” She secured the top of the towel with a quick tuck.

  “Want to put my shirt on?”

  “No, this is fine. I’ll get dressed after I say hello to your friends.” Her gaze moved over his shoulder, and a smile lit up her eyes. “The island is even more beautiful in person than it is in pictures. Look at all of those pretty houses overlooking the water, and that restaurant built right on the marina. There’s the ferry! And look. I can see Silver Monument.” She pointed to the monument in the distance. “Will we have time to see Fortune’s Landing or the wildlife sanctuary while we’re here?”

  “I think we can fit those in. But if we don’t, we’ll put them on the top of our one-day list.”

  “Sounds perfect.” She took his hand and said, “I still can’t believe I’m here with you. I feel like I’m dreaming.”

  He pulled her closer and said, “I’m going to make all your dreams come true.” He lowered his lips to hers in a sweet kiss.

  “Ahem,” Randi said as she and Ford walked out on the deck.

  Carly blushed, holding tight to Zev’s hand, and said, “Hi. I’m Carly. You must be the other two members of the Fearless Threesome.”

  “That’s right. I’m Alex Pettyfer,” Ford said with a British accent and a big-ass grin. “Nice to meet you.”

  Randi rolled her eyes. Zev chuckled. Ford did that a lot. He looked just like a younger version of the actor, and women ate it up.

  “C’mon. You know I look just like him, only better.” Ford lifted his shirt and flexed his abs.

  Randi smacked his stomach. “How many times do I have to tell you that nobody wants to see your abs?”

  “Twelve, fifteen…hundred,” Ford said without the accent, dodging another swat.

  Randi, who was petite with friendly eyes despite her no-bullshit swats, flashed a warm smile and said, “That’s big-headed Ford, and I’m Randi. It’s nice to finally meet the elusive Goonie girl.”

  “Goonie girl?” Carly looked curiously at Zev.

  “Don’t look at me. I never called you that,” Zev said.

  “He never called you anything,” Randi clarified. “When we asked about the girl in the pictures, he said she was his first and only love, his lost treasure. But if we pried for more, he shut us down.”

  Carly looked adoringly at Zev and said, “I think we were both lost treasures for a while.”

  He couldn’t imagine loving her more than he did right then.

  “To be honest,” Ford said, “I figured you dumped his ass and broke his heart, and that was why he refused to talk about you. But that map you two made looked like it came right out of The Goonies. That thing is awesome.”

  “Hence Goonie girl,” Randi explained. “Personally, I like Carly better. Congrats on extracting the gold coins. Zev sent us pictures. That kind of makes you a real-life Goonie.”

  “That makes us all Goonies,” Carly said.

  “I put the coins in the safe in my cabin. We’ll have to take them to the vault after we dive, but I knew you and Ford would want to get your hands on them,” Zev said. “I took loads of pictures of the extraction process and captured the very moment Carls pulled out the first coin. Hers were the first hands to hold it.”

  “Holy shit.” Ford smacked his own forehead and said, “She’s ‘This one’s for you, Carls!’”

  “Yes, she is.” Zev pulled her closer, drinking in the adoring look in Carly’s eyes, and said, “My first adventure partner, my first love, and my most valuable treasure. She’s pretty much everything, so don’t be a dick, Ford. Got it?”

  Ford held up his hands. “Never, man.”

  “I’ll keep him in line.” Randi waggled her finger at Ford.

  Ford leaned on her shoulder and said, “You couldn’t keep a fly in line with a pest strip.”

  “Watch it, buddy,” Randi said, stepping out of his reach. “I might have to line your wet suit with chum.”

  “On that note, we’re going to change so we can get out on the water.” Zev draped an arm over Carly’s shoulder and headed for the cabin.

  “Don’t get lost down there, you two lovebirds. Your coffee will get cold,” Ford said as he put an arm around Randi.

  Randi smacked his arm.

  Carly giggled, and looking over her shoulder, she said, “Good thing I like my coffee iced.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “RANDI, CAN YOU grab the spear gun?” Zev asked. They were anchored at the site where Zev had found the concretions, checking equipment and getting ready for their d
ive.

  “You’ve got it, boss.” Randi headed into the equipment room.

  Carly gazed at the water, thinking about how much her life had changed. Before Tory had been killed and she and Zev had broken up, she’d spent time indoors for obligations only, like school and dinners. Now, other than her weekly horseback rides, her life had become bound by walls and guided by indoor tasks. She’d forgotten the freeing feeling of spending time in the fresh air. The way it magnified every sensation. Zev’s touches were more potent, his every look less restrained, and she felt sexier and more invigorated with the sun warming her skin and her hair whipping in the salty sea air.

  She zipped her wet suit and said, “I still can’t believe we’re here, where Garrick ‘One-Leg’ Clegg’s ship went down.” She could hardly contain her excitement. “Did you guys know the Pride was used as a passenger, cargo, and slave ship before it was overtaken by Clegg? They say it was carrying more than two tons of silver, gold, and jewelry. Then there are the cannons and other weapons, tools, and the people…” She turned around and found all three of them looking at her with amused expressions. She wrinkled her nose and said, “Of course you know all that. Sorry for geeking out.”

  “You’re sexy when you geek out,” Zev said with a wink, and went back to checking the equipment with Ford.

  Zev had practically salivated over her in the light blue string bikini Birdie had bought for her, rekindling delicious memories of Zev kissing her entire body earlier as she’d put it on. If Randi and Ford hadn’t been waiting, they wouldn’t have made it out of the cabin for hours.

  “Do you ever wonder what Clegg was thinking when the nor’easter hit?” Randi asked as she carried a spear gun out of the equipment room.

  “Probably something like, ‘I should’ve gotten laid last night,’” Zev said.

  “That and, ‘Holy shit, I’m gonna die,’” Ford added.

  They all laughed.

  Ford loomed over Randi’s shoulder as she checked the spear gun. Randi glared at him. Ford leaned closer, his chest brushing Randi’s back, and said, “Was I too far away?”

  Randi scoffed. “Like that’s even possible? Maybe you should go join Luis’s team.”

  “And miss out on all this fun?” Ford pointed to something on the spear gun and said, “You’ve got to tighten the—”

  “I did,” Randi said sternly.

  “Let me try.” Ford reached for it, and Randi looked like she was going to kill him.

  They went head-to-head a lot, as Zev had mentioned, but there was a definite sizzle factor between them. Carly wondered if there was a secret attraction there—or if they had already hooked up and didn’t want anyone to know. She really liked them both. They clearly respected Zev, but they also teased him like siblings, and they treated her like an old friend, rather than someone who was riding the coattails on their expedition. They’d asked her dozens of questions about her business and had seemed genuinely interested in who she was and in her life in Colorado, which she appreciated.

  As Ford and Randi bickered, Zev meticulously checked an oxygen tank, brows knitted, jaw tight. Carly had forgotten how serious he became when he was doing safety checks, so different from the easygoing guy he was otherwise. On the trip out to the dive site, he’d given her a complete safety lesson, including a lecture on shark behavior. She’d listened to every word, even if she’d been staring at his lips and wanting to kiss them.

  He must have felt her staring now, because he looked up, and the zing that always accompanied their connection brought goose bumps. She loved being on the water with him, sharing another adventure. Memories of their adventurous dreams had been rising to the surface all morning. Being with Zev in Colorado had made her feel more alive than ever, and now she knew that was just the tip of the iceberg. She hadn’t realized how desperately she’d missed him and their shared love of the thrill of the unknown.

  Zev blew her a kiss, pulling her from her reverie. She swore she felt that kiss land on her lips.

  “Where’s mine?” Ford said with a waggle of his brows.

  Zev shook his head and finished checking the tank. Carly went to join him.

  “Better have peroxide on hand if you kiss Ford,” Randi said. “Lord knows where his lips have been.”

  Zev rose to his feet as Carly approached. “Are you ready, babe?” he asked, putting a hand on her back.

  She inhaled deeply. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “I’ll be by your side the whole time.” He drew her closer, gazing deeply into her eyes, and said, “Promise me if anything feels off, if you get rattled, or just need to surface, you’ll let me know. Okay?”

  “Of course.” He’d been worried that the dive might be overwhelming for her, since she didn’t dive very often. But she was confident in her skills, and she was too excited to get rattled.

  Zev had gone over every detail of the dive. Randi was going to stay on board in case anything went wrong, Carly and Zev were going to use the magnetometer, a large tubular underwater metal detector that was about three feet long and weighed about thirty-five pounds, and Ford was going to carry a spear gun and keep an eye out for sharks. Apparently they’d had to evacuate the water a few times in the past because of sharks. That worried Carly, but not enough to keep her from diving. It was funny how meticulous Zev was about safety and dangerous adventures, like diving, and how casual the rest of his life was. She had a feeling another woman might think he should be able to plan time to see her as intricately as he’d planned this trip. But Carly knew the nature of treasure hunting, and she didn’t resent Zev for his days and schedules changing like the wind. She hoped he’d find every artifact from the Pride, even if that meant she’d have less time with him and the time they’d get together had to be at the spur of the moment. Wasn’t that another part of loving someone? Wanting them to have everything they’d ever dreamed of?

  Her hair whipped across her face, and Zev slid his hand along her forehead, threading his fingers into her hair along her scalp, pushing it away from her face and holding it there. He stepped closer, his eyes holding hers as he said, “I love you, Carls.” He said it so passionately, it almost sounded like it held more of a message.

  “I love you, too. Are you okay? I know you’re nervous about me getting overwhelmed, but I’m going to be fine.”

  “I’m better than I’ve ever been. I know you’ll be okay.” His grip on her hair tightened as he brought his face closer to hers and lowered his voice to say, “It’s just that you’re here, and we’re about to dive for our treasure. How many stars had to align for us to come together again? For us to be in this moment? I feel so damn lucky I want to shout it out to the world.”

  He pressed his lips to hers, and she thought, I want to shout it, too.

  “Are we going to dive or make out?” Ford asked.

  “I’m starting to think you’re jealous,” Randi said.

  “Give us a sec.” Zev grabbed his phone and said, “Remember-when picture?”

  Her heart leapt. “Yes!” As he lifted the phone to take a selfie, she knew it wouldn’t matter if they’d taken a picture or not. Like all the other things they’d ever done together, she’d never forget a second of this trip, because every minute with Zev was unforgettable. After he took the picture, she said, “I just want you to know that this has already been an unforgettable experience, and even if we don’t find anything down there, this has already been the best adventure of my life.”

  “Every day with you is the best adventure of my life,” Zev said. “It always has been.”

  Ford gave them a hurry-up look, but he was smiling. Carly knew he was happy for his friend. She put her face next to Zev’s, both of them grinning as he took a selfie.

  “Get in here, you two,” Zev said, waving Randi and Ford over.

  “Maybe we’ll get a place on the sacred Goonies collage!” Randi said as she put her arm around Carly and Ford put his arm around Zev.

  Zev took the picture and said, “Let the hunting
begin!”

  They put on their equipment and went in search of treasure.

  ZEV HELD ON to the handles on either side of the magnetometer, while keeping his eye on Carly to make sure she was okay as they made their way toward the ocean floor. Ford was on her other side. He’d given Ford strict instruction that if they got into trouble, Carly’s safety came first. Zev had always worried about her, but nothing compared to what he felt now that he knew what it was like to be without her.

  Carly gave him a thumbs-up as she descended into the cold, dark depths of the sea. He’d purposefully taken her down a good distance from where they’d blasted the seafloor so she would have a few minutes to explore areas that hadn’t been affected by the blast. He was glad he’d thought ahead, because as excited as she was to get to the site, watching her explore was his best adventure yet. He reached for his underwater camera clipped to his equipment, capturing her beauty as she touched rocks, crustaceans, and everything else she could get her pretty little hands on. She picked up a starfish, eyes wide as she pointed to it, posing for the picture. Even underwater excitement radiated off her.

  Behind her Ford was keeping watch in the murky water.

  Zev was acutely aware of their time limit, but after a minute or two, Ford mimed tapping his foot. He was ready to get moving. Zev was anxious to see what they’d find, too, even though he’d already found his real treasure. He gave Carly another few seconds before getting her attention and pointing in the direction of the site. As they swam across the ocean floor, he took great pleasure in how his thoughts had changed from I, my, and alone to we, our, and together.

  The seabed surrounding the crater looked like a whole different world with the natural ocean floor covered by the sand they’d blown. Zev indicated that he was ready to give Carly the magnetometer. She’d spent time getting used to the feel and weight of it on the boat, and he’d taught her how to read the LED panel. Excited, confident eyes smiled back at him from behind her mask as they transferred the heavy equipment. She nodded when she was ready. The magnetometer was buoyant, but it was still a lot to manage. Zev stayed close, just in case she needed him to take it.