Searching for Love (The Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill - Oak Falls) Book 6)

by Melissa Foster

  While she watched the LED readout displaying the gamma count, anxiously awaiting a spike, Zev watched her and everything around them. He trusted Ford, but Carly was his to protect, and her safety came before everything and anything else.

  He motioned with his hand, indicating they should work their way along one side of the crater and circle down toward the bottom, then inspect the other side. Ford hovered above them, keeping guard as they made their way deeper. Time ticked by with heart-palpitating anticipation. He silently prayed they’d pick up something, though as she’d said, she’d be thrilled with the experience either way.

  When they reached the bottom of the crater and were swimming along the perimeter, Carly’s head swung in his direction. She pointed to the LED, showing him that it was picking up something. They swam in a grid-like fashion, crossing the crater to determine how big the area of metal was, but the reading faded fast. They gave the equipment time to clear, then swam back for another read of the area to see if it had been an error, but they got the same results. Whatever the metal detector had picked up was small. They were running out of time, and Zev wanted to cover as much ground as possible. He pointed to the other side of the crater, and they swam in that direction. As they approached the farthest point, the LED lit up, sending chills through him. Carly raised a fist, shaking it with excitement, and they continued swimming, watching the readout, their disbelieving eyes connecting every few seconds as the reading got stronger, covering a massive area.

  They swam away, giving the LED time to settle back down, and then they retraced their paths, double-checking the readout. Confirmation sent them into high-five excitement. They swam up to Ford, and Zev relayed the discovery as best he could, which must have been pretty damn well, because Ford did a fist pump and an underwater happy dance.

  Zev took the metal detector, and they swam toward the surface, taking necessary decompression stops. When they began the last part of their ascent, Carly grabbed Zev’s arm, pointing frantically down and to the right, where a shark appeared in the murky water. Zev’s protective instincts surged. He indicated for her to swim toward the surface and moved between her and the predator. As she ascended, Ford took his place beside Zev, spear gun at the ready. They swam slowly toward the surface, eyes locked on the enormous shark. As it neared, Zev got a better look at its fins and realized it was a basking shark and of no threat to them. Relief swamped him.

  They made quick work of getting out of the water and shucking their flippers and masks. They all spoke at once as they took off the rest of their equipment.

  “We found the motherload!” Ford said.

  “Randi…?” Zev tapped his wrist. He wanted to be sure Carly had twenty-four hours before their flight, which was leaving at nine the next morning.

  “I was sure we were going to be eaten before we had a chance to celebrate,” Carly said, panting heavily.

  “It was a basking shark.” Zev leaned closer, speaking directly into her ear as he said, “But you’re not out of danger. I’m looking forward to a celebratory feast later.”

  Carly blushed a red streak.

  “Zev, it’s eight forty. You’re good,” Randi said. “And Jeremy called while you were in the water.”

  Zev spun around. “What’d he say?”

  “I didn’t answer it,” Randi said. “I just saw his name on your phone screen.”

  Zev grabbed his phone, his mind whirling from their new discovery. Everyone went silent as he made the call. He paced the deck, waiting for the receptionist to patch him through, and tossed a silent prayer out to the universe in hopes of gaining the rights to the vessel.

  “Zev.” Jeremy Ryder’s deep voice traveled through the lines. “I’ve got good news. We have the order appointing your company as the substitute custodian and the signed warrant of arrest…”

  Zev pumped his fist, locking eyes with Carly, who had tears in hers. Ford and Randi cheered and hugged, pulling Carly into their celebration as Zev listened to Jeremy talk about legalities and next steps. Zev told him about their dive and his hopes that they’d find something significant that tied to the Pride. “I’ll see you Monday morning, and, Jeremy, thank you again for everything.”

  When he ended the call, Carly leapt into his arms. “You did it!” She kissed him and said, “You gained the rights to whatever is down there, which we both know is from the Pride. You made our childhood dreams come true. I love you, Captain Zev!”

  Ford was arguing with Randi about something and stopped midsentence to say, “Does that name carry into the bedroom?”

  Zev glowered at him as he set Carly on her feet, but they all cracked up. As they talked over one another, their voices escalating with excitement, the full weight of it all hit Zev. The vessel was his, and there was something big down there just waiting to be unearthed. He looked at Carly, bouncing on her toes, smiling brighter than the sun as she described to Randi what it had been like to see the LED illuminate on the magnetometer. When Ford began telling Randi that he and Zev had saved Carly from a great white shark, Carly’s eyes found Zev’s. She might not have been there for the first discovery, but she was here now, celebrating the part that mattered most. He’d worried about Carly being overwhelmed by the dive, but he’d never expected to be the one who would become swamped with too much emotion to think straight.

  He strode across the deck, reaching for her hand. “Excuse me,” he said, pulling her away from the others and into his embrace. He held her tight, their wet suits still hanging off their hips, and said, “God, baby. We did it. We really did it. The Pride is ours.”

  “You did it!”

  “No. You’ve always been with me.” He gazed into her eyes and said, “You’re my lucky charm, Carls.” He lowered his lips to hers, wishing he could kiss her for hours.

  “Hey, smoochers,” Ford interrupted, waving his phone at them. “Remember-when picture?”

  “Oh, man, you’re an ass,” Zev teased, and hauled Ford and Randi into a picture. They took several, and then they stripped off their wet suits and switched into work mode.

  Zev grabbed a pad and pen while the others took care of the equipment and talked about what the magnetometer might have picked up. He sat down and said, “All right, guys, let’s focus. We need to get our arms around our plans for next week. Then Ford and Randi can dive, and later we’ll take the coins to the vault, shower, change, and meet at Rock Bottom for a celebration dinner.”

  They all cheered.

  “We’ve got a lot of plans to make for next week. I’m meeting Jeremy Monday morning in Boston to finalize all the paperwork. We’ll need extra hands to do this quickly. Ford, you want to see if Cliff and Tanner are available?” Cliff and Tanner were two divers Zev trusted and had worked with a number of times. Zev would have them sign nondisclosure agreements to ensure the dive location and other details would be kept confidential, but they knew the routine.

  “I’m on it,” Ford said.

  “Randi, is Brant around? I want to put him on standby with the crane.” Brant was Randi’s oldest brother. He was a shipwright, and he owned a marine equipment company and a host of fishing boats.

  “Yeah, he’s around. I’ll let him know,” Randi said.

  “Great. Whatever pinged the system spans at least ten or twelve feet in length, and it isn’t far beneath the surface. We’ll see if we can get to it with the dredge engine and pump. Wait until you use that equipment, Carly. It moves six hundred gallons of water a minute and sucks the sediment like a vacuum cleaner, blowing it out onto a twelve-foot floating screen deck covered in fine mesh, so we can sift through the debris without losing any artifacts.”

  He was talking fast, and Carly was crouched beside an oxygen tank, looking at him forlornly. Reality hit him like a slap to the face.

  This wasn’t their real life. This was a trip, a jaunt into his life. Carly wouldn’t get her hands on that equipment or him next week. She’d be two thousand miles away, handling crowds at the festival.

  “Babe,” he said
as they both rose to their feet, and he reached for her.

  Ford and Randi fell silent, watching them.

  “We’ll FaceTime,” she said quickly, the disappointment in her eyes palpable. “You can fill me in on how it goes.”

  “Right.” He swallowed hard against the crushing feeling in his chest. How the hell was he going to survive being apart from her? “I know you can’t be here, and you can’t miss the festival, but damn it, baby…” He gathered her in his arms and said, “I wish you could.”

  Chapter Twenty

  CARLY DIDN’T KNOW if she should slaughter Birdie or praise her for the clothes she’d bought on Zev’s dime. In addition to the barely there string bikini, she’d purchased a white lace thong, a ridiculously small miniskirt, a gold tank top, and a gauzy, see-through and backless cream-colored minidress. She opted to wear the flowy dress to dinner with Ford and Randi, even though it was far more provocative than anything she’d ever choose for herself. The front panel of the dress had a swatch of lace down the center, baring a path of skin between her breasts all the way down to her waist, and lace strings attached to the sides of the panel that tied across her bare back. Two more laces tied around her neck, like a halter. There would be no hiding anything tonight.

  Zev stepped behind her as she slipped her feet into the cute strappy sandals Birdie had chosen, which went perfectly with the dress. He moved her hair to one side, pressing a kiss to the skin he’d bared, and said, “I think Birdie should be your personal shopper.”

  “It is pretty, isn’t it?”

  “The dress is sexy as sin, but you’re stunning.” He turned her in his arms, looking incredibly handsome in a gray button-down short-sleeved shirt and jeans.

  “Thank you. I just wish she’d chosen something other than a thong.”

  “You still hate them, huh?” He reached beneath her skirt, hooked his fingers in the sides of the thong, and said, “I dare you not to wear it.”

  She inhaled a ragged breath, the feel of his fingers on her hips sending heat to all the right places. “If I accept your challenge, then I dare you not to touch my naked parts while we’re out tonight.”

  His eyes narrowed. “That’s asking for a lot.” He kissed her neck and said, “I can last through dinner. No promises afterward.”

  “You’re so wrong. Your voice holds the dirtiest type of promises. Too bad Jack’s plane doesn’t have a private cabin for our trip home tomorrow.”

  “Jack’s not flying us back. Randi’s sister, Tessa, is. She lives on the island.” He dragged the thong down to the floor and said, “It offers a bit more privacy.”

  She stepped out of the thong, and he ran his hands up her legs, dropping a kiss on each of her thighs before rising to his feet, leaving her wanting more. She glanced at the clock, wondering if they had time for a quickie before meeting Ford and Randi. When they’d come back to the marina, Ford and Randi had taken the coins to the vault and Zev and Carly walked to the wildlife sanctuary. She’d been wanting to see it since she was a teenager, and being there with Zev was even better than she’d imagined. They held hands, enjoying the sights. There were long grasses with trails snaking through them, patches of pine woodlands, and a sandy barrier beach. They saw turtles, egrets, herons, swallows, and sandpipers. Carly could have walked for hours, but they’d needed to get back to the boat to shower and get ready for dinner. They were meeting Randi and Ford in half an hour.

  Zev’s phone rang, and they both glanced at it on his desk. Dad flashed on the screen with a FaceTime call, and she remembered that he’d left a message for his parents to share his news. She wanted to say, Ignore it, but that wasn’t fair. Her sexual desires didn’t trump sharing his incredible news with his family.

  “Better answer it before you fail your dare.” She was only half-teasing.

  He kissed her and said, “Grab your sweater. It’ll be chilly soon.” He reached for the phone as she got her sweater, and then he took her hand, leading her up to the deck.

  A gentle breeze washed over Carly’s skin. She went to the railing to give him privacy. As his parents told him about their day, she gazed out at the other boats in the marina and the cute cottages and buildings on Silver Island. She still felt like she was living someone else’s life.

  The life she’d once dreamed of.

  “How are you, honey?” she heard his mother ask.

  Carly couldn’t see the phone screen, but hearing his parents’ voices and being together with Zev again made her long for the connection with them. She loved his parents. Seeing them at the wedding had reminded her of how much she missed them. Distancing herself from his close-knit family had been one of the hardest things she’d ever done, but it had been necessary because she couldn’t have spent time with them without thinking of Zev.

  “I’m better than I’ve been in years. I have news to share,” Zev said.

  “Wait! I want to hear!” Jillian’s voice rang out. “Hi, Zev. Come on, you guys. Hurry! He has news!”

  Carly wondered who Jillian was talking to. Three deep voices greeting Zev gave her the answer. Graham, Jax, and Nick had easily discernible voices.

  “Hi, Zev,” said a sweet female voice Carly didn’t recognize.

  “Hi, Morgyn,” Zev said.

  Ah, Graham’s wife.

  “How’s Bandit?” Graham asked. “Did he steal all your stuff?”

  “What do you think?” Zev laughed. “What’s everyone doing there?”

  “Having dinner, of course,” Jillian said. “If you were around more often, you’d know that. But that’s enough chitchat. What’s your news?”

  “Which do you want first—the good news or the best news?” Zev asked.

  Carly wondered which was the best news—today’s discovery or the vessel being arrested.

  “Gosh, honey. I don’t know,” his mother said.

  “Then I’m going with the best news,” Zev said. “I found my treasure.”

  He sounded proud and happy, like he had been bursting to tell them. Everyone congratulated him in an uproar of excitement. Carly was thrilled for Zev, right along with them.

  Zev stepped beside her, bringing her into the frame, and he gazed into her eyes as he said, “The funny thing is, she was in Colorado the whole time.”

  Carly’s heart stumbled. She was his best news, his treasure?

  “Oh, honey! Carly!” his mother exclaimed. “You two are back together?”

  “Yes, we are.” Zev hugged her, kissing her temple.

  Jillian and Morgyn cheered and hugged as everyone congratulated them. It felt wonderful to be swept into the Bradens’ inner circle again and welcomed so eagerly after all the time that had passed.

  “I have to call Char and let her know it worked!” Jillian shouted.

  Morgyn gasped, and Jillian froze like a deer caught in headlights. Jax and Nick shot her angry glares. Graham scrubbed a hand down his face, chuckling.

  “What worked?” Zev asked, looking as confused and curious as Carly.

  “Um…” Jillian said, looking apologetically at Morgyn and her brothers, who were all scowling, except Morgyn, whose guilt-filled eyes were wide as saucers.

  Zev narrowed his eyes. “Wait a second,” he said angrily. “Graham, I thought you and Morgyn were going to Seattle, and Jilly and Jax were supposed to be out of town for a fashion show. Nick? Weren’t you going to Virginia to pick up horses or something?”

  “Seattle? Fashion show? Virginia?” His mother looked at her other children and said, “What the devil are you kids up to?”

  “Don’t look at me. I just did what I was told,” Graham said, earning a blush and shrug from Morgyn.

  “Me too,” Nick and Jax said in unison.

  Their father laughed. “Oh boy. I think we’ve got a conspiracy on our hands.”

  “Jilly?” Zev asked in a deathly serious tone.

  Jillian threw up her hands and said, “It was all Char’s idea! Ever since Morgyn told her that Zev was gray, she’s wanted to fix him!”

>   “Is that a Fifty Shades reference?” Nick asked with a snicker.

  Jillian rolled her eyes. “Tell them, Morgyn!”

  “Yes, please enlighten us, Sunshine,” Zev urged.

  Morgyn looked at Graham, and he nodded encouragingly. She sighed and said, “You guys know I see auras, the energy people give off. The first time I met Zev and Graham, Zev’s aura was muddy. Like dirty gray, which doesn’t mean anything sexual. It means he was overly guarded, blocking energies, despite his carefree, outgoing personality. That’s why I called him Foreplay—”

  Nick and Jax chuckled. Zev shot them a warning stare.

  “Really, boys?” their mother said. “Let Morgyn finish her story.”

  “That’s why I used to call him Foreplay,” Morgyn corrected herself. “Because I could see that it wouldn’t matter who he was with; he simply wasn’t open to long-term energy. I’m sorry, Zev, but it was true. All that energy you threw out felt like a cover-up. But now I can see it’s changed. I see the full spectrum of the rainbow around both of you.”

  Carly wondered what her colors had looked like before she and Zev had reconnected.

  “See?” Jillian exclaimed. “Char said Zev and Carly just needed a little nudge in the right direction and that the inn would work its magic. And I knew the only way to make Zev stay in Colorado long enough to test her theory was if nobody else offered to help Beau with the animals.”

  His mother covered her face, laughing. “Oh, Jilly…”

  Zev was looking at Jillian like she’d lost her mind, but when his loving eyes hit Carly’s, looking at her the way he had so often, like she was his whole world, the air around them didn’t sizzle and pop this time. It warmed with the comfort of a best friend and embraced like the strong, safe arms of a lover. In that moment two things became clear. She had no doubt that she would have looked muddy before, too, and she and Zev were the ones who had lost their minds—over each other.

  Thank you, Char and Jilly.