Crashed in Oasis

by Clay, Verna

  Collin said, "A penny for your thoughts."

  She looked sheepish. "Sorry. I sort of zoned out thinking about walking along the beach."

  Collin nodded his understanding. "Tomorrow I'll have Sandy disarm the alarm. Unfortunately, it's necessary because of curious people. When they find out where I live, they often approach by way of the shore. It's very annoying.

  Jake finished his drink and stood. "Well, kiddies, I think it's time to call it a day. I've been up since dawn. Of course, with the excitement of our discovery, I probably won't sleep tonight—happens every time." He walked to stand in front of Collin. "Good to have you home, Collin. We'll go over everything in detail at the meeting."

  "It's good to be home. Thanks for holding down the fort."

  Jake turned and reached to shake Dottie's hand. He held it firmly and then bent to kiss her cheek. "Thank you for saving him," he whispered. When he stood, he glanced at Collin. "As you requested, I'll call Divers' Destiny and get Dottie lined out with expedited lessons."

  "Thanks, Jake. Schedule them for the next three days. We'll set sail on the fourth. At tomorrow's meeting we'll go over the photos and plan our dive strategy with everyone."

  "Sounds good. See you then." He made a saluting motion and walked back toward the foyer.

  Oliver entered the living room from the hallway near the bar. Collin motioned to the chair Jake had vacated. "Oliver, take a load off."

  The older man grinned and settled into the chair. Without prompting he immediately began talking politics.

  Sandy returned, glanced at her husband, looked at Dottie, and shook her head. "Politics," she said with disdain. She cleared her throat and interrupted her husband's ranting. "Dinner will be ready within the hour. Collin, would you like me to show Dottie to her room now?"

  "Yes, that would be great." Collin met Dottie's gaze. "Honey, if you need anything, just let Sandy know, and if you want to change guest rooms, it's not a problem."

  Dottie's heart fluttered at his endearment, but she knew it wasn't intended as anything other than kindness.

  Sandy started toward the hallway at the same time the doorbell rang. Collin frowned. "There aren't many people who have access to a gate opener. I wonder who it is."

  Sandy said, "I'll answer it."

  A couple of minutes passed before Sandy was preceded into the room by a small, shapely brunette with golden highlights. The woman was stunning in tight fitting jeans and a low cut red tank top. She glanced once at Dottie, lifted an eyebrow, and then sauntered toward Collin. In a husky voice dripping with sex appeal, she said, "Welcome home, Collin." She leaned over in a glorious display of cleavage and kissed him on the lips, lifting a hand to caress his cheek. The kiss lingered sensually and Dottie glanced away, color rising to her cheeks.

  Oliver had risen to give his chair to the newcomer and she smiled seductively at him before sitting down. He mumbled something about battening down the hatches and left the room. Sandy glanced at Dottie. "Would you like me to show you to your room later?"

  Dottie wasn't sure how to answer.

  Collin cleared his throat, lifted his index finger for Sandy to wait, and said, "Dottie, I'd like you to meet Kate Sorenson, a member of our dive team."

  Dottie's suspicion that this was the ex-girlfriend was confirmed. Politely, she said, "I'm pleased to meet you."

  Kate brushed a lock of shoulder-length hair over her shoulder and grinned. "So you're the heroine who saved our fearless leader." Her expression became serious. "I'm forever indebted to you. Collin and I are close friends and the thought of something happening to him is simply unbearable."

  Dottie glanced at Collin. He was frowning.

  Collin motioned toward Sandy again. "Why don't you show Dottie to her room now? We've had a long day."

  At that moment, Dottie was grateful for the reprieve. Kate's personality was imperious and her territorial vibes toward Collin were certainly misplaced on Dottie.

  Dottie followed Sandy down the hallway and the woman didn't try to make conversation. Kate's appearance had obviously put a pall on everyone. Sandy said a quick goodbye and mentioned something about checking on dinner again. Dottie walked to the wall of windows in her bedroom and gazed out over a black mass of water stretching as far as the eye could see. For several minutes she forgot the drama in the other room and concentrated only on the barely visible breaking waves. Finally she started unpacking her belongings in the beautifully appointed bedroom that could have graced the pages of Architectural Digest with its impressive walk-in closet, spa bathroom, and amazing bank of windows.

  After a time, she felt she could no longer hide in her room and returned to the living room. She breathed easier when she saw that Kate was no longer there.

  Collin had leaned his head back against the cushion of the couch and closed is eyes. Dottie paused, considering whether she should just turn around and leave. He opened his eyes and smiled. "Please don't leave. I was just relaxing my eyes."

  Dottie sat in the chair across from him. Before she could respond, Collin sighed. "I apologize for Kate's unexpected visit. She can be quite…ah…overpowering, and she doesn't want to believe things are over between us. Because she's part of my dive team I can't promise that you won't encounter her again. And if you do, she probably won't treat you well, because…ah…she's jealous of you."

  Dottie's eyes widened. "Jealous of me. That's crazy."

  Chapter 17: Meeting The Crew

  Collin watched Dottie's response to his revelation about Kate's jealousy. He almost chuckled at the incredulity of her expression. The woman had absolutely no clue as to how appealing she was, and the more he was around her, the more drawn to her he became. She was funny, sensitive, expressive, shy, pretty, and sexy as hell when her eyes turned exotic. Kate could learn a lot from her. Too bad he hadn't realized the extent of Kate's narcissism until after he'd become involved with her. But no amount of wishing could change what had happened. He'd just have to deal with Kate as the situation unfolded.

  The next day, Collin had intended to sleep until at least eight, but excitement of another salvage operation and the precious cargo he would rescue from the bottom of the ocean had him up at six. Leaning against one crutch and standing before his windows, he immersed himself in a view that always robbed him of air. Some days the ocean was calm and peaceful, but not today. Today the waves were large and crashing. It was good that Dottie's dive class would start out in a swimming pool. Just thinking about sharing the experience of a lifetime with her by making her an honorary member of his crew caused his heart to expand. Maybe he wasn't the selfish bastard Kate kept trying to make him out to be.

  With all his heart he wished he could be the one diving beside Dottie as she discovered a magical world of flora, fauna, and dancing light beneath the waves; a world that swayed to the rhythm of nature and danced to the choreography of creation.

  Collin wasn't surprised by his overactive imagination. He'd always seen the world as a vast playground—a playground meant for him to explore—but never conquer.

  Around eight, he entered the kitchen to find Dottie and Sandy laughing. They were both stirring mixtures in large bowls and Collin loved the domesticity of the scene.

  The women glanced up when they heard his crutch hit the tiles and his eyes sought out Dottie's. She lifted her bowl and said, "Sandy is letting me whip up biscuits while she bakes a quiche."

  Collin patted his heart and joked, "Oh, be still my heart." He moved his hand to his stomach. "Er, I mean my stomach."

  Oliver entered the kitchen and both men sat at the island counter.

  Breakfast turned out to be not only a feast of food, but of laughter and joking. Collin lost track of time until his cell phone rang. He glanced at the ID. "Hello, Jake. We're on our way. We kind of got waylaid by…uh…hot buttered biscuits."

  Jake shot back, "Don't even show up without some of those biscuits."

  Collin laughed as he hung up. "I sure hope we have more biscuits, because Jake has orde
red me to bring some!"

  Dottie smiled. "There are at least a dozen still warm in the oven."

  Soon, Oliver was driving Collin and Dottie, and a container of biscuits, to the warehouse Collin had worked from for years. It was near the wharf and he rented the entire third floor. He'd reinforced the walls and had the best security system installed for the protection of artifacts that would be delivered, photographed, and cataloged before shipment to final destinations of museums or private collections, including his own, and sometimes prestigious auctions. The warehouse afforded privacy because most people seeking to contact him went through his main office in a fancy building downtown. He employed a couple of office assistants and a bookkeeper who never released the whereabouts of the warehouse.

  When the artifacts began arriving at the warehouse, guards would be posted around the clock. Of course, anyone determined to locate his secret workplace could probably do so by hiring a PI or following him or a member of his team. So far, there had been only one major theft, but it had been solved by a local detective.

  Now, as he sat at the head of a long metal table marred by years of use on an unknown assembly line, he surveyed his dive crew: Zack and Zeke, both men being dive experts and pilots; Wallace, Captain of his ship, diver and technical expert; and, of course, Kate, diver and ex-lover. Collin glanced at Dottie beside him, and then at Jake, across the table. He grinned at his team and acknowledged their exuberant greetings. He also noted their inquisitive glances at Dottie. Warmly, he said, "Thanks everyone for the welcome home and the cards and balloons. I'm sure you all know I wouldn't be here except for the heroic act of Dottie Arnez." He gestured toward her. "I'd like you to meet the woman who saved my ass."

  A round of applause greeted his introduction and he watched Dottie blush prettily. He continued, "I've invited Dottie to share the excitement of our latest discovery. After she receives her diving certificate, she'll be joining in some of the initial dives. After that, she's expressed an interest in helping catalogue and photograph the cache." Collin reached to place a hand on Dottie's shoulder. "Dottie is now an honorary member of our team so please welcome her."

  Everyone spoke up at once welcoming Dottie—everyone, except Kate. She merely responded with what Collin recognized to be a fake smile.

  He sighed.

  Chapter 18: Diving Dottie

  Dottie listened to Collin prep his team after introducing her. His kind words had touched her heart and almost put tears in her eyes. Again, she wanted to pinch herself. Was she actually sitting at a scarred table in an ancient warehouse in the Florida Keys, listening to treasure hunters plan a dive expected to result in millions of dollars of treasure from a Spanish galleon named Vittoria that had sunk in 1567?

  On the table Jake had spread out photos of the ocean floor that Collin said had been taken by sonar readings, and, clear as day, she could make out the hull of a ship. It gave her goose bumps knowing she would soon have a firsthand view.

  She glanced at Collin's crew. Jake was pointing to parts of the photos with a long pointer and speaking some kind of technical jargon. Dottie's gaze shifted to Kate. The woman was staring at her with animosity that morphed into a smile when their eyes met. To say the woman gave Dottie an uneasy feeling would be an understatement. She clearly had feelings for Collin and saw Dottie as an intruder.

  A door behind them opened and everyone turned to see the newcomer. The pilot who had flown them from Arizona to Key West greeted them. The crew welcomed him as he walked over to Collin and shook his hand.

  Smith said, "I'm here for the package." He shifted his gaze to Dottie and winked.

  Collin smiled at Dottie. "When I mentioned you were taking scuba lessons, Smith offered to drive you to Diver's Destiny, the dive shop we buy our equipment from. They also give scuba lessons. After I'm finished here, Jake's dropping me off at the shop and Oliver will pick us up."

  Smith asked Dottie, "Ready?"

  Dottie stood. "Oh, yes." She made a waving motion and said goodbye to everyone.

  Jake said, "Bye Dottie. Good to have you on board."

  There were several agreements from the men, but nothing from Kate.

  On what turned out to be a short drive to a dive shop nestled on a street of several businesses facing the beach, Dottie enjoyed chatting with Smith. He pulled behind the row of shops to park, and said, "This is a great shop, so don't let the smallness of it fool you. It's one of the top dive businesses in The Keys and it's been here for years."

  Dottie followed Smith around to the front and entered a storefront colorfully splashed with blues and yellows. Immediately upon entry her eyes were drawn to the back wall painted with whales, dolphins, and other sea creatures swimming in an aqua and blue ocean. The same shades were duplicated in a sky of soaring and diving gulls and petrels.

  As for the shop itself, it was a jumble of scuba gear, wetsuits, books and manuals, and partially unpacked boxes of masks and hoses. The middle-aged man sitting cross legged and unloading the boxes glanced up when they entered. He jumped to his feet and grinned. Dottie marveled at his tan. She'd never seen a darker one. His skin had the leathered texture one would associate with years of being in the sun, but it looked good on him. He was almost handsome and certainly physically fit.

  The man rushed forward and said, "So, I finally meet the woman who saved the great and famous Collin Banks. I am Peter and I'm honored to meet you. I understand I have the pleasure of teaching you to dive."

  Before Dottie could respond, Smith laughed. "Peter, as always, you're two steps ahead of everyone."

  Peter responded, "That's why I'm so successful." He reached for Dottie's hand and planted a kiss on the back of her fingers. "Enchanté."

  When she spoke, nervousness made her sound breathless. "I'm pleased to meet you, Peter"

  "My full name is Pierre Tristin Ranier Leblanc. I'm descended from Louisiana French stock. My great-great grandmother was a Creole courtesan." He laughed. "I have no idea who my great-great grandfather was and neither did my grandmother. Sometimes I envision him to be a confederate soldier, other times, a cutthroat pirate—which would explain my love for the ocean and beautiful women." He winked.

  Dottie felt overwhelmed by his personality and flattery. Luckily, she didn't have to come up with a witty response. Peter glanced at Smith. "And how are you, Smith? I haven't seen you for some time. How is your wife?"

  Smith responded, "I'm doing well, as is Francine. Business was slow, but charters are picking up now with summer, so I have no complaints."

  Peter returned his attention to Dottie and Smith excused himself to leave. The friendly shopkeeper showed Dottie around his store, pointing out different pieces of equipment and explaining their use. Shortly before ten, a young woman wearing jeans and a tie-dyed T-shirt of reds and yellows entered the store. She called a greeting to Peter and his response was, "Bobbi, meet the woman who saved Collin!"

  The girl's eyes widened and she gushed, "I'm so happy to meet you! I watched everything on TV! You're a hero for sure!"

  Dottie felt embarrassed by Bobbi's enthusiasm. "Ah, thank you. I only did what anyone would have done."

  The girl looked skeptical.

  Peter said, "Dottie's learning to dive so I'm leaving you in charge of the shop."

  "Not a problem, boss. Anything you need."

  Peter made a waving motion to Dottie. "If you'll follow me, we'll get started." He led her from the store and down the street, explaining, "Our dive pool is a few doors down. Expanding our shop wasn't possible so we purchased a rundown building and refurbished it, installing a pool. It works well since we used to have to drive five miles to a pool we rented."

  The entrance to the pool was also splashed with bright blues and yellows, just like Divers' Destiny. Situated on a corner, there was only one other business in the building, a swimwear shop.

  Peter said, "We lease the attached space. It helps pay the overhead."

  Seeing the skimpy bikinis on skinny mannequins made Dottie realize her
own suit was ancient and outdated. Perhaps she should toss her nondescript brown, one-piece, in favor of something colorful and daring. Her mind shouted yes, but her body cringed at the word "daring." Maybe she'd just buy something colorful and modest.

  Inside the pool area, Peter led her to a room with desks and chairs. He laughed and handed her a manual. "We don't get to the fun stuff until after the lecture." He then proceeded to work his way through the manual, starting with the basics, and always interjecting safety instructions.

  Although Peter had called this part of her training boring, Dottie actually found it quite interesting, especially when he added real life stories of his own dive experiences.

  Finally, they reached the chapter on gear, and an hour later, Dottie was suiting up. With excitement she descended the pool steps until the water reached her waist. She'd changed into her bathing suit earlier and Peter had helped her into the wet suit. Her heart pounded when she envisioned jumping over the side of Collin's boat and swimming down, down, down, into the depths of the ocean.

  Peter was explaining the mouthpiece and she brought her full attention back to the present. Much later, after a short dive to the bottom of the pool, Dottie resurfaced and removed the mouthpiece. Peter treaded water beside her and she laughed happily. "That was wonderful!"

  Movement across the room caught her attention and she glanced over to see Collin sitting on a deck chair. How long had he been there?

  Peter called, "Hey, Collin, good to see you alive and kicking!"

  Collin lifted himself up by his crutches and made his way to the side of the pool. He smiled at Dottie. "Thanks to Dottie, I'm still around to give you a bad time."

  Peter laughed. "Hell, you're too ornery to kick the bucket just yet. I expect you'll be searching for treasure into your nineties." He glanced at Dottie. "I think we can call it a day. Take the manual home, review what we've covered, and do the quiz section at the end of the chapters. We can meet at Divers' Destiny at ten tomorrow. I'll get my sales gal lined out and then we'll walk over here—expect to be here for a couple of hours and then we'll head out to the lagoon." He glanced at Collin. "Sound okay with you?"