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

by Melissa Foster

  “Forget the kid. I’d like to do all of this stuff with you.” He pulled open the door to a building. As they made their way down a hall toward a set of double doors, Zev draped an arm around her and said, “Maybe it’s time to start a new one-day list.”

  She wanted to whip out her phone and start the list right then. But even though she wanted to hope for more, there was no silencing that little reality-reminding voice in her head, which she’d lived by for so many years. “That’s awfully tempting, but we don’t even know what’s going to happen after this week.”

  “Sure we do.” He winked and hugged her against his side as he said, “We’re going to color outside the lines and find a way to make it work.”

  He sounded so sure of himself, she wanted to believe him. A second chance at forever with the man she couldn’t help but love was the only thing she truly wanted. But they still had obstacles to overcome, and she couldn’t just brush those under the carpet. She wanted to believe that she could count on him to stick around if they experienced another devastating blow, but how could she know for sure? What if she just needed him, not because of a dire circumstance, but just because? Would he be able to drop everything to be there for her? Could she leave her business at the drop of a hat to be there for him? She didn’t want to give up what she had there in Colorado, and she definitely didn’t want him to give up the life he loved. But at the same time, she wanted Zev.

  Whoa. What am I doing? She was getting way ahead of herself for a woman who was supposed to be tempering her expectations.

  One of the double doors swung open, and a tall, handsome man who looked a lot like Zev but with shorter hair barreled out and said, “Hey, Zev. I was just on my way out. I thought I was going to miss you.” Bandit barked and pushed his way between them, wanting all of the guy’s attention, which he was happy to give.

  “I’m glad you didn’t. I wanted you to meet Carly.” Zev put a hand on her lower back and said, “Carly, this is my cousin Noah. He’s a marine biologist and one of the partners here.”

  “Hi. It’s nice to meet you.” Carly extended her hand as Noah came in for a hug, and it turned into an awkward but funny embrace.

  Noah clapped Zev on the shoulder and said, “This guy’s been talking about you so much, I feel like I already know you.”

  “I hope that’s a good thing,” she said, realizing she had no idea what Zev had been doing there.

  “It’s a very good thing, and I’m hoping it’s enough of a good thing to convince him to join us in this endeavor. He’s got some great ideas about shipwreck exhibits for kids, and he can’t dive in New England in the winter. Seems like a match made in heaven, if you ask me. Maybe you can talk some sense into him.”

  “I told you I’d think about it,” Zev said.

  Noah scoffed. “We all know what that means.”

  “I don’t understand,” Carly said. “You want him to be part of the Real DEAL?”

  “Yes. To create exhibits, give talks, workshops for kids,” Noah explained. “The possibilities are endless. Listen, I’ve got to run. I have a meeting with Jack and Hugh in half an hour.”

  “Is Jack still piloting planes?” Zev asked.

  “Yes. That man will never slow down.”

  “Would you mind texting me his number? I want to talk with him about flying me back to Silver Island Sunday. The inn has a private landing strip. It’d be a hell of a lot easier than hitting the airport.”

  “Sure, I’ll do that now.” Noah took out his phone, and as he thumbed out the text, he said, “I’ve got everything set up for you guys. It’s great to meet you, Carly. If you ever want company when this guy’s out at sea, you know where to find me.”

  “Dude, I’m right here,” Zev protested. “You know the family knows no boundaries stuff applies to love and war, right? I’m not afraid to take a cousin down to protect my woman.”

  Noah splayed his hands and said, “I meant platonically.” He headed down the hall, and Bandit bounded after him. Noah turned, walking backward as he said, “Or did I?”

  “Get out of here, you fool.” Zev laughed. “Bandit! Come here, buddy.”

  Bandit circled back to them, tail wagging.

  “When did you get so possessive?” Carly asked.

  “When I realized what a dummy I was for leaving the only woman I’d ever love open to being hit on by guys like him.”

  She couldn’t resist pushing his buttons. “Noah’s cute. Does he live around here?”

  “For now,” Zev said with narrowing eyes. A slow grin spread across his face, and he hiked a thumb in the direction Noah had gone. “I hear he’s got a micropenis. If you’re into that sort of thing, I can probably catch him in the parking lot for you.”

  She burst into laughter. “You’re terrible!”

  “I was kidding.” He hauled her into his arms and said, “I’ve seen the dude naked, and you, my sexy little kitten, are never going to get an eyeful of that.”

  “The only man I want an eyeful of is holding me captive and refuses to tell me why we’re here. What did Noah mean that he had everything set up for us?”

  “You’ll see.”

  “He sounded serious about you joining them. Is that something you’re considering?”

  “Nah. That was just talk.” He pulled open one of the double doors and waved her through. “After you, beautiful.”

  Carly walked through the door, surprised to find herself in a sparkling-clean laboratory. Her eyes swept over marine tanks and workstations, microscopes and shelves full of equipment. On the far wall were two large chalkboards. One was covered with notes and equations. It had been ages since she’d set foot in any sort of lab, and the sight of it brought a wave of memories, of hopes and dreams that she’d tabled when her life had spiraled out of control. “Is this Noah’s lab?”

  “Yes.” Zev took her hand, leading her through the laboratory.

  Bandit sprawled out in a splash of sunlight pouring through a window.

  Zev stopped beside two workstations, each set up with a concretion, pneumatic air scribes, and other tools. Carly’s pulse quickened. Between the workstations was a table with two computer monitors, each displaying several X-rays. It took only a second for her to realize they were X-rays of the concretions, showing what looked like coins, a spike or a handle to a tool, something rounded that was hard to make out, and—holy cow—she spun toward Zev, so excited she could barely speak. “Zevy! Are these from…? Is that…?” She saw the answer in his eyes before he said a word.

  “The concretions are from the wreckage I found off Silver Island. I’m hoping something in them will tie them to the Pride. I shipped them here right before the wedding. I was going to tell you about them when we were at Silk Hollow, but I decided to surprise you instead. It’s been killing me to hold it in.” He pointed to an X-ray and said, “I don’t know what that coiled thing is. A decorative item, maybe?” He pointed at another X-ray and said, “I’m ninety-nine percent sure that’s the trigger guard on a pistol, but it’s deep. There’s no way I can get anywhere near it this week, but I wanted you to see it. I thought you might want to help extract the artifacts that are closer to the surface of the smaller concretions.”

  Her jaw dropped. The full weight of what he was offering nearly brought her to tears. “You want me to help? You trust me? I haven’t done anything like this in years.”

  “I trust you, babe, and if you can’t remember how to do it, I’ll show you.”

  “Oh my gosh. Zevy? You want me to….Yes. Yes! Oh no. What if I screw up? This is big. Huge. This is the mother of all things. Our childhood dreams coming true!” She was rambling, laughing, shaking, and unable to hold back her excitement. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard. “Thank you! But I can’t. I don’t want to mess up your chance at fame.”

  He laughed as he kissed her. “You won’t screw up. Remember the club digs we went on? You were overly cautious around artifacts then, and you’ve only gotten more careful. Carly, this is
n’t about fame or fortune. These last few days I kept thinking there was more than just luck behind my finding the concretions when I did. This has got to be the reason, Carls. They were always meant for us, so I could see that magnificent light in your eyes.”

  “You’re crazy, Zevy.”

  “Only about you, babe. I want to share this with you because it’s our dream, not just mine. You were the driving force that kept me searching, and as horrible as it sounds, if something gets screwed up, then it does, because nothing we find in these concretions will mean more to me than finding them with you.”

  Ohgodohgodohgod. She was so overwhelmed with emotions, she felt like she might pass out. He loved her. Truly, deeply, and probably a little madly. He believed in her. Maybe it was time to unleash that hope she’d been holding back. Maybe it was time she believed in him.

  “Okay,” she said breathlessly, shaking her hands out as if they were wet, but they were just tingling with excitement. “I’ll do it.”

  “Yes!” he shouted, and wrapped her in his arms, causing Bandit to run over.

  They kissed a dozen times, and she tried to calm herself down, but it was useless. She had never been more excited in her life, and not just because she was getting a chance to work on concretions from what she truly believed to be their ship, which was insane in and of itself. But she was doing it with Zev! Checking off one of their most anticipated one-day items from a list she never thought they’d have a chance to complete.

  “Can we do it now?” she asked, bouncing on her toes.

  He chuckled and hauled her in for another kiss. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  As Zev went over the equipment and the process, it all came back to her as clear as if she’d done that type of work yesterday. They suited up with lab coats, gloves, surgical masks to prevent the inhalation of concretion dust, headgear with face shields to protect their eyes from flying concretion fragments, and ear protection for the noise. For now, they left the ear protection off.

  “How is it possible that you can be covered in protective gear and still be the hottest woman on the planet?”

  “This is called laboratory chic.” She turned in a circle and struck a pose, hip jutting out, arms up. He couldn’t see that she was smiling behind the mask, but his smile reached all the way up to his eyes. “I’m thinking of wearing this every day from now on.”

  “Maybe we’ll bring the lab coats home with us. You can prance around with nothing on underneath and see how long it takes before it’s on my floor.”

  “I just might do that.” She mentally added lab coat to her fantasy list.

  “How am I supposed to concentrate on concretions with that image in my head?” He gritted his teeth and turned away for a second. He cleared his throat, and when he turned back, he looked at the workstations instead of at her and said, “These face shields need blinders.”

  He was impossibly cute.

  “Err on the side of caution,” he said, all business as they took their seats at their workstations. “Be gentle, yet precise. Use the magnifiers when you need them.”

  When she picked up the air scribe, her hand shook a little. Even though she’d taken a different career path, she’d studied and dreamed about this type of work since second grade. If the artifacts were proven to be from the Pride, what they found would be documented in history books. She knew how delicate artifacts could be when encased in concretions. If she screwed any of them up, she would never forgive herself.

  No pressure or anything.

  As if Zev had heard her thoughts, he nodded reassuringly and said, “You’ve got this, Carly.”

  She turned on the air scribe, which was like a mini jackhammer, and took a moment to get comfortable with the buzzing sound and the vibration. It reminded her of her early days at the shop and of her chocolatier schooling. She turned the scribe off and said, “I just realized that in some ways I’ve been preparing for this for years. I make chocolate towers that require a gentle touch and a steady hand, and I bet you didn’t know there was a science to making chocolate. It takes a great deal of precision and attention.” She wondered if Zev could tell that while she was praising her abilities to him, she was also giving herself a little pep talk. “I also took a class to learn how to carve chocolate to create things like animals and designs, which also takes great patience and a light touch. And even though I haven’t done this in a while, I never stopped studying the art of conservation through documentaries and books.”

  He reached over and wrapped his hand around her forearm. “Babe, I believe in you, or you wouldn’t be sitting there.”

  “Thank you,” she said as he moved his hand from her arm. She was a little calmer, but acutely aware of Zev watching her.

  No, that was wrong.

  Admiring her, which made her even more nervous, though it was a good kind of nervous. This was his career, his turn to shine, and he was sharing it with her. He should be watching her every move.

  She was not going to let him down.

  She pushed all thoughts aside, becoming laser focused as she touched the air scribe to the concretion. She’d experienced few things as memorable as this moment, and as the scribe and her gentle, precise touch worked their magic, she knew she’d remember every second of it for the rest of her life.

  HOURS PASSED LIKE minutes as they worked on the concretions. It was a meticulous, time-consuming process that required intense focus and left little time for small talk. The vibration of the tool in his hand had nothing on the excitement vibrating around them like a cable binding them together. Their shared energy was everything he remembered and more. His mother used to say that the strength of a relationship could be heard in the silence they shared. He finally understood what that meant. He was stronger, happier, and probably more interesting with Carly by his side.

  He turned off the air scribe and stole a glance at Carly, hunkered down over the concretion, completely focused on scraping an area with a small pick. Noah had asked him what it was about her that had kept him hooked for all the years they’d spent apart, and he’d had a hard time putting into words the reasons he’d never felt whole or truly happy without her. He could have listed the obvious: she was beautiful, smart, funny, and they had common interests. But the things that had stayed with him were not that tangible. He’d finally said that when he was with her, he breathed deeper, felt everything more intensely, and loved harder.

  He felt that way now as he watched her work. Her lab coat was filthy, but she’d never minded getting dirty. Her hair partially blocked his view of her face, but that beautiful sight was etched in his mind. He knew her brow was furrowed, her lips slightly pursed. Could this have been their lives if he hadn’t taken off? Could they have worked through their devastation? Would they have lasted through college, through their growing-up years? They’d never know, but they’d always lived in the now, enjoying every minute they’d had together.

  This was their new now, and he was grabbing that brass ring with both hands.

  “Zev!” she shouted, startling him from his thoughts. Her eyes were wide as saucers as she waved him over. “I found something!”

  He went to check it out, his pulse ratcheting up at her excitement.

  “Look! That’s iron, isn’t it?” She used the tip of the pick to show him an area of dark metal about as big around as a dime. “It is, right? That’s the spike? Or whatever that thing is in the X-ray?”

  He grabbed the magnifying glass and inspected the area. “Holy shit, babe. I think you just uncovered the first visible piece of an artifact!”

  She shrieked and jumped into his arms. Their protective face masks banged together. Bandit ran over, barking as their voices escalated.

  “I can’t believe it!” she said as he set her on her feet. “A piece of the wreckage of our ship is really in there! I saw the X-rays, but this makes it real.”

  “This is just the beginning, Carls. This discovery is going to be huge. I can feel it in my bones.”

 
“Me too! My heart is beating so fast. Whatever this is, it goes straight down. It could take weeks to get it out. Oh, Zevy. Thank you for letting me be part of this.” Her words flew too fast for him to respond. “I can’t believe you’re standing here right now and not out there using the metal detector to see if there’s more treasure buried deeper. Not that I want you to leave, but I’d give my left arm to get out there and look for more, and it’s not even my discovery.”

  Part of him couldn’t believe he was there, either, while more treasures awaited discovery, but not one part of him wanted to leave. He wouldn’t trade a second of their time together for anything. Carly might have found a home in the world of chocolate, but this was proof that she also belonged in the world she’d left behind—the world he lived in, where days were spent teetering on the precarious point between adventure and discovery. And he was determined to show her more of what she’d been missing.

  “If these artifacts are from the Pride, what will you do with them?” she asked.

  “If I gain the rights to the wreckage, my plan is to do the same thing we always talked about doing. Keep history intact and put them in museums for the world to enjoy.”

  “No ifs,” she said adamantly, reminding him of the way she’d looked as a younger girl when she’d refused to allow anyone to tell her what to do. “You have to gain the rights. How long until your attorney gets the vessel arrested?”

  “He’s working on it. Hopefully this week. Listen, you know not to talk about all of this to anyone, right? I know you’re bursting at the seams, but until the vessel is arrested, which should be taken care of this week, we have to keep this hush-hush or every would-be treasure hunter will be searching the water off Silver Island.”

  “I know. Don’t worry. Will you tell me when the attorney gets it done?” she asked eagerly.

  Her question gave him pause. “You’ll be the first person I tell. Don’t you know that?”

  “I don’t know. That’s a lot to hope for when we’ve only just reconnected. You must have so much on your mind with all of this.”