Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 102071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
I breathed the salty air, letting it soothe me. Once I’d cooled off, the realization that Eli had treated me as badly as he’d treated everyone else—well, everyone but Willow, and that was probably just a matter of time—brought absolute relief. I was free from doubt and free to think the worst of him without feeling guilty about it.
But when it came to Jake, I had no answers. Even after the fiasco at the car wash, I didn’t regret anything about our time together. I was glad I’d shared my heart with him.
As I resettled on the pillows of the couch, I spotted a notification on my phone. Grabbing it, I checked quickly for messages. A few sales alerts from Etsy. A note from Lance about a sunset tour in a week. An email from the moms who’d taken their kids on the stingray trip on the weekend. The silver lining was that my business seemed to be back on track or headed in the right direction.
A star winked in the night sky.
Maybe my luck was turning.
In the morning, Devon handed me a steaming cup of coffee. “You need fuel,” he said.
“I do.”
I downed the coffee, crunched into some toast, then showered and dressed. “I’m ready. Thanks again for letting me stay here.”
“You are welcome anytime,” he said, then patted my back as I left to meet my group on the dock, along with the crew for the tour. I’d shoved all thoughts of Jake, diamonds, and larcenous stepfathers out of my head. I was doing what I loved in a place I loved.
I was a woman who appreciated what I had.
And what I had was a good life and a promising future. Mom was doing okay—she would be fine without my stepdad’s stolen money. And I’d find something, eventually, to fill the space Jake had carved out for himself in my heart.
56
BURIED TREASURE
Jake
I woke the next morning with a killer headache.
I wasn’t hungover. I’d only had one beer at the bar. If this was a breakup hangover, it sucked.
Everything sucked.
The case I hadn’t cracked.
The diamonds I hadn’t found.
The bonus I hadn’t earned.
The woman I’d lost. And, like the gems, I hadn’t figured out how to win her back.
I needed coffee. I needed to hit the gym, go for a run. Time to move and think. Then, I’d come up with a plan to say I was sorry and convince her how desperately I meant it.
Swinging my legs over to sit on the edge of the bed, I groaned and dragged a hand through my hair. A glint of silver on the nightstand caught my eye, and I looked closer through bleary eyes.
Was that…?
I picked up the delicate necklace by the chain and let it catch the pale morning light. The hint of a smile tugged at my lips.
Yes, that was exactly what I’d thought it might be.
And more—it was an answer.
I might not have solved the case, I might still need to eat crow with Andrew, but I no longer cared.
I knew what to do about the only thing that mattered.
I checked the time. Ruby would be busy with her tour most of the day.
Perfect. That gave me enough time. And I needed time to do this right. I wasn’t going to let her slip away.
I was up and out of bed in seconds. A quick shower, some coffee, and a full-formed plan later, and my headache was gone.
Fuck that breakup hangover.
I had a true treasure to retrieve.
My day was packed. Mostly with waiting. But I needed to get back to Stingray Town by four. Ruby’s tour would end at that time, according to the website. She’d be busy finishing and packing up, but I’d try to catch her a few minutes after the customers left. Interrupting her as she said goodbye would be a bad idea.
I finished my mission at a quarter to—right on time—and headed across the beach to the snorkel shop where Ruby’s tired but happy tourists were saying their farewells. From the sound of things, they’d loved the dive. And, no surprise to me, they loved their guide.
“This was my second dive there,” a man told her. “And today was particularly good. A great guide makes a big difference.”
“Aw, thank you, Hugh,” said Ruby, glowing with pleasure. I was so damn happy for her, I felt like I was glowing too.
“So. Many. Pictures,” said a young woman from Jamaica while flipping through the viewscreen on her camera.
“Would you tag me on social so I can see?” Ruby asked. “My brother is a photographer and he’ll be so jealous.”
“Of course,” said the woman. “I’ll link to my review, as well.”
Then there was the best remark of all: “We’ll have to do this again next year.”
I smiled, already picturing the well-earned positive reviews, pushing the spiteful ones down the queue and into oblivion.