Page 13 of Spring Break with a Treasure Hunter
They’d be landing in Love Beach, then head to the island. Cork had recently invested in a new sustainable eco-resort being built on a nearby island, a project spearheaded by his old friend and business partner, Beckham Steele. The site still had to go through a sustainability assessment to ensure the viability of the project. But that was the last thing on his mind. It was this new tip Beck had told him about.
A few weeks ago, Beck had mentioned an odd bit of information—a story about a centuries-old shipwreck that could be connected to theSirena del Mar. He’d kept the detail to himself, unsure if it was more than just a local legend, but after connecting with Daisy and deep in her father’s treasure hunt, he knew he had to tell her. He’d also heard of the elusiveSirena del Mar, and while it hadn’t been at the top of his list, after meeting Daisy it had jumped the queue.
He hoped for Daisy’s sake and his, they’d find something.
8
Icouldn’t relax. Even when I closed my eyes, my mind raced, desperate for a discovery that would be another step closer to findingSirena. But I couldn’t shake the question of why here? Why in the barrier islands of South Carolina was there a rumor of a ship linked toSirena? None of our research pointed to a link here. Had we missed something?Sirenahadn’t been in a flotilla, or had she? If she had, then wow, my mind was ready to explode.
I was doubly intrigued now, and antsy to get out to the site. I glanced over at Cork. He was scrolling through his phone, lost in whatever he was looking at, which gave me the opportunity to gaze at him. He’d really gotten under my skin, and not in a bad way.
Whenever he was near, my body reacted to him. Aching for skin-to-skin contact of the horizontal kind. Like now, my heart beat quicker and goosebumps rose on my arms with the mere thought.If Gail wasn’t on board, maybe we could’ve joined the mile-high club.
I wanted to be closer to him, and find a reason to touch him, inhale his wonderful scent, and let my mind run wild withsexy thoughts. I was smitten with him. Did I need to be careful about getting too attached, and wonder if there was any kind of possibility for a future for us? Would he jet to far-off lands once he’d had his fill?
I didn’t voice any of my concerns, because this was all so new. There were no expectations, so why was I thinking like a love-struck teenager? But I sure did like the explosive chemistry between us that was ready to detonate. And yes, I so wanted it to detonate!
I felt the plane begin its descent which mercifully switched my thought process. Daydreams could come later. Our mission was almost here, and I was itching to get off the jet and begin. Mission. A cool way of looking at this adventure.
Cork had told me he’d recently invested in a new sustainable eco-resort being built on a nearby island to Love Beach, a project spearheaded by his old friend Beckham Steele. I’d heard of him. One of Beckham’s many endeavours was in environmentally conscious developments, among a variety of other projects. Cork liked the idea of creating something that preserved the island’s natural beauty. Another layer of this complicated man peeled back.
But it wasn’t just the resort that had Cork’s attention. A few weeks ago, Beckham had mentioned an odd bit of information—a story about a centuries-old shipwreck that might be linked to theSirena del Mar. When he’d told me about it, he’d said he was unsure if it was just a local legend, or possibly something more. So when he suggested a quick trip, partly to escape Gilbert, but also to investigate, I was all in. What if it was another clue in my father’s lifelong quest and one step closer to discovery?
The jet banked sharply on final approach. I watched out the window, relieved to see we’d left the storm behind, but the stain of dark clouds a menacing threat low on the distant horizon.
We landed and Beckham was waiting for us at the tiny airstrip, his face a mask of concern but also determination.
“Cutting it close, aren’t you?” Beckham asked, shaking Cork’s hand.
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Cork replied with a wry smile, then nodded toward me. “This is Daisy—a fellow treasure hunter, of sorts.”
Beckham’s sharp gaze took me in, his expression softening. “Welcome. I hear you’re chasing after a long lost galleon.”
“Yep,” I replied, feeling a sudden wave of pressure under his scrutiny. “You mentioned to Cork something about a shipwreck near the barrier island?” There was no point in beating around the bush.
Beckham nodded. “Yeah, locals say there’s something down there—an old wreck, maybe Spanish. Could be connected to what you’re after. We’ve sent divers, but so far, nothing.” He shrugged, then added, “It might just be folklore, but if there’s anything worth finding, it’ll be down there. And now the expert is here we’ll know one way or the other.”
“Then let’s get moving before Gilbert changes his mind about giving us this window of opportunity,” Cork said, his tone clipped.
Time was not on our side.
“The helicopter is waiting,” Beck advised and pointed to it on the tarmac. It was a big one and really, the last thing I wanted to do was fly off in it.
I clutched Cork’s arm, and he faced me. As he leaned down, the scent of him washed over me, stealing away what I was going to say. I looked into his eyes, his hair blew around his face, and my heart could’ve stopped at how amazingly gorgeous he was in that moment.
“What’s up?”His voice was gentle.
“Uhm, nothing. It’s all good.” My gaze flickered to our next ride, then back to him.
His hand covered mine and squeezed gently. “There’s nothing to worry about. We’ll be fine. Come on, let’s get this show on the road and see if we are one step closer to finding your ship.”
I nodded and kept my fingers tight on his arm. His reassurance was what I needed right now. I never liked helicopters.
The flight went quicker than I expected. Once on the ground, and everything loaded into vehicles, we were on our way to the location. Along the way, Cork and I went over the papers Beck gave us, old papers, maps, sticky notes, and scribbles on ripped pieces of paper yellowed with age pressed between sheet protectors. We pored over it all and my heart sank.
“See anything of interest?” Cork’s head was so close to mine his hair fluttered in the breeze, brushing against my cheek. I almost bounced right into his lap when the vehicle ground over the rough road.
“Unfortunately, no. This is all very interesting; however nothing points to theSirena. But, it’s definitely worth checking out because it’s quite intriguing and could be another unrelated find lurking under the waves.” I gave him a quick smile, then watched the beach flashing by.
