As soon as he’s out of sight, Hannah whirls to face me, eyes wide. “Did that just happen? I can’t believe we just met Wes Harrington up close and personal. He’s even more gorgeous in person and smells good, too.”
I choke, then laugh. “He smells like he’s been out to sea a few days… Anyway, if that banter was any sign, I think he was just as interested in you as you were in him.”
“Please,” she shoots back. “He was looking at you hard. The guy’s a certifiable flirt.”
“Good luck with that,” I tease.
I head back to the kitchen to finish dinner.
The connection between Wes and Nathan has my head spinning. And then there’s Nathan’s secrets.
I’d intended to dive headfirst into the animal clinic’s renovation plans, but staying close to what’s happening with the Carter’s Drop project may need to be my priority until I figure all this out.
Candlelight bathes the dining room. A low murmur of voices blends with the soft piano melody drifting from a radio hidden in the corner. The air is rich with the aroma of roasted chicken and garlic potatoes and the faint perfume of fresh flowers arranged as a centerpiece. Tonight’s dinner is a welcome home for all our inn guests. I kick myself for not inviting Scott and his crew to dine with us.
Ms. Connor sits at the head of the table, charming everyone as she pours wine and makes sure all the guests are comfortable. Her down-to-earth nature provides a balance to the eclectic mix of personalities at the table. Dr. Elaine Fischer sits poised to her left, sipping her wine between comments. She’s a tall, elegant woman in her late forties. Her dark hair sprinkled with silver streaks and styled into a bob. Dr. Garrett Harlow sits across from Elaine, his relaxed posture belying the shrewdness in hiseyes. If it weren’t for those eyes, he’d be the embodiment of a gentile college professor, a spitting image of Henry Higgins fromMy Fair Lady. His fingers tap against the stem of his glass. Hannah beams, her beautiful hair catching the chandelier’s light as she leans in toward Wes Harrington, who sits beside her. Her doing, of course. Wes, seated directly across from me, splits his attention between us. Although his charm radiates like a second skin, exhaustion lingers in the shadows beneath his eyes. He catches me looking and offers a slow, sleepy smile.
It’s going to be an interesting year.
The rest of Wes’s team sits at the far end of the table and engages in their own conversations. Their chatter juxtaposed with the more serious discussion among the scientists. One young man gestures with his fork, entertaining the woman beside him. Another quieter member of the group adds a dry, well-timed comment, eliciting jokes from the others.
Ms. Connor clears her throat, setting her wineglass down with a clunk. “All right…” Her expression is playful. “Now that everyone’s fed,” she announces, “let’s talk about all the excitement that’s gotten this island buzzing. Carter’s Drop. Lost treasure. With all the scientists and treasure hunters—and let’s not forget the celebrities…” She winks at Wes. “You’d think our tiny island is the world’s next wonder. Who wants to start?”
Dr. Fischer dabs the corner of her mouth with a napkin, her serene expression focused. “Well, that may very well be true for Carter’s Drop. The cavern system is extraordinary—an intricate network of passageways and chambers stretching farther than anyone’s been able to map physically. We can glimpse its beauty on sonar, but Nathan’s finding may be one of this century’s most remarkable archaeological discoveries.”
Garrett leans forward, his fingers steepled in front of him. The expensive, woodsy fragrance of his aftershave drifts toward me—pleasant but cloying. “What he found before his final divelaid the foundation for this current expedition.” He looks at each of the faces around the table, double-checking that everyone is paying attention. “Finding the hole itself was nothing short of a miracle—hidden by an outcrop of coral and shell, sitting just at the right depth on the shelf to remain invisible from aerial scans.”
He takes a sip of water and clears his throat. “The fossilized remains he discovered in the cavern alone are groundbreaking. Even a speculative link to a cultured civilization could redefine our understanding of ancient human history.”
“What kind of remains?” Hannah asks, tearing into a piece of bread. A crumb sticks to the corner of her lip until she brushes it away.
“Human bone fragments, so far,” Dr. Fischer replies, eyeing Garrett. “Enough to confirm civilization, though the evidence is tenuous. It doesn’t yet indicate sophistication—they could be primitive human remains.”
Wes leans back in his chair. I can’t tell whether he’s listening intently or bored with the conversation. Candlelight flickers across his face. For a split second, his pensive stare reminds me of my brother’s. I feel a tug on my heart.
A brief lull in the conversation gives me an opening. I take a breath and speak.
“Nathan believed they were more than just bones.” My voice comes out as a whisper. I clear my throat and continue. “He believed that the people he was searching for were ancient and intelligent. He was looking for the truth, and I believe he found it.”
I think of the stone, warm and marked with distinct, complex patterns. It must be important. I’ll keep the stone and map to myself until I know who I can trust.
The room falls silent, my words hanging in the air. Even Hannah stops mid-bite, glancing toward Garrett as if waitingfor his response. I fold the ends of my napkin, hesitating before speaking again.
“I’ve been going through his things. There are dozens of notebooks and journals in his cottage. He was getting close to finding what he was looking for.”
Garrett’s eyes gleam. “Unpublished work?” He leans in. “What kind of information is in his notes?”
I hesitate. “Observations and sketches. He was meticulous about documenting each of his dives.”
“Is there anything specific about the cave system?” Dr. Fischer asks, folding her hands in her lap. “Admittedly, his hypothesis about the settlement of an advanced civilization in the Gulf has more merit than what many of us in the archaeological community considered.” She exhales. “Fantastical stories of lost cities and mystical people have distorted true science for generations—sometimes with grave consequences when wielded by those with bad intentions. You can imagine why the idea of a superior civilization, absent evidence, can be dangerous.”
I nod and continue. “There’s some information about Carter’s Drop in his journals. But it’s technical and coded. I’ll need time to review everything to determine what is important. But I can do it.”
Garrett gapes.
Before he asks more questions, Wes jumps in, shifting the conversation to another topic. “Nathan always had a knack for creating suspense.” He pours himself another glass of wine. “And seeing potential in other people.” He meets my gaze, then looks at the others. “I worked with him during one of his underwater expeditions in the Great Blue Hole in Belize. I was a rookie cave diver—young, cocky, a pain in the ass. Still, he took a chance on me when no one else would.” He shoots Garrett a hard look. “Even then, his sights were on Maverick Key’s waters,following the evidence. Everyone blew off his theories, but he didn’t stop until he found Carter’s Drop.”
Garrett’s expression remains neutral, but there’s a threat in his eyes. Beneath his benign exterior, he’s dangerous. His cordiality is an artifice. My skin crawls.
