But he hadn’t dived an unknown wreck in over twelve months, and he missed the thrill of the discovery.
He exhaled and rubbed his chest.And then there was Dot.
It had been good to see her, and not only because she’d rescued them.Now the shock of the first meeting was over, he felt…differentbeing so close to her.Calmer, or more settled, as if he’d found something that had been missing for a long time.
Odd, considering she’d barely been civil to him.
Ten years since they’d seen each other and yet he still felt something for her.His goal had been to see her, and put the past behind him, but maybe he needed to reconsider, wait until he had time to get to know her again before he made a decision.
Sure, he might have done a bit of social media stalking to check if she was married or in a relationship, but that was normal.
When he was finished today, he’d go to the station and thank Dot again for rescuing them.They could chat and he could figure out whether the something he’d felt had been a product of fatigue and the relief of being rescued.
His phone rang and he smothered a groan at the caller ID.“Good morning, Lucas.”Less than seven hours since they’d arrived and he was already on the phone.This didn’t bode well for the trip.
“Oliver.I heard you had some difficulty last night.”
It surprised him that Andrew had already told his father, but perhaps Andrew had complained to him.“Nothing to worry about.Everyone is safe, and the equipment is undamaged.We’ve got transport for our stay while the car is being fixed.”He made a mental note to call the mechanic later today.
“Good.What are your plans for the day?”
Oliver finished his coffee and went inside.“I’m going out to the wreck to do some reconnaissance.Visibility is still low from the storm, so I don’t think it will be the best day for a full dive.”He rinsed his dishes with the phone held between his shoulder and ear.“The students are going over the notes and revising our plan to account for the changes in weather.”
“Should you be wasting a day?”
Oliver scowled as he grabbed his backpack and headed out.“I don’t feel as if it’s a waste.If the ocean settles, we can go out this afternoon, and the students are tired after the incident last night.”
Lucas hummed his displeasure.
Oliver rolled his eyes and reminded himself that Lucas was enabling this expedition.“The advantage of this wreck is it’s less than an hour away by boat.It gives us flexibility that we don’t have on dives where we need to stay on the boat.”
“Call me this evening with an update.”Lucas hung up.
He scowled as he tucked his phone in his pocket.Lucas wasn’t going to be a silent benefactor on this dive, but Oliver could deal with him.
With an exhale, Oliver glanced around.It had been almost a decade since Dot had brought him to Retribution Bay to meet her family.
Piles of green waste, debris from the storm, lined the streets.Tarps covered a few roofs, and most of the leaves were missing from plants in gardens, but aside from that, the town had fared all right and was much as he remembered.He hoped the storm surge had left the wreck undamaged.
In the centre of town, he stopped at a cafe for a toasted bacon and egg sandwich.The woman behind the counter narrowed her eyes, squinting at him.“Do I know you?”
Oliver had no desire to be recognised today.“No, I don’t think we’ve met.”He stood to the side while he waited for his food to be made.
She stared at him for a minute longer before turning her attention to the next customer.Then she beamed.“Jenifer!Is it true two boys were kidnapped from school yesterday?”
The woman frowned.“I can’t tell you that, Tammy.”
Tammy pouted.“Come on, Jen.What about the rumours of treasure?Did Jordan really bring a golden doubloon to school?”
Oliver’s ears pricked.
“I didn’t see it, but the children believed it.It was probably just one of those chocolates shaped like a coin.”
Tammy shook her head.“I heard Myra Simpson confiscated it and has disappeared.Even the news was reporting it this morning.What’s going on?”
Oliver took out his phone and searched the local news sites.Sure enough, the headline read,Buried Treasure Found in Retribution Bay.The article mentioned the rumours and questioned whether the discovery had anything to do with the new shipwreck which had been found in the gulf.
Shit.The last thing he needed was people flocking to the town and interfering with his wreck.He needed to get moving.His sandwich was sizzling in the sandwich press.He approached the counter where Tammy was still trying to get the information out of Jenifer, who must be a teacher at the school.“Excuse me, Tammy.Is my sandwich ready?”
