Page 48 of Wayward (Wrecked #4)

Sunken Treasure

Easton

I step out onto our covered suburban porch for the tenth time in the last hour. Penny comes out with me every time. Her head cocks at me like I’ve totally lost it. And I probably have.

“Can you even see them coming up the street?” Sam asks when I come back in.

He’s sitting at the smallest desk ever made, next to the front door, typing away on his computer.

We made two huge offices upstairs with giant monitors and anything any of us would need, but Sam still sits down here. I don’t blame him.

They’re deep in edits, and Calvin does a lot of swearing, talking to the editor’s comments on the page, but their yacht and land survival books are almost done.

I settle into the sofa and pick up my laptop again, my knee bouncing. And Penny jumps up on the sofa and puts her head as close to my computer as possible. Things are going smoothly, and I want them to continue this way. But I can’t help lingering on what do we do after Haley graduates thoughts.

I check my email, and I have to blink. There’s a message from Dad.

One I’ve been waiting a while for. I’m about to interrupt Sam and tell him the good news, but it can wait until Dante’s here.

He’s due home before Zane and Haley. He’s got a call with the manufacturer of his latest truck.

This will bring his fleet up to four. I’m nervous.

About my original news, that is, and I’m wondering if I should have told them.

When I asked Haley before, she said it’s up to me.

So I did it. I close the email and try to settle in to work in the meantime.

The door slams when I’m in the middle of a report.

Dante sinks into an oversized leather chair opposite me. “You wanted to have a meeting?”

“Yeah. Zane and Haley should be home soon.” When we moved farther away from their school, I wanted to arrange for them to have a car service or at least buy them parking, but they both insist on taking the bus.

Dante leans back, his fingers drumming on the armrest. “All right, what’s this about? You’ve been edgy all week.”

I take a deep breath, setting my laptop aside. “I’ve been thinking about our future. All of us. We’ve been in Pittsburgh for a while now, and I know we’ve talked about going back to Miami, but?—”

Dante’s eyebrows shoot up, and he stands.

“But what? You want to stay here? Not to jump too hard into a no, but fucking no.” His nose crinkles, and he holds the side of his head.

It’s the same way he did the day I tried to fill in for a sick cook on his truck.

“I grew up here. And if there was one thing I didn’t want, it was to stay here.

” He blinks twice. “Fuck.” His shoulders drop.

“Dante?”

“I mean fuck in a good way. I hate to admit it, and I’m never going to say it again, but I kind of like it here. I like knowing the neighborhoods and having people I’ve known since I was an asshole teenager come and eat my food. Shit. I actually like it here.” He flops back into the chair.

Before I can respond, the sound of the front door opening catches our attention. Zane and Haley walk in, their laughter filling the room. They’re both dressed casually, Haley in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, her hair slightly windswept, and Zane in his usual dark jeans and a fitted tee.

“Have you started talking?” she asks.

“Yes and no.” Dante’s eyes flare. “I’ll go get the Viking.” He takes the stairs up two at a time.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Zane asks, taking a seat on the arm of the sofa next to me. Haley slides in next to me. Sam closes his computer and moves over. The stairs creak, and soon we’re sitting in a circle.

My throat goes dry. “I’ve done two things. And I hope none of you are mad.”

“That depends what they are,” Dante answers.

“Right, I sold Rockwell Tire. It will be announced tomorrow.”

“Whoa, Rocky and Em . . . ?” Haley asks.

“I got their blessing, of course, first.”

There are nods around the room.

“Congrats.” Calvin slaps me on my back. “But did you think we were going to be upset or something? That’s your money. Do what you want with it.”

There’s more nodding.

“Right, mate. What’s the second thing?” Zane crosses his leg over his knee.

“That one is a present of sorts. I’ve made a trust with the money. And the trust has made a purchase.” I take the envelope out of my bag on the floor. “Here, Haley, you open it.”

Zane leans forward, brows furrowed like he’s trying to read the future through the envelope. Calvin props his elbows on his knees. Even Sam is quiet, waiting. Haley’s hands tremble just slightly as she slips her finger under the flap.

She licks her lips. “I feel like I’m on an award show with all of you watching.”

“You’ll be graduating soon. And Zane’s able to take classes online?—”

Haley’s eyes bulge. “Is this . . .” She turns the page to the map and holds it out for everyone to see. “Did you buy our island?”

“I did.”

“Shut the front door.” Haley jumps. “This is . . . this is fantastic.” Her voice cracks, and I see it—tears she tries to blink away. “I didn’t think we’d ever get back there,” she says softly. “It was ours, but it never felt real. Not until now.”

“And after you’ve graduated, we can take a trip.” I pull her into a hug.

“I can’t wait,” she says into my shoulder.

“There’s more.”

“Damn, Rockwell. You don’t need to bottle up secrets,” Calvin says.

“This isn’t a secret. Rocky sent me an email a bit ago.

They found Susan. In Switzerland. She’s being held on one count of murder and numerous accounts of attempted murder.

They’re working on her extradition now. Since the Rock Candy was flying under a Bahamas flag, it’s a complicated process.

The trial might end up in the Swiss courts. ”

“I’m just relieved to hear they caught her.

” Haley leans against me. “Oh, I have news too. It’s not as big, but .

. . Stella Freeman never went through with the wedding with Krit.

She found out about how he sold us out to Thayer and called off the wedding.

She friended me on social media, but I’ve been staying off my account because of all the weirdos out there. ”

“There are some weirdos in here too.” Dante stands. “A business sold, a killer caught, a loser dumped, and an island bought. I’d say this calls for a celebration! What do you want to do, Sassy?”

“I’ve got a big test tomorrow . . .”

“Rain check it is. But how about I deliver some study snacks to your desk?”

“Yes, please.” All of us meet in the middle of the living room in a big hug.

“You sure you want to go here?” the local captain we hired to bring us here asks. Our island is a speck on the horizon, but we’re getting closer. “It’s not a lucky place.”

“Lucky’s a matter of perspective,” Calvin mutters, gripping the rail. “Or memory.” He turns to me. And the time on the other side of the island flashes back to me. The village was decimated by the greed of someone.

“We’ll be good.” The back of the boat is loaded down with things we don’t need but will be nice to have. I put my arm around Haley. “You doing okay?”

“I’m nervous. It’s been a long time, and it’s not going to look the same, you know?”

“It’s true, the jungle will have taken back a lot of land in the time we’ve been gone,” Sam says and gives her a peck on her cheek.

“Change is hard, Sassy.” Dante comes up behind her. His hand around her waist, he pulls her to him. “Much like I am. But damn, I’m looking forward to seeing you in your bikini again. Can we all agree that this weather is much better than Pittsburgh in winter?” He gestures to the approaching beach.

“I don’t know. I kind of like snow,” I say.

“Me too. But this is nice as well.” Haley tilts her head to me.

“Honestly, I thought being inland would drive me batty. But I’ve adjusted. You guys want to give me a hand loading up the tender when we get there?” Sam asks.

There are many piles of supplies. Tubs of clothes, coolers, solar panels, tools, tarps, tents, fishing gear, and snorkeling equipment stand next to our four new WaveRunners.

Tethered to the big rock is our hard-sided tender.

The only thing missing is Penny and Pepper.

They’re back with Dante’s mom. Hopefully, the next time we come, they’ll be with us.

After everything is secure and undercover, the captain of our ride stands with his hands on his hips in the surf. “You’re sure?” he asks in his thick accent.

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” I say with a smile. “Next Monday, the contractor and his team will be waiting for you. Call me if your plans have changed.”

Calvin and Zane have been double-checking the satellite phone the whole way to the island. And with the right targeting, we’ve been able to keep a clear signal.

“I will. You’re sure you don’t want my men to take your things farther inland?” He glares at our mound of supplies.

Zane’s moving another box. “I didn’t know how much I missed some physical labor.” He flexes his biceps at Haley.

She laughs. “We’re sure. Thank you, Captain,” Haley answers for us. She snakes her arm around my waist.

The boat captain gives us a salute and heads back to his tender. The other guys come over and watch him leave.

“Are you ready?” I ask Haley.

She jumps and claps. “I am.”

“Are you going to tell us all the names of the plants you didn’t know before?” Zane playfully bumps her with his elbow.

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” she mimics me from earlier.

The path to the treehouse isn’t completely overgrown, but vines and ferns are reaching for each other.

At the first peek into the clearing around the treehouse, Haley gasps. “It’s still here. Overgrown a bit.” She rights one of the chairs. “But it smells right, and it feels like home.”

I touch her elbow, and she turns to me. Her blue eyes shine in the dappled jungle light.

“I didn’t know what I was searching for when I boarded the Rock Candy .

My professional athletic career was over, and I was floundering.

But somewhere between the storms and the secrets, I found a future I couldn’t have dreamed of.

And it started right here. You know wherever you are is home.

But being in the spot where I learned what love is?

Where I became whole again? It feels damn good. ” I pull her into my arms and kiss her.

When we break apart, everyone is staring at us. Zane’s next. He kisses her, and when he finishes, he gives her an extra peck on her neck. It feels like an hour later when Dante’s the last to dip her and we continue our exploration.

The table Sam and Calvin made has a pile of branches on it. I could have sworn it was turned over when we left.

“Holloway must have picked it up,” Calvin says and walks a few feet down the still visible path to the stream. “There are no current tracks around.”

“Stove is still here.” Dante pats the hunk of cast-iron. The makeshift roof over it has collapsed, though.

“Our treehouse looks solid.” Sam’s the first one up on it. “You going to finish the bathroom now?” Sam calls down to Zane, laughing.

“I think we might start over.” Zane has got his sketchbook under his arm. “I don’t have my degree yet, but I’ve got some ideas.”

Haley wanders to the far side of the camp. She pulls at a stick in the weeds. And out pops our Christmas tree. “Whoa, it made it!”

“So did we.” I help her pull ferns from the driftwood branches.

“All right, we’ve got some serious work to do before the sun goes down,” Sam says.

“Aye-aye, Cap,” we all answer back.