Dane had come through for him, even going so far as to captain the dive boat himself. When he pulled up at the dock in Fortune’s Bay, Dane jumped off the boat and tied up. After he finished, Jack gave him a big hug.

“Hey, I didn’t expect to see you today.”

Dane shrugged. “It’s been a while since I saw you and I couldn’t miss the possibility of being there when you discover the Livingston.”

Jack nodded. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate the use of the boat. With Spring Break in full swing, I’m not sure I could have found one on such short notice otherwise.”

“Anything for my old friend.”

Laney hung back behind him as the two men greeted.

“She’s pretty,” Dane whispered in his ear, surreptitiously glancing at Laney as he clapped Jack on the back.

Jack smiled and whispered back, “But full of attitude.”

Dane laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Laney asked. She looked back and forth between them.

“Nothing,” Jack said innocently. “Dane was just reminding me of a private joke between the two of us.”

Dane stepped back onto the boat and gestured for them to board. “All aboard.” He smiled at her.

Laney stared at him, then got into the dive boat, situating herself toward the stern of the vessel. Dane climbed aboard and sat in the captain’s seat. Jack joined him in the covered cabin.

On the way out to Agre Island, Jack and Laney exchanged few words. Instead, he occupied himself by checking out the local scenery as their boat skimmed along the shoreline. The sandy beaches lined with palm trees and crystal-clear, blue waters were gorgeous.

It had been too long since he’d escaped from the office. He was only a few hours away from this part of the coast, and yet he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been out there. Somehow, he hadn’t expected the life of an underwater anthropologist to keep him inside so much. Maybe it was time for a change. He’d been chasing tenure at the college, but was that really what he wanted?

“We should almost be there,” Laney said over the noise of the engine and the waves slapping against the boat as it cut through the water.

Dane nodded as he slowed the boat. They puttered in toward an island that looked just big enough for a couple of houses but was uninhabited.

“This is it.” Dane cut the engine and dropped anchor.

“According to this, the shipwreck should be right around the north end of the island.” Laney consulted the copy she’d made of the map.

When they’d located the most likely area to find the shipwreck, Laney and Jack suited up in their diving gear. Before he pulled on his mask, Jack eyed her and said, “Ready?”

Laney nodded and jumped in. He joined her in the water and signaled for them to dive below the surface. The journal entry had noted that the shipwreck had been spotted about fifty feet down. It still amazed him that the waters were so clear that a sponge diver in the early 1900s could have seen the wreck without advanced diving gear.

They swam down to the seabed. Normally, he would have loved to explore more under the water and see all the fish swimming around the coral reefs, but this trip was all about finding the ship.

Laney was several feet in front of him. She pointed at something in the distance and motioned for him to follow her. Had she seen the ship?

They swam until they’d reach some boards embedded in the sea floor. They’d obviously been there for a long time, but there was no sign of a full ship. They could have been remnants of anything. His heart sank. Finding the Livingston had been a long shot, but he’d hoped there would be a happy ending to their quest. They searched for a while longer, then began to ascend toward the surface, stopping every few feet to acclimate to the change in pressure.

After they reached the surface, he looked around for the boat, spotting it about forty feet away. When they were both onboard, they removed their masks. Laney’s face was full of disappointment. He suspected his own expression mirrored hers.

“Nothing?” Dane asked.

“Nope.” Jack gazed out over the water. He’d been so hopeful that they’d find the shipwreck.

Dane stroked his chin and narrowed his eyes at the water. “You know, that map was drawn a long time ago. With the currents here, the shipwreck could have moved slowly over the years from where it originally settled.” He consulted the map, tracing his finger around the island. “If it were me, I’d try toward the south end of the island.”

Jack looked at Laney. “Do you want to try again?”

Her face lit up. “Yes. We came all the way out here, we might as well. Let’s do it.”

Jack nodded at Dane, who started the boat’s motor and piloted the boat around to the other side of the island, setting anchor at the south end. Jack and Laney checked their diving gear and jumped into the water, making their way down to the sea floor.

As soon as they were down there, a large object became visible in the distance. They swam toward it, Jack’s excitement rising with every minute that passed. A large ship had settled on the bottom, with its carved wooden figurehead of a woman reaching up toward the sky from the bow. Laney’s eyes were huge behind her mask and she gave him a thumbs-up sign. They swam alongside the boat, searching for anything that would identify it. Near the stern, a few letters caught his attention. LIVI. The rest of the name had been obliterated by the barnacles that clung to most of the ship.

He traced his finger over the letters. This was it. He’d actually found the Livingston! Tears sprang to his eyes, blurring his vision behind his mask. He blinked them away and glanced at Laney.

She signaled to him that it was time to go up for air. He acknowledged he’d seen her and took one last look at the Livingston before beginning his ascent to the surface. Once they were both on board the dive boat, they ripped off their masks.

“We did it.” Laney shook her hair out, making it fall in damp waves around her shoulders. “We actually found it. I can’t believe it.”

Her eyes were full of wonder. Jack’s face hurt from smiling so widely, but he couldn’t help it. This was what he’d always dreamed of.

Dane shot them an amused glance, but stayed back.

Jack threw his arms around her and she returned his embrace with gusto, her face glowing. Without thinking, he leaned forward and kissed her. As soon as his lips touched hers, a warmth spread from the pit of his stomach, upward and throughout his chest, while his skin tingled like being exposed to a live wire anywhere they touched. She pressed her lips against his in return, then stepped back and touched her lips, as if surprised by her reciprocation.

“Sorry,” he said. “I was excited about finding the shipwreck.” He shook his head. “I still can’t believe it.”

“It’s okay,” she said, brushing her hair back with one hand. “I was too.” She averted his gaze and then with her head down, walked toward the back of the boat.

Jack looked at Dane, who was studiously attempting to ignore them as he started up the engine. He turned around to look at them, grinning as he made eye contact with Jack.

“I take it you had some good luck out there?” Dane asked.

“We did,” Jack said. “It was the Livingston.” He could barely contain his excitement.

“Really? The Livingston?” Dane whistled and shook his head. “I can’t believe you actually found it.”

“Me neither. Thank you for suggesting we look at the south end of the island. I can’t believe we almost gave up when we were so close to finding it.” Jack stared down into the water, searching for the shipwreck, although he knew it was too far down to see from the surface. It was hard to believe it was right under the boat and yet so many people must have gone right over this very spot, not knowing what lay below.

“So now what?” Laney came back to where they stood, peering into the water, as well. “Do we call someone about the find, or what?”

“Well, according to my maps, this is state land, so it will be under their jurisdiction.”

She nodded. “So, what does that mean?”

He smiled. “It means we call someone and schedule them to come out here and examine the site. They’ll make a decision about who owns the shipwreck.” He stared back at where they’d come from as the boat roared away. “This is so surreal. I’ve been searching for the Livingston for so long.”

“I know. When I found that journal, part of me wanted to hope, but I tried to tell myself it probably wasn’t real. And now that it is…well…I’m just in awe. I never thought I’d get to be a part of something like this.” Her face glowed.

The rest of the way back to the Fortune’s Bay dock, they discussed the logistics for notifying the state about the presence of the wreck and what would happen next. When they were back on dry land and had waved goodbye to Dane, Jack stopped on the sidewalk. “Do you want to have dinner with me to celebrate?”

She scanned his face, then said, “I’d love to.” She motioned down the street. “I’m going to head home for a shower, but let’s meet up at Wilde Pirate Pub at six o’clock, okay?”

He grinned. “Sounds good.”

“See you later then.” His eyes followed her every movement as she walked away. It had probably been a stupid mistake to kiss her, but, right now, he didn’t regret it one bit.