Laney pulled into the auditorium’s parking lot and turned the engine off. She’d registered yesterday, before she could change her mind. For a moment, she just sat there, alone in her car. Last time she’d been at Ambright College to see Jack, things hadn’t turned out so well. Was she asking for more heartbreak now?

No. This was something she needed to do. She wanted to see Jack again. Never had she missed anyone so much. The fierceness of the feelings for him rushed over her. To her, this wasn’t a fling.

When Jack had been in Fortune’s Bay, right before she’d broken up with him, he’d seemed genuinely confused by her accusations that he’d taken all the credit for discovering the Livingston. She owed it to both of them to find out if she’d misread the situation.

Inside, she approached the sign-in table and received her name tag from an overly enthusiastic conference attendant. The attendees were flowing toward the main auditorium, which was where the next lecture would take place—Jack’s discussion about the Livingston.

With a deep breath, she followed everyone inside and took a seat near the back. The room was already half-full, a good sign for Jack. This type of academic event could make or break his career.

She busied herself in reviewing the catalog of summer courses at the university. Five minutes later, Jack cleared his throat at the podium, signaling that he was about to begin.

He flashed a smile at the audience. His voice was sure and strong as he said, “Welcome everyone.” He proceeded to give them an explanation of what type of ship the Livingston was and how it came to be in the waters off the Florida coast.

“And none of this would have been possible if not for a librarian in Fortune’s Bay, Laney Lindstrom. In a historic text that the library received, Laney discovered a possible undiscovered shipwreck and knew it could be significant. After calling me, she and I traveled to the site the text had mentioned and discovered the shipwreck together.” He looked out at the audience, smiling as he caught Laney’s eye.

She sucked in her breath. He knew she was there? And most of all, he’d given her full credit for her role in the find. Her mind was spinning. Had she been wrong about him all along? Some people would have happily buried her role in the find and taken all the credit to further their academic careers. Jack hadn’t.

She barely heard the rest of his presentation. When it was over, the attendees swarmed Jack, asking question after question about the Livingston. Laney wanted to speak to him, but there was no way she could even get close to him, much less have a private moment alone with him.

She made her way out of the room and positioned herself at a bench near the entrance to the conference room. The flow of people exiting the room lessened as people rushed off to the next seminar on their agenda. Twenty minutes after the presentation had ended, Jack finally came out.

Laney stood and waved to him. “Jack.”

He turned, looking at her in surprise. “I thought you’d left.”

She gave him a small smile. “I wanted to stay and talk to you after the lecture.”

“Well, I’m glad you did.” A huge grin spread across his face. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again after how you reacted to me in Fortune’s Bay.”

She hung her head. “I was wrong to treat you like that. I should have given you a chance to explain yourself.” She tipped her chin toward the exterior doors. “Can we go outside and talk about this somewhere more private?”

“I’d like that.” He reached forward and grabbed her hand, encircling it with his fingers. His touch sent tingles up and down her spine, and a heady sense of rightness came over her.

Becki had been correct. She should have given Jack an opportunity to explain himself. At least he was giving her a second chance.

* * *

When they were outside of the auditorium, Laney led him over to a bench in the lush gardens. Jack followed. She was giving him an opportunity to explain himself. Don’t mess this up buddy, he told himself.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were going to mention me in your speech?” she asked, searching his face.

He closed his eyes. “I tried to tell you that I’d arranged for you to speak at the conference, but you were so mad at me. Then, when I attempted to get in contact with you afterward, you wouldn’t respond, but I wanted to make sure you got credit for your role.”

She sat back on the bench and hugged her knees to her chest. “I thought you hadn’t given me any credit for the find on purpose. Your receptionist showed me the list of speakers and my name wasn’t on it.”

“I know. That was an earlier copy. After I saw it, I called them and had you added. And I should have tried harder to get you to understand that I’d arranged for you to speak at the conference. I guess I got tired of trying when you didn’t seem to care about me one bit.”

Well, he’d laid it out there for her. He held his breath, unsure of how she’d respond.

Laney bit her lip and tears sprung from her eyes. “I’ve been miserable without you.” She set her feet on the ground and scooted closer to him on the bench. “I thought what we had was special and then I found out you were going to California and you hadn’t said anything to me.…” She peered at him and took a deep breath. “I didn’t know what to do, so I shut you out completely.”

He reached for her hand, covering it with his own. Looking deep into her eyes, he said, “We did have something special—do have something special. I’m not taking that job in California. There’s too much waiting for me right here in Florida.” He gazed at her with an expression full of love. “Can you forgive me?”

She smiled softly. “Of course.”

He grinned like a maniac and leaned in to kiss her on the lips. She turned her body toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck as they kissed. Thoughts swirled around his mind. They’d come so close to ruining this. He brushed back a strand of hair from her face and delicately stroked her cheek. She was so beautiful. He’d thought he’d never have a chance to see her ever again, much less have the opportunity to kiss her.

Their eyes met and he stared into them, allowing himself to get lost in their depth. He ran his fingers over her upper back and she melted into him, hanging onto him even tighter. Jack kissed her hungrily, never wanting this moment to end.

Too soon, she broke apart from him, her face flushed and her hair mussed. Her eyes darted around the gardens. “We’d probably better stop. People must think we’re crazy.”

A few people had walked past, but as far as he knew, none had given them a second glance. Then again, he’d been a little wrapped up in what he was doing. A silly smile slid across his face. He couldn’t help it. This had been the most amazing day. He’d given a lecture on finding the Livingston, the ship that he’d been chasing his whole career. And now, he was given another chance at a future with the woman he loved.

Still facing her on the bench, he traced her bare shoulders with his thumbs as his fingers caressed her upper arms. “Let them think we’re crazy.” He leaned in and kissed her again. A man in his eighties walked past, shaking his head at them.

Jack laughed and stood, reaching for her hand to help her up. “But maybe we can continue this later. Are you interested in lunch?”

“I’d love that.” She smiled at him and gripped his hand tightly as though never wanting to let him go. He didn’t blame her. He felt the same. He’d never thought he’d find the woman of his dreams, much less finding her at the same time as discovering the shipwreck he’d been chasing for years. This was more than he’d ever hoped for.