Luis’s eyes sparked with joy, and he laughed heartily. “Congratulations to you both. I’d like to explain why Marie didn’t know about my relationship with Zev. As I said, I took Zev’s advice, and I have kept a low profile these last few years. Until the other morning when you called, Marie thought I was just a retired archaeologist. She didn’t even know my last name. It wasn’t until she hung up with you, when I asked about the pit stop, and she mentioned Zev, which is an uncommon name, that we started putting two and two together. That’s when I put Marie’s niece Carly together with my Zev and realized that my boy had reunited with his lady love.” He put his hand over his heart and said, “My mijo has found his Carls, and I could not be happier.”
“When Luis told me about his travels with Zev and their close relationship, it became clear just how much Zev loves you and how unhappy he was without you,” Marie explained. “But I didn’t say anything because you can tell me he’s wonderful and Luis can put in all the good words he wants, but this stubborn auntie needed to see your fine young gentleman firsthand to make her own assessment.”
Carly looked up at Zev and said, “Don’t worry. She approves of you.”
Zev kissed her, and then he looked at Luis and said, “So tell me, Tiger, what are you doing here besides kissing Marie?”
“Treasure hunting,” Luis said with a wink.
“Aw,” Carly said, and Zev hugged her against his side.
“In all the years I spent listening to you talk about Carly as if she were the very heart of you, I never knew what it felt like to love someone that much.” Luis gazed into Marie’s eyes and said, “You told me you were done with your adventures and going home to settle down. When you left, I finally understood Zev’s pain. My life is empty without you, mi amor. I’m an old man, and surely you could do much better, but if you want me, I’m yours.”
“Oh, Tiger,” Marie said softly. “I definitely want you.”
As Luis lowered his lips to Marie’s, Birdie exclaimed, “That’s it! Forget the chocolate shop. I’m going treasure hunting. I need a boat and someone to drive it. Quinny, you in?”
Quinn shouted, “Yes!”
“The hell you are, tater tot.” Cutter grabbed Quinn’s arm, hauling her away. Quinn hollered for Birdie, causing everyone to crack up.
As their friends broke out more champagne, the Whiskeys began interrogating Luis, and Zev took advantage of the chaos. He laced his fingers with Carly’s and whispered, “Let’s go,” leading her away from the others. Her melodic laughter was music to his ears as they ran under the cover of the night to a quiet spot beneath a tree, where he gathered her in his arms and devoured her with kisses, as he’d been dying to do all evening.
Zev kept her close, swaying to the music as he said, “That was pretty wild, wasn’t it?”
“I can’t believe Marie and Luis are together. It’s like the stars are aligning for everyone.”
“Except Birdie,” he said, and they both chuckled.
“She’ll have to find her own treasure hunter, because I’m not sharing mine.” Carly wound her arms around his neck, and excitement sparked in her eyes. “When do we go back to Silver Island?”
“Whenever you want to. I left it open ended. I didn’t expect to find you coming after me when I got here.”
“I didn’t, either,” she said with a soft laugh. “You blew into my life like a hurricane, upending everything I thought I knew about myself and reminding me of who I was and who we were together. I love us, Zev, and I cannot wait to color outside the lines with you. Let’s go back Sunday night and get on the water on Monday. Marie said we could take a few weeks to decide what we want, but for me there’s no decision to be made. I want you—here, there, everywhere, always and forever.”
He kissed the spray of freckles on her nose, threading his fingers through her hair, gazing into her entrancing eyes. He was so lost in her, feeling so blessed to have this second chance, he was speechless.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Carly asked.
“Because every time I look into your eyes, I see more of you, more of us. I see a future I thought I’d lost. I see Journey, Scout, and Chance, with freckles across the