kissed her, as he always did the second she was free from all the diving accessories. He’d had a new shimmer in his eyes since earlier that morning when they’d received the news that a sword grip with Garrick One-Leg Clegg’s initials inscribed in it had been extracted from one of the concretions.
“Where’s my kiss?” Ford teased.
Zev gave Carly a chaste kiss and reached for Ford. Ford laughed as he dodged Zev’s grasp and hid behind Randi, who rolled her eyes.
“Oh, I see how it is,” Zev said. “My body was good enough for you to spoon, but you’re offended by my lips?”
“You’re not as pretty as Randi is.” Ford draped an arm over Randi’s shoulder.
Randi sighed. “Are you delirious or something?”
“Or something,” Ford said with a waggle of his brows.
Carly chuckled at their bickering. She’d come to love them as much as she loved her friends in Colorado, who she missed every day and kept up with via FaceTime. But her life had never been more fun or more fulfilling. She and Zev wanted to have it all—the adventure-filled days they’d always dreamed of, a foot in the door of Divine Intervention, time with their families in Pleasant Hill and their friends, who had become family to both of them, in Colorado. Carly had proposed a partnership to Marie and Birdie that enabled her to work in the shop during the winters, and for a few weeks throughout the year, while allowing her schedule to remain flexible so she and Zev could travel and dive. Both Birdie and Marie were thrilled with the suggestion. Last week they’d hired Quinn full time and signed a partnership agreement, making it legal. It was no surprise that Cutter was now an even more regular customer. As for Zev, he agreed to run winter exhibits at the Real DEAL for his cousins and Jack, and the treasure-hunting division was now under development.
“Look at that guy with his scruffy beard. You think I want to kiss that?” Ford said.
“Better him than me,” Randi said, ducking free from Ford’s arm.
“Zev happens to have the best lips on the planet.” Carly crossed the deck toward her very handsome man, put her arms around his neck, and said, “I’ll gladly let you offend me with them, over”—she kissed him—“and over”—kiss, kiss—“again.”
Randi said, “Hey, smoochers, don’t forget that I have to be inland by six.” The endearment Ford had coined for them had stuck.
“Oh, that’s right. You have a date tonight,” Carly said as she stripped off her wet suit, acutely aware of Zev visually devouring her. That never got old, either.
Ford was unzipping his wet suit and he stopped midzip, brow furrowed. “You have a date?”
“It’s not a date. Brant’s friend is in town and I’m taking him to dinner and showing him around,” Randi said as she pulled a T-shirt over her head.
“Sounds like a date to me.” Ford crossed his arms and said, “Which friend?”
“Charlie,” Randi said on her way into the equipment room with Ford on her heels.
One of their phones rang from within the equipment room, where they stored them when they went diving.
“Saved by the bell,” Randi said as she walked out and handed the phone to Zev. “FaceTime from your parents.”
They’d left messages for their parents earlier, wanting to share their news with both families at once. “I’ll patch in whoever’s available, Carls. Why don’t you get your phone and ring your parents and Marie?” Zev said, and then he answered the call.
Carly went to get her phone. She called her parents first on FaceTime and then added Marie to the call. Marie was at the shop with Birdie and Luis, which made the call even more special.
“We have news!” Carly said as she sidled up to Zev and saw Jillian, Jax, Nick, and their parents on the screen.
“Hi, Carly!” Jillian waved.
“Hey, Jilly. I’ve got my parents, Marie, Birdie, and Luis on my phone.” She turned the phone so his family could see the others.
As they all said hello, Ford peered around Zev and waved. “Hi, folks.”
“Hi, Ford,” Zev’s parents and brothers said.
“Hey, Ford,” Jillian said flirtatiously.
“Hi, beautiful,” Ford said. “When are you coming to visit me so I can take you out?”
Zev glowered at him. “You are not taking her out.”
“Damn right he’s not,” Nick agreed.
Randi grabbed Ford’s arm, dragging him away, and said, “Leave them alone and you can harass me about Charlie.”
“Nick’s just jealous because he’s going to Oak Falls, and scorching-hot cowgirl Trixie Jericho is off-limits, which