Treasure of Love Page 9

  When they reached the surface, Brad and Mac were on deck and quickly made their way down to the swim platform. Mac helped each of them climb on to the boat as Brad helped them off with their gear. The boys had been listening in on the underwater conversation and didn’t try to hide their anticipation. Dax and Dona gave them the Reader’s Digest version again and told them they would fill them in with more details over lunch.

  THEY feasted on turkey club sandwiches and chips while they excitedly discussed the morning’s findings. They would make their second dive later that afternoon, but in the meantime, Dax wanted to review his notes and study the photos of the Anna Wyoming one more time, in hopes of finding some sort of markings that would help them identify the wreck and give them the proof they needed to stake their claim. If he couldn’t find any visible markings, he would have no choice but to use underwater explosives to remove some of the one hundred years of growth surrounding the wreck in order to breach the hull.

  After lunch, Dax and Dona spread all their research and photos on the galley table and started going over everything very closely. Jack, in full captain’s mode, knew that in their current position, the weather could change drastically from hour to hour, so he headed to the fly bridge to check the latest weather reports, with Brad and Mac in tow. When they reached the bridge, Jack flipped his VHF radio to the weather frequency and sat in his captain’s seat. Brad hopped into the seat next to him with his legs spread, and Mac scooted in between Brad’s legs, facing forward and leaning his butt on the front of the seat. They listened in silence while the radio squawked its continuously looped prerecorded updates. When the radio reached the end of the loop and started over, Jack reached over and switched the radio back to channel sixteen. Brad finally broke the silence. “Sooooo, Jack, anything you want to talk to us about?”

  “Nope, not that I can think of,” Jack said in a teasing tone. “Other than the weather, and it looks pretty good for the afternoon dive, but I guess you heard that for yourself.”

  “Oh yeah, the weather, perfect, beautiful, got it. What about your little rendezvous last night?” Brad asked.

  “Are you birds spying on me now?” Jack asked.

  “Not really,” Mac said. “We went up on deck for sunset last night and were quite amused to see Dax in your arms and your tongue down his throat.”

  Jack took a deep breath and let it out. “Okay, guys, I give. Go ahead and let me have it. I know I have it coming.”

  “Do you mean you have it coming because of all the grief you gave us when you found out that Mac and I were in love?” Brad asked.

  “Yeah, among other things,” Jack said. “Maybe I had a problem with your relationship because I was struggling with something myself.”

  “Ya think?” Mac said.

  “Come on, guys, give me a break here.”

  “Did you give us one?” Mac asked, starting to get agitated. “I almost lost my life and Brad because of you and your stupid homophobia.”

  Brad placed his hands on Mac’s shoulders and squeezed.

  Jack looked down at the floor. “I know,” he said in a whisper. “I’m really sorry.”

  “Okay, Mac, I think we’ve tortured him enough,” Brad said. “I think he’s learned his lesson on how not to be a bigot.”

  “Thanks a lot, Brad,” Jack said. “But you guys have gotta help me here. I don’t know what to do. I’m really attracted to Dax, and I think he likes me too, but he’s, you know, a guy. Does that make me gay now?”

  “Why does what you’re feeling have to be labeled?” Mac asked.

  Jack looked even more confused.

  “Jack,” Mac continued. “I struggled with the same thing when I discovered I was in love with Brad. Luckily I was open enough to realize that Brad and I had something special, and I wanted to explore it. I was scared shitless, but in the end, it was so worth the struggle.”

  Mac looked back and smiled at Brad. “But to be truthful, if anything ever happened and we weren’t together, I can’t say without any doubt that I would be with another guy. Maybe I’d meet another girl. After all, I was happily married to Lindsey for all those years, so why couldn’t I choose another girl? My relationship with Brad has taught me that if you’re open to it, it’s more about the person you connect with and not so much about whether they are male or female.”

  “Well put,” Brad whispered.

  Jack seemed to lighten up a little, and even tried to force out a smile.

  “Now I have a question,” Brad said. “And this is very important, so I want you to consider your answer very carefully before you say anything.”

  Jack rolled his eyes and frowned, but gave Brad his undivided attention.

  “Do you have real feelings for Dax, or are you simply curious about what it’s like to have sex with a guy?”

  Jack opened his mouth to speak and Brad raised his hand to stop him. “I said to think about your answer before you speak.”

  Jack closed his mouth. After a few minutes he said, “Can I speak now?”

  “Only if you have a truthful answer,” Brad responded.

  Jack was looking out over the bow into the distance when he spoke. “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about sex with a guy. But I don’t think I’m curious enough to actually do it if I didn’t feel something for the guy.”

  Mac piped up, “That’s good, because it’s not fair to Dax if you’re just giving him a trial run. I see the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is looking, and I feel certain he’s experiencing some real feelings.”

  “See, that bothers me too,” Jack proclaimed. “Why me? I’m nothing special. He’s hot as hell. God, when he looks at me with those big, doe eyes I go weak in the knees and lose myself in him.”

  “That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Brad asked.

  “I guess,” Jack said. “But I’ve never felt that way about anyone before. I think I could seriously fall in love with that man.” Jack held out his trembling hands. “Look at me. I’m shaking like a leaf.”

  Brad and Mac looked at each other with a knowing smile. Jack was now starting to fidget.

  “You don’t think I know that I could hurt Dax? If it wasn’t for that reason, I’d have jumped his bones last night,” Jack admitted. “I know there’s no turning back once I cross that line.”

  “Why, Jack Cameron, you’re not the big lug we thought you were,” Mac said. “You do have a conscience.”

  “Very funny, Mac.”

  “Just go for it, Jack,” Brad said. “By the way you’re acting and talking about Dax, I’d say you’re a goner anyway.”

  “Holy shit,” Jack said. “Don’t say that, not yet.”

  Silence filled the fly bridge until it was broken by the sound of a squawking radio.

  “Dax to bridge.”

  Brad and Mac noticed how Jack’s eyes brightened when he said, “Bridge here. Hey, Dax.”

  “Hey, Jack. Dona and I have looked over our photos, as well as the video from the ROV, and we have a few points of interest under the surface to investigate.”

  “That’s great,” Jack replied. “You guys ready to suit up?”

  “Give me ten minutes,” Dax replied. “I want to prepare a couple of low-impact explosives to take down with us.”

  “Hell yeah!” Jack said. “Let’s go blow some shit up.”

  “Don’t get too excited, Jack,” Dax said. “There’s one little spot at the base of the mast that should reveal a dedication plaque, if it’s even still there. But I’m sure, if it is there, that it’ll be covered with a hundred years of sea growth and coral. If that turns up nothing, I’ve located a spot where the hull should be pretty thin and maybe we can penetrate it to get a better look.”

  “Now you’re talking,” Jack replied. “I’ll meet you on deck in ten. Bridge out.”

  Dax laughed out loud and said, “Base out.”

  “So we’re good?” Mac asked.

  “Yep, real good,” Jack said. “I think it’s time to take a big l
eap of faith.”

  They smiled and made their way down to the deck to suit up for their last dive of the day.

  AS THEY started their descent, Dona took the lead and headed for the wreck. Jack followed with a salvage bag of tools, Dax closely behind him with the lightweight explosives. When they got to the base of the mast, as Dax had expected, the area was covered with coral. He strategically placed the explosives at the base of the mast and told Jack and Dona to clear the area. When the three divers were together and safely away from the strike zone, Dax gave the “all clear” and “okay to detonate” to Brad and Mac up on deck. With everyone safely out of the area, Brad pressed the “detonate” button on the receiver.

  Brad and Mac felt the rumble more than heard the explosion, but eventually saw a large water bubble appear at the surface. Dax, Dona, and Jack stayed clear for several minutes, allowing the explosion to settle and the coral and growth to sink back down to the bottom. As the water started to clear, they began to make their way back to the wreck. Dona was the first to reach the area, with Dax and Jack on her heels. The explosives had done a good job of cracking open the growth, but there was still a little clearing to do to get to the base of the mast.

  Dona and Jack removed large crowbarlike tools from the bag and started scraping the surrounding area. Dax grabbed a smaller tool very similar to the ones Dona and Jack were using, but he went straight to work on the strike zone. Minutes later they all heard the “Hell, yeah!” from Dax and turned in his direction. Dax was grinning like a possum through a screen door, a look Dona knew all too well. Jack wasn’t sure, but he had a good idea of what was happening. They gathered around Dax as he pointed to what was left of a fully intact brass plaque. He read out loud for everyone to hear:

  “Eighteen Hundred and Seventy-One. Christened the Anna Wyoming, Camden Shipyard, Camden, New Jersey.”

  “Hell yeah!” Dax yelled again as he grabbed Jack and Dona, and they all bumped their full face masks together. Dona documented their find by taking several shots of the plaque with her underwater digital camera. Meanwhile, up on deck, Brad and Mac were screaming at the top of their lungs as well.

  When the divers surfaced, Brad helped Dona up onto the swim platform. As Jack and Dax waited their turn, they threw their masks up on deck and hung on to the back of the boat. Jack grabbed Dax behind the neck and brought him in for a long, passionate kiss.

  When the kiss ended, Jack said, “Congratulations, baby,” and rested his forehead against Dax’s. Dax smiled and said, “Thanks, Captain, and to you too.” They heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and looked up to see Dona, Brad, and Mac standing there with their hands on their hips, smiling.

  “Sorry,” Jack said. “I couldn’t help myself.”

  “What are you apologizing for, Jack? Those were my lips, and I sure as hell liked it.”

  Jack broke out into a broad, satisfied smile and looked up at the three sets of eyes staring down at them. “Never mind,” he said, and they all laughed.

  The team quickly shed their dry suits and stowed their equipment so they could get the Lindsey C underway and back to the dock in Skagway to start the process of staking their claim. Within an hour, the divers were in dry clothes and the gear was securely stowed. Jack pressed the “up” button on the windlass anchor winch, and the motor hummed as it slowly pulled the anchor back to the surface. When the anchor was secure, Jack pointed her bow toward Skagway.

  Dona went below to download her photos and further document the day’s activities, and Brad and Mac went to the galley to throw some food together. Back on the bridge, Dax sat in one of the captain’s chairs while Jack checked the weather and plugged the coordinates into the GPS for the port of Skagway. When the autopilot was set, Jack sat back in his chair and looked at Dax. Jack stuck out his hand and Dax slowly slipped his hand into Jack’s.

  “You’re incredible,” Jack said. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to come around to admitting that.”

  “Jack, this is all new to you, I get that. So don’t be so hard on yourself.”

  “I just never thought I was gay,” Jack admitted. “But Brad and Mac convinced me that whatever I am or we are doesn’t have to have a title. Are you okay with that?”

  “Okay with what, not saying we’re boyfriends or lovers or life partners or husbands? Sure, I’m fine with that because, right now, we’re none of those things.”

  “But…?” Jack asked as he leaned over and brushed his lips ever so slightly against Dax’s. Dax gently kissed him back, but broke the kiss after just a few moments.

  “But I do have one request, Jack,” he said.

  Jack tilted his head with a concerned look. “What’s that?”

  “You don’t have to define our relationship to anyone right now, because we really don’t have a relationship, but if this thing turns into something serious and we commit to one another, you can’t pass me off as a buddy. If this is going to work, you can’t be embarrassed of me or our relationship.”

  “Deal,” Jack said, with relief in his voice. “We may not have a defined relationship this very second, and I won’t speak for you, but as Brad and Mac pointed out to me earlier, when it comes to you, they think I’m already a goner.”

  Dax smiled, and those beautiful, lazy doe eyes captured Jack’s heart yet again.

  “And you know what, I think they’re right.”

  “But I’ve got one more thing to say,” Jack said.

  “What’s that?” Dax asked.

  “Please give me a little time to get used to this arrangement. Knowing me, I will do my very best to mess this up, so you’ll need to be patient with me.”

  Dax nodded, and then smiled and said, “Now shut up and kiss me.”

  Jack got out of his chair and stood in front of Dax’s seat. Dax spread his legs, and Jack stepped in a little closer. He looked directly into Dax’s beautiful hazel eyes as he ran his right hand through his silky, dark hair and cupped the back of his neck. He slipped his left hand in around Dax’s waist and leaned in and gently kissed, then nibbled on Dax’s neck. Dax moaned with pleasure, which Jack took as encouragement and continued the sensual assault. As Jack rubbed the back of Dax’s head, he slowly moved up to kiss Dax’s ear.

  “You smell so good,” Jack whispered, “Masculine and woodsy. I’ve never been this intimate with a man, but do all men smell this good?” Jack pulled back and looked at Dax, waiting for an answer.

  “Are you serious?” Dax said.

  “Yes, I am. If I’m going to be involved with a man, shouldn’t I know these things?”

  Dax thought for a moment and then conceded. “Okay, I don’t want you smelling any other men, but yes, in my experience, every man has a scent that’s uniquely his.”

  “I have a scent?” Jack asked.

  “Yep. It’s wonderfully musky with just a hint of sandalwood. It must be the soap you shower with or maybe the cologne you wear, but either way, it drives me absolutely crazy.”

  “Good to know,” Jack said. “Absolutely crazy, huh?”

  “Abbbbsolutely crazy.”

  Chapter 8

  IT WAS close to seven-thirty that night when the Lindsey C pulled into port. The sun was just starting to set, and the scene before them was breathtaking. As the sun hung just above the horizon, the sky was absolutely beautiful. Shades of purple and pink, orange and red, a few really dark blotches, and a bit of yellow were reflected off the water. Dax and Jack were still on the bridge, now joined by Brad and Mac, while Dona watched the grandeur of the sinking sun from the bow. As they inched along at idle speed, they all froze to take in the breathtaking sight. Just as the evening sun dipped below the horizon, the colors turned to rusts and reds, with a hint of fuchsia and a whimsical gold lining.

  Jack guided the boat into his normal slip, and after the boat was secured, everyone met in the galley to decide on a plan. Dona suggested that Mac could fly her and Dax to Juneau at first light and the rest could stay behind and provision the boat for the next t
rip. But Mac assured her that they had plenty of provisions on board and they could shop during the waiting period while they awaited salvage permit approval. He also suggested that since he was trained to fly on instruments, they could all go to Juneau together that night, find a hotel room, have nice, long, hot showers, a late celebratory dinner, and be at the State Building first thing in the morning.

  Dax voted for that idea because, secretly, he wanted the opportunity to be with Jack in a nice hotel room. Everyone else seemed excited about the long, hot shower and dinner in a restaurant. So in the end, they all agreed that they would get going ASAP.

  Dona and Dax packed all the charts, photos, video, daily logs, and anything else they thought they might need and took it with them to prove that they’d truly found the Anna Wyoming. Brad and Mac’s floatplane was secured nearby, and they all piled in and made the ninety-one mile flight to Juneau.

  They safely touched down and took a cab downtown to find a hotel. It was nearing eleven o’clock when they located the State Building on West 9th Street and continued down the block until they came to the Juneau Hotel. They paid the driver, unloaded their bags, and walked toward the front desk. Brad and Mac were first to get there and stepped up to the counter. Jack, Dax, and Dona stood behind the velvet rope and formed a line to check in. Brad and Mac offered to let Jack bunk in with them, and he took them up on their offer. They reserved their room pretty quickly and headed straight for the hotel bistro, to see if they could get a table while Dax and Dona finished reserving their room. The restaurant was about to close, but allowed them in if they agreed to order quickly and not linger after their meal. Dona joined them shortly, but Dax was still standing at the front desk talking to the hotel clerk. They waited at the bar while the waiter set a large corner booth for them.

  “So much for our celebratory meal,” Jack mumbled as he wondered what was keeping Dax.

  He didn’t have to wonder long because when he turned around, Dax was standing right next to him. “There will be plenty of time for celebration,” Dax said as he winked at Jack and rubbed the outside of his fingers across Jack’s cheek.