The Last Treasure by Erika Marks Read Free Book Online Page B

hands stuffed in his jeans pockets. He saw her and tugged one free to wave her down. “My friends went on ahead. I hope that’s okay.”
    â€œFine.” Butterflies of delight took flight, fluttering up from her stomach, warming her skin. Just the two of them.
    They walked through the mist, taking turns glancing at each other.
    â€œEnglish major, huh? Do you want to write books?”
    â€œHopefully.”
    â€œBut you love shipwrecks.”
    â€œIt’s not the ships themselves as much as their stories,” Liv said. “The people, the pieces of their lives left behind. Like a time capsule.”
    â€œThink you could get published?”
    â€œMaybe. My father actually published a book once.”
    â€œAnything I would have read?”
    â€œNot unless you like to read about calculus.” The path narrowed as Sam steered them through an alley of crepe myrtles, forcing their bodies closer. “He’s a mathematician. He helped write the definitive textbook on calculus when I was a kid. They still use it all over colleges.”
    â€œHe must be pretty famous, then?”
    â€œIn certain circles, I guess.”
    â€œDoes he do the lecture circuit like Warner?”
    â€œNot anymore.”
    â€œHe must think it’s great you want to get published too.”
    Liv rolled her lips together, measuring her answer. “He would rather I write about something real. Numbers are his thing. Facts. He’s not much for fiction.”
    â€œWhat about your mom?”
    She pulled her coat tighter across her chest. “She died when I was thirteen.”
    Sam slowed. She could feel his eyes on her, the careful, wary stare of sympathy. “Jesus, I’m sorry,” he said. “We don’t have to talk about it.”
    â€œIt’s okay.” Still Liv felt the familiar lump of tears crawl up her throat. “My mother’s the reason I come to these lectures. She loved shipwrecks, loved all the legends, all the mysteries. We loved them together. Especially the
Patriot
. It was our thing. We were going to figure out what happened to that ship. What happened to Theodosia Burr . . .” She glanced at him. “We just felt so badly for her. I mean, it was awful. Theo had just lost her son to malaria. And then she disappears on her way to see her father, who was always—”
    â€œTheo?”
    Liv smiled sheepishly. “It was her nickname.”
    He pointed them to the left. “You still could, you know.”
    â€œCould what?”
    â€œBe the one to solve the mystery.”
    Another flutter of possibility flickered in her stomach. “Not if Warner gets there first. Do you think he’s really found the wreck of the
Patriot
?”
    Sam shrugged. “I think if there’s anything left of that ship, it’s long gone.”
    â€œThen you think she sank?”
    â€œDon’t hate me, but I’m kind of in Warner’s camp. I think it was a hurricane.” He looked over at her. “You think it was pirates, don’t you?”
    Liv knew how ridiculous the theory sounded when someone said it out loud.
    She smiled. “Everyone’s entitled to their opinion.”
    The party came into view, the hum of its music and conversation audible even before they crossed the street. The two-story house was lit up, its porch packed with guests. Sam skirted them past the clusters of students who flanked the entrance, spilling in and out.
    They walked into a cloud of moist air, ripe with the smells of body heat and warm beer. Sam touched her arm and leaned in close to make sure she could hear him over the noise. “See if you can find us a place to sit—I’ll get us a couple beers.” He smelled good beneath the thick layer of sweat and damp. Sandy and warm, as if he’d just climbed out of the sea.
    Liv slipped through the crowd, just looking for space, and found herself in the kitchen. Three women moved