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“It changed overnight after Dad left. And after Caleb… your spark went out completely.” The aftermath Caleb, Hope’s first boyfriend, left behind had scarred Hope deeply. In response, Sara had preferred not to get too serious with the men she dated. Now she leaned forward and squeezed Hope’s hand. “You’ve found who you were always meant to be.”
Hope’s eyes glittered as she gave Sara a smile and squeezed back. “Thank you. I do feel that way sometimes. But I also wouldn’t mind doing less of the stupid things, like silting things up in dark caves.”
“Something tells me you won’t do that again,” Alex said.
“Am I ever going to see this mythical pool and cave?” Sara asked.
“Sure,” Hope said. “We could go over there now, if you’d like.”
“Why not? I’d love to see it.”
Hope turned to Alex, and he shook his head. “I’ll let you two go without me. I need to finish the paperwork for Sara’s class.”
She stared at him, and something passed between them. “I’ve never been there without you, except for that first time.”
“You’ll be fine. It’s safe, and you can take Cruz. Remember, I promised to stand aside when needed?” The two moved toward each other, and Hope reached a hand to his face as they kissed.
Sara scraped her seat back and stood. “It’s probably a good thing you’re not coming, Alex. Otherwise, I bet you two would ditch me in the middle of the jungle so you could be alone.”
* * *
Thirty minutes later, the two sisters hiked down a faint path in the jungle. Cruz bounded ahead, weaving over and around obstacles. Sara had changed back into her swimsuit and cover-up prior to leaving, and was grateful she’d worn sports sandals. “How far away is this thing?”
“It’s just ahead.” Hope had kept up a steady stream of conversation, telling Sara how she had discovered the pool, and how Alex had dived into it and found the underwater passage. They came to a tall chain-link fence with a padlocked gate, and Hope produced the key.
Sara craned her neck left and right, but the fence went on and on. “Wow, you guys went all out here.”
Once through, they continued down the path, and Hope continued, “We’re still trying to figure out what to do with it. It’s so beautiful that it’s a shame to keep it to ourselves. And we have all the passages gated off, so it’s safe. We just don’t want word to get out that we found treasure here.”
The trees thinned and they entered a large clearing. Sara continued forward, stopping at a small sandy beach, gaping at what was before her. The large pool was surrounded by boulders, which rose to a sheer rock hillside. In the middle of the wall was a black, yawning mouth. The only sound was birdsong and Cruz’s lapping at the shore. It was remarkably peaceful. “Holy shit, Hope. You weren’t kidding. This is amazing.”
Nodding, Hope set her backpack down on a flat rock near the water and pulled out two headlamps. “You want to go for a swim? The water’s cold, but it’s great after the sweaty hike.”
“Absolutely.”
They stripped to their swimsuits and entered the water. It was cool, but not uncomfortably so, and Sara laughed at Hope’s pinched expression. “You really don’t like the cold anymore, do you?”
“Not particularly.”
“It’s pretty comfortable to me. Of course, I have more insulation than you do.”
“Oh, stop it. You have a beautiful figure, and you know it. Let’s head toward the cave first.”
They swam across the pool and entered the dim cave, turning on their headlamps. Sara’s beam danced around the huge interior as she followed her sister to a rocky shelf that extended back on one side.
As they treaded water, Hope pointed toward the back wall of the plateau. “Barnaby lived in a room back there for months. We know he left here to try to find rescue, but he was never heard from again. He must have died somewhere on the island.”
“How sad. Poor guy.”
Hope led Sara to the back of the cave, and they treaded water where a sheer wall soared to the ceiling. “The underwater passage is just below us, about fifteen feet down.”
Sara got chills just imagining it. “And you dove that? In complete darkness?”
“Yes, but I learned some valuable lessons. Number one is when you’re with an expert, it’s a good idea to listen to his advice.”
Sara snorted. “Headstrong Hope rears her head again.”
Hope laughed. “Something like that. Let’s get out—I’m getting cold.”
