Good as Gold by Candace Buford

Author:Candace Buford [Buford, Candance]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2023-05-09T00:00:00+00:00

TWENTY

Dev’s boat swayed with the shifting tides as we piled onto the deck, which was several times bigger than Squid’s mudskipper. We had room to walk around without bumping into one another. It was much nicer, roomier. But even with the added distance, there was no way I could hide the look of guilt on my face for dragging him into our treasure hunt. B spat off the side of the boat, cursing under her breath.

“She told him about the treasure. What did I tell you?” She pointed an accusatory finger at my face, right in between my eyes—an indictment.

“We need his help.” I sidestepped out of her finger’s aim. “Do you have a better idea?”

She rolled her eyes then rounded on Dev. “So, are you going to let us keep the treasure? It’s not like you need it. You being rich and the mayor’s son and all.”

“I’ve got stuff I want to do, too. Without their money.” He jabbed his finger toward the shoreline, toward his demanding, unforgiving parents. “They’re this close to cutting me off, and sometimes I wish they would so I could be free.” His nostrils flared. He shook his head. “Like we’re really going to find the treasure. I’ve told you. I’ve seen every inch of Toulouse. There’s no gold down there.”

“Not gold. Silver.” I pulled the coin out of my pocket and opened my palm. The silver glinted in the sun. “Where’s the map?”

While Squid searched his bag for the map, I sidled up next to Dev. I nudged him with my elbow.

“Dev, I had no idea you were going through it.”

“My parents are always threatening to cut me off if I don’t do what they tell me to. Law school. Work at a firm. It’s all so not me.”

“What would you do with the money?” I admittedly didn’t even think about Dev’s hopes and dreams beyond the box his family kept him in. I was curious—what made Dev tick?

“Move to LA. Support myself while auditioning.” He looked nervous as he divulged his secret. After a moment, he lifted his chin up, finding his confidence again. “I want to be an actor.”

“That is fitting. You do have a flair for the dramatic.”

Squid hopped over the pile of flippers, returning with the map in his hand. He unfurled it onto the captain’s stand.

“Where did you get this?” Dev rubbed the old paper between his fingers. His eyebrow arched. “Do I even want to know?”

“No.” I shook my head, hoping that he wouldn’t press any further. We’d already broken so many rules. And he would not love the optics of that—he was on thin ice with his parents, after all.

“We need to go here.” Tanner pointed at the map, tracing along the ridge behind the old Bank of Toulouse. He looked out onto the open water, trying to pinpoint what he was seeing on the map. “So that’s um . . . over there?”

“No.” Dev turned the map in the right direction. “It’s down there.”

“And I want to see this part of town.

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