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  He grinned. "I coulda handled those punks by myself. Me and this pistol. If you hadn't showed up, I would have shot 'em both."

  I nodded, and he put the gun back into his belly pack.

  Extending my hand, I helped him get to his feet, "I'm Walker. This is Sarah."

  He smiled, "Glad to meet you. I'm Ralph."

  Looking at Ralph, Sarah asked, "You okay?"

  He nodded, "I'm fine. Just a little embarrassed that those punks were able to knock me down.

  "They think just because I'm old, I'm an easy target.

  "But they'd be wrong. This metal scoop is a pretty good weapon, and if that doesn't work, I've got the little pistol in my belly pack."

  He took a breath, then continued, "I'd hate to shoot anyone, but I'm not going to let some punk beat me up."

  Sarah nodded in agreement, then asked, "Does this happen often?"

  Shaking his head, Ralph said, "Not really. Mostly people just ignore me. Or they come up and ask me questions. Want to see what I've found.

  "But once in a while, I'll run into trouble. Usually kids trying to impress other kids. Throwing a Frisbee at me. Things like that.

  "This is only the second time someone tried to steal from me. And just like the first time, it didn't work out for them."

  Sarah nodded, then pointing at the detector, asked, "So Ralph, what kind of things do you find out here on the beach?"

  He smiled. Sarah had that effect on men.

  5

  "What do I find?" replied Ralph. "You'd be amazed.

  "I find bracelets, earrings, watches, even cell phones."

  He reached into his shirt pocket, "I found this today. It's a gold ring. With a small diamond."

  Sarah looked at the ring, "Wow! You found that today?"

  Ralph beamed, "Sure did. Right on this beach.

  "Now don't get me wrong. I don't find rings like this every day. In fact, I'm lucky if I find just one a week.

  "But I usually find something interesting every time I come out here. Mostly coins. Costume jewelry. And lots of toys."

  "What do you do with all the things you find?" asked Sarah.

  "If I can identify the owner, I try to return the item. But most things I find aren't marked with an owner ID. So if it's something real valuable, I'll let the lifeguard know, and if someone asks about it, I'll give it back to them.

  "The rest of the stuff, I keep. When I need money, I sell some of it."

  Sarah nodded, then asked, "So Ralph, how you'd get started metal detecting?"

  Ralph smiled, "Had to. Doctors orders.

  "See, fifteen years ago my wife and I were living in upstate New York. We got tired of the cold winters and decided to head to Florida.

  "After looking around, we decided Englewood was the perfect place for us. Affordable, peaceful, and right on the gulf.

  "We bought a small house and settled into the retirement lifestyle. Two years later, my wife died, leaving just me and Porky."

  "Porky?" asked Sarah.

  "Porky is my dog. A Jack Russell terrorist. He's the boss.

  "Anyway, after my wife died, my doctor said I needed to get a hobby that involved daily exercise.

  "I didn't like golf, so I took up metal detecting. Been doing it every day for the last twelve years. Except when there's a hurricane."

  Sarah nodded, "So if you've been out on the beach every day for the past twelve years, you must of found a lot."

  Ralph smiled, "Yep. I have buckets full of coins and other stuff I've found. And three display cases full of rings."

  Sarah was impressed. "That's amazing!"

  Then she pointed at me and said, "I'm trying to get Walker here to take up metal detecting. What would he need to get started?"

  Ralph thought for a moment, "He'll need a good metal detector. And a long handled sand scoop.

  "And he'll need a lot of patience. Because you don't just come out here for a few minutes and find buried treasure.

  "You have to be out here every day and swing the detector for hours, hoping to find just one good thing.

  "If you have the right detector and learn how to use it, and spend enough time swinging it, you'll start to find coins, and eventually jewelry. Maybe even some really nice pieces."

  Sarah nodded, "What if Walker wants to find real treasure? You know, pirate gold. Where would he do that?"

  Ralph shook his head, "You won't find any pirate treasure on this side of Florida. To find that, you'll need to go to the Treasure Coast on the east side of Florida. Near Vero Beach.

  "Over there, under the right conditions, you have a pretty good chance of finding Spanish silver and gold coins."

  "Treasure coast?" asked Sarah. "Why is it called that?"

  "Well," replied Ralph, "Back in 1715, thirteen Spanish ships loaded with gold and silver were heading from South America to Spain, and got caught up in a hurricane just off what is now Vero Beach, Florida.

  "Those ships sunk and dumped two hundred tons of freshly minted gold and silver coins just offshore. And ever since, people walking the beaches over there occasionally find silver and gold coins from the ship wrecks. Especially after big storms."

  Sarah nodded, then asked, "So if Walker wants to take his motorhome over there and search for treasure, what should he do?"

  "That's easy," replied Ralph. "He should wait until he sees a tropical storm heading for that coast, then get a camping spot at Sebastian Inlet State Park.

  "From there, he can quickly get to the best treasure beaches right after the storm passes.

  "But before he goes, he should look up the 1715 Fleet wreck on the internet. He'll find maps showing where the ships went down, and the best beaches to search."

  Ralph smiled, picked up his detector and stuck out his hand. "Walker, thanks for your help with those punks. If I can ever do anything for you, just let me know. You can always find me out here on the beach."

  Then he turned to Sarah, "If you guys don't mind, I want to get back to detecting and see if I can find another ring before the sun goes down."

  He pulled his headphones over his ears and started moving down the beach, slowly swinging his detector over the sand.

  6

  Sarah couldn't contain herself. "Walker, you need a metal detector. Then you could be like Ralph, finding diamond rings on the beach.

  "You saw the one he found today. It's probably worth a thousand dollars or more. If you had a detector, you could be finding things like that."

  "You're right," I said. "That was a nice looking ring. But look at how many hours Ralph spends detecting each day.

  "I'm not sure I want to spend my time that way, alone on the beach swinging a metal detector.

  "I'd rather be doing something with you."

  Sarah turned toward me, a serious look on her face. "Walker, here's the deal. You've got too much time on your hands. I can't be around you all the time. You need to come up with a hobby or something to keep you busy.

  "So think about getting a metal detector. And think about going over to the Treasure Coast for a few days, maybe even a week or two.

  "And do it sooner than later. Because we need a break from each other."

  I wasn't expecting that. I thought Sarah and I mutually enjoyed each others company.

  But maybe she was right. We were spending a lot of time together. And maybe she needed some time alone. Maybe even some time with someone that wasn't me.

  I wasn't going to argue with her. If she wanted me to go to the other coast and be a treasure hunter for a few days, that's what I'd do.

  "Walker, don't take this personal. It's just that until you showed up, I got used to living alone. Not having to entertain anyone. And I liked it that way.

  "And while I've really enjoyed our time together, I really miss being by myself. And there's something else.

  "I'm worried you might be getting too attached to me. We both just got out of shaky relationships, and I'm not rushing back into another one with you or anyone else.

/>   "I just want to be friends. That's all. And I want the freedom to do things without you. I hope you can understand."

  I nodded, not knowing how to reply.

  In my mind, I had built us up as a couple with a romantic future. And I'd done that rather quickly, taking it for granted that Sarah felt the same way.

  But she was right.

  Since arriving in Florida, I'd spent almost all my waking hours with her. She'd been the only person I knew when I arrived here, and I relied on her to be my guide to Florida life.

  Instead of reaching out and making new friends, I had followed Sarah around like a little puppy. And now that she'd mentioned it, I realized how I might be smothering her.

  So she was right. It would probably be good if we spent some time apart.

  "Okay. You're right. I kind of bulldozed my way into your life. I shouldn't have done that.

  "Is it time for me to find another place to park my motorhome? You want me to move out of your life?"

  "No," she said. "Not yet. Maybe sometime. But not yet."

  She continued, "I don't want you to be mad at me. It's just that I need more space. More time to think about what I'm doing, where I'm going."

  I nodded, then said, "Okay. Starting tomorrow I'm going to give you more space.

  "And for starters, I'm going to get a metal detector and reserve a camping spot on the Treasure Coast.

  "But when I find pirate treasure, I'm not going to share it with you."

  Sarah laughed, "Deal. If you find pirate treasure, you can keep it. But if you find a diamond ring like the one Ralph found today, I want it. That'll be my reward for getting you involved in your new hobby."

  7

  That night, back in the motorhome, I got on the internet and ordered the metal detector and sand scoop Ralph had recommended. I paid extra to have them shipped next-day-air so I'd get them before the weekend.

  Then I visited the ReserveAmerica web site and booked a camping spot at Sebastian Inlet State Park for seven days, starting next Monday.

  According to the web, Sebastian Inlet State Park wasn't near any grocery stores or restaurants, so it was recommended you bring all the food you needed or be prepared to drive fifty miles round trip to stock up.

  The park was located across the road from the 1715 Spanish Fleet survivor's camp, and there were more than seventy miles of Treasure Coast beaches nearby to explore.

  After confirming my campsite reservation, I searched Google for 'Treasure Coast' and found a map pin-pointing each of the known treasure ship wreck sites. Several were close to where I would be camping.

  For future reference, I printed out one of the maps and bookmarked the web site. Later on, I planned to enter the names and coordinates of the most promising of these treasure beaches into my GPS.

  The more research I did, the more it looked like the entire Treasure Coast was littered with wrecks that had spilled gold, silver, and precious cargo along the beaches.

  Surely, with all that treasure buried just a few inches under the sand, I'd have no problem finding something valuable.

  Especially if I was as lucky as Sarah thought I was.

  8

  The next morning, I shared my plans with Sarah. I'd bought a metal detector and would be leaving on Monday for a week long treasure hunting trip.

  "So," she asked, "you're headed for Vero Beach on Monday are you? Did you check the weather forecast?"

  I hadn't.

  She smiled, "According to NOAA, there is a pretty good chance of a storm hitting the Treasure Coast on Tuesday. They're predicting forty to fifty mile per hour winds. And a lot of rain.

  "Are you sure you still want to go? Being camped near the beach during a tropical storm might not be a good idea."

  I shook my head. "Don't worry about me. I've been through some pretty strong storms and I came out okay.

  "And actually, the storm is good news. Ralph said the best time to find treasure on the beaches was right after a tropical storm.

  "So maybe it's me being lucky again. Going to the Treasure Coast just when a storm is supposed to hit."

  Sarah touched my shoulder, "Walker, promise me you'll be careful. If it starts looking bad, get somewhere safe and forget about treasure hunting."

  She was serious.

  "Don't worry," I said. "'I'll keep a close eye on weather conditions. If things get bad, I'll find a safe place to ride out the storm."

  After that brief discussion, Sarah and I went our separate ways for the rest of the day. She had business in town, and I needed to take the motorhome to get it fueled up and ready for the trip.

  When I talk about my motorhome, most people envision one of those bus sized vehicles owned by the rich and famous. And while I'd like to have one of those, mine isn't quite up to that standard.

  Mine is smaller. More along the lines of a UPS truck.

  It's officially a Class C motorhome. This means the 'home' part is bolted onto a cut-away truck chassis. You've probably seen a lot of these going down the road.

  Bigger than a van, smaller than a bus.

  Inside, it's like a small house. It's got a real kitchen with a microwave oven, propane cook top, and a residential two door refrigerator/freezer. In the back there's a bathroom with toilet, and a shower I can stand up in without bumping my head.

  Next to the bath, there's a private bedroom with a TV above the bed, a closet for my clothes and a hidden compartment under the bed to store important things.

  Up front, it's got leather seats, a recliner, and a decent size flat screen TV. There's also a dinette table with room for six people. And should I have an overnight guest, the dinette folds out into a queen size bed.

  So yes, it's pretty nice. And to me, it's home. Or at least has been for the past three months.

  It was originally owned by the company I worked for. They bought it so company executives could use it for business travel.

  At least that's the excuse the plant manager gave the corporate bean counters when he submitted the purchase order for the motorhome.

  In reality, company executives who needed to travel for legitimate business reasons didn't want to drive a motorhome. They wanted to fly on the corporate jet.

  So the motorhome mostly sat unused in the parking lot, except when the plant manager needed to get away for a secret rendezvous with his out of town lover. Without his wife finding out about it.

  And that's how the motorhome came to be known as the 'Love Bus'.

  When the company closed the plant, they discovered the Love Bus still on their books and still in the back parking lot.

  They needed to get rid of it quickly, so they offered to sell it to me way below cost. And had I not been living in a tent at the time, I probably wouldn't have been interested.

  But the price was right, and with me living in a tent, buying the Love Bus seemed like a good idea. It gave me a real roof over my head, and a way to travel without worrying about finding a place to sleep.

  The only real problem with the Love Bus is it hasn't lived up to it's nickname. There's been no loving on the bus. At least for me.

  Hopefully, that would change. Maybe after my treasure hunting adventure.

  9

  After Sarah left that morning, I decided it was a good time to take the Love Bus to the local Walmart Super Center. There I could fill it with gas and stock it up with food for my Treasure Coast trip.

  At Walmart, I bought more than a week's worth of frozen foods, bottled water, snacks, and other necessities. Just because I was camping, there was no reason to go hungry. Might as well have plenty of food on board.

  Leaving Walmart, I drove back to the boatyard and put away all the supplies I had purchased. Soon after, a UPS truck pulled up and the driver jumped out carrying three packages.

  All were for me. One was the metal detector. The second was the sand scoop. And the third was the 'Metal Detecting Florida Beaches,' DVD I'd ordered from Amazon.

  Like a kid on Christmas morning, I quickly unboxed
and assembled the metal detector. It took only about ten minutes, and the hardest part was installing the eight AA batteries that powered it.

  With the detector ready to go, I went outside, turned it on and started swinging it over the dirt surface of the boatyard.