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As soon as it ended, she released him and took his hand, tugging him toward the door. “I’m starving and dying to know what this next challenge is.”
“I’m with you.” He needed to focus on helping her win the money, and eating a healthy dinner to recharge would help with the challenges tomorrow. The problem was all he wanted was her—much, much more of her.
He wanted to beg her to wait for him. No way was he going to do that. Chalisa would say yes, and he’d be ecstatically happy. But that wasn’t fair to her, so he would never ask.
Chapter
Fifteen
Chalisa ate ravenously and smiled at all the taunting and teasing that happened at dinner. Jagger and Aiden finally seemed to be able to joke with each other, though the verbal jabs were almost as sharp as their physical hits had been earlier today. Stuart, Princess Addie and Leah, Prince Darian, and her own sister all eased any tension and made the joking and teasing fun and light.
As the meal ended, her nerves started again. What was the next challenge? Could she and Aiden pull ahead in points? He’d been so great about her dismal contribution today. Not that anyone had expected her to beat Navy SEALs, but Aiden had triumphed in everything but the joust with Jagger. He couldn’t win by himself, though.
She had a sudden, uncomfortable jolt. Was that just another reason he’d walk away from her? He won by himself in every aspect of his life. He didn’t need a partner slowing him down.
Mercedes stood by the table and held up her hands. The conversation quieted. “For the final part of this Chance for Charity episode, ‘Impossible Crusade’...” She smiled and everyone cheered. “Our teams will compete as Prince Samson and the Dissenters would. Would you share, please?” She gestured to Prince Samson. He and Princess Constance had come into town today for the events.
“Of course.” Samson stood. He was a well-built man, almost as big as Kingston, with a wild edge to him that Constance had somewhat smoothed out. He still kept his hair long and tied back with a leather thong, wore clean but homespun clothes, a thicker beard than most of the royals, and a dangerous-looking shark-tooth necklace hung between his pectoral muscles.
“Tonight, you will be driven into the mountains near our home.” He smiled down at his wife. “You will be given a knife, an ax, a lighter, a water sleeve, and a rifle. You can build a shelter or sleep in the open; it’s up to you.”
Chalisa’s stomach tumbled. She’d never even camped, let alone slept in a forest. Aiden squeezed her hand and smiled reassuringly at her. Her heart calmed a few beats.
“At first light, you can begin your quest. You’ll start by finding and killing a wild turkey. You get to clean it, cook it, and eat it for your breakfast. Delicious.”
“He’s lying,” Prince Darian called out. “They’re gamey and tough.”
Samson smiled and shrugged. “You can pick some berries if you need something tender to eat. The streams in the area are clean for your water supply.”
Aiden, Jagger, and Hays all nodded to the prince.
“As soon as you eat your fill of the delicious turkey,”—he shot Prince Darian a look and they both grinned—“and the sun crests the mountains, it’s a foot race to get back to the castle. Over ten miles through the forest, mostly downhill, and the river will guide you and give you a clearer path through the vegetation. Once you get closer to the castle, the path is well worn. Easy.”
Easy? Chalisa liked to walk on the beach. She worked hard and was on her feet most of the day in the emergency department or clinics, but she wasn’t a distance runner. She would slow Aiden down and make them lose.
“You’re going to do great,” Aiden whispered in her ear. “Trust me.”
She blinked up at him. She did trust him. “Thank you.”
He nodded and squeezed her hand again.
“All right.” Mercedes clapped her hands together. “The points total are sixty-one for our SEALs and fifty-eight for Chalisa and Aiden. Whichever team completes the tasks and reaches the castle first will receive ten points. Either team could win.” She smiled brightly. “Let’s get to the mountain.”
Chalisa said goodbye to her family, hugging them all tight. She hugged most of the royals as well, appreciating the dad hug that Duke Zolten, Reagan’s father-in-law, gave her. She missed her dad.
She and Aiden loaded up with Kingston and Stuart in a Humvee. Shawn and Mercedes followed with Jagger and Hays.
People waved to them from the castle courtyard and the streets as they drove through. They headed out through the fields, the beach and ocean on their right-hand side. The men started talking about guns. Chalisa didn’t have anything to contribute, so she watched the scenery and listened to Aiden’s voice.
He was an expert in a very different world than hers. She healed, and he inflicted wounds. He did it for a noble cause, and the people he hurt needed to be killed or imprisoned. She knew that. But were their worlds and paths too different?
Then a pang struck her in her gut. She’d tried to push it away, but he’d blatantly and repeatedly told her he’d made an oath and promise to never fall in love, never marry. She was being short-sighted to think their paths could ever coincide.
They headed up the mountains, and Kingston explained that this route was much longer than the route the two of them would walk or run back to the castle. There wasn’t a direct road for vehicles to the drop-off location, only the path along the river.
Chalisa must’ve drifted off. Aiden touched her arm, and she noticed the vehicle was stopped and he stood next to her open door with a soft smile. “I hope you can still sleep tonight in our shelter,” he said.
“I hope so too.” She was exhausted. The stress of competing, hoping to win the money, and most of all trying to figure out how to keep Aiden by her side was overwhelming.
