I bit my lip to hide my laugh, because Fletcher was heading straight toward us.
He stopped in front of me, squinting with his one good eye. “Hey.”
I shared a glance with Cade before narrowing my eyes. Despite wanting to claw out Fletcher’s remaining eye for what he’d done to Whiskey, I needed to take the high road. “Hello.”
Fletcher’s whole body heaved a sigh. “…Sorry I threw your cat overboard.”
I frowned at the half-assed apology. He didn’t sound very sorry. In fact, I’d bet all my crocheting supplies he was only apologizing after beingpersuadedto by Cade.
“And sorry, everybody, for my poor behavior yesterday,” Fletcher yelled out to the deck without waiting for me to respond. He aimed a one-eyed glare at Cade. “It won’t happen again.”
Cade simply arched a brow.
“I’m here, I’m here! Sorry I’m running a little behind,” Dr. Lovejoy called as she burst through the sliding doors. She trotted toward us, holding a clipboard and raising a megaphone to her lips. “Couples, welcome to the Love Olympics!”
She threw an arm out toward all the pretty decorations, and I clapped on instinct.
No one else joined in.
“Today will test how well you and your partner can work together as a team,” she continued, unbothered by the lack of enthusiasm as Fletcher slipped away to join Candace. “Our itinerary is deviating from the normal Olympic Games. Instead of winning medals for each individual event, we’re combining all of them to create one large challenge course. You’ll race through three exciting obstacles, beginning with a three-legged race righthere. The first couple to cross the final finish line will be crowned our Love Champions! Any questions?”
“Yeah.” Harrison looked over the course with a critical eye and crossed his arms. “What do we win?”
Dr. Lovejoy let out a weak laugh and tucked her clipboard under one arm.
“What’s important to remember is that you’re all winners just for participating and strengthening your relationships today. And everyone deserves applause for that.” She started a round of applause that didn’t quite catch on—minus a few slow claps from Mac. “That being said, I do have a few little treats for our Love Champions.”
Fletcher snorted. “Treats? What are we—dogs?”
I scowled at him while Dr. Lovejoy’s face fell.
“Well, today isn’t about prizes,” she said. “It’s about celebrating the week we’ve spent together and your growth as couples.”
I eyed the other couples, only Madison and Piper showing any excitement about this. Though Cade had his game face on.
Cade’s grandfather stood from his chair, raising his voice. “I’ll throw in a bottle of the winners’ choice from my wine collection as a prize, plus a trip to anywhere you’d like to go.”
I perked up, attention sharpening.Anywhere?I’d always dreamed of taking Whiskey to a famous cat festival in Belgium.
The other couples leaned forward, too, and Harrison rubbed his hands together. “Okay, now we’re talking. Let’s do this.”
Dr. Lovejoy held up a hand. “Now, hold on a second. It’s not about the prize! Don’t get distracted by material goods.”
Unfortunately for her, the other couples were already lining up at the makeshift starting line. Cade took my hand and pulled me over to an open spot to the left of his brother and Madison.
“Oh, fiddlesticks.” Dr. Lovejoy hustled to move in front of us. “Remember, it’s one big race, so don’t pause or wait for theothers between games. At each station, there’ll be a card with instructions waiting for you. I’ll hand out the first one now.”
She passed a fancy lace-framed card to each couple, and I leaned closer to Cade to eye the pretty red roses on the cardstock.
“The crew will help you get ready,” she continued just as a guy approached me and Cade with three red bandanas. “You must keep your legs fastened together until you finish the three-legged race and arrive at the next station. Take a moment to get situated and read your card, then we’ll go on my signal!”
The crewmember crouched in front of us and yanked my left leg to Cade’s right. The height difference was almost laughable with my hip lining up to his thigh, and I tightened my grip on Cade’s hand to keep my balance. He read the card aloud for both of us.
The Better Together Dash:
To complete this game, each couple must race with two of their legs tied together. Follow the taped arrows on the ground to race around the main deck, navigating obstacles along the way. Search the ball pit for a heart-shaped key needed to unlock the next game. Good luck!
I frowned. This sounded way more athletic than I’d expected.
