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“I know,” he said, the words scraping his throat. “Go ahead. She’s obviously not coming. We’ll forfeit this round.”
Todd wore a sympathetic look and took the microphone from Nash.
“Go get her,” Jesse growled out of the corner of his mouth.
“I don’t see how that will work,” Blake said back. “Have you met Gina? She’s stubborn and fierce when you try to boss her around.” He glared at Jesse. “Just ask Starla.”
“He’s right,” Starla said as Todd started announcing the first wave of players. “She has to come to him.”
“Then text her and apologize and beg,” Jesse said.
“He doesn’t have anything to apologize for,” Starla said, looking at Jesse and then swinging her gaze to Blake. “Don’t do that. It’ll only make her feel even more stupid.Sheknows she needs to come to you.”
“Why won’t she do it then?” Blake asked.
“Like you said,” Starla said as her name and Jesse’s was announced. The crowd cheered and Starla raised her hand in a friendly wave, the strength in her eyes melting into friendliness.
“Come on,” Jesse said. “We’re down here.” He moved away, but Starla looked back at Blake.
“She’s proud, and she’s trying to figure out how to swallow that. It’s a big bite, you know?” Starla nodded, her eyes earnest and sincere, and then she followed Jesse.
His name hadn’t been announced as a forfeit, and Todd returned to his side. “I bought you however long it takes for this first wave of games,” he said. “If she’s not here when it’s your turn to play whoever wins out of the girls and Adam and Lowry.”
“Thanks,” Blake said, the word barely leaving his mouth. He looked back to the lodge, but the only people he saw were guests coming to watch the tournament.
He didn’t care about the leaderboard; he wanted Gina.
She cared about the leaderboard though, and Blake wondered if he could lure her out of the kitchen with the idea that they might be able to take second place.
He shook his head at himself. He didn’t want Gina to come play with him because she might get second place. He wanted her to come, because she wanted to be with him.
He folded his arms and watched Starla and Jesse play Todd and Kyle. He clapped on every good throw, no matter who launched it. He couldn’t pick who he wanted to win the match, because everyone in it had been a great support to him the past few days. Longer than that too.
In the end, Starla and Jesse won, and she whooped as she ran across the distance to Jesse. He lifted her right up off her feet, both of them laughing, and Blake caught the way Jesse’s eyes drifted closed in bliss.
His brother had shown strength and maturity by putting family above Starla. Blake wasn’t sure he agreed with Jesse’s decision, but he could respect it. He sure didn’t want to get between Nash swinging his fists again, that was for sure.
“All right,” Todd said. “We’re going to do some quick calculations, and then we’ll start the next round.”
Holly and Sierra had beaten Adam and Lowry, so now it would be up to Blake and Gina to take their second place from them. Holly and Sierra had won the whole thing, and a large group of people surrounded them.
Blake didn’t look toward the lodge, and instead, moved toward Adam. He didn’t look happy, but when Blake told him he’d have to forfeit and they’d still get second place, that should cheer him up.
“Next round,” Todd bellowed into the mic, making Blake cringe. “We’ve got Adam and Lowry in second place. They would play Blake and Gina, but they’re going to have to forfeit.”
All eyes moved to Blake, and he stood there, resolute. He should’ve slinked back to his office—or better yet, his cabin—so he wouldn’t have to shoulder this humiliation in public.
“Wait,” someone said, and his whole soul perked up. “We’re not forfeiting.”
He couldn’t see Gina, but the crowd parted like Moses himself was coming through the Red Sea, and there she strode. She looked gorgeous, as always, her expression fierce and full of fire.
The closer she got to him, the more nervousness he noted. She went right up to Todd and leaned in to whisper something to him. He held the mic away from them, so Blake couldn’t hear. He wasn’t able to process much past the booming, echoing of his pulse anyway.
Todd grinned and passed the mic to Gina. She gripped it like she was trying to strangle the life out of it. Her eyes came straight to Blake’s, and she took a deep breath as she lifted the mic to her mouth.
His heartbeat sounded like gunshots, and his fingers curled into a fist and released, over and over and over as he waited for her to speak.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
