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She glanced around at the other ladies. All except the young woman were already writing things down. She wondered what they were writing. Obviously, their relationships were in much better condition than her own.
Then her gaze settled on the twenty-something.What was her name?It took her a second, and then it came to her—Luna. Luna had her head down as she stared at the paper. The pen was in her hand, but it didn’t move.
Angela stared back at her own blank sheet of paper. What was she to write? The problem wasn’t trying to find an attribute for Carter—it was narrowing it down to just five.
CHAPTER FOUR
Hefeltalone.
Even though he was surrounded by other people, none of them were Angela.
Carter hadn’t seen her since they’d checked in. But, to be fair, they’d kept him busy until it was late. When he’d inquired about Angela, he’d been told he would have to wait to see her until today. He was assured the separation was just part of the experience.
He didn’t like it. He was worried that if Angela had too much time alone, she might convince herself they really were better off apart. And that wasn’t what he wanted. He’d said all of the wrong things at the wedding planner’s office. Now Angela’s eyes were filled with doubts.
When he’d tried to message her, he’d found there was no cell service. He thought of inquiring about it, but he had a feeling that it, too, was a part of the experience. His thoughts turned to the office. When he’d taken the long weekend off with his accumulated vacation days, he’d told them he would be available by phone if they needed him. It appeared that wasn’t the case. He blew out a frustrated sigh.
He tossed his useless cell phone in his suitcase. He knew that when he returned to civilization, there would be a million messages and emails awaiting him, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now.
He rushed through his morning routine. When he was ready to go have breakfast with Angela, he found a note had been slipped under his door. It told him to dress in comfortable clothes and be ready for an adventure. It also directed him to the dining room.
He glanced down at his dress shorts and polo shirt. That was about as casual as he got. He shrugged. It would have to do. He strode out the door, anxious to see Angela. His steps were quick. He hoped a good night’s sleep would have her in a more forgiving mood.
Except, when he reached the dining room, she wasn’t there. In fact, the only people present were the same men he’d been grouped with yesterday. Where were the women?
He took a seat, and breakfast was served. His tray held pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, and juice. If none of that was pleasing, they had a selection of cereal in the center of the table with a pitcher of milk.
Part way through his meal, his curiosity couldn’t take it any longer. He leaned over to the oldest man in the group. His name was Joe. “Where are the women?”
Joe shrugged. “I have no idea.” Just then, the B&B employee entered the room. “Looks like we’re about to find out.”
“Good morning.” Bill, the B&B employee, smiled. Everyone responded with a greeting. “I hope you all had a filling breakfast because today we’re going to head out to the nearby river for an excursion, where we’ll meet up with your significant others.”
So Carter would be seeing Angela that day. He quickly ate the rest of his meal. He had no idea what was in store for them that day, but if he got to spend some time with Angela, he’d do most anything.
After breakfast, they were shuttled to a little beach along a lazy river. The sun was shining brightly, and there was a gentle breeze. The temperature wasn’t too hot or too cool. In his book, it was perfect.
Just then, another van pulled in, and the ladies exited it. Woman after woman exited the van, but there was no sign of Angela. A moment later, she appeared. The air rushed from his lungs. It wasn’t until then that he realized he’d been holding his breath.
Her presence meant she still had hope for them. That she wasn’t ready to give up on them because the wedding wouldn’t be exactly what she’d planned or because of his clumsy words.
As the women approached the group of men, Carter was anxious to speak with Angela, but he noticed how she lingered in the back of the group—away from him. That wouldn’t dissuade him. Just as he was about to make his way over to her, their group was called to attention. The adventure was about to begin.
Bill was joined by his female counterpart, Candace. They stood closest to the water, where there were eight red canoes lined up.
“Today will be your first couple’s challenge. As you have surmised, you will be in canoes today. Let’s have a show of hands of those of you who have been canoeing before.”
Carter certainly hadn’t been. His family didn’t believe in outdoor activities unless it was on a tennis court or the golf course. And he’d never heard Angela mention anything about it.
He glanced around to see if her hand went up. It didn’t. Neither did anyone else’s. It certainly leveled things out.
“We’ll be going down the river. To reach the end, you’ll have to work together. There are two paddles. One for each person. There are also shallow spots in the river. If you get hung up on one of those spots, it’ll take both of you to work your canoe loose. There are turns with the direction of the river, but you’ll also have to navigate around some large rocks. These turns will take coordination on your parts.”
There was a murmur that went through the small crowd. Everyone was a bit hesitant about taking on an activity that they’d never done before—everyone but Carter. He liked challenges. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have gone into a career in law.
Candace spoke up. “Bill failed to mention is that this is going to be a race. The couple who makes it to the finish line first gets to have a special dinner with their significant other. The rest of us will split into our groups for dinner.”
Now Carter was even more invested in winning this event. He wanted some alone time with Angela.
