AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Let’s dig ‘er up, matey,” she said like a pirate. “Argh. I’m a lass who’s ready for me bonny treasure.”
Cash half expected her to dance like a pirate. She grinned instead and pulled the folded shovel out of his backpack, opening it up, shoving it into the loosely-packed earth, and flinging a shovel full of dirt out of the hole. He got sprayed with dirt, and it stuck to his sweaty arms.
She was perfect.
“Let me,” he said softly, touching her arm.
“You’re the best, Cash!” she exclaimed, handing over the shovel.
He only nodded and dug. All he could see was the end of their time together.
“Thank you. I can’t imagine how you hack through the jungle for me with that beastly tough machete without slowing or complaining, and now you’re digging up my treasure. You are the toughest, bravest, kindest, most wonderful man in the entire world.”
Cash smiled to himself as she gushed. The camera was going to love her. Luckily, there would be no follow-up show to reveal that he was dead and she was heartbroken. He wasn’t the best. He was in love with her, and he couldn’t let himself be.
Cash stopped digging. He was in love with her. Glancing back at her, he soaked in her face, especially those blue eyes like twinkling sapphire stones.
“You okay?” she asked, still grinning. “Did you find it?”
“Not yet.” He turned back and dug, shovel full after shovel full. Luckily it had already been turned over, so it wasn’t difficult.
Brylee bounced excitedly next to him for a bit, but as the pile of dirt grew bigger and bigger, she stopped. When he’d excavated the entire diameter and stood in a hole deeper than his knees, she deflated.
“Time for a break,” she declared.
He didn’t want to tell her he should just finish digging out the dirt that had been previously moved and admit there was nothing there. Instead, he climbed out of the hole. She pulled out water bottles from her backpack and gave him one.
“Thank you.” He drained the lukewarm water in three long swallows. He was hot and tired, but at least now he wasn’t thirsty. For the next few minutes.
He wanted to go find a stream. He wanted to lie in that waterfall pool until he didn’t stink and then kiss her as the water splashed down around them. There was something so beautiful about those kisses when the water mingled with her cinnamon taste.
Cash glanced at her. The something beautiful about their kisses was Brylee. It wouldn’t matter if they were kissing in the desert, in a manicured garden, or here surrounded by tropical and wild beauty.
All that mattered was her.
And he couldn’t love her.
Stupid Romeo and Juliet tragedy.
Handing back the empty water bottle with a muttered thanks, he picked up the shovel, stepped down into the hole,and set to the task. He was pretty certain there was nothing buried here. A distraction. A red herring by Mercedes’ crew. Relief poured over him—he wouldn’t have to say goodbye to her. The relief was quickly followed by guilt. He selfishly longed for more time with her, and that wasn’t in her best interest. Every moment they grew closer and their hearts entwined more would hurt her more when they went their separate ways, and worse, when he died.
His shovel hit something. It could be a rock, but … He struck it again. Metal. Definitely the sound of metal on metal.
“Brylee,” he said. “I hit something.”
“You did!” She shrieked and clapped excitedly and then she leaned down to him in the hole he’d dug, grabbed his sweaty T-shirt, and pulled him close. He went willingly, arching up and anticipating the kiss she would give him.
Brylee didn’t disappoint. She pressed her lips against his with enthusiasm. Cash closed his eyes and let her kiss him. It was better than any drink of water or waterfall pool or five million dollars.
He dropped the shovel, wrapped her up, and kissed her back. Greedily, like it was his last kiss with her. Her cinnamon taste and soft lips were out of this world. He would never forget her or the way she tasted. The horrible reality was … this may be their last kiss. They’d retrieve the treasure, call Shawn, and the show and their time together would be over.
Cash pushed those horrific thoughts away and kissed her more deeply. She responded. Oh, how she responded.
Miraculous. That’s what kissing Brylee was. Pure, full of love, inspiring, and a miracle he never even thought to dream about. Her kisses could heal him of the cancer. At this moment, he actually believed that.
Brylee pulled away first, beaming at him. He swallowed hard and tried to smile. She straightened and clapped her hands. “Can I dig it out?”
Oh yeah. The treasure. He wanted to kiss longer and idiotically tell her he loved her and see if she’d grant him the miracle of staying by his side.
