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I reach for the door handle, but Mac stops me. “Don’t open that, you’re just going to get soaked. We’re at least fifty miles away. You’ll never make it. I know this is hard, Paige. I know it’s a lot to take in, but I need you to accept that so we can get on with things.”
“With what?”
“With surviving until someone finds us.”
Surviving? That’s not ever something I have to worry about. It just happens, but apparently not today. I escaped death a few minutes ago, only to be told that we may not survive until we’re found. I nod quickly and when I talk, my voice is a high-pitched whisper. “That’s it. I’m afraid I’m going to fall apart now.”
I burst into loud sobs, my entire body shaking. “What if nobody finds us?”
“Someone will find us, Paige. But even if it takes a few days or weeks even, I can keep you safe and fed.”
“Weeks? I can’t be here for weeks! I need to…” My voice is swept away from me by all the obligations that are waiting for me. My sister. My parents. My job. “I need to get out of here.”
“We will. I promise I’ll get you out of here alive so you can go back to your real life.”
I nod and say okay, even though none of this is okay. We’re stranded and nobody knows where we are, and my sister is getting married in a few minutes and I won’t be there. I’ll miss it and there’s no way to get that moment back. I bury my face in my hands and let the tears flow.
A few moments later, I feel a blanket around my shoulders. It’s scratchy on my bare skin but it’s warm and comforting. “Thank you. I’m sorry. I normally don’t ever cry, but I’m afraid you’ve met me on the worst day of my life.”
“Don’t apologize. You’ve been through a hell of a bad time.” He holds up an energy bar to me, his face softening with kindness. “Here, I heard you tell your mom you hadn’t eaten since yesterday.”
“Shouldn’t we save it? If we’re going to be stuck here?”
“You eat. You need your strength now.” He opens the wrapper and places the bar into my hand. “There’ll be plenty of food to find once the storm passes.”
I nod and take a bite, the chocolate melting in my mouth. This might be the best thing I’ve ever tasted, and it has everything to do with how hungry I am. Mac smiles at me then disappears into the back.
I turn and watch as he folds down the back seats until they’re flat single beds. He opens a small chest and takes out some sheets and blankets, then makes the beds.
“Isn’t a little early to go to sleep?” I ask.
“Time doesn’t matter right now. You’ve been through a lot. You should rest.”
My shoulders slump down and I realize that I am way past exhausted. Sleep suddenly sounds so appealing to me, if only to escape this horrible day. “Okay, yeah, maybe I should rest.”
I crawl to the back, too tired to care that I’m in my stupid bridesmaid’s dress. When I lay down, Mac covers me up to my shoulders and stares at me for a second. “Get some rest.”
And that’s exactly what I do.
Chapter 4
Mac
I grab the latest Clive Cussler book from the cockpit and make my way to th
e back. I always have a book on the go since a lot of my time is spent waiting for clients to explore beaches and snorkel. I lay down and read for a few minutes, trying to ignore the trouble we’re in, but it’s no use. This is bad. Very bad. Not only is my helicopter toast, my jeep is parked on the tarmac at the airport, so I’m going to be in some big shit when I get back. If I get back, I suppose... I also am stranded with a very fragile young woman who is literally the last person I want to be stuck with. She’s irritating and emotional and irrational and…and really pretty.
Soon, I hear Paige’s breathing grow heavy and I know she’s asleep. I take the opportunity to watch her for a moment. That’s a face I could get used to waking up to every morning. But, that’s just a crazy thought brought on by the accident. I probably have a concussion because I never let thoughts like that pop into my mind. I’m a permanent bachelor and there is not a woman on the planet who could convince me to give that up.
The sound of the rain soon causes my eyelids to grow heavy. I drift off to sleep, managing to get in that nap that I wanted earlier. When I wake, the storm has passed and the sun is shining again. It’s low in the sky, which means it must be close to dinner time. I sit up and rub my eyes a little. Paige stirs, then turns over and starts snoring. Not a loud sound, just a light snore that’s somehow cute.
Shit. I’m in trouble if I’m thinking her snoring is cute. I get up, trying to be as quiet as I can as I open the door and step out onto the beach. I inspect the damage to the outside of my helicopter and see the landing skids are pretty much shot. I knew as soon as we crashed, but until I saw it for myself, I held out a shred of hope anyway. Son of a bitch. That means that even if I could fix the controls, I’d never be able to land.
I get my flare gun, my fishing gear, and my picnic pack out of the cargo hold, and set myself up on a big rock next to the sea. I cast out wide and keep my eyes out for a plane or boat, but see nothing. It takes me almost to sundown to catch a fish. By the time I build a fire and get it cooking, I hear a sound from inside the helicopter. “Mac?!”
I jump up and jog over, opening the door. “I’m here.”
She looks down at me and her shoulders drop. “I thought maybe you left me.”
