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She smiled as if him holding her hand and complimenting her made her very happy. He should’ve pulled away. He didn’t.
They walked hand in hand up the stream and through the trees. It was almost full-on dark when they reached camp.
“We made it,” Brylee breathed.
Cash stared down at her. He wanted to capture her lips with his. Was that a proper thing to do to celebrate making it through day one? They hadn’t even found another flag. And they bothrealized how thick this island’s flora and fauna was now. Would they be able to find the treasure this week? Making it through the day was actually nothing to celebrate. What other excuse could he have to kiss her? At least he’d have plenty of time to savor being around her. Another selfish thought. He was having a lot of those today.
A beep and “low battery” pulled him back to the present.
Straightening, he muttered, “GoPros.”
“Good thing we can turn them off and recharge them. Didn’t Mercedes say the cameras in camp turn on automatically?”
“She did.”
“All right. Let’s do it.”
He wondered if she meant they should kiss or go to camp or …
“Low battery,” the camera chirped again.
He blew out a breath and led the way to camp. When they arrived they fell into working together like they’d been in the same unit for years. He started the generator, impressed with how quiet it was. They found the lights and turned them on, shed their backpacks, plugged in all the GoPro batteries, and tested the cameras in camp. They were indeed activated by motion.
They sorted through the clothing and found flip-flops for each of them. Taking off their shoes and socks and sliding into the flip-flops was heavenly. Brylee promised she would swim in the waterfall or at least soak her feet in the stream. He agreed. After they ate. They found loads of food in the cooler, veggies all chopped and meat ready to grill on the Camp Chef. Mercedes’ crew had at least given them that blessing.
They cooked, prayed, ate while they chatted about their day and made a plan for tomorrow, and cleaned up. Brylee seemed in good spirits, despite only finding one flag and no treasure.
He looked at his watch; it was only eight o’clock. Close to the equator like this, they’d probably have seven to seven fordaylight. He glanced at the tent and then wished he hadn’t. How in the world was he going to sleep all curled around her in that? Would he offend her if he slept outside the tent?
Folding his arms across his chest, his defense mechanism, he shifted his weight and tried to avoid looking at her. Couldn’t Mercedes’ people have included a pack of cards or a novel or two? He would go insane trying to stop himself from falling for Brylee this week.
No. He wasn’t falling for her; wouldn’t fall for her. He spent too much time around men; it was the shock and novelty of being in close proximity to a fun, smart, and alluring lady, not that Brylee was the most perfect woman in existence and the perfect fit for him like he kept letting himself believe.
Cash brushed those thoughts away and focused on the reasons it seemed so difficult to resist Brylee and why she was consuming his every thought right now. He hadn’t dated since his last leave, fourteen months ago, long before his prognosis and ejection from the military. Even before that, he’d never really gotten serious with any one woman, always focused on protecting his mom, his friends, his country, and himself, putting money away for his mom and his idea for the gyms for wounded vets.
And then two years ago his mom had died, and now he was dying.
It was for the best that he’d never developed a deep relationship with an impressive lady.
Cash snuck a glance at Brylee. She was … mesmerizing to look at, listen to, be around, touch … His mouth went dry, and he had to lick his lips and swallow. He should look away. He didn’t.
Why was never getting serious with a perfect lady a good idea? It seemed like an idiotic one with her smiling at him.
Then she did the thing that he should beg her never to do. She pulled that red tube out of her pocket and ran it over herlips. It made her lips shine and sparkle and look absolutely irresistible.
“So,” she said, all chipper and appealing as ever. Was she going to ask if it was time to kiss until they had to sleep in that too-small tent? The kissing would rejuvenate him better than sleep. Was it Mercedes’ idea of a joke to give them a tent that small? He’d have to make a vow not to cuddle or kiss her in that tent. “Soaking our feet in the creek, or do you fancy a swim, my chipper bloke?”
“In the ocean?” He tilted his head in that direction.
“Is the waterfall pool big enough to swim in? Not sure if I’m brave enough to swim in the ocean at dark. Sharks, you know?”
He chuckled. “I think the waterfall pool will be deep enough to at least wash the sweat off, but it might be chilly.” He’d prefer swimming in the calm Caribbean waters first.
“I don’t mind chilly. I’m sweating like a stuffed pig.”
He laughed. “All right. Let’s go for it. Dipping our feet in the stream isn’t enough of a reward for how hard we worked today.”
“Yay!” She lifted her hands and then she did something that messed up all his thought patterns. She crossed the not-nearly-big-enough distance between them and threw her arms around his neck, molding her body to his.
