More than Distance

37

“What little weasels,” Judy, the black-haired one, said once I’d finished my tale.

Sally nodded sternly. “We’ll keep an eye out for more of their tricks.”

As we ate, I learned that they’d come in second today. The two of them were from Portland, they had six cats, and were both retired. They’d met thirty years ago at a book club and had a wedding the day that gay marriage became legal.

“We didn’t want to wait another second,” Judy said, taking Sally’s wrinkled hand in her own. My heart warmed and I smiled at both of them.

After dinner, Ryan and I walked back to our tent, our shoes kicking up dust. Everything here was so dry. I’d been slathering myself with lotion and lip gloss so my skin didn’t crack and peel off, but it was never enough.

“You can’t trust these people,” Ryan said. “Don’t forget they’re our competition.”

Ah, I knew this lecture would be coming. His dark eyes had been judging me all throughout dinner while he’d stabbed at his food. “It doesn’t hurt anything to be friendly. I really like Judy and Sally.”

“You said that about Brenda too. Look where that got you.”

I huffed. “I can’t go through life assuming everyone is going to screw me over.” I gave him a wry look. “I’m not you.”

“Good thing I’m here then. Someone has to keep you out of trouble.”

I pressed a hand to my heart. “My loyal protector. What would I ever do without you?”

He lifted his eyes to the sky with a long sigh before following me back to our tent. It was barely big enough for two people to lie in and not nearly tall enough for us to stand in. No wonder everyone was hanging out around the bonfire.

I ducked into the tent and flopped onto the sleeping bag. “Are you tired?”

“No.” He crawled beside me, filling the space with his masculine presence. The air in the tent grew thick, laced with our unspoken chemistry. It didn’t matter how much I tried to ignore it, the connection between us was always there.

“We could go back to the bonfire,” I suggested.

“I’d rather not.”

I nodded. I didn’t want to go back either. Something had shifted between us today. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the gas station incident, the mud challenge, or the talk about his dad, but the walls between us had cracked. All they needed was one hard push and they’d come tumbling down.

“What should we do?” I asked, my voice breathless as ideas ran through my head. I pictured our kiss last night, when my hand had dipped in the elastic of his boxer briefs. I imagined the mud challenge earlier, with his hard arousal pressing against my thighs. I remembered those hours in the car, when we’d held hands for so long I’d forgotten where my skin ended and his began.

But he didn’t think about me that way. Or did he? I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Ryan said.

“Now?” I gestured into the night. “It’s pitch black out there.”

“I have a flashlight. Number twenty-one on your packing list, if I remember correctly.”

So he really had paid attention. I smiled faintly. “It was, yes. I have one in my bag too. But what if there are bears out there?”

“I doubt they have many bears in New Mexico.”

“Okay, coyotes then. Wolves. Snakes.” My eyes grew wider with each word. “Raccoons. Owls. Spiders.”

“You’re just listing random animals now.” He got out of the tent, rising to his full height, and offered me his hand. “I’ll keep you safe.”

I grabbed my flashlight and took his hand, letting him pull me to my feet. “They told us not to go far. What if we get caught?”

“We won’t get caught.” He started walking away from the tent, his flashlight bobbing ahead of him. “I bet you haven’t broken a single rule since we were teenagers.”

I rushed after him. “I break rules all the time!”

“Name one.”

“Um.” I wracked my brain. “I came on the show with you, even though we’re not a real couple.”

“That doesn’t count. You didn’t even know about that rule and you would have blabbed the truth to Giselle if I hadn’t jumped in and saved us.”

He was right, of course. I tried to think of something else as we walked through the darkness, but finally threw up my hands. “Fine, you got me. I’m a rule follower and a planner. I’m too nice and too honest. I’m basically the most boring person ever.”

He stopped abruptly and I almost crashed into him. He brushed a curl away from my cheek, his thumb grazing my skin. “Carla. You are anything but boring.”

Before I could respond he turned around and kept walking through the sparse trees. I hurried after him, the feel of his touch still burning up my skin.

We carefully climbed up a hill that overlooked the lake, using our flashlights to make sure we didn’t lose our footing. By the time we reached a clearing at the top my blood was rushing and my legs twitched. I usually ran an hour every morning, but I’d been cooped up in a car for the past two days. I was refreshed and invigorated in a way I hadn’t felt since starting on the show.

We moved to the end of a bluff overlooking the bonfire and the lake. The moon was a perfect crescent overhead and the air was crisp and hummed with the sound of crickets. I took in a deep breath, my lungs clearing out. “A night hike was a good idea.”

Ryan stood at my side, gazing across the dark forest. “Even if it meant breaking the rules?”