The Engagement Game Read online

  “In the movie, Tom Hanks is marooned on this island for four years, until eventually, he manages to build a raft and sail away.” Timmy gave them a kindly smile and Jake groaned inwardly. If past experience was anything to go by, this was the part where he’d spout something lame about marriage. Probably something about how in a successful marriage, no man was an island.

  “Movies are all about adventure,” said Timmy. “And marriage is the biggest adventure two people will embark on. Whether you sink or swim will depend on how well you work together. And today you’ll get to practice those skills by working together to build a raft, just like Tom Hanks did in Cast Away.”

  Jake glanced at the four piles of wood behind them on the beach. He’d been hoping they’d be challenged to build another shelter, because he’d had some ideas for improvements to the one he’d built on Lantana Island. But a raft was good too. A different kind of challenge. It was just a shame he had no prior experience with boats.

  “We’ve assembled the wood you’ll need.” Timmy nodded toward one of the piles. “In the movie, Tom Hanks made his own rope. But he had four years, and you have four hours. So we’ve provided you with a coil of rope and a knife to cut it. We’ve also given you oars, which in the movie came from the inflatable life raft that got Tom Hanks onto this island in the first place. And although Tom used plastic for his sail, we’ve given you canvas.” He poked the square of white, folded fabric with his toe.

  Carin moved closer to Jake to murmur in his ear. “Where’s Wilson?”

  Jake’s lips quirked. In the movie, Wilson had been a volleyball that Tom Hanks had painted a face onto and made into an imaginary friend. “Wilson’s been out of work for a while,” he murmured back. “But I heard he scored a part in the remake of Hoop Dreams.”

  Timmy aimed one of his botox-frowns at Carin when she snickered. “The winner will be the first team to land on that island.” He pointed out to sea, and Jake blinked. The island he’d indicated looked a long distance away. Getting there would probably take just fifteen minutes in a speedboat, but on a raft when the wind was light? It could take them all day. And how were they supposed to steer the raft?

  “Any questions?” asked Timmy.

  “Do we get life jackets?” asked Carin. “What if we capsize?”

  “Life jackets are over there, and the safety boats will stay alongside you.”

  Jake shot her a sideways look. Of course there’d be boats with them, because they’d be filming the race. But Carin looked pale. Was it her fear of sharks that was bothering her? As rare as shark attacks were near Sydney, when they went to the beach she always refused to swim out past the breakers.

  Timmy raised both hands. “Are you ready? On your marks. Get set. Go!”

  He swept his hands down, and the other couples immediately raced to their wood piles. Jake didn’t bother to run. Even with the time pressure, they’d do better to think the challenge through first.

  Carin put her hands on her hips, watching him but saying nothing.

  Jake held up a finger to check where the wind was coming from. If they launched their raft from the far end of the beach, they’d get a better angle toward the island. The wind would be behind them.

  “I know that look,” said Carin. “What plan are you hatching?”

  “Let’s move the wood up there.” He pointed.

  “What the—?” She stopped. “Okay, I know you have a reason for wanting to drag a ton of heavy wood in the wrong direction. But before I bust my butt, do you want to let me in on it?”

  “Better angle for the wind. Plus, the water’s deeper there, so it’ll be easier to launch the raft.” He shaded his eyes so he could see better. “See that sandbar? Getting a heavy raft across it is going to be tricky, but down there it’s not so bad.”

  “Good enough for me.” She grabbed some of the bamboo poles and started pulling them where he’d pointed.

  Jake watched her go, unable to stop a smile. If he’d been on the beach with Hendrix, the decision would have turned into an hour-long debate. But whether Carin was serving sandwiches to ungrateful customers, or cheering up sick kids, she made the best of things and got on with the job at hand. Even when that job was dragging a pile of heavy wood a long way down a soft, sandy beach, her feet sinking in with every step. It would be a good workout, for sure. And while they did it, the other teams would get a decent head start.

  Carin glanced back over her shoulder. “You planning to watch me do all the work?”

  “On my way.” He picked up a fat log and grunted as he hoisted it. Yup, a great workout. He could feel his muscles complaining already.

  Carrying all their wood to the right place took seven round trips. By that time, the other teams had their rafts half built. Carin dropped the last log with a groan and sat heavily onto the sand. “I may never get up again.” She tossed her hair back from her face as a cameraman zoomed in on her.

  “The two big logs will be the floats.” Jake made some mental calculations. We’ll lash the other pieces across them, saving two pieces for the sail.” She helped him set the logs the right distance apart, then he picked up the coil of rope. “I’ll measure how much we’ll need to hold up the mast, then we can cut off the lengths we need to tie on the logs.”

  A wave came rushing in further than the others, sloshing over their wood. Carin scrambled to her feet just in time to stay dry. “Shouldn’t we move back so we don’t get swept out to sea?” She peered up the beach. “The others are building high on the sand.” Then she raised her eyebrows, making an ‘o’ with her mouth. “They’re going to have to drag their finished rafts down to the water, right? Bet those suckers will be heavy.”

  “And with the tide going out, it’s only going to get harder for them.”

  Grinning, she bumped her shoulder against his arm, then held up one hand for a high five. “Not just a pretty face, Jakey-boy.”

  “Let’s not celebrate too soon.” She was close enough that he could smell coconut suntan lotion wafting from her sun-warmed skin. He stepped back to put some distance between them, cursing his body for reacting. Getting turned on by the scent of coconuts was just plain stupid. “Would you lay out the sail on the sand so we can see how big it is?” He pointed a little further away than necessary. “Up there, so it stays dry.”

  A frown creased her brow and she stepped closer to him, closing the gap he’d just created. She put her hands on his arms and her face tilted up to his. He was suddenly, painfully reminded of their kiss beside the campfire.

  “I have a question.” She rose on tiptoe and brought her lips so close to his ear that her breath tickled. “I thought we were going to lose?” she murmured quietly enough for the microphones they wore not to pick up the sound.

  He swallowed, fighting a rush of desire so intense that it was all he could do not to put his arms around her. “This challenge is kind of fun,” he murmured back. “We can lose the next one instead.”

  “Feeling competitive?”

  Her hair was blowing across both their faces, tickling his nose. He pushed it away, trying to defy the wind by tucking it behind her ear. He couldn’t care less if they lost stupid challenges like answering questions about each other. But of all the things he’d built, a raft was something new. He wanted to know whether they could reach that distant shore, and if the angle he’d chosen would give them the advantage. As much as he wanted to explain that to her, he was feeling too damn frustrated to manage more than a grunt.

  “I need you to promise something,” she said, drawing back a little to look into his eyes. “Make sure the raft is safe, okay? You know how I feel about sharks. I’m terrified, but I’m trusting you to keep me safe.”

  “I will,” he promised.

  “Thanks.” She kissed him on the cheek, taking him by surprise.

  He stepped back, cursing the fire that coursed through his veins. Her smile was put on for the cameras, and he was pretty sure that kiss had been for their benefit too. But cameras or not, he would
still have given his left testicle to kiss her back. Only not on the cheek.

  Carin scanned the water before bending to pick up the sail. She was worried about sharks, but she had no idea the most dangerous predator was the one standing beside her.

  Well, she didn’t need to worry. Keeping her safe from him was exactly what he intended to do.

  16

  “Heave!” shouted Jake.

  Standing in the shallows, Carin pushed the raft with all her strength. Together they dragged it over the sandbank until it finally came loose and bobbed into deeper water.

  “We did it.” She was only triumphant for a moment, then her dread returned. She was about to go to sea on a pile of logs that could break apart at any minute.

  Though the others had taken forever to get their heavy rafts into the water, she and Jake were still well behind them. More importantly, Carin hadn’t found many opportunities to step into her fallen angel role. Sally hadn’t even noticed the glares Carin kept throwing in her direction. At least the cameras had captured them.

  “Get on,” yelled Jake, clambering onto the raft. Carin scrambled onto the logs after him, feeling clumsy with her bulky life jacket strapped on. She grabbed on for dear life as the structure tipped under her weight. It rode so low in the water that even the smallest waves splashed over it. Not good. She’d been scared enough when she’d assumed their raft would be a platform high above the surface. Now her stomach cramped into a tight ball. No way was she was going to ride this thing over deep, shark-infested water.

  “Hang on,” said Jake. “When the wind catches the sail, it might buck a little.”

  “What?” The word turned into a shriek and her knuckles whitened as the sail filled and their raft tugged forward. More water sloshed over the logs, salt spray spattering her face. The rope holding the structure together didn’t look very strong. What if it broke?

  “You okay?” asked Jake.

  “I want to get off.” She craned her neck around, not letting her death-grip on the logs slip. The beach was rapidly getting further away. One of their support boats was a lot closer. Maybe she could leap into it?

  “It’s okay.” Jake gripped her shoulder. “I know it doesn’t seem that way, but we’re safe. The raft won’t come apart.”

  “You promise?”

  “Here, sit up. It’ll be more comfortable.”

  “No way.”

  “Come on.” He prised one of her hands off the log. “I’ve got you. I won’t let anything happen to you. You know that.”

  She dragged in a breath. Okay, maybe he had a point. Careful not to make any sudden movements, she eased up to a sitting position. Though she still didn’t trust the rickety raft, she had to admit it was a lot more comfortable with her face out of the waves.

  “Is now a good time to ask if you know how to sail?” she asked Jake.

  “The wind’s behind us, so we shouldn’t need to do much. We’ve got a good angle.” He nodded toward the other teams, who were having to paddle on one side to steer their rafts toward the island. “See how they have to drag their rafts sideways through the water? It’s making them slow.”

  “Think we’ll beat them?”

  He grinned. “We’re about to sail right past them.”

  Carin was still too scared to manage a real grin in return, but she faked one for the camera, making it as evil-looking as she could manage. “Excellent,” she said, rolling the word in her mouth like a Bond villain.

  She scanned the sea to make sure no fins were cutting through the water. When she didn’t see any, she relaxed a little. This wasn’t so bad. If she were on a proper yacht with padded seats and Piña Coladas, she might even enjoy it.

  Sailing past Sally and Sam’s raft, she was pretty sure that any fallen angel worth her salt would smirk smugly at them. Maybe even wave. No, wait. She should make a rude gesture. Pity she couldn’t perform her victory dance…

  “Shit,” muttered Jake.

  Her stomach lurched. “What’s wrong?”

  Then she saw the raft they were gaining on. Benchpress and Treadmill were right in their path. They were on a collision course.

  “Jake?” Her voice came out as a squeak.

  He was snatching up an oar. “I thought we were going to make it past them, but we’ll have to take evasive maneuvers.”

  She grabbed the other oar. “What should I do?”

  “Paddle that side. We’ll cut around them.” He cursed. “What the hell are they doing? Damn fools are still steering into our way.”

  Carin dipped her oar in the water, but it got pushed behind her by the rushing water. The Bodybuilders had seen them so why weren’t they moving aside? Instead, they were paddling to intercept.

  She gasped when she saw Benchpress tug something out of his belt. Metal gleamed, reflecting the sun, and her skin went cold.

  “Jake?” she croaked. “Why does he have a knife?”

  “Shit.” The word forced its way through Jake’s gritted teeth. He was doing far better than her with the rowing, but it wasn’t going to be enough. They were about to hit.

  Benchpress knelt on the back of his raft, the knife in his hand. What the hell?

  When Carin’s sister Rosa had first met Dalton, she’d thought he looked like a pirate. Now Carin could go her one better. She and Jake were being attacked by the dastardly Capt’n Benchpress, who was clearly planning to either board their raft or sink it. Was this in the rules?

  Jake faced the other raft, extending his oar like a jousting pole. Was he planning to knock Benchpress and Treadmill into the water? No, he was trying to fend off their raft, to stop them colliding so hard. She should really help him. Instead she worked her hands under the ropes, made sure her grip was secure, and braced for impact.

  The two rafts crunched together with a terrible sound of logs splintering. The end of their raft lifted, sliding on top of the Bodybuilder’s raft. Carin screamed. They’d be dumped in the ocean for sure.

  Benchpress’s knife flashed as he sawed through the ropes that lashed their logs together. Jake lunged for him. Too late. The ropes parted, and Carin felt the logs beneath her loosen. The two largest logs were yawning apart at the front.

  “You want to play dirty?” Jake yelled. To Carin’s surprise, he didn’t sound nearly as terrified or furious as she was. In fact, he sounded like he was having the time of his life. He dived off their raft, making her shriek again as the poles bucked.

  Carin’s heart pounded painfully as she scanned the water, searching for Jake. Wasn’t he scared of sharks? And what if he got hit by one of the logs? If he got knocked out, he could drown.

  There he was, in the water by the other raft. He pulled himself up on the side of it, reaching for their mast. Before Treadmill or Benchpress could react, Jake hauled the whole thing sideways, tipping their raft over.

  Carin didn’t have time to celebrate the destruction of the enemy pirate ship. The logs underneath her were coming apart. She tried desperately to hold them together, but it was no use. As they parted, she slipped into the water.

  Heart pounding, Carin let out a scream. All she could think about were her legs dangling below her, like the underwater scenes in Jaws. Sharks could be beneath her. They could be rising right now to sink their teeth into her flesh. The worst part was not being able to see them coming. She might not even be able to feel the pain of having her legs torn off. At least, not right away. There’d be a sharp tug as she was jerked under the water. The agony probably wouldn’t sear through her for several seconds after she’d lost her limbs.

  Tucking her legs and arms close to her body, Carin made herself into as small a ball as she could. Her life jacket held her head just above the water. Panting hard, she was too scared to keep screaming. Where was the support boats? Why weren’t they saving her? Could the bastards still be filming? What was wrong with them?

  If she had enough air in her lungs, she’d be loudly cursing them and their mothers right now. She’d be wishing painful, pus-filled boils to e
rupt all over their cowardly skins, and for their pathetic testicles to shrivel—

  “I’ve got you.” Jake’s voice was in her ear, his arms around her. His strong, capable body was against hers.

  Thank God. She clutched him with all her strength. “Jake,” she managed. “Sharks. I can’t—”

  “I know, sweetheart. You’re safe now. Come on, up here. Climb onto the log. You can do it.” Gently he eased off her grip and lifted her up to straddle one of the large coconut palms. Enough bamboo logs were still tied to it that it felt stable and couldn’t roll.

  Carin lay on her front with all her limbs pulled up out of the water. Safe from sharks. Dropping her face onto the wood, she struggled to control her panicked breaths. She’d be okay now. The sharks couldn’t get her.

  Still in the water, Jake reached up to grab one of her hands. “The crew will get their shots, then pick us up in the speedboat. We won’t be here long.” He squeezed her hand. “You okay, Skeeter?” When she nodded, he flashed her a smile. “Something I still have to do. Be back in a minute.” Before she could protest, he pulled free and swam away. Then she heard yelling. The weightlifter’s raft came completely apart.

  Carin lifted her head to watch Benchpress and Treadmill splashing around. The sight made her feel a little better. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer pair.

  Now the support boats were coming in closer. And still, nobody asked if she wanted to be rescued. All they cared about was getting their shots. She turned her face so the side with the deepest scars was away from the nearest camera. Though her concealer was waterproof, the sunlight was bright and unforgiving.

  Then Jake was back by her side. “Sweet revenge,” he said in a satisfied tone.

  “You should get out of the water. It’s not safe in there.” She was grateful her voice didn’t shake too much.

  “No room on your log. Besides, I’m fine.”

  “What about the sharks?”

  “They wouldn’t dare.” He reached up to touch her hand. “As long as you’re okay. Feeling better?”