by Cora Seton
“Evan won’t—”
“Evan will throw in the property taxes. He does whatever I tell him.” Felicity held her gaze. “You know it’s true. Come on. Take this chance, Addy. Do it.”
Evan did do everything Felicity asked him, but this was crazy. “What do you mean say yes to everything?”
“I mean say yes to everything.” Felicity smiled her trademark devilish smile, the one she’d had since grade school.
Addison thought fast. That was far too open-ended. She was liable to get hurt. “There would have to be some ground rules. What if someone asks me to kill someone. Or smuggle drugs?”
“You don’t have to kill anyone. Or smuggle drugs. Or drive drunk. Or have unprotected sex—or sex with anyone you don’t want to, for that matter.”
“But—”
“Addison, are you going to say yes to this chance to live here, at the top of the world, in Manhattan? Your favorite place in the universe? Or are you going to say no, crawl back to your safe little hole and hate yourself forever?”
Damn it, her sister knew all her buttons. She’d learned from the best. Addison took a deep breath and hoped like hell she wouldn’t regret this.
“Yes.”
Kai pulled containers of vegetables he’d presliced last night out of the refrigerator and put them on the counter. He’d halved the amount of greens he’d normally add to the omelet, conscious of how far he needed to make them go. He’d added a few extra eggs to make up for it. They had eggs in spades, thanks to their flock of chickens. The sun was far too low on this late fall morning to cook with the solar ovens he liked to use, so the key to making this meal as sustainable as possible was to keep the cooking time to a minimum. That meant veggies sliced razor thin, a single burner heated until the butter he bought locally sizzled when dropped in and then a quick sauté of the vegetables, followed by the pour of the eggs collected minutes ago from the community’s free-range chickens. Swirl the pan around. Let the eggs set. Add some shredded homemade cheese, fold them over and voilà, a huge omelet to be shared among several of the inhabitants of Base Camp.
He looked at the potatoes already frying in a second pan. Nothing to do but serve them now.
The loss of the root cellar hit him all over again.
There was nothing he could do about it right now, though, so to distract himself, Kai focused on his long-term goal. He kept cooking, and even though the cameras weren’t around, he acted as if every motion he made was being scrutinized by people all over the country.
Kai had a plan—and it didn’t involve obscurity. He was a SEAL who liked to make meals. There was a cooking show title in there somewhere, and he was going to find it—and find a producer interested in making him a star. Not because he was high on himself. Because he was high on teaching people about what he was doing—sustainable cooking. Sustainable food preparation. Sustainable feasts. And learning how to balance food, gardening and cash flow to make sure your family never went hungry, no matter what your circumstances.
He had already made some moves in the direction of securing his own show, but first he had to make sure Base Camp survived. He’d given his word to Boone and the others to see this through, and he meant to keep it—despite disasters like stolen food.
When the meal was ready, Kai brought it to a folding table in the main room, where he laid it out buffet-style. He ducked back into the kitchen and brought out homemade salsa as an accompaniment, and soon he was dishing out food to a line of hungry men and women. There were fifteen of them now that Win had taken off for California; ten men and five women. Four couples had already married, which meant six more to go before they met the conditions set by Fulsom.
Now it was his turn.
The loss of their food stores had knocked that little detail out of his mind for the last half hour, but as everyone left the bunkhouse to sit around the campfire to eat, Kai couldn’t help thinking about it.
What would it be like to marry a woman and commit to making their relationship last forever? Could he handle that?
Kai wasn’t sure.
He returned to the kitchen, made some notations about the meal in the thick notebook he kept full of recipes and ideas, loaded up his own plate and headed outside, hoping to forget his troubles for a few minutes, but as soon as he sat down on one of the logs around the fire, Nora, a serious woman with dark brown hair and eyes, leaned forward and said, “I heard Boone’s finding you a wife.”
Instantly, one of the camera men filming the proceedings edged closer, and Kai wondered if Nora had been prompted to ask him that. Sometimes Renata liked to push the show in a certain direction, especially when it came to the next man who had to marry.
He took in the smile quirking Nora’s lips and bit back a groan. If Nora thought the situation was funny, he was doomed. “That’s right.”
“You shouldn’t sound like a man who’s on his way to his own funeral,” Harris Wentworth said. A sniper, he’d recently married Samantha, who’d originally come to marry Curtis but had fallen for Harris instead. “Boone’s good at finding women.”
“He’d better be. He’s got my future in his hands,” Kai said sourly.
“I know what I’m doing,” Boone said complacently from where he sat on a log next to his wife, Riley.
“He does,” Riley agreed. “Although I’m probably biased.”
“Have you put up Kai’s ad yet, Boone?” Avery asked. A petite redhead, Avery had made it clear she meant to pursue a film career. She liked to act, but she also took turns behind the camera when she could and was busy writing a screenplay.
“Thinking of answering it?” Clay teased. Another Navy SEAL, Clay had married Nora after killing her stalker. He and Nora stuck close together most of the time. Kai wondered if he’d ever have a relationship like that.
“No,” Avery said shortly. “No offense, Kai.”
“None taken.” Kai was ready to go back inside. He knew what Avery meant—she had an unmistakable crush on Walker Norton, the large Native American man eating his breakfast several feet away. He knew, too, that Walker had heard every word she’d said, even if he hadn’t reacted. And that the SEAL would be pissed if Avery did answer the ad. Those two needed to stop mooning over each other and get together, for everyone’s sake.
“What kind of woman are you after?” Angus asked. “Let me guess; a gymnast.” Kai wondered how he could joke after their conversation in the kitchen, then decided the man wanted Renata focused on Kai’s impending marriage, like he’d said before.
“I bet he asked for a prep cook,” Nora said.
“Or a sous chef, maybe,” Riley hazarded.
“He asked for someone sensible,” Boone told them.
Hoots of laughter came from all around.
“Sensible?” Curtis Lloyd said. A big, burly man, he was still single, too, after Harris had stolen his bride, but he didn’t seem as bitter about it as he once had been. “Man, someone needs to have a talk with you, Kai.”
“I might have doctored up his ad a little bit,” Boone admitted. “Made it a little more interesting.”
“Good,” Angus pronounced, then fell silent when everyone turned to look at him. “Uh… I mean… interesting how?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
Kai didn’t like the sound of that.
When his phone buzzed in his pocket, he got up and returned to the bunkhouse gratefully. It was Grace, his biological sister, who lived in Long Beach near their adopted family and worked for Child Protective Services.
“Hey,” he said when he accepted the call.
“Hey, yourself. It’s your turn, huh? Going to get hitched?”
He’d texted her about drawing the short straw. “Going to try.”
“Kai—do you think this is a good idea?”
He knew why she was asking. His track record with women wasn’t great, and they’d long ago promised themselves that when they got serious about a partner, they’d make sure they were with the right person before marry
ing. Their biological mother had made no commitments at all to anyone. Neither of them wanted to inflict that kind of mayhem on the world.
“I have to try. It was part of the deal to join Base Camp.”
“I thought you’d find someone before your turn came up.”
“This is a pretty small place, and I’ve been pretty busy. I haven’t had that many chances to meet a woman.”
“So now what? Boone finds you one? Like he did for Harris?”
It was a little strange to know his family watched Base Camp so closely. Kai tried not to think about it most of the time. “Yeah,” he said shortly. There wasn’t any point in pretending otherwise.
“Maybe he’ll be better at it than you are,” she mused.
Kai laughed. “He couldn’t be worse, I guess.”
“Take care of yourself, though. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I know.” Neither of them needed any more pain in their lives. “What about you? How are things with Tom?” Her sister had been dating a police officer for nearly six months. Something of a record for her, too. She got so wrapped up in her work, her boyfriends often felt neglected, but Tom seemed something of a workaholic, too.
“Good. Really good.” She hesitated. “Kai—we got engaged yesterday.”
“Wow.” He hadn’t expected that, and his stomach did a kind of flip. He was as protective of Grace’s happiness as she was of his. “Congratulations.” He began to stack up dishes and utensils near the sink to prepare for the washing up when the meal was done.
“Thanks. We’ll have a nice long engagement,” she added. “We’re thinking about next June for the wedding.”
“That’s really great.” Kai tried to take it in. His little sister—married. “I mean it, Grace. I’m happy for you.”
“Find someone good. I want you to have your person, too.”
“Is that what Tom is? Your person?” He turned on the faucet and ran a sinkful of soapy water.
“Yeah, I think so.”
Grace sounded happy, and something shifted in Kai’s chest. It was like he’d been holding his breath for a long time and the air had whooshed out of his lungs, creating space to take a new breath. Grace could be all right.
Maybe he could, too.
“I’ve got to go,” she said. “But keep me updated. I want to know what happens.”
“You can always watch the episode next week.”
“Jerk.”
Kai laughed. “I’ll keep you updated.”
“Good.” Grace cut the call, and Kai looked at the dishes waiting to be washed, happy to have a minute alone. Maybe things were changing in his life. If Grace could find a husband, why couldn’t he find a wife?
Kai supposed he’d have to wait and see if anyone answered Boone’s ad.
“Are you serious? Ombre hair dye? Is that still a thing?” Addison asked as they sat in the waiting area of a very expensive salon.
“Yes, it’s still a thing,” Felicity said. “And you would look fabulous with it. Silver-white from the roots down, fading out to your natural color. With your eyes, you’ll look otherworldly.”
The stylist, who was sweeping up from her last customer, nodded her agreement.
“I don’t want to look otherworldly. I work for an insurance company.”
“Do you want my penthouse or not?”
“Yes.” Addison bit back a groan. All morning, Felicity had been torturing her. Making her try hot yoga, a chia smoothie that nearly made her vomit, a manicure with sparkly nails.
Now she was going to butcher her hair.
It was worth it for a shot at Felicity’s penthouse, though. She’d have to change jobs anyway if she moved here, and she’d re-dye her hair and ditch the nails as soon as she was out of Felicity’s sight. She figured Felicity wouldn’t be able to do much from Rome.
Addison squirmed through the hair appointment, doing her best to keep up with Felicity and the stylist’s chatter, dreading the outcome. Usually she regarded her trips to the salon as a welcome reprieve from her busy life. When she could, she went with Felicity, who made everything fun and sometimes sprung for expensive treatments Addison wouldn’t buy otherwise. Addison felt guilty about accepting them, but the difference in their bank accounts meant sometimes she had to accept charity or never get to do anything Felicity liked to do. Besides, when she managed to escape their mother’s hovering, Felicity liked to hover herself. Addison let her, understanding the impulse.
“Take a look,” the stylist finally said after what seemed like hours of fuss and bother.
Addison cringed, hoping it wasn’t too awful. But when the stylist turned her around in the chair and showed her the result, she was pleasantly surprised. Felicity was right—she looked… different.
Like the kind of woman things happen to.
Addison bent nearer the mirror to get a better look. It was like she’d taken on a whole new identity in the last few hours, and the idea appealed to her in a way she wouldn’t have guessed. She’d thought she’d come to grips with her role in her family and in the world.
Maybe she hadn’t.
Catching Felicity’s gaze in the mirror, Addison repressed a twist of sadness. She was going to miss her sister so much.
She closed her eyes at the thought of it.
“Addison?”
Focus on the present, Addison instructed herself. It wouldn’t do to get teary now. Her sister needed space to find her way. She was grateful to Evan for realizing that and encouraging her to move to Europe.
If only it wasn’t so far away.
But that was the whole point, wasn’t it?
“It’s great,” she said, waving off Felicity’s concern. She couldn’t let her sister know how much this was affecting her.
After all, she’d get to enjoy her new penthouse. If she could change where she lived, maybe she could change who she was, too. She’d be starting over. New town, new home, new job.
She didn’t have to be boring old Addison anymore.
“Let’s see: hair, nails, breakfast. What’s next?” Felicity considered her. “Clothes.”
“Felicity—” Dollar signs racked up in her mind. Felicity had already spent a small fortune on her, and despite how exciting it felt to think about changing herself when she moved, she knew that wasn’t really possible. She’d still be Addison. Still be an actuary.
Still be boring.
“Was that a no?”
“No. I mean—yes, clothes. But I can’t afford them.”
“I can.”
“You’ve spent too much—”
“Yes or no?”
Evan was going to have a heart attack when he saw this month’s bills, but with what the two of them earned, maybe it wasn’t any big deal. Besides, she knew that look in Felicity’s eyes. She wasn’t going to give up until she got her way.
“Yes.”
By the end of the day, Addison was exhausted. Felicity hadn’t bought her a couple of new items; she’d insisted on purchasing Addison a whole new wardrobe and made her promise to wear her new clothes for the rest of the month. In fact, she’d forced Addison to keep on one of the outfits for the rest of the day. She kept dragging her around to shops owned by friends, showing Addison off in a way she’d never done before. The friends seemed to find her intriguing, a heady experience for someone who usually got ignored at the parties she sometimes attended with her sister.
Maybe this month was exactly what she needed. A chance to try something new. To break out of the mold. Have a few adventures.
If it didn’t take, she’d go back to her usual way of being.
She still needed to make sensible choices or spend the rest of her life broke.
“Live a little,” Felicity kept telling her. “Have you been paying attention to all the people I’ve introduced you to today? They’re not waiting to pursue their dreams.”
Maybe not; but they weren’t necessarily getting ahead, either. Most of the little boutiques they’d been to probably had razor-
thin profit margins, Addison thought. Most of them would be gone in a few years. Where would that leave their owners?
Back at the penthouse, take-out containers in hand from a darling little Eritrean restaurant Felicity insisted she try, Addison collapsed into one of her sister’s beautiful leather chairs and flipped on the television.
Base Camp. One of her favorite reality television shows. She could happily watch that for the next hour. A bunch of crazy Navy SEALs and women running around in Jane Austen gowns. What wasn’t to like?
Felicity came in with two plates and passed one to Addison. “I was thinking. After dinner we could go—”
“Oh my god, give me a break,” Addison cried. “I’ve said yes a million times. I need to r—”
“Shh!” Felicity hissed, her gaze arrested by the television screen, where the show had blinked off and an ad popped up. It showed the face of one of Base Camp’s stars—a handsome Navy SEAL with bleach-blond hair and a square jaw.
“It’s Kai—the cute surfer!” Felicity watched the show as assiduously as Addison did.
Bold block letters across the photograph on the screen read, “Wife Wanted.”
Felicity smiled. “Well, would you look at that.”
Addison’s heart flipped. She’d marry Kai in a second. He was so handsome. As buff as a bodybuilder, broad-shouldered and blond. And he was a man who cared so deeply about what he did; he cooked like an artist creating art—like the masters at the Cordon Bleu, which she’d briefly attended before settling down to real life. She always found herself watching him whenever he was on-screen, even when someone else was the focus of the scene. She’d never met a man like that. Or, rather, if she had, he hadn’t even noticed her. Men like Kai went for women like Felicity.
Felicity grabbed a pen and paper from a nearby table and began to scribble down the URL splashed on the screen.
“What are you doing?” Addison asked.
“Sending you on an adventure.”
Addison stared at her, horror dawning. Felicity was going to make her apply—so she could be humiliated and rejected. Kai was her fantasy man. Base Camp was her favorite escape from her mundane life. And Felicity was going to ruin it. “No,” she sharply. “No, no, no, no, no.”