“Why don’t you lie back for a little mouth to mouth?” Kat cackled.
Megan blushed as she noticed the rest of the contestants gathered around them in a semi-circle. Cane took her glasses and wiped them dry on a towel. “Here.” He placed them on her face.
“Thanks.” Megan wanted to put her hand on his arm and tell him how much she appreciated his help. She also wanted to dig a hole in the sand and disappear. She’d shown one of her many weaknesses not only to Cane, but also to everyone else on the beach.
Kat and Andrew whispered to each other nearby. Kat threw her head back and laughed as Andrew rolled his eyes then looked right at Megan with a smirk.
Grace knelt down next to her, her eyes worried. “You okay, girl? We were all confused when you went back under after Wendy announced Carson had won.”
Megan nodded, not looking up. “I didn’t hear her. And I really wanted to prove I could do it . . .” Her voice died away. She could still see the circle of feet from the other contestants around her. Megan was the center of attention and she did not like it one bit.
Megan was saved from any further humiliation as Wendy called the group to reassemble around her. “Carson and Grace, you have won protection tonight. No one can vote against you. I suggest the rest of you return to the beach and decide what you’re going to do.”
Everyone dispersed and Megan let out a relieved sigh. As she slowly stood, she wished she had a walker. Her legs felt like rubber and her arms were shaking from exhaustion. But she had swam more than she ever had in her life, two people in her alliance were safe from elimination—and Cane stood nearby with no shirt. Now that her glasses were clear, the vision of his muscles glittering in the sun was not helping her think straight. How did someone even get eight-pack abs? She had only heard of a six-pack.
She shook her head to clear the water from her ears and the sight of Cane from her view. She needed to focus on the elimination tonight. Grace and Carson were out of danger, but the odds were against her and Leo. Maybe she could trick Andrew’s ego again or pull someone over from the beach shelter to the lean-to voting side.
Cane stood behind the camera crew and ran a towel down each arm, his chest still fully exposed to Megan’s view. She tried to draw her gaze away from his bare pecs by turning her head, but her eyes stayed on him. When he blotted the towel on one side of his neck and then the other, the rest of the fabric covered his abs and allowed Megan to tear herself from the sight.
She made a beeline for the lean-to. She had a few hours to figure out what to do about the vote. She’d have to come up with something—assuming she could get the vision of shirtless Cane out of her head long enough to devise a plan.
Chapter Twenty
The Leftovers were showing their wear and tear after several days on the beach. Cane liked the color that returned to their cheeks after eating some fish, but he still needed to keep tabs on them. He approached them one at a time after the competition and invited each to his tent for a round of vital checks. He needed to keep things under control and get a read on how everyone was faring.
Cane first checked everyone from the beach shelter group first, then moved on to the lean-to group. They’d heard about his checks and started to come on their own. Grace appeared first with Carson waiting just outside the tent.
“Congratulations on the win.” Cane grabbed his files and flipped to hers so he could make notes.
“Thanks.”
“You don’t look excited.” Cane strapped a blood pressure cuff around her arm.
“I was at first, but now I realize how vulnerable this leaves the rest of my team.”
“You mean Megan and Leo?”
Grace nodded. “I know only one person will be left at the end, but I really want all of us to make it further than this.”
Cane listened to her heart with his stethoscope. “You never know what the evening will bring.”
“True.”
“Okay, you’re in good condition. I’m ready for Carson.”
Cane took Carson’s readings and asked him to send Leo in. Leo was holding up well, and Cane asked him to watch for Megan and ask her to come by.
Half an hour later, Megan still hadn’t appeared. Cane set her chart on top of the others and peeked out of the tent just as she raised her hand to knock.
“Oh, hi,” she said.
“I was looking for you.”
“I heard. Something about vitals?”
“Yeah, come in.” Cane had her sit on his cot, just as he had the others. “Where have you been?”
Megan shrugged. “Back in the trees wandering around. I needed to think through my options.”
Cane assumed she was talking about the game. It wasn’t his place to talk strategy so he moved past the comment. “I do need to take your blood pressure, but I wanted to see you too.”
“Oh?” Megan studied her knees as she pushed her glasses up her nose.
“Yeah. Are you okay after that swim?”
“The swim? That was no big deal.” Megan waved her hand.
“It looked like you were struggling. Was there something physical going on?” he asked.
“I had a cramp. Plus, I’m not a strong swimmer in the first place. Nothing more.”
Cane lowered his head to catch her eyes. “Promise me you’ll tell me if anything does come up. That’s why I’m here, you know.”
Megan made eye contact and held his stare. “I know.”
Cane took her blood pressure, which was slightly elevated but not in an alarming way. He made a note in her chart and then placed the stethoscope in his ears to listen to her heart. As he scooted closer, his thumb and forefinger made their way under her chin and raised her gaze to meet his again.
“Megan.” He was hoping to speak with her about the events that had occurred between them. “I want you to know I meant what I said at the beginning of this game. I’m here for you and I want to be your friend.”
Megan shifted in her seat and stared at his nose, her face emotionless. “Friends, yeah.”
Cane didn’t understand her lackluster reaction to him. He thought she’d come a long way in her level of comfort around him, but now she didn’t seem able to look him in the eye for very long. Was she embarrassed about the swimming incident? Or worse yet, did she regret the kiss?
“I just want to make sure you know that. Whether you’re here tomorrow or not.” Cane winced as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He didn’t mean to bring up the very real possibility that she could go home that night. The game was no business of his. He was there for health reasons only. “Sorry.” He removed his hand from her chin and listened to her heart and lungs.
“All good?” she asked.
“Everything sounds great.” Cane looked down at her chart to mark the rates and when he looked up, she was gone.
Embarrassed to the hilt, Megan couldn’t get out of the medic tent fast enough. She and Cane had reached a good point in their friendship—if “friend” included someone you kissed. But as soon as she had gotten back to the lean-to and had a minute to process her near-drowning, she had burned with embarrassment. He’d had to save her like a drowning toddler, and only because she hadn’t heard Wendy announce that Carson had won. Maybe it would be a blessing if she got voted out. She wanted nothing more than to maintain the comfort she felt with Cane, but that didn’t seem to be in the cards. After dragging her out of the water and emphasizing that they were just “friends” during her check-up, she was back to square one. He was the handsome medic, she the chaotic shut-in.
Megan pushed Cane from her mind and thoughts of her sister took over. Molly would be proud of what Megan had accomplished in the game and while Megan would bask in that praise, going home now was too soon. Megan had to admit that her sister’s desire drove her at first, but the determination was catching—the swimming contest was testament of that. Underneath her embarrassment of Cane having to save her, she was proud of how she’d pushed herself to nearly finish a challenge that a week
ago would’ve seemed impossible. She wanted to prove to herself and the others from her past that she could stick it out. Megan would fight to her dying breath to stay in the game as long as possible.
When she got back to the lean-to, Grace was walking toward their shelter from the woods.
“Oh Megan, good. We need to talk.” She pulled Megan into the lean-to. “I just came from a walk in the woods.” She paused and then said in a rush, “Okay, so I was on a reconnaissance mission.”
“What did you find out?” Megan asked, smiling.
“I followed Juan and Nathan, who said they were going for firewood. Do you know how many times they’ve gone for firewood today and come back with hardly anything?”
Megan hadn’t noticed.
“Anyway, I followed them and they haven’t been collecting firewood at all. They’re looking for the Protection Piece.”
“The Protection Piece,” Megan murmured. She’d forgotten all about that.
“Yeah, and if they find it, one of them will be in the final four whether they get eliminated before then or not.”
Megan nodded. She remembered the tool now and wished she’d thought to look for it herself. She’d been too distracted by other elements of the game . . . and men outside of the game.
“Do you think they found it?” Megan was worried what that would mean for the lean-to crew.
“No, I know they haven’t.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I read lips. They were talking about it on their way back.” Grace glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was encroaching on their privacy.
Megan let the silence settle around them as she squinted through the logs that made up their wall. She spotted Carson across the beach, his arm around Kat. She drew back in surprise
“What’s Carson doing?”
Grace peered through the wall, then turned back to Megan with a wave of her hand. “Oh yeah, that. He’s trying to get in with the beach group. It’s obvious Kat wants him so I told him to let her fawn. Who knows what she might say. He’s safe, so it can’t hurt.”
“Doesn’t it bother you?” Megan thought about watching another woman hang on Cane and her stomach turned over.
“Why should it?”
Megan blinked. Oops. She sighed. Hopefully Carson’s feelings weren’t a secret. He’d asked Megan to put in a good word with Grace and now was her chance. “Well, because he’s crazy about you, that’s why.”
Grace shrugged. It didn’t look like news to her. “There will be time for that after the game.”
Megan tilted her head. Grace never ceased to amaze her. She served the country, was in top physical form, and was even able to keep her mind in the game despite the gorgeous PE teacher who had feelings for her. Megan wished she could shove her own crush aside until after the game. And now that she’d been labeled a “friend,” perhaps she could.
Megan narrowed her focus and shut everything out—Cane, the bay, even the sand beneath her feet. She took a deep breath and when she opened her eyes, she had an idea.
“Okay, here’s what we do.”
Grace listened with rapt attention and immediately agreed that Megan’s idea was worth a try. She clambered out of the lean-to so she could put the plan in action. Megan needed to stay in the background this time and, with any luck, let things fall into place.
She watched as Grace put a bug in Andrew’s ear. She worried he might turn Grace away, but the lines around his mouth and in the corners of his eyes softened and Megan had hope that he might just come around. She’d leave it to Grace to work magic where Andrew was concerned.
When Grace was done talking to Andrew, she waded out into the bay and grabbed a fish. That would give Grace the opportunity to lure Carson away from Kat and into the woods to clean the fish as Megan suggested. She’d let him in on the plan there. Leo was asleep on a log out on the beach. By the time he got up, they could tell him what needed to be done. He’d go along with it. He’d be like Megan, happy with anything that didn’t include votes against him.
Megan smiled. It was a long shot, but it felt good to have a plan. And it all hinged on one thing that she felt pretty confident in . . . Andrew’s ego.
Chapter Twenty-One
The elimination ceremony came all too soon. Megan’s hands shook. She was nervous about the way things would go down, but she was also excited. If her plan worked, it would be quite an accomplishment. Best of all, she hadn’t needed to lie to put it in place.
“Welcome, Leftovers!” Wendy Weathersby’s chirpy voice called from her board in the center of the circle.
“She looks well-rested,” Megan muttered to Grace. Grace nudged her with an elbow, stifling a laugh.
“You’ve made it through several days on the beach and it shows.” Wendy grinned.
Thanks, Wendy.
“There was no reward to go along with today’s competition, but we do have a surprise for the winners tonight. Grace, Carson, at the end of the elimination, you will share this clue.” Wendy held an envelope straight up in the air. “The clue gives you an advantage in looking for the Protection Piece. Sound good?” Carson and Grace nodded.
“Now, as for the rest of you . . . I have nothing to give, but let’s chat before we say good-bye to one of you, okay?”
Do we have a choice? Megan glanced at the cameras surrounding the fire pit. Cane stood off to one side, next to the producer, Mike. She averted her eyes as soon as she saw him. He’d given her strength on several occasions, but tonight she needed to get by on her own. She hoped she’d get over her embarrassment where he was concerned, but until then, she’d have to use what little courage she had and stand on her own two feet in the game. No Cane-focal-point crutch needed.
“Leo, did you enjoy today’s challenge?” Wendy asked.
“I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it, but it didn’t hurt me any. Nothing a nice nap on the beach couldn’t fix, at least.” Leo chuckled.
“Grace, you seemed to thrive in the water. Did you know you would do well going into the competition?”
“I always hope I’ll do well, Wendy,” Grace answered. “I can’t ever guess how I’ll do against the others. There are a lot of fierce competitors here. Who knows if I’d be safe tonight if I had gone up against Carson? Andrew held his own too.”
Megan squeezed Grace’s elbow in solidarity. Grace’s comments were part of the plan and so far, things were going well.
“And how did it feel to need assistance back to the beach, Megan?”
Megan glanced around the boulders. Andrew snickered while Juan and Nathan bumped fists. Megan was especially frustrated with Kat’s eye roll since she hadn’t even participated in the competition to begin with. She slapped her hands on her knees, took a deep breath, and bolstered her courage. “I’m glad you asked, Wendy.” Megan’s voice rang through the night air with a hint of sarcasm. “I’ve never been a big swimmer, but I think it’s safe to say I gave it my best and didn’t give up.”
Wendy tilted her head. “Very admirable. And how’s life on the beach, Kat?”
Megan leaned over to inspect Kat’s face as she answered. Kat deftly laced her arm through the crook in Carson’s and tapped her manicured fingers on his bicep. One of her nails was broken, but otherwise everything looked to be in place.
“Swimmingly, Wendy. Just swimmingly.” Kat smiled at Carson with adoration. His eyes swiveled to Grace with an expression that said something more like help.
“Well, I’m glad to hear everyone is getting along so well. Let’s see what happens when you have to vote out one of your own. As soon as the votes are read, whoever has the most will hit the parking lot and head home. Megan, are you ready to go first?”
Megan took a deep breath. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” She stood to cast her vote. Once she was standing at the box, she tapped the pen on the tabletop. She knew what she had to do, but she wanted an extra minute to run through the options. If it didn’t work, she could go home. Too late now. She had to play the cards she
dealt earlier in the day. She wrote the name on the paper, revealed it to the camera, then folded it, and returned to her seat.
One by one, the others cast their votes. She couldn’t be sure, but Megan thought Andrew had a cocky grin on his face when he returned to his seat. That was a good sign, but he would probably look like that no matter whose name he wrote down.
“Okay, time to read the votes. Wendy Weathersby asks for silence as I show each name.”
Megan made a face and then hoped the camera hadn’t caught her disgust. Wendy was a nice woman, but her dramatic flair and attachment to her own name was getting old.
“First vote goes to . . . Nathan.”
Megan heard rustling across the fire as Nathan adjusted himself in discomfort. The light of the fire glinted off his belt buckle.
“Second vote . . . Juan.”
Juan and Nathan exchanged a worried look, and Juan pulled his Cardinals cap up and down on his forehead in nervousness.
The votes included two for Leo and then went back and forth between Nathan and Juan until Nathan was up one vote and there was one vote remaining.
“The last vote is for . . . Juan. We have a tie.” Wendy slammed the box shut. The glimmer in her eye told Megan this was big.
“The Leftover rules state in the event of a tie, both participants would be asked to leave immediately. I’m sorry Nathan, Juan—you’ll both go home tonight.”
Nathan and Juan sat on their rocks with their jaws practically in the sand. Neither had any idea what had happened or what to say. Megan certainly wasn’t going to fill in the blanks, but things had worked perfectly. When Grace planted a bug in Andrew’s ear that Nathan and Juan were looking for the Protection Piece, he automatically felt betrayed and wanted them gone. Then, it was just a matter of finding out which man the beach crew was voting for and the lean-to crew voted for the other. Carson had to pull ranks with Kat for details, but that had been simple enough.
“Good riddance to you both, traitors.” Andrew spoke loudly enough for the entire group to hear. Nathan frowned and Juan scratched his head.
The Leftover Page 14