The Leftover

by Brooke Williams

  “You need to leave now.” Wendy stated firmly.

  The two men got up from their rocks and slowly walked back to their shelter. Megan imagined them gathering their items and stuffing them back into their bags. It would be interesting to see their reaction when they saw the show on TV next month and realized her crew had orchestrated their demise. But in reality, they’d done it to themselves when they’d aligned with the egomaniacal Andrew in the first place.

  “That was interesting,” Wendy mused. “I didn’t see that coming.” She smiled with satisfaction at the turn of tide. “Anyway, Grace, Carson, come get your clue. The rest of you can return to the beach.”

  Megan stood and hugged Grace, Carson, and then Leo. Their little crew was still intact. She couldn’t believe her plan had unfolded just as she’d hoped. She gleefully leaped over the rock she’d occupied—and her toe caught, throwing her hard onto her hands and knees. She grimaced. She’d made a dumb move in the dark and now paid the consequence.

  Pain lanced through her foot, and she winced.

  “Holy mackerel, that hurts.” Before she could utter another word, Cane was at her side. She looked up at him from the ground, his worried eyes searching her body.

  “What is it? What’s hurt?” he asked.

  Megan’s cheeks warmed. She looked like a fool in front of him again. But the concern on his face was genuine. Sure, it was his job to care for the contestants, but he looked truly worried about her. “I’m not sure. My foot.” Her toes were still wedged between the rocks. Pain radiated up her leg.

  “I need to get you under some light.” He pulled out his bag and snagged a long needle from a case.

  “What’s that?” Megan asked warily.

  “You won’t feel much. I’m going to give you a shot in the ankle to numb the area and we’re going to get you out of there. I’ll be able to assess the damage better in the medic tent with more light.” Megan nodded and looked away as Cane administered the shot. Her body relaxed and her foot went numb.

  “Oh, that’s nice.”

  Cane smiled to give her a show of confidence, but he didn’t like seeing her in pain and he was concerned about what the injury would do to her chances in the game. “I’m going to slide your foot up and away from the rock. If you feel any pain, just yell.”

  “Oh I will, don’t worry.” Megan’s eyes took on a faraway look.

  Cane knew her pain had vanished, and she might feel a bit strange if she wasn’t used to this type of medication. He eased her foot out of the rocks, needing to tug for a moment, but she didn’t complain. “Okay, you’re free and clear.” She nodded happily, gazing up at him. He looked around and saw the contestants gathered around. “I need a camera to light our path back to my tent. Then I want everyone to back off until I get a handle on this. If I need help, I’ll let you know.”

  Before Megan could agree to anything, Cane swept her up into his arms. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pressed her forehead against his cheek.

  “Oh!” she proclaimed as he began to walk. “This is nice.” She smiled and brushed her cheek against his rough, unshaven chin. “Does your facial hair get curly like the hair on your head? Or has it never been long enough to know?” Megan giggled.

  Cane raised his eyebrows. The medication was having a strange effect on her. The expression on her face made her look like a whole different person. “Let’s just get you fixed up, okay?” He wasn’t sure how to handle her forward remarks, especially with the camera crew lighting their path.

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Medic, sir.” Megan saluted him in a slow, sloppy manner and then placed her hand around his neck again as he hoisted her into a better position.

  “Let’s move.” He followed the camera, which lit the path so he could avoid the same fate that had befallen Megan. He carried her quickly across the beach and into the medic tent. He set her gingerly on the cot and thanked the camera operator who accompanied them.

  “I have all the light I need in here—you can go now. It’s just an injured toe. You’ve already got plenty of the accident documented.” He turned on several exam lights and pointed them in her direction.

  The camera operator nodded and left the tent.

  “I didn’t do it, I swear.” Megan snorted. “Please, don’t let them arrest me, officer.”

  Cane’s eyes widened as he raised her foot and removed her sandal. She was almost acting drunk with her bad humor and uncontrollable actions.

  “You have really pretty eyes, you know that?” Megan leaned forward and brushed a curl from his forehead. “And your hair, I’ve always wanted to touch it.” She ran her fingers through his hair just above his ears. “Ooh, it’s just as soft as I imagined.”

  Cane swallowed and paused what he was doing. It would be so easy to pull the hair tie from the back of her hair and run his hand through the messy waves, but there was no way he could take advantage of a patient in this state. He felt like Megan had taken a big step away from him earlier that day, and now she was acting the complete opposite. He took her hand from his head and bent over her foot. “I think most of the bones in your foot are okay.” He pressed down on a few ligaments and ran his hand down the center.

  Megan burst into a fit of giggles as she jerked her foot. “That tickles!” she cried.

  “Sorry. If you had been wearing shoes instead of sandals, you might have escaped injury.” He was doing his best to remain professional despite the circumstances.

  “Are you scolding me, doctor?” Megan asked in a coy voice.

  Cane couldn’t humor her, as much as he wanted to. Playing into her change of attitude would only make it worse. He didn’t want to cause her any further embarrassment if he could help it. “As it is, I think your pinky toe is broken. There’s not much to be done for that. I’ll tape it to the next one and let it heal. You’ll have a limp, but there’s no reason you can’t stay and finish the game.”

  He was relieved that her injury wasn’t so bad she needed a hospital or to be pulled from the game. He needed to figure out why she had distanced herself, and it would be a lot harder if she wasn’t in the game. Besides, he really enjoyed their nightly conversations. Not to mention she’d made the game very interesting. The plans she’d come up with and orchestrated within her small alliance were impressive and he couldn’t wait to see what happened next. There was a smart, deep individual beneath the shy exterior. However, shy was the last way he would describe her at that moment.

  “Does that mean you aren’t going to take me away from it all?” Megan grinned in a sly manner.

  Cane was the one avoiding eye contact now. He was afraid of even harmless flirtations with a woman under the influence. In all his years as a medic, he’d only seen the painkiller work like this on one other person. And that had been an old man in his eighties who refused to take anything stronger than aspirin on rare occasions.

  “Actually, I do think you should stay in here tonight. I’m not sure you would want the cameras seeing you this way.” Cane placed a hand on her shoulder and examined her injured toe again.

  “I don’t want anyone seeing me but you, handsome medic.”

  Cane blushed and looked up at Megan in surprise. She batted her eyes and he chuckled. He couldn’t help it. This was so out of character for Megan he couldn’t believe it. At the same time, he was flattered. If her truthful side was on display, she thought he was handsome. It was the second time she’d said as much in the short time they’d known each other.

  He let the statement hang in the air and gripped her toe, holding it against the next one.

  “Ow!”

  “Sorry. I know it’s tender.” He fumbled around on the supply shelf nearby with his free hand and located the tape. He secured her toe and elevated her ankle on his pillow.

  “Lie back. I’m going to have a word with Mike. I’ll be back in a moment.”

  Cane watched as Megan did as she was ordered before he ducked out of the tent. Mike and some of the camera crew were waiting outside.
r />   “What’s the news?” Mike asked as he tapped his clipboard against his side.

  “Megan’s going to be fine,” Cane replied. “Her pinky toe is broken, but I’ve secured it and she’ll heal in time. I think she should stay in the medic tent tonight. The medication I gave her seems to have made her a little . . . woozy. If it isn’t cheating, she’s better off here.”

  Mike nodded. “Fine, but she sleeps on the ground, not the cot.”

  “Deal.” Cane waved as Mike and the crew scurried off down the beach to check in on the others.

  Cane slipped back into his tent and closed the tent flap behind him. Megan awaited with big eyes and an even bigger grin. “Mike said you can stay here tonight because of your injury. It won’t be cheating if you sleep on the ground and not in the cot.”

  Megan gave the sand a despairing look.

  “The sand’ll actually be better because you can put your foot up on the cot and get better elevation.” Cane held his hand out to her and helped her settle on the sand. “Okay?”

  “Okay.” Megan looked sleepy and Cane half-expected her to drift off immediately. Instead, she spoke again in a slurred voice. “I’ve always wanted to be more like my sister.”

  “Molly? Why’s that?” Cane crossed his legs in front of him and leaned back on one elbow. He hadn’t been out of the tent long, but apparently her focus had changed from him to her sister.

  Megan propped herself up on her elbows in the sand. “She always knows what to do and what to say. She can make any situation feel normal and comfortable. I don’t know how she does it. It’s like everyone she meets is her best friend.”

  Cane thought that was a fair assessment of Molly. She seemed very comfortable in her own skin and with everyone around her. “I didn’t get a chance to know Molly well, but I think you have a lot in common.”

  “You do?” Megan sat up straighter. Her eyes sparkled in the bright lights he’d turned on to examine her foot. For once, her glasses were doing nothing to disguise their depth.

  Cane nodded. If she was going to new levels of honesty, so would he. “You’re both striking, but in completely different ways. Molly seems to know what she wants and she goes for it. You have more of a quiet confidence that takes some time to come out. But when it does, your beauty really shines.”

  “You . . . you think I’m beautiful?” Megan adjusted the glasses on her face.

  “Of course I do. I’d be crazy not to.” Cane ran a hand through his hair. She was far enough away that he could see every inch of her. Her body language told him she was astounded by the compliment as if she’d never heard one before in her life.

  Megan parted her lips but remained silent. Cane noticed it was taking her longer to open her eyes between blinks. She scooted down into the sand and gave into the heaviness of sleep. As he watched her drift away, he settled himself onto the cot to rest. He turned off the exam lights and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. When he couldn’t make out her features, he sat up and dropped down onto the sand next to her, laying on his side with his head propped up on his hand. He removed her glasses and laid them next to her.

  Cane allowed himself a few moments to study her face. It was hard to tear himself away from the deep sense of peace that rested across her features. But eventually, he laid his head on his arm and succumbed to his own need for sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Megan’s eyelids were heavy, but she managed to open them after a brief struggle. She felt like she had sand ingrained into her skin, but she was warm. She smiled as she ran her hand over the arm that was slung over her midsection. As she realized the arm was real and not a dream, she pushed it away and sat straight up.

  Cane rubbed his eyes and looked nearly as disoriented as Megan felt. “How’s the toe?” he asked.

  Megan glanced down at her foot. “Still there.” It was throbbing, now that he mentioned it. “Where are my glasses?”

  “Right next to you.” Cane pointed to a spot on the sand on her other side.

  Megan grabbed her glasses and slid them onto her nose. Flashes of the previous evening flooded back to her as the tousled curls on Cane’s head came into focus. “Um, did I say anything . . .” she began.

  Cane waved his hand, still groggy. “Don’t worry about it. Everyone reacts to medication differently.”

  So she had said something. But what?

  “I didn’t mean to invade your space.” Cane rose to his feet and stretched.

  You can invade my space any time. Megan turned crimson at the thought. She covered her mouth with both hands as the bold notion brought back memories from the previous night. “I totally hit on you.”

  Cane grimaced. “I wouldn’t call it that . . . exactly.”

  “What would you call it?” Megan tried to stand and pain shot through her foot. The toe was very tender. It looked like she would be walking on her heel for a while.

  He shrugged. “You called me handsome and asked me to take you away from it all.”

  Megan slapped her forehead and covered her eyes. She wanted to limp from the tent immediately and hide in the woods, but Cane’s hands wrapped around her wrists and pulled her fingers from her face.

  “Do you think you would have woken up the way you did had I minded?” he asked softly.

  Megan stared at the sand and visualized his arm around her waist the way it had been when she’d awakened. Had they slept like that all night? His fingers cupped her chin and she raised her eyes.

  “Megan, I’ve enjoyed getting to know you. I think we both know there’s more to our story than friendship.”

  We do? Megan’s heart skipped a beat. Her bold statements the night before hadn’t turned him away. Nor had her lack of confidence in social situations. Or even her messy appearance and less than stellar physique.

  Cane leaned forward and Megan panicked. Was he going to kiss her? She could taste her own breath, and it was less than minty. She allowed herself to enjoy his hand on her face for another second before she snaked her fingers between them to cover her mouth. His lips were inches away.

  “Sorry,” she muttered through her hand. “I haven’t seen a toothbrush since I won that reward.”

  Cane’s eyes gleamed with amusement—and a hint of disappointment—as he backed away. “You’re right. There’s time for that later. You don’t need me distracting you from the game. Let’s take a look at your toe and you can get back out there. Concentrate on being The Leftover for now and we’ll figure this out later.”

  Megan sat on his cot as directed, thoughts in a whirlwind. Time for that later? We’ll figure this out? What exactly was he referring to? His gentle examination of her toe brought her back to the moment. It felt so nice to have him close, even if he was just handling her foot.

  “Your toe has good support from the next one over. It’ll sting to walk, but as long as you don’t injure it again, the area should heal properly. You’ll need to be careful in competitions. And please, come to me if you have any shooting pain, okay?”

  Megan took Cane’s hand and allowed him to help her stand. “What, so you can give me another shot and let me make a fool of myself again?”

  Cane pulled her closer. “You’re no fool. I really am very handsome.”

  Megan giggled, then outright laughed.

  “You said so yourself!” he protested.

  She pushed his chest playfully. “And I’m never going to live it down, am I?”

  “Not if I have anything to say about it.” He pulled her into his embrace and toyed with the hair falling from her ponytail.

  Megan took a deep breath and inhaled his scent. He had access to the staff showers, but he didn’t smell soapy. He smelled like wind and woods and she never wanted to forget the moment. She’d never had a real boyfriend and never dreamed she would come across a man like Cane who would actually be interested in her. He had given her a first kiss that she’d remember for the rest of her life. She feared their flirtation would end in heartbreak, but she could enjo
y the sweet sensation in the present and worry about the rest later. It was about time she got a little male attention!

  Cane stepped back and held her at arms’ length. “Now get out there and show them how it’s done.”

  “Like in the swimming contest?” Megan made a face.

  “How about like the log contest?”

  “I didn’t win that one either.”

  “No, but you were close and I was with you the whole way.”

  Megan looked into his eyes and held his gaze. It was hard for her to allow him to search her features this close, but he gave her something she’d never had before—an element of self-confidence.

  “You were,” she agreed. “You really were.”

  Megan promised to check in with him later to make sure her toe wasn’t giving her any problems. As she exited the tent, she saw a telltale suit jacket disappear into the woods. “Andrew,” she whispered. Either he’d been spying or he needed medical attention and didn’t want Megan to know. She smiled. Either way, it was a glorious day on the beach. The sun was shining, the water was blue, and Cane was interested in her.

  Cane wasn’t sure what had come over him. He felt like a schoolboy with a crush. He couldn’t wipe the grin from his face or erase the thoughts of Megan from his mind. She was completely different from any other girl he knew. She was beautiful, especially when she allowed herself to smile—or better yet, laugh. He loved the way she scrunched up her nose when she was uncomfortable and the cute little freckle just under her right eye. Her glasses would look out of style on anyone else’s face, but somehow suited her perfectly.

  Cane ran his hand through his hair. He was a mess, inside and out. He hadn’t felt like this since . . . since Eva.

  He took a deep breath and sank onto his cot. What was he doing? He was letting himself fall for someone at lightning speed again. He had fallen in love with Eva in a matter of weeks—and on TV, no less. And then, just like that, she’d chosen another man over him and dropped out of his life.

  Cane rubbed his forehead. Was he setting himself up to get hurt again? This wasn’t a dating show, but things with Megan were still happening fast and circumstances were throwing them together. What would things be like between them in the real world? Would she climb back into her shyness, never to let him in again? Once she was off the set, she might drop him faster than Eva had.