Her lower back began to ache. She was going to feel that log sticking into her foot for days. She opened her eyes and cast a glance at Grace. Grace was staring back at her.
“How are you doing?” Grace asked.
“I’ve been better, you?”
Grace laughed. “Remember when our team won the wall contest and you talked everyone into giving me protection? Well, almost everyone.” Grace narrowed her eyes in Andrew’s direction.
Megan frowned. “You deserved it.”
Grace rolled her eyes. “You deserve this.” She kissed the tips of her fingertips, placed her hand over her heart, and jumped from her log.
Megan watched in astonished silence as Grace landed like a cat in the sand below. She rebounded quickly and took her position next to Wendy and the others.
“Congratulations, Megan, you withstood the log for over half an hour . . . and you’ve won protection from today’s elimination! You may get down now.”
Easier said than done. Megan concentrated all her efforts on gingerly placing her bad foot on the sand. The leg that suspended her on the log shook beneath her. She crumpled to the sand. It would take a few minutes to regain feeling in her extremities. She held up a hand. “I’m okay.” The last thing she wanted was for Cane to rush to her aid. She needed distance from him. And a moment to revel in the fact that she’d done it. She made the final four and, because of Grace, was guaranteed a spot in the final three. Maybe her confidence was often missing, but standing on a log, she’d discovered it again—maybe for good.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Megan situated herself on a large boulder beside Grace. It was strange having an elimination ceremony in broad daylight, but the crew managed to get a fire going in the center of the circle to set the mood. Not that they needed it—the warm, damp air was oppressive.
It felt good to sit down and Megan wondered how long her foot would feel the dent of the log protruding into its center.
“Congratulations Megan, Danae, Carson, and Grace. You made it to the final four! Unfortunately, one of you has to go home immediately. Then, if anyone has found the Protection Piece, that person will come back into the game. They will not only have the power to return, but also the ability to remove one of the remaining players and take their place. If no one has the Piece, we will proceed with the three remaining players. Does everyone understand?”
Megan nodded along with the group. Grace caught her attention as Wendy took a breath. “Vote Carson,” she muttered out of the side of her mouth.
Megan furrowed her brow and leaned toward Grace for an explanation.
“Trust me,” Grace whispered.
“Megan, you earned protection from today’s elimination. No one can vote for you. The rest of you are at risk. Carson, start the voting.”
Carson stood, winked at Grace and Megan, and cast his vote. The rest of the group followed. Megan had to limp to and from the voting box, but she made it. It felt weird writing down Carson’s name and revealing it for the camera. She didn’t know what to say when she held up her vote so she simply shrugged. She knew the worried look her on face would tell the story. She assumed they’d vote for Danae and she didn’t know what Grace had in mind.
“I’ll read the votes.” Wendy grabbed the box and pulled the first paper from its center. “Carson, you have one vote.” She pulled another paper and unfolded it. “Grace, that’s one vote for you.” The third paper read Carson as well. Wendy unfolded the final ballot and gave the group a summary. “Two votes for Carson, one for Grace and . . . Carson, that’s three votes. I’m sorry, you’ve been eliminated from the game.”
Carson stood and shrugged. He bent over and kissed Grace on the cheek. She blushed while Carson gave Megan a tight hug. Based on the confused look on Danae’s face, Megan bet Carson voted for himself. Danae had cast the only vote for Grace. What was their master plan?
Wendy stood a little taller. “Congratulations to the three of you. You may be the final three in the game. But first, we need to find out if anyone has the Protection Piece. I’ve heard from our producer that no one who was eliminated prior to today found the Piece. That leaves Andrew, Leo, and Carson.” Wendy turned to the competitors who remained next to her on the beach. “Do any of you have the Protection Piece?”
Megan held her breath as Andrew stepped forward with a cocky grin on his face. “That’d be me.” He dug into his pocket.
Megan registered the surprise on Carson’s face. His skin paled as Andrew exposed the beaded creation Megan’s sister made so many years ago. He held it up for the group to see and began moving toward the boulders. Andrew eyed each of the remaining contestants as if trying to decide whom he would replace.
“Uh . . .” Wendy came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry, Andrew. I have no idea what that thing is, but it’s not the Protection Piece.”
Megan exhaled as rage filled Andrew’s eyes. They focused on her and he took a step in her direction. “Not . . . the . . . Protection . . . Piece?”
“May I ask where you got it?” Wendy prodded.
Andrew stared daggers at Megan. He tossed the piece to the sand by her feet. “Worthless. I should have known better than to believe you.”
“Not to make matters worse,” Megan’s voice rose from her throat, “but I never told you that was the Protection Piece. You simply said you wanted it and I agreed you could have it. But thanks for giving it back.” Megan leaned over and picked up the beaded good luck charm. “My sister made this when we were little, and it’s pretty special to me.”
Andrew sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth.
“I’m sorry, Andrew. Since you have not produced the Protection Piece, you are out of the game. You may stay and observe until we are done with the eliminations.” Wendy waited until Andrew stomped back to stand with Leo and Carson.
“Leo, Carson, do either of you have the Protection Piece?” Wendy asked.
Carson and Leo looked at one another. Leo shrugged and held up his empty hands. Carson fished around in his pocket and brought out a palm-sized rock with PP carved in its center. “Is that what you’re looking for?”
The smile on Wendy’s face grew. “That is indeed the Protection Piece. Carson, how did you find it?”
Carson stared at Grace. “Grace and I got a clue to its location after one competition. I didn’t have any idea where to start, but she found it with ease. She insisted I keep it. I wanted her to have it, but she convinced me I was a lot more likely to need it than her.” He smiled, eyes twinkling in the sunlight. “She’s amazing in every way.”
Megan’s heart danced in her chest. She knew Carson had a thing for Grace and based on the sparkle in Grace’s eye, she guessed the feeling was mutual. When she’d broached the subject of Carson in order to put in a good word for him, Grace had told her there would be time for that later. Megan hoped a relationship would blossom between the two of them. It couldn’t happen to two better people.
“Carson, this earns you a spot on the boulder with the others. But who will you replace?”
Carson stroked his chin. “It would be smart of me to take out Megan or Grace, but they got me through this game with their wit and wisdom. There’s no way I would remove them now. I’m sorry, Danae, it has to be you.”
Danae’s face fell as she stood in resignation and swapped places with Carson.
“Carson, Megan, Grace, you are the final three Leftovers. As you know, our taping sessions at the beach are complete, thanks to last night’s storm. We were forced to speed up the process in order to get to the final three contestants, but now that we’re there, we will resume the game as planned. Each of you will go home and have the next few weeks to think about your end game. No one can talk about the show to family members or friends. It will begin airing in a week and on the final night, we will gather in the studio for the live finale. We’ll bring back all of the contestants and they will vote on who the final Leftover will be. Wendy Weathersby encourages you to use y
our time wisely to think about what you want to say to those you had a hand in voting out. Until then, enjoy your beds, your home-cooked meals, and real floors beneath your feet.” Her eyes roamed the sand and she crinkled her nose at the dead fish strewn across the sand.
“And cut!” Mike shouted from behind the cameras. “Okay, everyone, that’s a wrap. Like Wendy said, you’ll all go home, but you can’t talk about the outcome of the game and you cannot contact one another. I’ll send you details on the live taping. Until then, nothing—and I mean nothing—about the show can leak. Got it?”
Megan nodded. She wanted nothing more than to go home and spill everything to Molly. Keeping it from her sister would be next to impossible. But watching the episodes with Molly and seeing her reaction to Megan’s triumphs and failures would be worth it.
Megan stood as the crewmembers began tearing down equipment and tossing the logs they’d used in the final competition back into the forest. Was it really over? Was she in the finals? Megan hardly believed it.
She searched the edge of the crowd for Cane. He was kneeling next to Danae, who seemed to be showing him a cut on her foot. She must have sustained it during the competition. Part of Megan wanted to catch his gaze one last time. But her heart told her that remembering the feel of his head against hers would have to be enough. He was in love with someone else.
“You should be all set, Danae.” Cane finished wrapping a bandage around her foot. “Just clean the area twice a day and it will heal in no time.”
“Thanks.”
Cane could see the disappointment etched in her features, but he didn’t comment on the game. It was just a show after all, and she’d played well enough to get to the final four. She should be proud.
He stood and shoved his gear back in the medical bag. He needed to find Megan before she disappeared. He wanted to make sure things were okay between them before they left the beach. He’d stalled long enough. It was time to cement their relationship.
Cane spotted her ponytail swinging back and forth near the edge of the woods and he jogged to catch up to her. He was still twenty feet back when Andrew appeared next to her. Cane watched as he grabbed Megan by the elbow and pulled her off the path. Cane quickened his pace, but then slowed as he noticed how close the two of them stood.
Cane surveyed his status. He was out in the open. He darted behind a tree and strained to hear their conversation. Their voices were too hushed. He couldn’t hear a thing.
Andrew leaned over and closed his eyes. Cane waited for Megan to slap him across the face, but she didn’t. Instead, Andrew pressed his lips against hers. Cane’s heart dropped into his feet. Megan hadn’t thrown her arms around Andrew, but she was allowing him to kiss her. Cane turned away. He’d seen enough.
He made his way back through the trees to the beach as fear settled into his bones and caused his hands to shake. His past was coming back to bite him. Ever since his time with Eva ended, he’d dreaded repeating such heartbreak. He never wanted to be second in any woman’s life ever again. Yet, it was happening again now. A woman he fell for had picked someone else. Maybe she’d wanted that guy all along. Sure, Andrew had been a jerk to Megan, but didn’t women go for men like that? The ones who strung them along, and played hard to get? Maybe Megan liked a challenge and found it in Andrew.
He shook his head. It was his fault for letting his heart get ahead of his head on a regular basis. First Eva, now Megan. He was never going to fall for another woman again. He steeled his heart against females everywhere. He’d become a hermit, do his job, and live out his life alone.
Andrew pulled back and let go of Megan’s arms. He studied the trees over her head. Cane was gone, but he’d gotten an eyeful . . . Andrew had made sure of that.
“Like I was saying,” Andrew continued as if the kiss hadn’t happened, “I’m really grateful for what you did for me during the storm.”
Megan wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “You already thanked me, Andrew. You didn’t have to do . . . that. Pushing you out of the way was an instinct. Even if we didn’t get along, I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
He dropped her arms and took a step back. “Yeah, well, forget it then.” He turned on his heels and stomped through the woods to the parking lot, a sly smile spreading across his face.
Was he grateful to Megan? Sure, maybe a little. Was he angry about the Protection Piece? You better believe it. No one got the best of him. And in the end, he got even. Whether Megan realized it or not.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Megan enjoyed her first shower at home more than she could have imagined. After nearly a week on the beach, she had sand in unmentionable places. The smell of soap and the feel of fresh water trickling down her back was simply amazing. She shuddered to think what condition she would have been in had the taping lasted its full term.
Her second task was a meal. Anything other than fish. She searched her fridge and managed to put together a ham and cheese sandwich with plans to stick a roast in the Crock-Pot for a feast later.
She had put off calling Molly for as long as she could. As the phone rang, she steeled herself against the questions her sister would ask.
“Hello?” The voice on the other end was breathless.
“Molly, it’s me.”
“Oh no! I was hoping you wouldn’t call for another few days. You got kicked off, didn’t you?”
“You know I can’t say anything about the show. They actually had to wrap taping because of the storm.”
“Gosh, that was something, wasn’t it? The oak in the corner of our yard fell on our house.”
“Is everyone okay?” Megan pictured the side of the roof caved in as her sister lay trapped beneath it in her bed.
“We’re fine. We were in the basement. The roof is damaged, but Derek has some people coming out today to get an estimate on the repairs. It’s all good.”
Megan took a deep breath. “Good.”
“And you were stuck out on the beach during that. I was so worried!”
“The producer got us a house for shelter that night. We were just as safe as anyone else in the city.”
“I’m so relieved to hear your voice, Megan. I didn’t want you to come home this early, but I’m glad to talk to you.”
“I’m not home early,” Megan insisted as she made a face. She didn’t want Molly to know the details. She had to be careful. “The show is over. The beach was damaged and they couldn’t allow taping because of the cleanup efforts.”
“Does that mean you made it to the end?” Molly prodded.
“I’m not saying another word. I just wanted to call and let you know I was home.”
“You better believe I’m coming over to watch the show with you. Every single second that airs, I’m by your side, you got it? And don’t think I’m going to let you get away with keeping everything quiet in the meantime.”
Megan laughed as she heard a doorbell ring through the phone.
“That’s the guy about the estimate. I gotta run. I’ll call you later, okay? Be prepared to spill details.”
“Bye, Molly.” Megan flopped backward onto her couch into her favorite position. She sighed. She had a warm towel wrapped around her wet hair, a soft robe wrapped around her body, and a delicious sandwich in her hand. Life was good.
The week after the taping wrapped did not go as Cane anticipated. He had visions of spending time with Megan, talking and laughing and enjoying the warm summer weather. Since the show completed taping early, he was still free from his regular job and left with nothing to do. That just gave him even more time to agonize.
How could she do it? Lead him on while she had another man on the line? And a jerk at that! He hadn’t thought Megan capable of being so two-faced. They’d had long talks and she knew his history with women. She knew how he felt when women strung him along, and she knew how heartbroken he was when Eva chose someone else over him. In fact, she knew a lot of things about him. Things he hadn’t brought himself to tell anyone in
years. He had allowed things he had buried deep to rise to the surface during their talks in the dark. But did he know her at all? Apparently not.
It wasn’t all Megan’s fault. He was more furious with himself. He’d laid his heart on the line again despite his best efforts to shield himself and it got trampled. And now he was stuck mending the pieces, just like always. Every time he looked at the phone and thought about calling Megan, he put another brick into the wall around his heart. Eva was behind him. Megan was a brief, delightful blip. He was alone, and that’s the way it would stay.
Molly sank into the couch next to Megan with a bowl of popcorn on her lap.
“Shouldn’t you have a belly by now?” Megan asked. Her sister was going to be an annoying svelte pregnant woman. She’d only show at the last minute and only from the side.
“I’m not that pregnant and I feel pretty good. I can’t stop eating, though.” Molly shoved a handful of popcorn into her mouth.
“The baby likes popcorn, I see.”
“We’ll have months to talk about the baby. Now that we’re about to watch the show, can you just tell me how you did? Come on, Megan, I need details! You’ve given me hardly anything in the week you’ve been home.”
“It was quite an experience.”
“I figured that. I want more! How’d you do?”
“Better than I thought. I’m pretty surprised I survived the first afternoon.”
“Does that mean you got kicked out the first night and you’ve been hiding here ever since? Or did you win? Tell me, Megan!”
“It’s starting. See for yourself.” Megan unmuted the TV and sat beside her sister, watching Wendy Weathersby describe the show and introduce the contestants. When Megan’s face filled the screen, Megan covered her eyes. “Is that what I really look like?” she asked. “I’m a mess and it’s only the first day.”
The Leftover Page 20