“You’re cute,” Molly affirmed.
Megan peeked at the screen from between her fingers. No wonder Cane still had a thing for Eva. Why had Megan thought her flyaway ponytail and crooked glasses would ever catch his eye? She glanced at the phone. Part of her wanted to have Cane next to her watching the show with them. When she’d woken up with her head on his shoulder and she’d wrapped her finger around a curl in his hair, she’d allowed herself to take what they had out of the show and place it into the real world. She thought they might have a chance—she knew she wanted one. But it was impossible. He hadn’t called, and why would he? He was probably off chasing Eva, trying to get her to change her mind about the man she chose over him.
Megan sighed. Her heart ached as she thought of the soft tendril of hair between her fingertips. Cane was the closest she’d ever come to having a boyfriend. Kissing him had made her melt into the sand where she stood. But the few kisses they’d shared would have to tide her over until she met someone else. He was in love with another and there was nothing she could do to make him forget the other woman. Megan shook Cane from her mind. The Leftover was on and she wanted to enjoy every moment of the present.
As the show ramped up and the competition began, Megan enjoyed watching Molly more than the screen. She’d been on the beach so she knew what happened there, but Molly’s reactions were priceless.
“That log almost took you out!”
“Ooh, Megan, you are playing a serious social game!”
Molly’s proclamations were frequent and the smile on Megan’s face grew with each one. Her sister approved. She was clumsy and didn’t look nice on screen, but her sister was happy about the results of the first show.
“Megan, I simply cannot wait. You have to tell me what happens next,” Molly begged.
Megan searched her sister’s face. She was desperate to talk to someone. She knew she shouldn’t say much, but there was one thing she could admit and not get into trouble with the station. Her so-called relationship wouldn’t show up on screen.
“I met someone.” Megan tested the waters. The surprised look on Molly’s face told her to continue. “Don’t get too excited. It didn’t work out. But oh, Molly, I wanted it to so badly.”
Molly extended her hand and wrapped her fingers around Megan’s palm. “Tell me, Megan. Tell me.”
Megan spent the next hour detailing her crush on Cane. She told Molly about their long conversations, the way they’d fallen asleep beside each other several times, and even about the dare when she kissed him.
“And then he pulled me into the tent and kissed me for real. Molly, I swear, I felt that kiss down to my toes.”
“Wait a minute, there’s something I don’t understand,” Molly interrupted. “You said it didn’t work out between you. Why? He was a real sweetheart on Accept this Dandelion and it sounds like he was Prince Charming on The Leftover. Granted, I wasn’t there, but from the outside looking in, he seemed totally into you. What went wrong?”
Megan shrugged. “He’s still hung up on his ex.” Her eyes watered. “He’s not ready to move on and I can’t imagine competing with her.” Megan dropped her head onto Molly’s shoulder as her sister stroked her hair.
“You’re talking about Eva, aren’t you?
Megan nodded against her sister’s textured shirt.
“When will you learn, Megan? You don’t give yourself enough credit. Forget about Cane Trevino. You want a guy who wants you and the one who does will be the luckiest man in the world. You don’t realize it, but any man would be lucky to have you. You can compete with anyone. But when the right guy comes along, you won’t have to. You’ll be the only woman he sees.”
Chapter Thirty
Megan smoothed her hand over the dress her sister had forced her to wear. Molly had even curled her hair and nearly poked her eye out with a mascara wand. Megan felt more in her element on the beach with sand between her toes than in the wedge heel platform shoes Molly had shoved onto her feet. But when she’d seen the finished product, she had to admit, she didn’t look half bad.
The contestants were back together again in the studio in front of a small live audience. They weren’t allowed to talk under order of Mike, the producer, so Megan had some time to work up a good panic. She was thrilled to see Carson and Grace and less than thrilled to see Andrew and Kat. Megan made it a point to connect with each of the contestants with eye contact, a smile, or a small wave. They couldn’t speak, but she wanted to greet them all in some manner. She was surprised by how quickly the weeks had passed and she reveled in watching the show with her sister. But even though she’d done a passable job on the TV show, she now had to face a live audience plus all the people watching at home. She was bound to do something outlandish.
Megan had spent the time between the taping and the finale holed up in her home, returning to her old habits. She caught up on work, paced around her couch, and flopped over to relax. But no matter what she did, she couldn’t keep her mind off Cane. From her small-time crush after watching him on Accept this Dandelion, she’d developed real feelings for him. He had paid attention to her and made her feel like she mattered. Coupled with his natural good looks, his big heart, and his willingness to help anyone in need, he had turned into her ideal man. That was probably why his curly hair and sparkling eyes kept creeping into her mind every time she tried to shove thoughts of him away.
As much as she tried to stop herself, she wondered if he would be there to watch the finale. His part of the show was over. There would be no medical emergencies to tend during a studio taping. He didn’t need to be around, so why would he come?
Megan had almost convinced herself that Cane would be nowhere near KETO when she saw a head of dark hair catch the light just off to the side. She squinted. She and the other contestants were sitting under bright lights and the rest of the room was completely dark. It was hard to tell who was who outside of the staging area.
She shook the thought from her head. It was better to concentrate on the task at hand . . . to not be humiliated on live TV. She could worry about whether or not Cane was there later. And really, what did it matter if he was? He’d probably brought Eva as a date anyway.
“Places!” Mike shouted from the center of the room. “Quiet on the set.”
Megan watched as camera operators scurried behind their equipment and the small live audience fell silent. Her hands began to sweat.
“We’re live in three . . . two . . . one . . .” Mike pointed at Wendy. “Good evening, KETO audience!” She paused for applause. “For the past few weeks, we have all enjoyed watching The Leftover on KETO and tonight, we re-unite the cast of the show. We’ll get insider details and see some behind-the-scenes footage. We will also find out who The Leftover will be. First, let’s welcome our final three. Grace, Megan, and Carson . . . congratulations again to all three of you.”
“Thanks, Wendy,” Megan muttered along with the others. She wished she’d been able to talk to Grace and Carson before the show began. She didn’t want them to feel like competitors. They were her friends.
“We’re going to let each of the eliminated contestants ask questions tonight. It should be an interesting evening. But first, you each have thirty seconds to state your case. Remember, the nine people sitting over there will be voting for who they think should win.”
Megan swallowed the lump in her throat. She listened as Carson eloquently talked about his athletic nature and his hand in building the lean-to shelter and cleaning fish for everyone to eat. His points were valid and Megan found herself on his side. His looked like a true PE teacher with his tanned skin, tight polo shirt, and jeans.
Then Grace talked about how she felt at home in the woods and beach and how she fit right into the environment. It was hard to believe Grace was the same person Megan knew on the beach. She recognized her short, dark hair, but instead of shorts and tank tops, she wore a bright yellow sundress. She didn’t overdo it on the makeup, but she definitely wore tinted lip glo
ss and mascara. She was lovely. Megan was impressed when Grace didn’t brag about catching fish left and right or helping her group make it over the wall or any of the other amazing feats she had pulled off. She simply acted like Grace—humble, but as if she could do anything with one arm tied behind her back. And she probably could.
When Grace finished her short speech, Megan cleared her throat and sat up straight. Wendy was staring at her. Was it her turn?
“Um, I don’t have any of the skills Grace and Carson have.” Good start, Megan. “And I never pretended to feel comfortable in those woods or on the beach.” Even better. “In fact, I was totally and completely out of my element.” Perfect, why not just let them kick you to the curb now. “And maybe that’s why I should make it even farther than I already have.” That’s it, getting warmer.
“Let’s face it, I had no business being out there. Sure, I helped start the first fire, but I didn’t want to have anything to do with the fish and I didn’t help myself or anyone else in most of the competitions. And yet here I am. A normal, everyday girl, sitting beside two extraordinary people.” Megan nodded as her eyes roamed from one eliminated contestant to another. That wasn’t so bad. She’d made herself sound like she might at least deserve to be in the final three. It was hard to tell what anyone thought of her speech compared to the others. No one on the other side was showing much emotion in their expressions. They’d all be very good at poker.
Wendy Weathersby clicked her tongue. “And now we’ll turn the mic over to the other contestants. We’ll start with the first contestant voted out and move on from there. Lucy?”
Megan tapped her shoe against the concrete floor, but stopped when it echoed in the still room. She was nervous, but she felt more comfortable around these individuals after their time on the beach than she thought possible. She wasn’t going to keep in contact with them all, but she knew if she ran into any of them on the street, she’d be able to have a conversation with them without ducking into a shadow and avoiding them altogether. She’d come a long way as a person and she felt she owed the show a lot.
Megan wasn’t worried about most of the contestants on the other side. She didn’t know Lucy that well and she hadn’t had much to do with her demise. Lucy asked about competitions and Carson answered well enough for all of them, so Grace and Megan sat back and let the next contestant approach. Sabrina touched on survival abilities and Grace crushed the question. Carson cleaned the fish, but everyone who had been on the beach knew no one could touch Grace in that department. It was better to stay quiet than point out her own inadequacies.
When Nathan and Juan approached the mic together, Megan began to sweat. The two strangers had become inseparable on the show and when they were eliminated at the same time, their bond was further cemented.
“We saw the show,” Nathan said, looping his fingers beneath a different belt buckle than he wore on the beach. “We know what happened. Megan, what can you tell us about our elimination?”
Juan nodded along with his friend. His short hair was pressed to his head as if he had just removed his Cardinals hat before the taping. “We want details.”
Megan shrugged. “I made it my goal not to lie during the game and I plan to continue along that path tonight. I think all of you can agree that I didn’t break that promise. I never told the two of you I was voting for you, but I didn’t tell you I was voting for anyone else either. Really, I think you can blame your elimination on ego.”
“Ego?” Juan asked.
“Oh, not yours.” Megan waved her hand. “His.” She pointed at Andrew, who sneered at her in return. She was going to regret this later. “I told Andrew that the two of you were looking for the Protection Piece. He took that as a personal attack on his game and, well, you know the rest. I can’t really say I’m sorry, guys. You were strong players and to get where I am, you had to go.”
Nathan nodded and Juan clapped a hand onto his shoulder. They looked satisfied. Megan sighed in relief. This inquisition was getting tougher by the minute, but she’d gotten through it so far.
Cane could hardly blink. He didn’t want to take his eyes off her for a single second. Every time he’d seen her on TV when the show aired, he’d wanted to call. But then Andrew would come onto the screen and prevent him from picking up the phone. He kept picturing the two of them together, whispering in the woods. If Megan wanted to talk to him, she could have called him. She and Andrew were probably cavorting around town together. He hadn’t noticed them making eyes at each other on set, but they likely wanted to play it cool for the cameras, like Grace and Carson had.
She looked so beautiful and completely different. Her hair was down and curled, she wore a dress, and even had on real shoes instead of sandals. He noticed polish on her toes and wondered if her injured toe had given her any further problems. He liked seeing Megan dressed up, but if he was honest, he liked her just as much in a ponytail and old shorts. If he was truly being honest, he liked everything about her in any form she appeared.
He’d seen Molly come in and sit down in the audience to view the taping. She’d looked at him but only gave a brief wave. She probably knew all the gritty details and didn’t want to approach him. She felt sorry for him. He had come in second place with a woman . . . again.
Cane was surprised at how different Megan looked, but it wasn’t the hair, makeup, or even the clothes. It was something about her demeanor. She sat taller perhaps. Or maybe it was the way she focused her eyes on the other contestants when she spoke to them instead of staring at her feet. She had a new air of confidence, which he was finding highly attractive. She’d never seemed all that comfortable in her own skin before but now, she looked happy with herself. He was going to have to stay in the shadows or she would be impossible to resist.
Chapter Thirty-One
Tank ambled to the microphone wearing a black T-shirt stretched across his chest and biceps. Megan remembered her first impression of him and the nickname she’d given him. Skyscraper. It still fit him well.
“Hey everyone.” He waved. “I left the show on my own to be with this beautiful woman.” He took a few steps towards Kat, grabbed her hand from her lap, and kissed her palm. “So I don’t have any grudges against any of you. I have one question and the person who answers it best gets my vote.” Tank extended both arms and flexed his biceps. “What do you think of the gun show?” He grinned and raised his eyebrows as the audience tittered behind him.
Carson slapped his forehead. “I think I’ve got a couple of hand pistols and you have machine guns.”
Grace tucked a strand of her short hair behind her ear. “I have to admit, Tank, I’ve been around a lot of strong men in my Army career, but I’ve never met anyone quite like you.”
Megan hadn’t planned on revealing this private fact to any of them, but when it was her turn, it was all she could think to say. “I nicknamed each of the contestants the very first time I saw them and the name I gave you stands true today.” She held an imaginary sword out to his shoulder. “I dub thee ‘Skyscraper.’”
Tank put his “guns” away with a grin on his face. He looked pleased with each of the answers. His biceps had gotten the attention they deserved, at long last.
“One quick question while we have you, Tank…or should I say Skyscraper,” Wendy broke in. “Whatever happened with you and Kat?”
Tank flexed his eyebrows as he made his pecs dance back and forth. “It was good while it lasted.”
Megan stole a glance at Kat, who was rolling her eyes. She took that to mean their relationship hadn’t gone the distance. One week? Two weeks, tops? Whatever the end date, they weren’t a couple now.
“Let’s see what Kat has to say to the contestants,” Wendy segued to the next eliminated contender.
Megan’s temperature rose as Kat approached the microphone. All of them had a hand in her elimination, but she was nervous for Carson’s sake because of the way he played into her interest in him.
“Carson,” Kat called out, j
ust as Megan suspected. “I have a question for you, but first, Megan, what was my nickname?”
Megan swallowed. Who else was going to ask? Here goes nothing. “Er, Talons.”
Kat held her manicured nails out in front of her and tilted her head as the audience chuckled. “Okaaay. Now Carson, back to you. What is it about me that made you think I could be used?”
“I’m sorry?” Carson leaned forward. “Used?”
Kat nodded. “That’s right. You knew I liked you and you used that to your advantage. How many times did you put your arm around me and let me tell you about the dates I wanted you to take me on?”
Carson shook his head. “I apologize, Kat. I did what I had to do. I didn’t mean to take advantage of your affections, but my alliance was in a precarious position and we were looking for a way to chip through the armor in your group. The fact that you had a crush on me was the break we needed.”
Kat tilted her head. “So, you weren’t alone in this venture, is that what you mean? They were all in on it?”
Uh-oh. Megan shrank in her seat, trying to disappear.
“I was the one who suggested he use your crush to get to you.” Grace’s voice came through loud and clear. “It was the only way I could see that we could survive. And, Kat, I’m not sorry for it. It worked.”
Kat glared at Grace. Megan held back a smile. She was proud of her friend. She’d owned up to her part in the situation and didn’t lie to make herself look better. That took guts.
“Honestly, it may have been harder on me than you—no offense.” Megan watched Grace slip her hand into Carson’s. “My feelings for Carson were growing too, and it was tough to watch you hang on him while he pretended to like it.”
“Humph!” Kat crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot on the concrete floor. If Megan had to guess, Grace would not be getting Kat’s vote.
“In that way, I think I owe Carson an apology.” Grace turned to Carson. “Carson, I’m sorry for denying my growing feelings for you and asking you to take advantage of Kat. I should have just told you I liked you and let the chips fall where they may.”
The Leftover Page 21