Game On (Fair Catch Series, Book Six)

by Christine Kersey

  She watched as he took a marshmallow out of the package and slid it onto a roasting stick, completely ignoring her.

  Was that how he wanted to play it?

  Pushing herself out of her chair, she got her own marshmallow and roasting stick, but waited to roast her marshmallow while Mia and Rob did theirs.

  “Dang it!” Mia said as her marshmallow blazed, then blackened.

  Rob and Tyler laughed, and a moment later Rob pulled his semi-browned marshmallow away from the coals.

  Jeff and Ann went next. Ann’s marshmallow was rather pale when she pulled it out. Putting her marshmallow between two graham cracker squares, she said “I like mine just warmed up.”

  Everyone laughed, and when Jeff’s came out with just a touch of brown, he grinned. “That’s how you do it, kids.”

  “I don’t know, dad,” Tyler said. “That’s not brown enough.” He squatted in from of the fire. “Let the expert show you how it’s done.” Then he looked at Brielle, a smile on his face, a challenge in his eyes. “Let’s see how you do.”

  “All right.” She squatted beside him, and with the handle of the roasting stick in her hand, she held the marshmallow about two inches above the coals, slowly turning it to make it evenly brown.

  Tyler’s marshmallow was near hers and she thought he was holding it a little too close to the coals, but she kept her thoughts to herself. A moment later his marshmallow burst into flames. He yanked it toward his mouth and blew out the fire.

  Rob laughed heartily. “You are off of your game, bro. That’s twice today.” Another laugh. “I just hope you get it together before fall.”

  What happened in the fall? About to ask, when Tyler growled at Rob to be quiet, Brielle decided it was best to keep her questions to herself. Instead, she focused on her marshmallow. It was perfect—a nice, even golden brown, crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. She lifted it from the fire and showed it to Tyler, who had moved back to his chair. “What do you think?”

  Before he could answer, Rob spoke up. “Maybe Brielle should roast your ‘mallow, bro.”

  “Yeah,” Tyler said. “Maybe.”

  Brielle couldn’t tell if he was annoyed or not. She didn’t know him well enough to read his moods and that frustrated her. Wanting to make up for her earlier mistake, she held the handle of the roasting stick out for him to take. “I made this one for you.”

  “Aw,” Rob said, his tone sarcastic.

  Ignoring him, Brielle waited to see what Tyler would say. By the light of the fire she couldn’t clearly make out his expression, but when he took the stick from her he seemed to be smirking. “Thanks.” He stood, towering over her. Brielle took a step back and nearly lost her balance. Tyler’s hand shot out and he grabbed her arm. “Careful.”

  His voice was deep and wrapped around her, warming her. Or maybe that was the fire.

  “Come help me make my s’more,” he said.

  Everyone was sitting in chairs around the fire, leaving a small space between the group and the picnic table. Figuring Tyler wanted to talk in private, Brielle stepped over to the table with him. Was he mad at her? Was he going to tell her this whole fake girlfriend thing wasn’t working out and that she needed to leave? Nervous, she waited to see what he would say.

  At the table he handed her the roasting stick, then he took out two squares of graham cracker and set them on a napkin, placed a piece of chocolate on one square, then took the stick back and used the remaining graham cracker to hold the marshmallow in place on the chocolate while pulling the stick out.

  He hadn’t said a word, which only stretched her nerves tighter. Needing to break the tension, she said, “Now that’s a perfect s’more.” He picked it up from the napkin and held it out to her. Surprised, she said, “For me?”

  He nodded, then he smiled. “It was a team effort.”

  She took it from him, relief washing over her. He wasn’t mad at her. “Thanks.”

  “Now let’s see if I can do a better job than last time.”

  Softly laughing, she waited while he put a fresh marshmallow on the roasting stick, then, while he squatted in front of the fire, she ate her s’more, savoring every bite. A moment later Tyler stood in front of the group, a triumphant smile on his face as he showed them a perfectly roasted marshmallow.

  “And he’s back,” Rob said with a grin.

  Tyler laughed. “I never left.”

  As the fire died down, Ann and Jeff excused themselves to go to bed. A short time later Rob went into the tent to get his things before heading to the bathroom, and then Mia said she was going to bed, leaving Brielle alone with Tyler.

  “I guess it’s time to say goodnight,” she said as they sat side by side in front of the embers.

  Tyler stood and held out his hand. “Yeah. I am pretty tired.”

  She let him help her up, glad no one from his family was watching them. Because if they were, wouldn’t they expect them to kiss each other goodnight? Not that she would mind kissing him. But if they were to ever kiss—and she had no reason to think that they would—she wanted it to be a real kiss. Not a fake goodnight kiss all for show.

  “Well,” she said, as she released his hand, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He stared at her a split-second longer, as if he was hoping for more. “Yeah. Goodnight.”

  With a smile, she turned and walked to the RV, half-nervous and half-excited to spend the next day with him.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  As Brielle listened to Rob tell everyone at breakfast the next morning how cold it had been in the tent during the night, she was glad she’d slept in the RV.

  “Don’t be a baby,” Mia said as she poured syrup onto a pancake.

  “Says the girl who slept in a heated RV,” Tyler said with a smirk, then he turned to Brielle. “How’d you sleep?”

  They were all sitting around the picnic table at the campground. The sun was shining, and though there was a slight chill in the air, it looked like it would be a beautiful day.

  “I slept great,” she said as she speared a chunk of cantaloupe. She’d never expected to eat so well while camping, but Ann and Jeff had filled their fridge and pantry with lots of yummy food.

  Tyler sat beside her with only a few inches separating them. When he’d walked into the RV that morning, Brielle had already gotten dressed—she’d woken early and freshened up, anxious to no longer be in her pajamas when Tyler arrived. And when she’d seen his handsome face, the face she’d been thinking about from the moment she’d woken, her heart had done a little flip.

  Now, as they ate breakfast, she worried that she was becoming much too attracted to him. She had to dial it back. In less than a week their “relationship” would be over. If she fell for him, her heart would be shattered when he “broke up” with her.

  How she would dial it back, she didn’t know. It was difficult to control the feelings of her heart.

  When everyone had finished eating, and once the dishes had been done, they all gathered in the RV. They filled the bladders in their CamelBaks with ice and water, then they packed lunches. Excited to go on this hike, once everything was ready, Brielle picked up the CamelBak Tyler had gotten her, then she followed everyone outside.

  “Brielle and I will meet you at the trailhead,” Tyler said.

  She looked at him in surprise. She’d assumed they were all going together.

  “Okay,” Jeff said. “See you there.”

  Brielle walked alongside Tyler toward his Range Rover, and after he opened the passenger door for her, she climbed inside. The moment he was sitting behind the wheel with the door closed, it was like they were in their own little cocoon. Just the two of them.

  “Were you cold last night?” Brielle asked.

  He shook his head as he started the car. “Nope. My sleeping bag could handle it.”

  “That’s good.” After a pause, she said, “Why aren’t we all going in the same car?”

  He glanced her way before pulling onto the road
that would lead out of the campground, following his family in their truck. “It’s a little tight for all six of us to go in one vehicle.”

  That made sense.

  “Besides,” he added, “what if we want to go somewhere on our own after the hike?”

  Thrilled by the idea of spending time alone with him—although she reminded herself that she was supposed to be dialing back her attraction—Brielle smiled. “Like where?”

  “Don’t know yet. There’s lots to see.”

  “How long’s this hike we’re taking?”

  “Only two miles. So, depending how long we stop for lunch, we’ll be done in a couple of hours.”

  “Okay.”

  Ten minutes later they pulled into a small parking area next to Jeff and Ann’s truck. Tyler put on a ball cap, and soon the six of them were walking across a meadow that had a large pond to their left. The path was just wide enough for Tyler to walk beside Brielle. Tyler’s family was in front of them.

  “It feels great to get out here and walk,” she said as she looked his way.

  “I’ll bet Luna would love it.”

  Laughing, Brielle tried to picture it. “Yeah, she would. But you’d have to hold her leash.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “She’d probably lead me right into the wild where bears would find us for sure.”

  Tyler laughed.

  They walked along, Brielle enjoying the sound of the trees swaying in the breeze and the occasional cry of a bird.

  “I know I’ve only been here one day,” she said with a smile, “but I think Yellowstone is my new favorite place.”

  Surprised, yet pleased, Tyler said, “Really?” Maybe he could bring her back next year.

  Hold on. She’s not actually your girlfriend. You’re paying her to pretend.

  Deflated, Tyler held back a frown.

  “Yes, really.” She swept her arms outward. “It’s gorgeous here.”

  Pushing down his regret that she was only there because it was her job, he focused instead on how much fun it would be to show her so many of his favorite places while their fake relationship lasted.

  As they walked side by side, Tyler had the urge to take her hand in his as if she really was his girlfriend. Should he? It had never been hard for him to make a move on a woman, so why was he having such a hard time with Brielle?

  His gaze went to his family, who were far enough ahead that they shouldn’t hear him if he spoke quietly. Without stopping, he turned his head and looked at Brielle. Then, in a low tone, he asked, “Would it be okay if I held your hand?” At the look of surprise on her face, he added, “To, you know, look legit.” Although he knew that was only an excuse. He’d been thinking about holding her hand ever since they’d gotten to the trail.

  The thought of him holding her hand had sent a surge of excitement through Brielle. Then he’d added the To make it look legit part. At that, her delight had crashed.

  This is a job. An acting job. You need to play your part.

  “Yeah,” she finally said, holding out her hand like she had when they’d shaken on their agreement.

  A muscle moved in Tyler’s jaw as he stared at her hand. Then he smiled, although it looked forced.

  Did he really find her so unappealing that holding her hand was a chore for him? It had been his idea, for Pete’s sake. Still, his hesitation was a good thing. It reminded her that this was just a job. She needed to keep that fact front and center.

  He moved her hand so that he could take it in a romantic handhold rather than a handshaking grip, but the momentary thrill she got when his skin connected with hers was tempered by the knowledge that this was all for show. But then, as they walked along hand in hand, it didn’t feel as pretend as Brielle had assumed it would. No. It felt natural. Like their hands had been designed to fit together.

  Stop it. This isn’t real. This is as fake as a relationship can get. Anything else is entirely a figment of your imagination.

  Despite her self-talk, she couldn’t help but wonder what she would do if he wanted to take things up a notch. Like, what would she do if he tried to kiss her? Would she tell him no? Would that mean he wouldn’t pay her? But what if she wanted to kiss him?

  He’s not gonna try to kiss you, so don’t get so worked up about it.

  Then a new thought occurred to her.

  What if she kissed him?

  Heat blasted up her neck and onto her cheeks. She would never do that. Never.

  “How are you doing?” Tyler asked as they entered a forested area.

  Was her face crimson? Could he tell she was mortified by her thoughts? No. They were walking briskly, so surely any redness on her cheeks would be blamed on physical exertion.

  “I’m doing great!” Did she sound too enthusiastic? But she meant it. She was loving being out in nature. Yes, having Tyler by her side made it that much more fun, but that didn’t make it any less true.

  “So, you like hiking?”

  “I do, actually.”

  He grinned. “That’s good news, because most days we go hiking.” Chuckling, he added, “This is actually a pretty short hike. Most of the hikes we take are eight to ten miles.”

  “I can handle that.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Guess we’ll find out.”

  “How are you lovebirds doing back there?” Mia called out with a meaningful look at their clasped hands.

  Suddenly very aware of her hand in Tyler’s, Brielle fought to keep from yanking her hand away.

  “Just fine, Mia,” Tyler called back.

  Mia laughed, then turned back around, saying something to Rob, who then laughed.

  Hearing Mia call them lovebirds felt all kinds of wrong. “Is this weird for you?” Brielle asked, her voice soft.

  Tyler grimaced. “Yeah. Kind of. But it is what it is.”

  See? He has no illusion that this is anything other than make-believe. So put aside your hypotheticals and focus on why he hired you.

  Totally self-conscious about their joined hands, Brielle couldn’t take it anymore and she gently pulled her hand from his. Then, to cover the move, she used both hands to adjust her CamelBak.

  “Everything okay?” Tyler asked.

  This fake girlfriend thing was getting to her. Yes, he was paying her to pretend, but inside she was warring with herself, because if she thought she could stop the attraction she had toward him she was lying to herself. And having him act like he was crazy about her when he wasn’t only made it worse.

  She had a job to do. Yes. But she had to draw the line. No more touching. None. Because it only made it harder for her to control her attraction.

  Now, how to tell him that without actually telling him that?

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Why had Brielle pulled her hand from his? But Tyler knew. Mia’s comment had bothered her. Calling them lovebirds. Yeah, it was weird, but that’s how they were presenting themselves.

  Guess the charade is working.

  Only it wasn’t a complete charade. At least not for him. He was growing to like her more and more. Too bad it was only a job to her.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked again.

  “Yeah.” Then she shook her head. “No.”

  Uh-oh. “What’s wrong?”

  She slowed her pace—he assumed to put more space between them and his family, which was fine with him.

  “Look. I know I’m basically your employee. And that the job is to pretend to be your girlfriend.”

  There was a but coming, he could hear it in her tone. “Yeah?”

  “But…”

  There it was. “But what?”

  Her eyebrows went up like she was embarrassed to share her true feelings.

  “Come on,” he said. “Just say it.”

  “But…just because we’re boyfriend and girlfriend doesn’t mean we have to, you know, touch.”

  She didn’t want to so much as hold his hand? Was his touch so repulsive? Was he repulsive? Used to women throwing themselves
at him, Tyler was unaccustomedly stung. Deeply stung. Painfully stung.

  Would she be singing a different tune if she knew I was the Tyler Brandrick? Running back for the Sacramento Vipers? Star of the NFL?

  Tempted to tell her, he stopped himself. If she disliked him that much, she didn’t deserve to know.

  Then he pictured the day they would say good-bye. He would tell her then. And she would regret treating him this way.

  He knew he sounded like a sullen teenager, but he couldn’t help it. Having her rebuff him so completely was outside of his experience. And he didn’t like it.

  Then a new realization hit him. She was good for his ego. Kept him in check. Brought him right down to earth.

  “Okay,” he said. “No touching.” But having this new boundary made him want to touch her all the more.

  She smiled, relief flashing across her lovely face. “Thank you.”

  “Uh-huh.” Not wanting to consider how hard it was going to be to tell her good-bye at the end of the week, he looked down the trail. His family was out of sight. “We need to pick up the pace.”

  “Right.” She strode ahead of him and he watched her go, his gaze sweeping over her slender hips before moving to her bouncing ponytail. Her hands swung at her sides—hands that were off limits to him. As was the rest of her.

  Why did that bother him so much?

  Was telling Tyler no touching the right thing to do? Would she regret it? She kind of already did. It had felt good to have him hold her hand. But now? That wouldn’t happen again. Not unless she initiated it. And why on earth would she do that?

  She could hear him coming up behind her, could picture his handsome face, wanted him to take her hand.

  Idiot!

  Holding back a sigh, when he came up beside her, she smiled at him, pushing down the regret that already beat in time with her heart.

  Before long they caught up with his family, and soon after that they reached Storm Point, a rocky outcropping along Yellowstone Lake. It was windy there, and Brielle was glad she’d listened to Tyler’s advice to bring a light jacket.