There is more thrashing through the foliage, and we all spin around to see Maddie and Gemma jog to a stop.
“Who’s the one with those ear-splitting lungs?” Maddie asks, her gaze immediately landing on me.
For a split second, I stare at Heather, at her wide eyes and her suddenly composed demeanor, and I know it would be so easy to out her. I could let everyone know the catty woman who made fun of me for being scared of bears is actually the one who was terrified when it came down to it.
I could use the moment to make her look just as bad as she has made me look time and again, but I don’t. I refuse to be her. I choose to lead by example.
Yes, I’m the older of the two of us.
Yes, I’ll be the mature one.
Yes, I’ll show her that we aren’t in competition, and that, at times, yes, I’ll take one for the good of our partnership.
“It was me,” I say with a laugh and a bashful raise of my hand. “You know how much I fear bears.”
And out of the corner of my eye, I see Heather stutter in motion, lips falling lax, eyes blinking rapidly.
Yes, I just covered for you. Now it’s time for you to grow up and do the same, I say with the look I give her.
“Thank god it was just a scare,” Gemma says as Slade slides a hand around my waist and presses a kiss to my temple.
“Let’s get out of here,” the activity director says. “Just in case it was one.”
He turns to lead the way out of the woods, but Slade tugs on my hand, his head dipping down so he can look straight in my eyes.
“You okay?” he murmurs quietly.
“Fine.” My smile is quick, strained.
When I go to walk, he keeps me in place.
“What?” I ask.
“That wasn’t you who screamed, was it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’ve heard you scream my name plenty on this trip”—his grin is lightning quick—“and that wasn’t you.”
I shrug coyly, and then we both jump when there is loud rustling at our backs. Slade pushes me behind him for safety as we turn so that when he throws his head back and laughs, I have no idea why.
I step out from behind to see what’s so funny.
And there with his green waders on, fishing pole in one hand, and bucket hat loaded with hooks sitting atop his head, stands Heather’s bear, Ed. His grin is huge and his eyes are mischievous.
“Ed?” Slade chuckles as he moves toward him. “What in the hell are you doing out here?”
“Hey, guys.” He holds up his free hand in greeting. “Just taking a shortcut here over to a new hot spot I found when I guess I scared the bejesus out of that girl you were talking there with.” He lifts his chin in the direction of where Heather and the rest of them went.
“You let us think you were a bear,” I say around a laugh.
“Yeah, well, she wasn’t being too nice to you, so I figured she deserved a little scare to knock some sense into her.” He shrugs. “A little fear never hurt no one.”
“Ed,” Slade says and laughs, shaking his head in disbelief, “the world needs more men like you.”
“Maybe so,” he says, “but this one needs to get some fishing in before the sun moves behind the hills.” He starts shuffling his feet. “You two have a good rest of the day now.”
“Thanks. Good luck,” Slade says.
“Don’t need it, but thanks.” His laughter filters back through as we both stand and stare at the direction he went.
“Did that really just happen?” I ask.
“Yes, it did.” He snorts. “Fucking, Ed.”
“I’m glad to know there really wasn’t a bear, but I’m happy to know I didn’t act like an idiot either.”
“True.” Slade reaches out and links his fingers with mine. “Does Heather understand you just took the hit so she can save face?”
“I think she does.”
“Why would you do that after everything she’s done to you?”
“Sometimes, you have to be the bigger person to spark the change, and other times, you simply have to play the game.”
He shakes his head and laughs. “Is that right?”
“There’s more than one way to howl at the moon, Henderson.” I take a step away from him but don’t drop his hand. “Someone pretty awesome taught me that.”
Blakely
“You cold?”
“No.”
This is right where I want to be—on the dock, toes in the water, Slade’s arm wrapped around me, and with the moon high above.
“I still can’t believe we won that stupid game.” He laughs and shakes his head.
“How did we guess all of those things right about each other?” I think of the silly questions tonight in our Glam version of the old game show testing contestants’ knowledge about their newly married spouse.
What’s your ideal date night?
What do you wear to bed?
What food do you hate?
“We’re the ones pretending, and we beat everyone who wasn’t.”
I laugh softly at his words while they sting at the same time. Because he’s right, we are pretending.
Or maybe we were pretending, and I forgot about that. I got caught up in how so damn easy everything is between us—the talking, the playing, the sex—that I forgot we were, in fact, faking it.
I did exactly what Prisha warned me not to do. I let the ease of Slade and how he treats me mess with my head.
Sure, the sex is fantastic, but there can be sex without long-term emotions.
And I let those grow when I knew I shouldn’t have.
I made the mistake of thinking this is more.
Deep breath, Blakely.
He’s a rebound.
Don’t ruin the last night together.
You forgot that’s what this was.
Tuck your thoughts away.
It’s what you needed so you took it.
Enjoy the time.
He’s just a rebound.
“Tell me, when you’re reinstated at work—”
“When?”
“Yes, when. Just like when I get the promotion. What’s next for
