Love's Ride (McCallister's Paradise Book 4)

by Rhondeau, Chantel

  The skin at the corners of his eyes crinkled, and Chelsea knew he smiled just before he landed a soft kiss on her lips.

  * * *

  It was all Brad could do to keep control of himself. His dick sprang to life, and he wanted so badly to do more than kiss the beautiful woman in his arms. However, rushing for more wouldn’t get him what he wanted. As difficult as it was, he pressed small butterfly kisses onto her mouth and then backed away, opening his eyes to see her reaction.

  The disappointment and sense of loss that flitted over her face when she realized the kiss was over was all the reward Brad needed for taking things slow. When he finally took Chelsea and showed her what making love was, showed her why it was enjoyable, she’d be begging for it, begging for him. That’s how he wanted this to go. He wanted things to happen because Chelsea wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Not only wanting him sexually but spiritually.

  Matt’s words rang in his mind on a loop Brad couldn’t suppress. Chelsea could be his soul mate. He’d never believed in things like that. Even his parents cautioned that a relationship took work and compromise. They didn’t pretend that their successful marriage was due to some magical connection they had, but because they fought to make their love work through all the trials life threw at them. That’s what a soul mate really was, and Brad wanted it.

  Chelsea finally opened her sky blue eyes and pouted. “Is that it?”

  Cupping her warm cheek in his palm, Brad nodded. “For now, at least until we decide if we both want more.”

  “You don’t know?”

  Oops. Did she honestly think that, or was she being difficult?

  “I know what I want,” he clarified. “I don’t think you do. Let’s figure it out. Come on this trip. I understand your arguments against it but consider the tradeoff. Two weeks stuck together, we’ll learn all sorts of things about each other. By the time we get home, we’ll know whether we have anything worth fighting for.”

  “You really want to do this?” Her brow furrowed, and she grabbed both his cheeks, forcing him to maintain eye contact as though that could tell her something she didn’t already know. “I thought you said it was too much time to take off from work.”

  “Believe it or not, I am teachable.” Brad winked. “Quinn is the happiest he’s ever been. While I’d like to say it’s because he’s the Golden Child and always has things given to him, you’ve made me think about all that. Quinn’s happy because he went after the things he truly wanted—his painting and having Larissa. I want to do the same thing.”

  She shook her head marginally. “Your love is horses. I don’t understand how this trip helps.”

  His grin stretched wider. “Life isn’t all about horses, but yes, I plan to make more time for Warrior once we get home. I’ve worked things out to where I believe I can still manage this island but also go after the things I need and want to find my happiness.”

  “How’s that?” she asked, her tone indicating she remained skeptical.

  “I’ve given some of the workers out at the Adventure Palace more responsibilities and a bump in pay. This frees Matt up to take on more work around the office since he won’t have to go out there every day. It’s a win for us all.”

  “Even for Matt and Sydney? He needs enough time to see his fiancée once in a while or—”

  “Shhhh...” Brad placed a finger across Chelsea’s lips to stall her protests. “Sydney’s moving her home office to this building so they can work together. Once we’re back from our trip and we divvy up all the managerial responsibilities, Matt and I will both have more free time.”

  “Sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought.”

  “I have, in between watching on-line videos about surviving in the wild for two weeks, of course.”

  She giggled, looking down at the packs. “I’m almost afraid to know what you’ve packed. This seems like an awful lot of supplies for a survivalist trip. I don’t think we need it all.”

  Bingo! He’d talked her into it. Brad had hoped going slow and being honest would be his ticket to more of her company, but he didn’t understand women all too well. At least this one was less mysterious than most.

  He brushed a kiss against her cheek and then leaned forward to snag the pack he’d bought for her. “Let me show you what I’ve packed, and then you can tell me what I did wrong and help me pack again.”

  Chapter 13

  Chelsea trudged behind Brad through the chilly rainfall, glad she hadn’t talked him out of packing rain ponchos. Permanent residents of the island had always called winter the rainy season, and it had made Chelsea laugh. Occasional showers plagued the resort side of the island with a bit more frequency during the winter months, but it wasn’t what she considered winter weather.

  However, it seemed further inland the rains lasted longer. Either that or they’d been following the same path as the storm cloud above them. Whatever the reason, the rain had lasted over an hour, and Chelsea gratefully kept the rain poncho in place over herself and her backpack of supplies.

  In front of her, Brad paused before starting up yet another hill, turning to look at her. “How’s it going?” he called.

  She waved for him to keep walking. “I’m okay.”

  Brad turned his head upward, gazing at the sky. “Maybe we should take a break until the sun comes out.”

  They’d walked for less than four hours so far. Brad had estimated their first nighttime stop at Quinn’s Grove would take at least ten hours, considering it took several hours on horseback. Even though he explained his estimation could be off because they’d always ridden there, Chelsea trusted his judgment.

  As she reached him at the base of the hill, she shook her head. “We should keep going until it’s time to eat lunch. I don’t want to get stuck somewhere that isn’t safe when the sun goes down. We need to keep moving.”

  The corners of Brad’s mouth twitched upward. “We’re not exactly in danger out here, Chels. If we don’t make it to the waterfall tonight, we can sleep pretty much anywhere.”

  Grabbing the hose of the water pack attached to her backpack, Chelsea took a long pull before answering. “What if we can’t find water wherever we have to stop? All that dried food is useless without water, and once our packs run out, we’re going to need a place to refill.”

  She knew Brad thought of the island as his childhood playground, but he needed to be serious about this trip. Although he’d packed more things than she’d wanted to, assuring their survival with minimal fuss, Chelsea still didn’t want anything happening to them because they did something stupid like running out of water.

  “You do realize that dehydration is worse than not having food?” she asked.

  He spread his hands wide, indicating the jungle-like area around them. “I’m sure we can find a water source. What I don’t know is if scrambling up slippery ferns and grass to reach the top of this larger hill is such a great idea. What if one of us falls and breaks a bone?”

  Then they’d have to use the satellite phone he insisted on bringing and call for a rescue. As much as she hated to admit it, Brad was right.

  “What’s your plan?” she asked.

  To his credit, Brad didn’t celebrate his victory against her, which Chelsea appreciated. Instead, he took her hand, leading her toward a grove of tall bushes off to their right.

  “Let’s take our lunch break now,” he said. “If we crawl inside here we’ll stay dry until the sun comes out and makes travel safer.”

  Chelsea swallowed hard, hoping Brad wouldn’t think she was a wimp. “What if something already decided to wait out the storm in there?”

  “There’s no reason to worry. The worst we’ll find is a spider or scorpion.”

  She shuddered. “Have I told you I’m arachnophobic?”

  “So you aren’t Wonder Woman, after all, but merely a typical girl.” He winked. “I promise to keep you safe from any creepy crawlies. Any other fears I should know about?”

  Muscular men with
abs to die for. Yep, that scared her more than a little. Brad had made the argument that they’d know whether they liked each other enough to continue a relationship by the end of this trip. What if she decided she wanted one, and he decided he didn’t?

  Not waiting for her to reply, Brad ducked into the small grove of bushes. He batted tall ferns away with one hand and dragged her along with the other.

  To her surprise, the ring of bushes and leaves gave way to a clear space in the center, barely big enough for her and Brad to sit if they cuddled close. “How did you know this wouldn’t be full of branches?”

  “You forget I grew up here. This isn’t the first rainstorm I’ve found myself caught in.” Unzipping his poncho, Brad carefully shrugged out of it. He unhooked his backpack’s straps in the front and wiggled forward until he freed himself from it as well. “There, that’s better. Let’s get your pack off you. I’m not sure about you, but riding horses and daily walks along the beach didn’t prepare me for how hard carrying this heavy pack would be.”

  As he stripped her poncho and pack away, setting it next to his against the bushes, Chelsea couldn’t help but be impressed with his efficiency. He handled their bags easily, as though he were born to do that sort of thing.

  “Now,” he said, “Let me grab our lunch off the top and then we can lean against the bags, so these branches don’t hurt us.”

  That would be nice because currently they scratched through her light jacket and pulled her hair anytime she moved. Plus, crouching down had already started to make her legs protest. It would be good to change position and rest a few minutes.

  “Here we go.” Brad extracted a brown bag that Shane dropped off right as they were leaving. “I wonder what my little brother packed for us.” He motioned for her to sit next to him.

  Spinning carefully in the confined space, Chelsea lowered herself to the ground. To avoid sitting on top of Brad, she accidentally fell into the branches to her right, hissing softly as the small twigs stung her skin.

  Brad shook his head, reached across her body for her right hand, and pulled her closer, safely away from the bushes.

  That had the pleasant effect of pressing her into his chest, and he circled his right arm behind her neck, holding her gently in safety from potential scratches. “I only have one hand now,” he pointed out. “You’ll have to do the honors. It’ll be nice to have one last meal that doesn’t come from a dehydrated envelope.”

  “I don’t understand something.” Chelsea took the bag from him and opened it. “Why did Shane pack us lunch if you hate each other?”

  Brad chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest and shaking Chelsea in a pleasant way. “We don’t hate each other. In fact, Shane’s the one I spent the most time with growing up.”

  “But the way you fight...” Chelsea shook her head, pulling three hoagie rolls from the bag. “Not sure what kind of sandwiches these are, but there are packets of mustard and mayo in the bottom of the bag.”

  “Ah, he must have packed roast beef. He knows how much I like those, and I’m sure Sydney told him I was bemoaning our lack of meat for the next two weeks.”

  Chelsea smiled, reaching to grab the condiment packs. “So that’s why you recommended I eat steak and eggs for breakfast when I left your office yesterday.” She’d thought it was an odd thing for him to say, but unless they were able to catch fish or find nuts growing in the wild, they would be protein deprived for the duration of their adventure.

  “As far as Shane taking care of us,” he said, “we McCallisters might quarrel or bicker, but at the end of the day we’re family. We will fight for each other, no matter our problems.”

  It was hard to understand how they could fight so hard but care so much all at the same time, considering Chelsea didn’t have a family. It seemed that Shane and Brad loved each other, no matter what arguments they had over the business. It would be wonderful to have something like that for herself. If only her brother had lived, she might have had that.

  Banishing any sad thoughts from her mind, she turned her attention to lunch and peeled the plastic wrap from the first sandwich. “Do you want mustard or mayo?”

  “Better use the mayonnaise now and save the mustard packs. I’m not sure all those meals I bought will be tasty. We might want something to add flavor.”

  Opening the bread, Chelsea noted the high-piled beef slices, the generous helping of cheddar cheese, and a single layer of lettuce. It was a good thing they’d work this meal off throughout the rest of the day. She didn’t mind her curves, but that much cheddar wasn’t something she normally indulged in.

  “Too bad we didn’t bring hand sanitizer, but we’ll have to risk the germs since we are in survival mode.” Closing the sandwich, she passed it to Brad’s free hand and quickly prepared her own. “It was sweet of Shane to send these. I’m glad to see some caring between you guys. I wasn’t so sure after dinner.”

  “Shane’s young,” Brad explained in between bites of his lunch. “He still thinks money grows on trees, and he should have whatever he wants. He doesn't yet realize that he needs to make profits to cover the new ovens we put in before I can justify buying him anything else. Luckily, one of the things I’ve decided to do is put Matt in charge of my siblings.”

  “All of them?” It impressed her that he’d made that decision. She had figured Brad enjoyed lording his power over the siblings that he hated, but this conversation was enlightening.

  He chuckled and stroked her shoulder, the mere touch making her body respond with the same desire it had in his office the night before.

  “I’m even putting Matt in charge of Quinn,” Brad confirmed. “I think it’s best if the only contact I have with my siblings is at resort parties and family dinners. This way, I’m not dragged down by my desire to compete with them.”

  “And by their desire to ask for things?” She snuggled into his chest and munched on her sandwich.

  “Exactly. Matt managed his charity successfully before coming here and dealt with people harder to control than my brothers. He says he doesn’t mind handling them, and I have confidence he’ll be able to be tough but fair, doing what is in everyone’s best interest.”

  Chelsea couldn’t believe it. Brad had mentioned something about trying to be friends with Quinn that first day when they rode the horses up to the picnic, but this was a level of maturity she hadn’t expected from him. It was a perfect solution, putting Matt in charge. Especially since Matt and Sydney made plans to work at the office building together, fixing the problem of them having limited time with one another.

  “Are you doing this because you want to impress me?” she asked. “Or do you want to fix things with your family?”

  “Both,” he replied. “With the Golden Child reaching out to me at his gallery event and you opening my eyes to how contentious my relationship with them is, I knew I had to fix things. I’m glad you called me out on it. I need someone like you in my life. Someone who won’t put up with any of my shit.”

  * * *

  Long after their sandwiches were a memory, Brad listened to the soft patter of rain on the leaves surrounding them, occasionally plopping a fat drop of water onto his head. After a while, the chirping of birds took over the drip of water but Brad didn’t move.

  Chelsea had fallen asleep in his arms after they packed the last sandwich away, and Brad didn’t want to wake her. She shifted in her sleep, snuggling closer and hugging his body. The steady puffs of her breath caressing him was enough to drive him crazy with wanting her. At the same time, holding her and wishing life could always be this way was enough for right now.

  As the bird songs around them increased in tempo, sunlight penetrated through spots where rain had previously reached them, raising the temperature to an almost uncomfortable level.

  Chelsea shifted restlessly and after a few more minutes let out a heavy sigh. “I can’t believe I fell asleep,” she said. “Sorry about that. I let myself get entirely too comfy with you.”

  S
he didn’t sound sorry, which pleased Brad. He wasn’t either. The more comfortable she felt, the better.

  “We should get moving,” he said, squeezing her a little tighter. “We stopped longer than an hour, and that puts us behind schedule.”

  “You don’t seem to be moving.” She let out a soft giggle. “And I’m not sure I can. My legs are asleep again. Why does that seem to happen around you?”

  He kissed the top of her head. “It’s the price of adventure, doc.”

  She stretched, shaking her legs one by one. “When I pictured how exciting a trip like this would be, I didn’t imagine the downfalls.”

  “It’ll be better tonight,” he promised. “Once we reach Quinn’s Grove, I’ll pitch the tent I brought, and we can stretch out to sleep.”

  A scoffing sound came from her as she sat up and fumbled to put her pack on. “I still say that’s camping not surviving. We should be building our shelter at night and finding food, not living in a tent and cooking our dehydrated meals.”

  Brad couldn’t help but grin while he shrugged into his own backpack. He liked how stubborn Chelsea could be when she felt passionate about the subject. After hours of negotiation last night in his office, Brad had removed half the food he’d planned to take, agreeing they could find fruit growing wild on the island to supplement nightly meals.

  It had excited Chelsea to find the fire starter he packed among her things, and she teased that he finally did something right. Brad thought it prudent to keep the lighter he brought a secret. She vetoed the small gas burner he’d wanted to bring in case they couldn’t start a fire.

  They haggled over that for a long time. In exchange for taking the burner out, he insisted on packing a first aid kit. She’d also agreed to them each hooking a lightweight sleeping bag onto their packs in addition to three sets of clothing, although he could tell she thought it was too much for a survivalist trip.

  So, fine, they were camping. Nothing wrong with that. Once they added in a machete for each of them to chop firewood and cut through dense brush they might encounter, their water storage packs, and hygiene supplies, their backpacks were fairly full. Brad could still think of many things he’d have brought along if given the choice.