“Regardless of what you had in the past, Chels, that’s not how things will work with us.” He stared into her light blue eyes, hoping she sensed his sincerity. “So tell me, what is the one thing you need us to do together every week to keep yourself happy?”
She hesitated, looking away.
Brad let his hand drop back to the water, realizing he might have made a wrong assumption. “If you need time on your own each week to stay happy, that’s okay too. I didn’t mean to imply you had to spend every second with me.”
“It’s not that,” she hurried to say. “I’m just not sure what I need on a weekly basis. I’m assuming spending time together, perhaps having our meals with each other in the evenings and that sort of thing are givens. You mean to ask what I need beyond that, right?”
At least she let herself trust him. She expected their evenings to be together. Considering how strange she could be about certain things, Brad hadn’t been sure that was a given in her eyes. “Right. And, of course, that means you’ll need to accompany me to family dinners each week. I want you by my side, but I promise not to fight with Shane and make you uncomfortable.”
Chelsea laughed. “Yeah, right. I’ll believe that when I see it. Something tells me you and Shane will still bicker, even if Matt’s in charge of the business end of things. You and your brothers will find things to argue about.”
He nodded, knowing some things wouldn’t change. “You have a point. Fine, I promise not to let them get under my skin without an excellent reason. I won’t automatically assume they’re trying to be assholes all the time.”
“Sounds fair.” She slipped her hand into his, twining their fingers together. “The only thing I can think of that I love doing is walking along the beach right at sunset. I go every evening, but I understand that might be hard for you some days. I’d love to have you with me, but I know your work might have to come first at times.”
It was true that he’d spent a lot of evenings in his office past sunset, eating dinner delivered from Shane’s restaurant while he worked. However, he wouldn’t make the same mistakes that his oldest brother made, spending more time in the office than he did living his life. Chelsea was more important than the job.
“I’ll be off work every night to walk with you unless there’s an emergency,” he promised.
She smiled. “Is this what it’s like to have a real, grown-up romance? I always counsel my patients with relationship issues to communicate and compromise, but I’ve never had the opportunity to practice what I preach.”
“Well, prepare yourself, love. I expect to be the man you practice on from here on out.”
Chapter 25
At the sound of rushing water and the splay of afternoon sunshine forming a rainbow around the waterfall at Quinn’s Grove, Chelsea sagged with relief. She’d never been so happy to reach a place in her life. While it was true they were only halfway back to the beach, the remainder of their trip was more familiar to Brad and the trail was already cut. It should be easier.
The last five days had been slow going and difficult, each step hard fought. At times, Chelsea wondered if they’d make it. Brad didn’t complain, but she could see in his face that the pain he experienced only increased with each step. Nights were particularly bad on him when they huddled together in their single sleeping bag at whatever place they happened to be when Brad couldn’t continue moving.
At least with the pathway mostly clear from obstructions, due to the many trips Quinn and Larissa had made to the waterfall, Brad shouldn’t have to struggle as much. There were no boulders to climb over, no small passageways to squeeze through. It was a clear shot from here to the resort, with the roughest thing they might encounter being hills they had to go down. Still, there shouldn’t be any places where Brad would be forced to use his arms to brace himself through an area like he’d done to this point.
Chelsea unbuckled the backpack and dropped it to the ground. “I know we could travel a few more hours,” she said, turning to Brad. “But I think we should stay here tonight, get some rest and make a fresh start in the morning.”
Brad looked away from her eyes, but not before she saw the pain in his. He needed to stop.
Chelsea crouched near the pack, knowing Brad didn’t want her drawing attention to his discomfort. “I’ll go out to those papaya trees you said were here and get us enough for dinner and breakfast, but first let me set the sleeping bag up so you can rest.”
“Wait, not out here.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Brad nodded toward the waterfall. “I came here about a year and a half ago when Larissa and Quinn were stranded. There’s a cave behind the waterfall, and Quinn keeps things inside. With him and Larissa making so many trips out here now, I’m guessing they’ve brought supplies in case they ever get stranded again. We should check it out.”
Chelsea practically went weak with relief. They’d eaten their last dehydrated meal yesterday, and her stomach had grumbled all day. Since leaving the hot spring, they’d subsisted with one meal in the evenings and a few mangos they found which were almost ripe, but not quite, upsetting her stomach so bad she’d wished she hadn’t eaten them. If Quinn and Larissa left supplies, that could be the difference between her and Brad fainting with hunger before reaching the resort or making it home safely.
She hefted the backpack into place on her shoulders. “Let’s check it out.”
The cooling mist from the waterfall rejuvenated them from their long hike. Most days there had been a small spat of rain to cool them as they traveled, but today had been hot and humid. Chelsea’s clothes stuck to her back, but the spray of water helped. Too bad neither of them was in a position to swim in the deep waters of the pool. It would be nice to have a bath, which they hadn’t been able to accomplish since leaving the hot spring.
At least they both smelled equally bad, so Chelsea didn’t have to worry about Brad getting grossed out by her. All their hygiene items had been in her bag, which now rested at the bottom of the lava tube.
“I’ll go first,” Brad said as they reached the base of the waterfall. “See the path in the rocks?”
Chelsea nodded, noting how they marched upward like stepping stones.
“It’s slick but safe enough. I’m not sure if you should attempt it with the backpack on, though.”
“I can do it,” she assured him. “I’m getting good at this hiker woman thing.”
One of the many things she’d learned that she like about Brad was the fact that he didn’t question her. If she said she could do something, he trusted that she could.
With a nod to acknowledge he’d heard her, Brad turned and started up the path.
Chelsea followed close on his heels, afraid if Brad slipped, he wouldn’t be able to catch himself. If that happened, she’d have to do whatever it took to stop him from falling. While landing in the water wouldn’t be the end of the world, if that happened it would be up to her to pull him out. There was no way his shoulders and back would handle that.
Luckily, he ducked beneath the cascade of water without incident.
Chelsea blew out the breath she’d been holding and followed after him.
Dim light filtered inside, revealing a decent-sized cave easily large enough to sleep in without issue. They could back far enough away from the waterfall that they wouldn’t get hit by mist. Satisfied they could stay here, Chelsea dropped the pack and set to work rolling out the sleeping bag, preparing a place for Brad to rest.
By the time she had finished that, a lantern had flared to life, casting a flickering shadow across the walls.
“I knew Quinn and Larissa would keep this place stocked,” Brad said, sounding excited for the first time in days. “There’s food, Chels. Real food!”
He turned, tossing something at her.
Grabbing the package from the air, she stared at it in awe. “Jerky? Oh, I’ve dreamed of something like this.”
“There’s more where that came from.” Although he
let out a soft whimper of pain, Brad grabbed a box from the shelf before turning to join her near their bag. “This box is full of jerky, and there are other canned goods back there and a can opener. We can eat.”
Chelsea tore into the sealed package he’d tossed her, handing it to Brad. “Sit down and eat. I’ll see what else there is.”
Brad sank onto the sleeping bag. “Wish I’d thought to bring jerky. We could have had meat all this time. The survival videos suggested hunting for meat, and even though I knew we wouldn’t find any animals, I never considered jerky.”
Shuddering slightly, Chelsea forced a smiled. “I thought I wanted to be a survivalist, but I don’t think I could kill animals to do it.”
He snorted out a laugh. “Chels, I know you aren’t a vegetarian. What’s the difference between buying a hamburger or eating a squirrel?”
“It’s just different,” she said, heading to the back of the cave.
Someone had built several shelves along the back wall and various items rested there, covered in plastic. Most of it looked to be art supplies, and Chelsea remembered many of Quinn’s paintings at the gallery had been of nature scenes, several of this very waterfall. It must be the place he came to get inspiration.
A large plastic chest rested on the ground and Chelsea unlatched the top of it, holding the kerosene lantern up to get a view of its contents. Inside, blankets and pillows stuffed inside more plastic bags reassured Chelsea they wouldn’t be cold tonight.
“Why did your brother bring so much stuff out here?” she asked. “I’m not complaining, but there’s a lot of blankets in addition to the food. There are even empty glass jars on that shelf we can use to get water from the falls.”
“And luckily it doesn’t need to be boiled,” Brad said. “We can stay a few days here, eating and drinking our fill before heading home.”
Chelsea loaded her arms with blankets and pillows, returning to Brad. She stuffed a pillow between his back and the cave wall before sitting next to him and spreading a blanket across the top of them both. While the chill of the cave had originally felt good after being in the heat all day, Chelsea had already begun to feel cold from the dampness.
“I’m not sure we should stay too long, Brad,” she cautioned. “I know you've tried not to worry me, but I can tell how badly you hurt. My arm is getting better each day, but there's something seriously wrong with your shoulders, isn’t there?”
He sighed, using his foot to edge the box of jerky toward her. “Eat. Don’t worry about me.”
“I can’t help but worry about you. I love you.”
“Even after five days of me being a pussy and you doing all the work?” He scoffed and took another big bite of his food.
“Is your manliness challenged by a woman taking care of you?” She raised an eyebrow, curious about just how bitter he might be. Perhaps all the plans they’d made at the hot spring were about to be over, now that reality was setting in. Real life was messy and hard, and they’d had more than their fair share of difficulties over the past week.
After a few more seconds, Brad shook his head. “I’m not mad at you for taking care of me if that’s what you’re thinking. I love you, and nothing will change that. It’s just frustrating that you’ve had to work so hard while I can’t even get myself down a stupid hill.”
“That’s what partners do, though, right?” She opened a package of jerky, relieved that he hadn’t directed his frustration toward her. It would have been an easier path for him to take—she saw that kind of thing happen all the time between people. “Sometime in the future, I’ll be the one needing your help, and you’ll be there for me to lean on just like you were when you pulled me out of that hole.”
“Of course. I’ll always do whatever I can for you.”
She shrugged and kissed him lightly. “Then stop letting yourself be frustrated, my love. We’re a team, and I’ve never been happier about anything in my life.”
* * *
After gorging themselves on jerky, Brad watched as Chelsea piled the pillows and blankets, building them a bed to keep them off the cold ground. He knew it would irritate her if he expressed his anger again at his inability to help with the chores, so he tried to take his mind off that. Checking out her sexy ass was a mighty fine way to do so, but it worried him that the jeans she wore, which previously fit her so well, were baggy and all but falling off. He wondered how much weight she’d lost over the last five days while they existed on far less calories than they expended each day.
“You’ve been so worried about me, Chels, but are you okay?”
She pulled back the top cover, leaving it open invitingly before standing upright. “I get a bit dizzy when bending down,” she admitted, grabbing her head and holding still for a few moments. “I think it’s a combination of lack of food and partial dehydration. We haven’t always found water, so I’m excited that tonight will be so easy.” She’d already filled the glass jars for them twice until they satisfied their thirsts.
“Why don’t we lie down and snuggle?” Brad suggested. “I know it won’t be dark for a few more hours yet, but I’m exhausted and I suspect you’re in worse shape than I am, energy wise.”
She nodded, amenable to his wishes as usual. “First, I want to do what I can to take a shower in that waterfall. I’m filthy and I can hardly stand the smell of myself. I don’t want to climb into Quinn and Larissa’s blankets like this.”
It was a good idea. The last time they’d had enough water to spare for a sponge bath had been two days ago. Brad hadn’t let himself worry about it, but he smelled funky.
“Quinn paints up here. I bet I can find soap. He doesn’t care about getting paint all over his hair, but he’s careful to keep his hands clean. There’s got to be something.”
Chelsea took her shoes off and walked to the end of the cave. “You look while I figure out how this will work. I think I’ll have to funnel the water toward me with my arms, which means I’ll need to help you too.”
Yet another thing he couldn’t do on his own. However, getting clean would be worth it. He knew he should make an inventory of everything Quinn had in here on the shelves, using it to map out a plan of how they would get the rest of the way home, but for now taking a shower and crawling into bed with Chelsea sounded heavenly. It was all he could handle.
Luckily, his hunch paid off. Next to the plastic bags protecting Quinn’s art supplies, Brad found a bottle of liquid dish soap. It might be hard on their skin, but it would do the job. A bottle of vanilla-scented lotion rested next to it, so they could use that to keep their skin from drying out.
Grabbing both bottles, he walked toward Chelsea. Amused, he watched as she repeatedly doused cold water over her head, using her arms as a funnel like she’d planned. He wasn’t sure why she left her clothes on, but they needed to wash everything, so it made sense to do it all at once.
"Here. This will be hard on our bodies, but it’ll do the trick.”
Chelsea took the soap from him, pouring some into her hands and then rubbing it on her clothing, skin, and hair. “Give me a bit,” she said. “My clothes are filthy so I decided to shower them first. I’ll help you when I’m done.”
“Take all the time you need,” Brad replied. “I’m just waiting for those clothes to come off.”
She winked. “Then keep watching, Mr. McCallister. You’re about to get your wish.”
* * *
Chilled but clean, Brad snuggled into the pile of blankets, holding Chelsea to his side. “You’re the most amazing woman, you know that?”
She kissed him and then smiled. “I’ve always known that, but it’s great to hear you say it.”
He chuckled, loving her confidence. Although she’d been cautious and uncertain for a few days, leading up to her confession about the troubles in her life, Brad appreciated that she wasn’t always so insecure. Once they’d pledged to be together and find ways to make their relationship work, Chelsea had gone back to being the happy, smiling woman he’d watc
hed at all the company parties.
Her secretive nature had evaporated, and Brad knew he’d never have to worry about her lying to him again. The whole phone fiasco could have been avoided if they’d just communicated better at the beginning of their trip, but in some ways Brad wasn’t sorry it happened.
“If we hadn’t lost that phone, I don’t know if we would have really found each other,” he murmured softly, stroking her bare stomach with just his fingers, so he didn’t have to move his arm.
Her eyes narrowed, but she caressed his face, stroking the long growth of beard that had gathered over the days. “What made you think of that?”
“I’m just happy we don’t have to lie to each other anymore. We both did things that were sneaky because we didn’t really know the other person. As scared as I was of losing you and as hard as it has been on me to sit by and watch while you take care of everything, it allowed us to see the truth about each other, so we never have to worry again. I trust you completely, and I’m guessing you feel the same way about me.”
“Yes, of course,” she agreed. “You said we’d know at the end of this trip whether we wanted to be together. All the troubles have actually helped us see it more clearly than I think you anticipated.”
“I love you more than I ever thought possible to love another person, Chelsea. That’s what is clear to me.”
She kissed his cheek. “Even if I did lie and almost kill us?”
He chuckled. “Maybe because you lied and almost killed us. You let me in, let me see the scared little girl inside of you while also showing me the strong, capable woman. It’s a combination I find rather sexy.”
“Oh, yeah? I’ll show you sexy.”
Love's Ride (McCallister's Paradise Book 4) Page 18
