The Wedding Adventure

Might as well tell her the truth. She’d figure it out for herself soon enough. “We’re on a deserted island, Sterling. There is no resort.”

“There has to be a resort.”

“Sorry.” He didn’t know what else to say.

“If there’s no resort, where will we sleep?” She tilted her chin with an inquisitive look in her eyes. “A hotel?”

He dug the toe of his shoe into the sand. “Right here.”

Her forehead creased, but she still didn’t seem to get it.

“Out here on the beach,” he added. “Or maybe back by the trees. We’ll have to scout out a good campsite. Among the trees would be the best.”

Her eyes widened. “You mean we’ll sleep outside like…camping in a t-tent?”

He nodded. “A tent would be a luxury. Remember this is a survival adventure. Henry wants us to use survival skills.”

“Put me in a motel with poly-cotton blend sheets and no room service and I’ll show you survival skills. This…this is inhumane.” Her words held an edge of panic. She glanced around. “Where are the…facilities?”

“Do you mean bathrooms?”

She nodded.

“Wherever you want them to be.”

Her mouth gaped open. “You mean…in the wild?”

The horror in her voice almost made Cade feel sorry for her. “This isn’t exactly the wild, but the answer is yes.”

She pursed her lips. Yes, she had the perfect pout down pat. He was surprised she didn’t stomp her feet or toss her shoes to the ground. No doubt that’s what she would do next.

“How could Henry do this to us? To me?” Her eyes glistened and Cade thought she might cry. “Henry’s supposed to be my friend. He’s like a brother to me.”

Cade took a step toward her and stopped. He didn’t know what to do. Hug her? He didn’t want to give her the wrong idea. She wasn’t his friend. She was his responsibility for the next two weeks. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Henry said this would be a fun adventure. I’m usually up for anything, but this…” She blinked. “What was he thinking? Henry knows I’ve never been camping.”

Cade understood Sterling’s frustration. He didn’t want to be here any more than she did, but he could imagine this was a lot worse for her than him. She probably didn’t use public restrooms or know what a latrine was. “It’ll be okay.”

“No, it won’t.” Her gaze, full of fear, locked on Cade. “I don’t want to die in the wild.”

“No one is going to die.” Like her or not, he would have to cut her some slack. He squeezed her hand. “I’ve spent lots of time outdoors. Hiking, backpacking, climbing, camping.”

“So you know what to do?”

“I know what to do,” he assured her. “I’ll—we’ll be fine.”

Her brilliant smile made him feel like her hero. A superhero to Henry’s treacherous villain? No, Cade wouldn’t go that far, but he enjoyed spending time outdoors and knew what he was doing. He’d chaperoned a group of kids backpacking on the Pacific Coast Trail and another group on a climb up Mount Shasta. If he could handle a bunch of kids from broken homes with chips on their shoulders the size of Asia, he could manage Sterling. Sure she didn’t come from a broken home and her chip was diamond, but the principle was the same. He just needed a softer touch.

Soft like her skin.

He was still holding her hand. He let go as if it were a stick of dynamite about to blow. Touching her again seemed like a really bad idea. Almost as bad as agreeing to the adventure. He motioned to the wooden crates. “Let’s see what’s inside.”

Cade pried open the lid and removed the contents: toilet paper, cloth napkins, one blanket, a ball of string, a canvas cloth, a plastic tarp, two towels and washcloths, eating and serving utensils, two pots, two mugs, two plates, a plastic bag filled with matches, two rain ponchos, two flashlights and a first aid kit. “No food.”

“It’ll be in the other box.” Sterling’s voice lacked her earlier confidence.

He opened the second crate and pulled out the contents: a battery-operated radio and microphone, sunscreen, lip balm, a container of rice, another of coffee, a bottle of multivitamins, salt and pepper, two buckets and two canteens. He found a handwritten letter at the bottom of the crate.

To my lucky participants,

Welcome to the Isle of Davenport. I purchased it specifically for your adventure so enjoy all this beautiful island has to offer. The crates contain basic supplies to get you started. The rest is up to you to find, make or win during one of my games. You will face a series of tests and challenges. Whoever wins gets a prize. You’ll find a water tank beyond the trees. Enclosed is a map to a fresh water source. I recommend boiling the water before drinking it. I can’t think of anything else to write except it does rain so get a shelter built ASAP. Have fun, my friends, and see you tomorrow.

All my best,

H.

Egomaniac. Cade clenched his jaw. “Henry needs to be sent on his own adventure. The bast—uh, bashful guy.”

Sterling looked dumbfounded. “He didn’t leave us any food except some rice. How much rice can one person eat? White rice isn’t food. It doesn’t even make a good side dish.”

“Don’t forget, we brought our own food.” Cade didn’t want her to worry. Or cry. He opened his pack and pulled out an orange, a bag of crackers, a jar of peanut butter, two cans of tomatoes and three cans of beans. “At least we won’t be eating tree bark or other nasty stuff.”

He expected a smile; he didn’t get one. Uh-oh. The chef had interrupted them so Cade hadn’t seen what Sterling had taken from the galley. “You packed food, right?”

“I—I did.” She clutched her backpack. “But I was thinking more along the lines of snacks and…”

“And what? Show me what you brought.” She looked like a rabbit snared in a trap and guilt surged through him. He hadn’t meant to raise his voice, but he was feeling the pressure. Cade took a deep breath. Like it or not, he was going to have to make sure they both got through the next two weeks. “Whatever you packed will be fine.”

She pulled a small jar of stuffed olives from a side pocket of her backpack. Olives wouldn’t have been his first choice, but it could have been a lot worse.

He smiled. “Good job.”

Next she removed a clear bottle from the main compartment.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Gin.” Pride filled her eyes. “We can make martinis.”

Martinis? Cade’s blood pressure soared off the charts. It was all he could do not to lose it. He wasn’t sure how, but he managed to keep smiling. Even as he calculated the number of cans of beans she could have packed in the same space. “I would have never thought of that.”

“Did you think about dessert?” She pulled three Go-diva chocolate bars from the backpack’s front pocket. “I can’t live without chocolate.”

Cade blew out a puff of air. They had all they needed for hangovers and cavities. Not that it mattered since they were going to starve to death. At least they would go in style—drunk and on a sugar high.

She removed a small can of mandarin oranges, four granola bars and a pear. “The pear’s not ripe, but I thought that would be better since it would last longer.”

Okay, she was redeeming herself for the martinis. “Great.”