Page 33 of Falling for the Enemy

I hadn’t meant to laugh so abruptly, but the whole notion just seemed so outlandish. Jack’s expression changed. “It wouldn’t bethatcomical,” he said curtly.

“Oh, come on, you and me, together? Pretty comical,” I said and realized I was digging a bigger hole. Had he actually been considering it? Stranger yet, hadIactually been considering it, and now I was fully in defensive mode about the notion?

Instantly, I sensed tension coming off Jack.

“Jack,” I said in a softer tone. “You can’t stand to sit in the same lunchroom with me. You scowl the instant you see me in the hallway or the building or on campus, for that matter.”

“Get over yourself, Lo. It was a joke.” Soapy water splashed over the side of the wash tub as he yanked the frying pan out and dunked it into the rinse tub. He shoved the frying pan toward me and kept his gaze averted.

“Fine, I’m over myself. Can’t say the same about you.” I dried the pan and put it on the shelf and walked out without another word.

Robyn and Pam were both sound asleep when I reached the hut. I changed to the shorts and T-shirt I’d been wearing for sleep and sat down on the cot. I stared at my injured hand and couldn’t help but smile at Jack’s first aid handiwork. For a second there it seemed the two of us might become friends, butnow that possibility seemed as remote as ever. We were both always on defense with each other. I had no idea why, but I was in no mood to puzzle it out.

Chapter Twenty-Two

JACK

The deck of the boat kept swaying as the wind and rain lashed at my face. The sail of the boat had come loose, and it was covering my face. I flailed my arms to get it off, but it kept covering me, suffocating me. A voice kept calling my name, but I couldn’t find where it was coming from. An octopus slithered up on deck and grabbed hold of my foot. I yelled and kicked out.

I sat up with a start. The mosquito net over my bed was wet as it flapped against my face. Ava was standing at the end of the cot. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, but the storm came early.”

Behind her, the canvas flap snapped back and forth in the wind like the loose sail in my dream. I sat up straighter. “So, you’re the octopus.”

She shrugged. “Been called worse things.”

I rubbed the grogginess from my head and looked over at Norm and Evan. They were both hastily shoving their things into their packs. I swung my legs over the cot.

“Harold and Mia are on their way,” Ava continued as she tied up the mosquito net. There was just enough wind pushing through the three-sided shelter to make that task difficult. One good gust ripped the gauzy net in two.

I stood up and realized I was only wearing boxers. Ava smiled and turned away so I could pull on my shorts and shirt. “I think Pam and Milo should go first. Milo is still itchy and miserable, and Pam, well, she’s just miserable. I asked everyone else, and they agreed. I’ll let you get dressed.” She walked out.

Things were still strained between us, but the next few hours would be harrowing enough that we’d have to put our differences aside. I still wasn’t entirely sure why our friendly, almost flirty, moment had gone south so fast, but I supposed it wasn’t all that surprising given our history—a history that started and took on a life of its own without any catalyst or deep-seated reason. It had been that way between us since day one, and no matter how hard Brimley tried to make us cooperative coworkers, it just wasn’t in the cards. And for some reason that really felt like a gut punch, but I didn’t have time to analyze that because a severe storm was about to sweep through, and it didn’t look like the mild rainstorm Harold predicted.

A tree branch shot past the shelter, reminding me of a witch’s broom flying through the air.

“Did you see that?” Evan’s eyes were round. “That must have been a six-foot branch.”

“We’re going to get clobbered,” Norm stated. It might have been the most astute thing he’d said all week.

“You two finish packing. I’m going to venture outside and get a sense of what’s happening.” I pulled on my boots.

“Lots of rain and wind, that’s what’s happening,” Norm said. “I hope we get out of here before the river floods.” On second thought,thatwas the most astute thing he’d said. I’d been worried about wind and flying debris, but a swollen river escaping its banks was a much bigger danger. The wind had been stealing the spotlight from the torrential rain that was being pulled in every direction by the gusts. But there was no mistaking that water was falling from the sky in sheets.

The camp already looked as if it had been trampled by giants. The sitting logs were in disarray, and our firepit had been washed away entirely. The only remnant of our bonfires was a gray, sludge-filled stream running from the pit down toward the river. I raised my arms above my head to shield my face from flying debris. The wind was relentless, and it made it hard to navigate my way to the next hut. I needed to check on Milo and Ian to make sure they were getting ready for evacuation.

The clouds above were so dark and heavy it seemed that if I stood on tiptoes, I could reach them. They’d settled directly over us, and I couldn’t find a break or spot of blue amongst them.

Milo was giving his mottled arm a good scratch as I brawled with the canvas door and found my way into the shelter. Ian was busy packing. He saw me first. “Professor, crazy weather, eh? Looks like our expedition is going to be cut short.” Ian looked far more disappointed than Milo about that. His allergic reaction to guava had taken the wind out of his enthusiasm, and I couldn’t blame him.

A gust blew in that was so strong it felt as if the shelter might lift away. Ian and Milo instinctively grabbed the edges of their cots as if the light, collapsible beds might keep them from flying off. “I think we’re about to land in Oz,” Milo said.

We eased our tension with a good, short laugh.

“I’m all right waiting for the next ride out,” Milo said. “That way the women can go first. You know, like on theTitanic.”

Ian glanced over at him. “You are obviously missing your television set, Milo. I know Robyn, and she’d be insulted if you told her she could go first because she’s a woman. And then what about Professor Lovely?”

“Ian’s right. I don’t think we want to open that Pandora’s Box. We’ve got enough to worry about. Finish packing and stay within these three walls as much as possible. I don’t think they’ll be heading to Oz anytime soon. I’m sure they’ve withstoodworse. I’m going to find Professor Lovely so we can solidify the evacuation plan.”

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