Page 39 of Love in Tandem
“I hope you do realize a trip like this is going to require more than faith. It’s going to require stamina.”
“I’ve got stamina.”
“Endurance.”
“Have it in spades.”
“Butt cream.”
“I . . . will purchase some immediately.” Then, “Hey, get out of that.” Charlotte scooped the cat into her arms. “There’ll be rules, of course.”
“I know. I read over the article at Mucho Mucho yesterday. I have to admit though, I thought there’d be more to it. Sounds like the only real challenge is that we can’t bring along any credit cards or phone chargers. Is that it? Am I missing something?”
“You mean other than that little challenge of biking five hundred miles in ten days, which you’ve already implied is going to require more stamina than I currently possess? No. I think you covered it. But those weren’t actually the rules I was talking about. I’m talking about our rules.”
“What sort of rules do we need?”
“Well, have you heard some of the names people are calling this challenge?”
Zach couldn’t hold back a laugh. “My favorite by far is the Canoodling Couples Challenge.”
“That’s what I’m talking about. Rule number one is there will be no canoodling during this trip. Canoodling complicates things. And this whole thing is complicated enough as it is.”
“Define canoodling.”
“Kissing and amorous cuddling. I looked it up five minutes before you got here.”
“I’m scared to ask what the next rule is.” He folded his arms and leaned back against the couch as the cat slunk past him in search of more cheesecake.
“If we do this challenge, we need to be a couple. A real couple. But just for the duration of this trip. We both know a relationship between us would never last in the long run. Which is why there won’t be any canoodling.”
She tossed the cat three feet away from the coffee table. He landed on his feet, then immediately returned to the cheesecake plate.
“So let me get this straight,” Zach said, sliding the plate away from the cat. “You want us to be a real couple. You want us to bike five hundred miles together. But you don’t want us to canoodle. What if we just kiss?”
Charlotte laughed, a rush of pink flooding her cheeks. Then her eyes widened and her face paled. “Please tell me you’re not serious.”
Honestly, Zach didn’t know. He just knew those weird feelings he was developing for Charlotte might seriously get him into trouble, so yeah, maybe some ground rules were a good idea. But you know what else was a good idea? Kissing.
“I just don’t think we should make any hard rules against it,” he said. “I mean, we’re going to be out in the wild. Things happen. We may find ourselves in a situation where our only means of survival is to lock lips. You never know.”
“I think once was enough.”
Once was far from enough. “Fine. But since I know you’ll eventually regret that rule, I’ll add a clause for your sake.” Zach rose to his knees, grabbed the cat and tossed him over his shoulder onto the couch. “You may ask me for one kiss at the time of your choosing, and I will oblige. But just one, Charlotte. I mean it. I know you’ll want more. Tons more. Every day. But you only get one. Understand? Are we in agreement?”
Her soft smile contained a perfect blend of sweetness and gratitude. And Zach half wished she’d ask for that kiss now. “Absolute agreement.”
“All right. Now that we’ve got that settled.” He lifted one knee as he knelt on the other and reached for her hand. “Charlotte Carter, will you do me the great honor of entering a committed canoodling relationship with me for the next five hundred miles?”
She punched him in the shoulder. “You want to try that again?”
Oh, this was going to be fun. Surely California could wait another ten days.
“Ready?” Zach tested the bungee cord wrapped around the camping supplies and duffel bags packed onto the bike trailer the following afternoon. “You know what they say. All journeys begin with a single step. Or pedal rotation, I suppose.”
“I don’t understand why we’re doing this.” Charlotte tugged the hem of her bicycle shorts down toward her knees. “I mean I know why we’re doing this. I just don’t know why we’re doing this.” She swiveled her gaze to where half the town crowded outside Pinky’s Pancakes with balloons and noisemakers.
“Well, you know this town. Can’t do anything without a hullabaloo.” Zach hit Charlotte with his biggest smile, hoping it conveyed more confidence than he felt.
