We didn’t have time for this.
“Just relax,” I told her. I tugged hard on her ankle and easily pulled her over the wall. She screamed and fell neatly into my arms.
Without ceremony, I set her down. “You okay?”
She stood on shaking legs, but she nodded.
“Good. We only need to do that four more times.”
By the time we went over the second wall, she was crying. She wasn’t theatrical about her emotions, but she didn’t hide the silent tears that ran down her face as she shimmied through the mud and puddles before allowing herself to be pushed and pulled over each wall. She didn’t speak, complain or quit, but I could tell that she suffered from the way she clung, petrified, to the top of the walls, and the way she crawled with weary exhaustion along the sand.
My training as a soldier took over. Even though my fingers were numb and my body was cold, I methodically took every shot I had and then used all my focus to get Mila to the next shooting station.
The course lasted a grueling four hours. Even I was happy to see the warming tent and the finish line. By the time we stepped inside, Mila was shivering uncontrollably.
“I need to get her warm,” I told the staff without ceremony.
I sat her on a chair in front of a heater before helping her peel off her wet coat and soaked sweater. I wrapped her in a warm, dry blanket and then held her cold hands.
“Thank you,” she whispered. Her entire demeanor was both dejected and exhausted.
“We’re being watched.”
I saw a faint spark of annoyance in her eyes. “Is that the only reason you’re helping me?”
I looked into her eyes and spoke honestly. “Yes.”
“I still appreciate it.”
“I know.”
“We’ll come in dead last, and it’ll be my fault, but I want you to know that you tried really hard.”
I rubbed both of her small hands in mine because her fingers were still ice cold. Maybe she hadn’t noticed, but I had hit every single one of my clay pigeons. Even if our time was slow, I knew we wouldn’t come in last.
I saw Grisha walk into the tent, so I chose that moment to lift Mila’s fingers to my mouth to blow warm air on them. “Better?”
She stared at me with an expression I couldn’t read. “Better.”
I smiled up at her. “Don’t forget to smile.”
Instead she did something I didn’t expect. She leaned forward and kissed me on my cheek, before whispering in my ear, “Better?”
She’d been sweating, wading through dirty water and crawling through the dirt alongside me, yet somehow she still managed to smell fresh and feminine.
“I’d like to take the time to announce the winner of today’s competition.” Grisha’s resonant voice immediately quieted the buzz of conversation in the tent.
I reluctantly pulled away from Mila and her elusive scent to turn and listen to Grisha.
“I’m sorry to say that three entire teams didn’t manage to finish the course. And today’s winner surprised all of us. Coming in first place for both time and shooting score is my niece, Mila, and her boyfriend, Axel.”
Mila looked up at me in shock. “We won?”
I looked over at Grisha, who raised his glass to us. “We won.”
“Are you serious?” Mila came alive. She jumped up and down in disbelief before throwing herself into my arms. I caught her, and we hugged hard and I spun her around.
Most of that was for show, but I couldn’t help but notice how delicate she felt against me.
