Lunchatthebaseof the loop trail was…tense. Farah said she had something to tell me later, and it feels like the group who went hiking has fully shunned Brody, leaving him with no one but Cody for company. Even Rosa, who just yesterday looked like she would have to be pried from his side with a crowbar, has apparently shifted loyalties and spent all of lunch in whispered conversation with Morgan and Zahra.
It’s been over an hour since we packed up lunch and set out down the river, and my curiosity is about to kill me.
Of course, this is when Derek decides to shut up after a morning of trying to get me to talk about my long-dead acting career. He’s been rowing in silence since he got in the boat, a glower on his brow and tension in his shoulders, which means he’s part of whatever went down on the hike.
And I can’t take it anymore.
“Okay, spill.”
“Hmm?” He doesn’t even look at me.
“What happened on that hike? Why are you so…” I can’t even find a word for it. “…not Derek?”
His eyebrows pull low, as much from confusion as from amusement, I would guess. “‘Not Derek?’” he repeats, adjusting his oars like it’s second nature. “Because you know me so well?”
“I like to think I do.” The words are out before I can think them through, but I’m not sure they’re wrong. This man may be one of the best actors out there, but I feel like he’s shown me more of the man beneath the masks than most people get. “And while you’ve been snippy before, I haven’t seen you truly angry. So what happened? And don’t say ‘nothing,’ because it’s not just you acting strange.”
“Acting.” He says the word with a huff of air and a roll of his eyes. “Is it weird that I hate when people use that word outside of when I’m on set?”
I consider that question. “No. After I was away from Hollywood for a while, I realized that for most of my life I never knew if the people around me were ever sincere. I was surrounded by actors.”
His lips twist up in a smirk. “So that’s why you don’t like me.”
“I had a lot of reasons not to like you.”
“‘Had,’” he repeats, his smile growing, and I feel inordinately proud of myself for pulling him out of his bad mood. He tucks the oar handles under his legs, looking like a true oarsman as he leans his elbows on his knees. In other words, he’s too attractive for his own good. “Are you saying you like me now, Donovan Tate?”
More than I will ever admit.“Don’t flatter yourself, Superman. And stop changing the subject. What happened on that hike?”
Wincing, he glances behind us as if to make sure the other boats aren’t within hearing distance. They’re far enough, if not as far as they usuallyare. He isn’t as fast a rower as I am, but that’s okay. We’ll all have to pull over at the start of Cataract Canyon anyway to sign the register, so it’s better if we stick together today.
“I had a…” He wrinkles his nose. “…moment…with Brody.”
“Ah, my favorite frat boy.” Rolling my eyes, I shift closer as if that might get me more information. “At this point, Supes, you know me better than to think that will satisfy me. Give me the tea!”
Chuckling, he grabs the oars to resume rowing. “And here you were thinking you couldn’t vibe with the younger guides. You could easily date them with vernacular like that.”
“They’re not the ones who interest me,” I say, and only when the words are out do I realize what I said. And what Ishouldhave said.I’m not interested in datingwould have been a great reply. Instead, I implied there might be someone whodoesinterest me. Cheeks heating, I tug my hat lower on my forehead and ignore the spark of attraction in Derek’s gaze. “But seriously, what happened?”
He sighs and turns the boat so he can row backwards, his eyes to the side rather than on me. “He said some offensive things about the women on the trip, so I advised him to consider his words more carefully.”
I’m missing some crucial pieces of information, so I lean even closer. “Details, Riley.”
Derek’s eyes jump to mine, so vividly blue in the sunshine that I am instantly transfixed. They’re such a deep, vibrant color that stands out on the big screen but looks even better in person. “He made vulgar comments about you and the other women, so I told him to keep his thoughts to himself or risk castration.”
My jaw drops. “You did not.”
He cringes. “I did. Maybe not in so many words, but—”
“I had no idea you had something like that in you. Bravo!”
Clearly trying to hold back his smile, he shakes his head at me like everything I say surprises him. “I shouldn’t have said it.”
“No, you should have. I just wish I could have witnessed it.” Thankfully, Brody hasn’t bothered me much since that first morning in the pavilion back in Moab, but his eyes have said plenty whenever I or the ladies walk past him. He deserves to be knocked off his high horse, and I don’t hate the implication that Derek defended my honor. Yeah, he defended the other women too, but he specifically mentioned that Brody said something aboutme.
I try to picture it, Derek threatening someone, but it’s hard to imagine when Hunter has always been the one to step in. Derek has the size to be intimidating, but in general he’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met from Hollywood. Whatever Brody said, it was bad enough to set Derek off, and that says a lot.
“How close are we to the confluence?” Derek asks, cutting off my thoughts. He’s looking down at the waterproof map I keep tucked under a strap on top of one of the food boxes, squinting at it with uncertainty in his expression.
