I was going to kill Jake. And Kelsey. It was clear Jake had called her to get some ideas for questions, and this was her way of getting back at me for not telling her I was going out with her brother.
“Let’s just be done. We’ll call it a tie.” I pleaded, laughing a little too loud. I was going for breezy, but it definitely came out deranged with a side of guilt.
He studied me for a long moment before bending over and grabbing a handful of mud. “I’ll be finding out what’s on that paper either way, but if I have to wrestle it from your hands, it will only make things worse for you.”
The thought of wrestling Logan Marten sparked another emotion that I quickly swatted away. When I hesitated, he took a step toward me, a faint trace of amusement in his expression.
I swallowed while my heart raced erratically. Finally I raised the paper upward and began to read, inching backward as I did so. “They either A - dipped your toothbrush in the toilet, or B - used it to brush your dog’s teeth.”
I dropped the paper and took off running—laughing like a hysterical lunatic with each step. A handful of mud splattered across my back as I sprinted toward the trail. Toward freedom. I’d run all the way home if I had to.
“I had a great time, Logan. Thanks!” I yelled over my shoulder.
Any other day, I could have beaten Logan in a race with my hands tied behind my back. But he had determination and pride on his side and I soon felt arms around my waist and a warm body at my back. I tried to get away, but I was laughing too hard to put up much of a fight. Logan was laughing too, while spouting mild obscenities my way, but his grip was strong. He tried to pull my squirming body back toward the mud pit, but I had turned into a messy tangle of claws and limbs. Finally, he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of grain.
“You didn’t even guess which one. That’s cheating.” I pounded against his back. My pathetic defense tactics did nothing to stop his movement. He was out for blood.
“Don’t care. Either way, you deserve this.”
“Logan, don’t.”
He walked me across the mud, oblivious to my squeals and pounding on his back, and into the thickest part of the wet, marshy sludge, and dropped me softly into the center.
Water and wet dirt oozed down my back and into my shorts. I lay stunned for a minute before swiping my leg at an arrogant Logan standing above me, arms folded and thoroughly enjoying himself. My leg connected with his, but he stepped over me easily.
“Nice try.”
I picked up a scoop of mud and flung it toward him. He dodged it and tossed another handful at me. Mud flew between us, both of us laughing too hard to be much of a threat. When he slipped and fell to his knees, I didn’t hesitate and rubbed my mud-filled hands all over his hair, down his cheeks, and onto his neck. It was a triumphant move, bold and empowering, until he grabbed me once more and carried me past the mud and dropped me unceremoniously into the freezing-cold creek.
Later, when we stepped onto the trail to head back down the mountain, the sun was nearly level with the horizon, a splash of orange and pink showing off in the sky. Our shoes were squeaky, and our clothes were drenched with water and mud when Logan gently pushed me several feet away from him.
“New rule, Jailbait. You stay over there. Five feet between us whenever possible. Especially after a mud fight.”
I had a grin on my face that refused to go away. “It didn’t have to be a mud fight. We could have ended that much more civilly.”
“If you think my revenge is complete, think again, Tessa Robbins.”
“You’re pretty obsessed with your toothbrush.”
His dimple appeared for a brief second before Logan kicked a rock with his shoe. “I’m going to kill my sister.”
“You and me both.”
The night had grown cool, or perhaps that was because we were both drenched. Jake, in all his foresight and planning, had failed to provide towels. I would probably have some wicked blisters on my toes from my feet rubbing against the sand that had refused to come off when we washed our feet in the water. Our conversations hadn’t been ground-breaking, and I had never been dirtier, but Logan’s smile was real as we made our way down the mountain. And I couldn’t help but think Jake had done a decent job breaking the ice for our first date.
Later that night, as I was getting into bed, my phone buzzed on my nightstand.
Logan: First check-in, Jailbait. Did my confession about the nature channel woo you senseless?
Me: No. It was all that wheezing up the mountain that sealed the deal for me.
Logan: It’s all that sugar you crammed into me.
Me: I’ve been feeling bad about your toothbrush. Why don’t you let me get another one for you?
Logan: You’re not allowed within 50 yards of my toothbrush.
11
