Till Summer Do Us Part(59)

Wilder snaps around to look at Chad in his zipped-up wet suit, all the way to the top of his chin.

“Excuse me? Are you claiming we cheated?”

Chad takes a step back but then gestures toward the obstacle course. “Just seems convenient that you flew through that despite arguing the entire time. Seems like you got some help along the way.”

“Yeah, and it seems like you’re jealous. If anything, we might have been arguing, but we were truthful at every stop. Maybe you need to point that finger at yourself and ask why it took you so damn long. Maybe you were the one not being truthful.”

“We were being truthful,” Chad says, almost stomping his foot at the same time.

Sanders steps in and says, “I can assure you, our staff has been prepped very well to understand the differences between our couples’ truths and lies. I have no doubt that they all were accurately allowing couples through based on their answers. Now, we have one couple left. Let’s watch them before we start fighting.”

“Yeah, let’s do that,” Wilder says before draping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me off to the side to a log. We both take a seat, and he looks off toward Chad, who is now bitching to Finky. “Looks like we got under his skin,” he says. “How does it feel?”

“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel good. After him calling me out in the conference room for not wearing a wedding ring, it feels really good seeing him upset over our obvious success. We killed that course.”

“We did.”

“Carrying me like a potato sack wasn’t necessary though.”

“Eh, I thought it was a nice touch. If anything, it looked cool.”

“Cool for you maybe, but I was the one flailing around.”

“Flailing in a cool way.” He bumps my shoulder.

“There is no such thing.”

As the last couple finishes up and the time is being tallied, we remain on the log while everyone gathers around us. Sanders and Ellison speak, nod, and then walk up to the group.

“Well, what a great way to start off the day. I hope everyone feels refreshed, maybe a touch more exposed? Because if we’re not uncomfortable, then we’re not moving together as a team, right?” Sanders fist-pumps the air.

Seriously, was he a coach in a prior life? Because he has all the makings of one.

“As always, we hope you had fun and learned something about each other. We’ll be taking individual meetings today to go over your answers to the questions recorded.”

Great. Looking forward to that.

“But I know what you’re all wondering: who won, and what is your prize?”

Ellison starts a drumroll on her clipboard, and Sanders, into his megaphone unnecessarily, says, “Mr. and Mrs. Price.”

That’s us!

“Told you we’d win,” Wilder says as he stands. “All you had to do was listen to me.”

Seeing where he’s going with this, I stand as well. “It’s rare when listening to you actually pays off.”

“You listened pretty well when we were in the Hamptons, and I’m pretty sure that paid off really well for you.” His voice is dark, deep.

I lean in and say, “I was faking it.”

“Bullshit!” he yells.

“Okay,” Sanders cuts in. “Okay…save it for your session.” He lets out a deep breath and then slaps on a smile and starts clapping. “Let’s give it up for our fastest couple.”

There’s grumbling irritation behind us but some slow claps, celebrating our victory.

“As winners, you’ll receive a basket brought to your cabin later. For now, let’s get washed up and head on over to the dining hall, where you’ll be given your session assignments, and you can make marriage bracelets together.”

Wow, this really is like camp.

Wilder and I start heading in the direction of the dining hall when Sanders stops us.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You two.” He points at us. “You’re up first. Go change, and meet me in the therapy cabin in half an hour. We have some work to do.”





Chapter Fifteen





WILDER

“That seemed pretty serious,” I say as we make our way back to the cabin.

“I know. Did he seem mad?”

“I was getting more of an irritated vibe.”

“Think we’re in trouble?”

“For what?” I ask. “We did everything right. You need to stop worrying so much.”

“I was born into this world worrying,” she says. “I don’t know any other way of living.”

“You need to hang out with me more often,” I say. “I can teach you not to worry or sweat the small things.” We reach our cabin and head up the stairs, where we find a box with a bow on top waiting for us. I pause and whisper, “The prize?”

“What do you think it is?” she asks, examining the box.

I shake my head. “No idea. But it’s concealed. That could be a good thing or a bad thing.”

“How could it be a bad thing?” she asks as we both stare down at the package.

“What if it’s…really dirty, like something they don’t want people seeing? Like…like a sex swing.”