Page 27

Chapter

Fourteen

What he’d said earlier in the shelter hadn't convinced Alannah that he wasn't going anywhere, Jake could tell.

Not that she was letting on. Well, she was doing her best to convince him that she believed him and that she was okay, but he’d known her long enough to recognize the differences between her real smile and her fake one.

It was a subtle difference, and one he doubted anyone else would be able to pick up on.

But he wasn't anyone else, he was her best friend, and he knew when she was faking cheerfulness for the sake of those around her.

What he needed to do was come up with an idea to distract her for a while. She’d been through so much in such a short time that he knew her mind had reached overload. Now everything, no matter how small, was going to seem like another boulder of a problem that she didn't know how to solve.

An idea had already formed, it was a crazy one, and one that he was pretty sure she was going to shoot down as soon as he mentioned it. If she didn't, if she said yes, then it was going to change things between them, maybe in a way that would mean they could never go back.

Was that a risk he was prepared to take?

For such a good cause he had to believe he could go through with it, but he couldn’t deny he was glad he had a bit of time to work up some courage.

“Do you really think you can catch us something for breakfast?” Alannah asked, a hint of doubt in her voice as she followed him along the sand and down toward the rocks.

“You doubting me, sunshine?” he asked, shooting her a smirk. “Because that wouldn't be wise. Don’t you remember all the times I used to catch you fish when we were kids?”

The smile on her face turned genuine, and he felt a stab of relief. Whatever doubts she fought she was at least trying to fight them, and that was all he could really ask of her.

“I remember, but I think there’s something you're forgetting, grumpy.”

“Yeah, and what's that then?”

“This time around, you don’t have a fishing pole. When you and Jax used to catch fish for us to eat, you always had equipment. Now we don’t have anything. So how exactly are you going to catch us breakfast?” Although her smile was still there, a thread of worry had tangled itself in her voice.

The rain last night had provided them enough water to drink to satisfy them both with some left over, but now they were starting to really feel the effects of not eating in well over twenty-four hours. His stomach was cramping with hunger pains, and he was sure Alannah’s was no different.

“Oh ye of little faith,” he teased as they reached the rocks. “Prepare to see a genius at work.”

Alannah rolled her eyes at him. “Yeah, you're a real genius, Jake Holloway.”

Her sassy tone made him laugh, and the sound of it immediately brightened Alannah’s smile, making it a real one again. Laughing wasn't something he did often, and it was usually either his sunshine or his little niece that managed to make him do it.

That was because both of them were special, although in vastly different ways. Essie was such a happy, excitable, energetic little girl that you couldn’t help but spend time around her and not feel better about life in general.

And Alannah was …

His sunshine.

“A real genius,” he agreed with a grin. “And I'm going to prove it to you. You’re going to have to eat your words, Alannah Johansen.”

“I’ll happily eat my words along with a fish. If you can catch one,” she sassed back.

Still grinning as he walked along the rocks, leaving her waiting on the sand, he went hunting. The storm had stopped, the sky was clearing, and the ocean had calmed right down. Now only the occasional lazy wave rolled across it.

Perfect for catching them some food.

It wasn't really their food situation that scared him the most. Jake was confident he could keep catching enough fish to keep them going, and today they would explore the island some more and see what other food sources it provided.

The water situation was tougher, he didn't want to have to keep relying on rain to keep them hydrated, so he was hoping they could find a fresh water source as well.

Their biggest problem was how they would get off the island, not how they were going to survive on it.

Didn't take him long to locate the best spot to position himself, and then it was just a waiting game.

As soon as a fish came close to the rocks all he had to do was grab it.

It took a lot of time and practice to learn to do it right, move too slowly and you missed the fish, move too fast and you startled it away.

Had to get it just right.

Which was exactly what he did.

Patience was a virtue, and in this case, it was going to be the difference between spending the day with a full belly or starving to death.

Wasn't more than a few minutes before he saw a nice-sized fish approach. Shifting so he was in the right position, as soon as it was right below where his hand was, he darted it down into the water and came up with a fish.

That would teach his sunshine to doubt him.

Setting the fish in a small rockpool beside him to keep it fresh, he continued to wait. One fish wasn't enough for a proper meal, he was going to bring back almost more than they could eat. That would definitely have Alannah eating her words.

When he had four good-sized fish for each of them, Jake collected his stash and headed back to where Alannah was standing on the sandy shore, staring out at the ocean. She must have heard him coming because she turned to face him, her eyes going wide when she saw what he held in his hands.

“Woah!” She hurried over to him, her gaze darting between the fish and his face. “When you do something, you go all out. I was thinking you might be able to catch us a fish each if we were lucky, but you have eight. That’s four each,” she said excitedly.

“Told you you'd be eating your words.”

“And I told you I'd be happy to eat my words if I was eating fish as well. You caught so I’ll clean and prepare. I still remember how to from when we were kids, though I haven’t done it since.”

Without hesitating, she took the fish and headed back to the water’s edge.

That was one of the things he loved about Alannah, she didn't hesitate to get her hands dirty and do what had to be done. She’d been the same as a kid, too.

When she was younger, she’d been a bit of a girly girl, preferring to play with dolls or dress ups, but she’d also been willing to run barefoot through the woods, and climb trees, or gut fish, and play in the mud with him and his brother.

“Use a rock to cut them since we don’t have a knife,” he called after her.

“’Kay.”

Leaving Alannah to take care of that, Jake returned to their shelter, pausing along the way to drink some water.

It was annoying they had nothing to store it in, every time they were thirsty, they would have to go to the collection points he’d made.

If he could find them a proper water source, maybe they could rebuild a shelter close by.

By the time Alannah came back with the fish, he had the fire burning brightly, and a fresh stack of firewood stored inside their shelter. Once they’d eaten and he’d seen if she was willing to try his idea to take her mind off their situation for a while, they’d go exploring.

Using sticks to prop the fish up in the flames to cook, while they waited, he turned and studied his best friend.

Was he completely crazy to be contemplating suggesting this?

What if she said no? She might never trust him again.

What if she said yes? It could ruin everything.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, catching him staring and brushing self-consciously at the locks of blonde hair that had escaped her tangled ponytail.

“I was wondering something.”

“Care to clue me in?” she asked as she reached out and pulled one of the fish out of the fire, pulling off a piece and putting it in her mouth.

No time like the present to jump and pray he was wearing a parachute. “You said you’ve never had an orgasm. Why don’t you let me try to give you one?”

October 19 th

8:27 A.M.

Alannah choked on the mouthful of fish when Jake blurted out the last thing she expected him to say.

He wanted to try to give her an orgasm?

Was he crazy?

This morning he’d as good as told her that he saw her as another sister, so why on earth would he want to do anything sexual with her?

How could he put her in this no-win situation?

If she said no, she risked hurting his feelings since it was obvious he was feeling guilty that the people after his family had started the chain of events that led to them being here even though Alannah truly believed it was her fault they were on the island.

If she said yes, she risked ruining their friendship both because he would find out there was actually something wrong with her and she just wasn't capable of having an orgasm like a normal person, and because things would be awkward and virtually irreparable if they took this step.

Shifting so he was behind her, Jake gave a moderate slap to her back, between her shoulder blades, dislodging the piece of fish she’d choked on.

“So?” he asked when she stopped coughing and he’d resumed his spot beside her, reaching out to take his own fish from the flames.

“Have I somehow slipped into a parallel universe? If that’s what you're asking then yes, yes I have.”

Chuckling he reached over and ruffled her hair, making her swat at his hand. “Sometimes you're adorable.”

Great. He thought she was cute. Just what every woman wanted to hear from a man who had just offered to make them come.

“Why don’t you let me try. I'm sure that you can come with the right person.”

Why did those words make her wish that Jake was the right person?

Never before had she thought or felt about this man the way she was beginning to. He’d always been her best friend, her protector, her favorite person, but there had never been anything romantic about it.

Until now.