Page 23

CHAPTER 23

Death by Orange

LUCY

Raleigh

You did not send him to his cottage alone. Tell me that’s not what really happened

Me

It was the right thing to do. This is getting too messy, and I’m not even going to be in Colorado much longer

Raleigh

What is wrong with you?? Calling

“ H ello?” I’m hiding in a tucked-away bathroom before I head to the ballroom for lunch. This morning, the team and staffers were split into groups for the escape room bonding event. I was with a bunch of women from administration, and it was a lot of fun. We escaped with forty-seven seconds to spare.

None of the hockey players escaped.

I can’t stop thinking about last night and how it ended.

“Lulu! What’ve we talked about?” Raleigh’s voice is chastising, like she’s the teacher and I’m a repeatedly misbehaving student .

I lean against the wall and close my eyes. All I can think about is Kellen on his knees kissing me underneath a beautiful starry Wyoming night sky. The feel of his mouth on mine. The way his hands wandered to the base of my spine, splayed against bare skin. The way he pulled me toward him at the end before we were interrupted. His palms on my ass.

I desperately wanted him to continue.

But then I heard Atticus’s voice, and it brought me back to reality.

This is supposed to be fake. Kellen and I have crossed too many lines, and saying no felt like the right thing to do last night.

But this morning? All I’ve felt is regret.

“I don’t remember being a part of the conversation you’re referencing, but you and January seem to think I should sleep with Kellen.”

“Bingo. He likes you, girly. Why not let yourself have some fun?”

Why not?

I’m not sure anymore. In the moment, there was a whole list of reasons why I needed to walk away.

But right now, the only one that really matters is protecting my heart. Someone like Kellen could stomp all over it. I look at him and can see myself falling for him.

I don’t want to do that.

“I’m leaving in a few months.”

“Psshhhhtt. That’s a lame excuse. A few months is a long time!”

“I’m just worried…”

“Worried about what?”

“I like him, sis.”

She’s silent for a moment.

“Maybe just trust yourself. Kiss him, sleep with him, whatever. Just don’t let yourself fall in love or anything.” Raleigh laughs, as if that’s not exactly what I’m afraid of happening .

“Raleigh Durham. How on earth do I do that?”

“Just think of him as a hookup. Sure, you like him, but pretend you’re using him for sex. He won’t mind, trust me.” Raleigh laughs. “Not that I’m the expert on casual relationships.”

“You’ve been married two times, so I’d agree that you have a hard time keeping it casual.” I chuckle.

Could I do that? Trick myself into not falling for him by focusing only on the physical connection between us?

Ten minutes of a pep talk from Raleigh later, I’m settling at a table with some of the other staffers and poking at a turkey sandwich.

“Listen up!” Coach Jackson shouts from the middle of the large room. “My delightful admin Laurie will be sending out the laser tag team assignments for this afternoon.”

A table of players hoots and cheers.

“We’ll be mixing the teams with players and staffers, just to keep it fair.”

“Just say we’re the weakest links,” the accounting woman grumbles. We all laugh. We might’ve kicked hockey player butt in the escape room, but a physical competition is another story altogether.

“There will be four teams of eight people each. Every team will have a color. The objective of the game is to be the team with the last player standing. If you get hit three times by another team, you’re dead. You’re out. Your laser gun will no longer work, and you must exit the field.”

“What do we get if we win?” Lachlan calls out.

“Good question from our resident Aussie.” Coach points at Lachlan. “Each player on the winning team gets a $500 bottle of champagne.” Cheers erupt from the room, as if these boys can’t afford to buy their own damn champagne. “Meet in the laser tag room in one hour to gear up.”

My phone pings, along with everyone else’s. I’m on the red team with the accounting woman and six players .

Including Kellen.

I snort and the social media manager gives me a look.

“What?” she asks.

I shrug and shake my head. “Nothing. Just thinking of how bad my aim is. Or, I’m assuming it is, since I’ve never picked up a gun or a laser gun or anything similar.”

“Me neither,” she groans.

An hour later, we meet in the laser tag room and hotel employees help everyone get geared up with sensors and guns.

“Hey.”

I spin around to face Kellen, sensor vest on his wide frame and laser gun slung across a shoulder, looking annoyingly hot and tough. I bet I look like a kid in a Halloween costume.

“Hi.” My cheeks heat as every detail of last night flies through my mind, as well as my conversation with Raleigh that has me convinced to take things further with him.

“Having fun today?” His eyes twinkle.

“I’m going to be terrible at this game. I’m sorry you’re saddled with me.”

Kellen grins. “I’ll protect you.” He leans forward and nudges my shoulder with his elbow, bending down to reach my height.

“I don’t need protecting, moose.”

He raises his eyebrows.

“They have moose here in Wyoming, who would’ve thought? And bison. And grizzly bears.” I shudder.

“So I shouldn’t protect you?”

“I mean, maybe in this one situation, I might need protecting.”

“Well, then stick with me, my little Brussels sprout.”

I giggle like a teenager.

Why am I resisting this man? I’m not. Not anymore.

Before I can respond, one of the other players on our team slaps Kellen on the back and nods over to the rest of the people with red guns and vests .

Kellen is not in my plan. I’m in Colorado for one reason, and only for a few more months.

Maybe two reasons.

Secure a great reference for the Winchester FC job.

Prove to my ex-life I can succeed on my own.

But Kellen can be a side quest, can’t he?

Half an hour later, it’s me, Kellen, Finn, and Heath still alive on our team.

We’re in a giant ballroom that has been completely transformed into an intricate laser tag landscape. Dim lights, roughed-up boards and fake boulders, caves, trees, and four mountains—red, orange, yellow, and green—as home bases for the teams. Clouds of smoke drift along the ground. There’s ominous music playing in the background, the kind I imagine war video games would have.

Somewhere in the room, someone screams.

It’s a freaking battlefield.

I’m currently huddled with what’s left of my team, and we—and by we I mean they —are formulating a plan. Shouts and high-pitched laughter sound from around us.

I am so gonna die. It’s remarkable I haven’t already as I’ve been shot twice. I have one life left. I’ve only gotten this far because Kellen has dragged me along with him. Otherwise, I probably would’ve just sacrificed myself so I can go sit in the dead player zone.

Kellen’s got one life left as well.

The other two lost protecting me.

“Heath and Finn will go after what remains of the green team,” Kellen says. “They have the most still alive, I think. Harley, Grayson, and Romeo for sure.”

“Savannah too,” Heath says .

“You guys get them.” Kellen nods. There’s no way he’s going after Savannah’s team. “After you’re done with the green team, go after yellow.”

“Yes, Captain,” Finn says with a smirk and salutes Kellen, who gives him an exaggerated dirty look.

“Lucy and I will target Atticus and the orange team.” Kellen looks at each remaining team member in turn, his mouth twitching ever so slightly when he meets my eyes.

“I will follow any order you give me,” I say, but then play back my subservient words. My face heats as the group chuckles.

Kellen clears his throat. “Survivors, meet back at the red mountain as soon as possible.”

Finn and Heath charge away.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Mean what?”

“That I’ll follow your orders.”

“I’m not sure what you’re implying, Lucy.” Kellen leans against the mountain next to me with a straight face, and for a second, I think he truly doesn’t know what I’m talking about. But then he turns fully to me.

“I’m really doing my best not to get inappropriate here.” I crack up, and he does the same five seconds later.

“Ready to go shoot your brother?”

“I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life,” I say.

Kellen laughs again, flashing his white teeth, and my insides flutter.

Lordy. The way he knelt before me last night.

“So what’s our strategy?” I say.

“Shoot people.” He cocks his head.

I raise my eyebrows. “That’s it? We each have only one life left.” I gesture to the single red bar on his vest.

Kellen shrugs. “This is laser tag. It’s just a game.”

“Isn’t hockey?— ”

“Hush now.” He presses a finger to my lips, and I hold back a laugh.

Shouts from our teammates distract both of us.

“Follow me,” he says, and I’m loving the man-in-charge side of Kellen. It’s so damn sexy.

I crouch, mimicking Kellen’s posture, and creep after him onto the battlefield. It’s quiet for a second. Too quiet. We’re exposed on our way to the orange mountain to shoot Atticus, but they’re nowhere in sight.

Suddenly, my brother’s team pours out from behind two large boulders next to their mountain. It was a trap. There are so many of them. Too many. Atticus and two other hockey players I don’t know descend on us, all shooting wildly.

“Lucy!” Kellen shouts and throws his body on top of mine.

I’m laughing, half squished and half turned on by his show of over-the-top protectiveness.

Atticus cackles maniacally.

“Kellen! I can’t breathe,” I say between giggles, demonstrating that I can, in fact, breathe.

“I’m so sorry.” Kellen rolls off and turns to me with a concerned look on his face. “Are you okay?”

I sit up and can’t stop laughing. Tears stream down my cheeks.

“Lucy! Are you hurt?” He kneels next to me and touches my face. “Are you crying?”

“I’m fine.” I get the words out between giggles.

“You’re laughing? I just died for you, and you think it’s funny?” He’s indignant but smiling as I get tagged from multiple sides. The light on my vest fades to nothing.

I’m dead.

“If you weren’t laughing so hard, we might have at least saved you .” Kellen shakes his head. “My sacrifice would’ve been worth it.”

“I’m touched. But like I suggested, your shoot people plan didn’t work. ”

“Let’s get out of here.” Kellen sighs deeply and pulls me to my feet for the second time in ten minutes. “Crouch low and run to the side.”

“Why run? We’re already dead.”

“Lucy. You’d be a terrible soldier.” Kellen shakes his head.

“Good thing I have no plans to be one,” I whisper-scream and follow him toward the dead player zone, which is just a wall on one side of the ballroom.

Thirty seconds later, I sink to the floor next to him.

“I’m exhausted. And I think I’m gonna be sore, which is frankly embarrassing.”

“A hot springs pool will fix everything.” Kellen strips off his vest and pushes dark hair off his forehead.

“A hot springs pool sounds delightful.”

There are two big common pools on the property and smaller private pools for each of the one-bedroom cottages.

Like Kellen’s.

Which is part of tonight’s plan.

Tonight, we won’t be alone. We’ll be playing a part in front of Savannah and other people.

“Have you been keeping up with the Kellcy Fake Dating Planning Committee text chain?”

I snort.

“Kellen, I try my very best not to.”

He chuckles, and his eyes drift over my face, like he’s deeply curious about me.

I feel like he’s actually seeing me.

How much can he see?

A cheer rises up, and my brother’s voice is loudest.

“Shit. Your brother’s team won.”

“He’s gonna be insufferable later.”

Later. When we’re all in the hot springs pool, where Kellen and I have to put on a performance.

In bathing suits.

All wet.

My heart beats just a bit faster.