Page 80 of Rule 4: Never Get Stranded with a Sports Reporter

And journalists have rules too.

Rex is a man who notices everything.

He can watch entire games and know how each player played. He watches the puck and the defensive strategy.

I inhale.

It’s fine.

The important thing is that Cal and I have been discovered. Because perhaps we’ve only been gone for four nights, but the fear of it stretching out endlessly was on my mind. Everyone has heard those stories of World War II fighters being discoveredon tiny tropical islands in the Pacific after being stranded for decades.

I didn’t want that to happen to us, but even though I never told him, I feared it would.

Acid prickles my stomach lining.

Jeremy is fussing over Cal, checking him for injuries, offering him water and energy bars from a backpack.

I look down at the bananas in my hands and feel ridiculous.

I turn to Rex who has an odd expression on his face. But then, he’s probably not used to seeing open affection between men.

Rex used to be an athlete, back when teams were even more homophobic than they are now.

I force a smile on my face. “Thank you for rescuing us.”

“I came for my employee,” Rex says, his voice dismissive.

“Right.” I blink. “I didn’t mean to imply you would have come halfway around the world for me.”

“Of course.”

I try to keep my expression bland. “Are there many people at the hotel?”

“It’s a five-star resort during high season, Jason. Naturally there are.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh.” This time he has the decency to look embarrassed. I’ve said too much. My instinct is to be cold. This feelings business is difficult.

Because he knows I’m really asking if anyone has come for me.

My family.

My—

Well, I don’t have friends. Hockey has taken up too much time. My friends on other teams are now my rivals, and my current colleagues despise me.

“I assume you’re behind this?” I ask.

“They thought you were dead,” Rex says. “Your jet skis were found floating.”

My pulse quickens, and for a moment, I’m right back there. “Cal’s jet ski broke down, so I took him on mine. And then that jet ski was swept off into sea.”

“The hotel thought the worst. They did look for you, but not on this island.”

“We were headed for another one.”

Rex gives a curt nod.