Page 62 of Surviving Love

“I feel thrashed,” I said.

“Do I smell bacon?” Jack asked, peering past Harold.

“You sure do.” Sherry joined us, smiling. “Shep brought us bacon, eggs, and orange juice to help us recuperate after that horrible storm.”

“And a tarp.” Julia walked up, grinning. “We didn’t even have to win a challenge to get any of this stuff. They just took pity on us.”

I glanced at the shelter, and sure enough, there was a large black tarp covering the palm frond roof. “That’s fantastic. I wasn’t sure if the shelter would even still be standing.”

Sherry grimaced. “I thought it was going to fall down around us. Shep did too, so he brought us to their crew camp during the worst part of the storm. They have real tents, so it was pretty luxurious compared to this place.”

“I’m glad they kept you sheltered.” Jack nodded.

“Was it pretty rough out there on your own?” Harold asked, his gray eyes sharp.

I moved closer to the fire. “Jack was the right guy to be stranded with. He really knows his stuff.”

Jack shrugged. “All I did was build a crappy shelter. There was no way to start a fire.”

I snorted. “He’s downplaying what a hero he was. He got water and coconuts for us. Not sure what I’d have done without him there.”

“You’d have been fine,” Jack said. “You’re no weakling.”

Harold said, “Looks like you two bonded out there all on your lonesome.”

Uneasiness shifted through me. The last thing I wanted was for Harold to think Jack and I were buddies now. He might feel compelled to send one of us home. “It was unpleasant as hell. I’m thrilled to be back here with you guys.”

Jack glanced at me but didn’t add anything.

Harold put his arm around my neck. “Awww, you missed us?”

I said softly, “Come on, Harold. I’m sure it’s no secret Jack isn’t my favorite person.”

Looking pleased, Harold let go of me. “It’s too funny that of all the people to be stuck together, it’d be you two.”

“Right? I couldn’t believe my bad luck.” I sat near the fire, next to Rob. I figured it couldn’t hurt to try and at least be civil with Rob. He’d been a total jerk to me when he’d been in cahoots with Luciano, but he was in the minority now. Hopefully, he’d be more pleasant. It was best not to have any real enemies on the tribe.

Jack sat across from me, and Sherry took the spot next to him. It was odd after having spent so much alone time with Jack to suddenly go back to ignoring each other. Sherry whispered to him, and he nodded, eyes pinned on the fire. Watching them together sent a ripple of some unpleasant emotion through me. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was I felt.

“You really had me fooled, Mason,” Rob said quietly.

I glanced over at him. “What do you mean?”

“At the Fire Council the other night.”

“I didn’t know what was happening any more than you did.”

He scowled. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Think what you want, but I thought Jack was going home.”

He gave me a searching look. “Did you vote for Jack like you said you would?”

Heat swept into my face. “I think what you should be focused on is what comes next. There’s no point in looking back.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Does that mean you didn’t?”

“It means you need allies in this game, so you should try to make friends.”