“Rise and shine, sleepyhead,” Cassie says. “Time to go mount that epic comeback!”

It’s been two days since the hike, and each day, we’ve had two games. Yesterday, we managed to get back within one point after we raced jet skis around the bay and I just edged out Tony. He and Caleb swear it was because I had a weight advantage, but it doesn’t matter. Now, I’m scared. We’re down one point, and by my guess, this might be the last day. Next to the last day at most. Either way, I know our time here is coming to an end.

“Ugh,” I groan. “I don’t want to get up. My ass is still throbbing from that damn jet ski.”

“Come on, we’re running behind for breakfast. No time to worry about your aching ass. We need to take care of business today so we can win this. I think we have a pretty good chance. Wesley’s backing off on the purely physical challenges,” Cassie says.

Rolling out of bed, I quickly get some clothes on. I give my teeth the thirty-second brushing treatment and head downstairs with Cassie to the dining area, where we find the guys walking in with us. Wesley, of course, already has Mo Mo on his shoulder, and I swear if that fucking parrot says anything about my ass, I’m going to strangle her.

I take a seat, my eyes immediately meeting Tony’s as soon as I sit. He’s dressed the same way we all are, in a t-shirt and cargo shorts, as if we’re trying to be ready for anything Wes throws at us.

He gives me a smile, just like he always does, but it feels different. When Tony and I first met, his smiles were arrogant, those of a man who knew he was King of the Mountain. Now, they seem genuine, like he’s happy to see me. I’ve tried to keep my guard up just a little bit. I can’t be sure he isn’t just using me, but he doesn’t strike me as that kind of man. “How’d you sleep?”

I spent half the night wishing you were next to me, and the other half dreaming you were, I want to say before replying. “Well, I think I’m finally getting acclimated. How about you?”

“We slept great,” Caleb answers for him, grinning like a shark. “Can’t be much longer before we win.”

Caleb’s boast makes my head spin, although I don’t know if it’s because of the possibility he’s right or the fact that regardless of who wins, our time here is coming to a close. If I win, Cassie and I go back and someone from Aurora will take over the next phase of whatever is going to happen. If I lose . . . I’ll probably never see this place again. Hell, who knows if or when I’ll even see Tony again? And that hurts worse.

“There’s two team challenges left,” Wesley announces as the staff brings in breakfast. “You are going on an adventure controlled by lines. Latitudinal and longitudinal, that is. You are going on a scavenger hunt. Both teams will be given a list of locations around the grounds. You will be provided with two backpacks per team, one with your supplies and one empty to collect your items. Both teams will have the same list. You can choose to work together or alone. After finding all the items, you will need to assemble a puzzle to complete the task. So teamwork may help you, or it may mean your opponent finishes the puzzle before you. Choose wisely and let your heart be your guide.”

We all look at each other. This being a more analytical game, I feel like Cassie and I have a good chance. It’s been a long time . . . but map reading was one of my strongest skills in Girl Scouts.

My mind is telling me to beat the hell out of Tony, but my heart is saying to work with him. I don’t know what to do. I feel like I don’t know if I can trust him or if this is a foolish combination of hormones, stress, and the location. He could be the ultimate player, playing me like a fiddle. It’s just one big clusterfuck of uncertainty.

After breakfast, we go to the back of the house, where our bags have been laid out on the steps, two in blue and two in red. I look at Tony and make a decision. “Let’s work together as a team? At least until we get the puzzle pieces.”

“What are you doing?” Cassie whispers, grabbing me by the arm as Tony immediately looks relieved. “Caleb needs his ticket punched!”

“Are you going to tell me what happened between you two? Since you dumped a bucket of cold water on him, you two have been glaring at each other like you’re each other’s worst enemy.”

Cassie’s face turns red. “None of your damn business, thank you very much. But you’re the boss, so however you want to do it.”

I shrug and pick up one of the red bags. It must be the supply bag because it’s packed.

Tony gives me a questioning look, seeing that Cassie might have a problem. “So, team effort?”

“Together,” I confirm. Caleb, meanwhile, has a GPS, map, and a piece of paper with coordinates on it. “Whatcha got?”

“Eight digits,” Caleb says in frustration. “I thought maps had latitude and longitude. What is this shit?”

I look at his paper and the map and thank my Girl Scout experience. “It’s military grid coordinates. Here, let me see . . . okay, the GPS is set for that too.”

I show them how to use the map, and Tony takes the lead. I start to follow, but about halfway across the yard, I stop, recognizing that Cassie’s not with us. I turn and see that she’s still standing with her arms crossed, a pissed off look on her face. I go back, giving her a look. “What?”

“Are you trying to win this or what?” she asks. “You saw it—the guys didn’t know what the fuck they were doing. So why are we working with them? I get it, you like Tony, and I won’t say shit about it. I like everyone here too, but this is our jobs on the line here! The good looks and tight asses go out the window when I might not be able to feed myself.”

I get Cassie’s point, and for once, she seems to have more sense than me. Still, that competitive spirit just isn’t in me now. “You already know that with Wesley, it’s not just about who crosses the finish line first. Besides, the puzzle we’re still doing individually. I don’t know if there’s anything dangerous out here, but if there is, I want them nearby.”

That seems to satisfy her, but Tony calls out before she can respond. “Hey, you guys coming? Or do you want to split off?”

“We’re coming. Just a little girl talk,” I call back.

“All right, you in? Let’s do this,” I say, offering my fist, which Cassie lightly pounds and gives a little nod, smiling her acceptance of the plan.

The first location is pretty easy to find, and as we walk, we wonder what sort of craziness Wes is up to. “There has to be a twist,” I mutter as we find a large banyan tree. The four of us split up, searching until Cassie finds the ‘treasure,’ two black plastic canisters about the size of cans of soup.

The next treasure is further away and a lot more challenging to get to. We emerge from the woods to see a rocky outcropping, not quite a cliff but damn close. Sticking out about halfway up the wall are a red and a blue flag. Displaying his physical prowess, Caleb scrambles up, retrieving the two canisters.

Even Cassie gives me silent acknowledgement that working together may have been the smart decision. There’s no way the two of us could have conquered that rock without ropes or a jetpack.

As the day progresses, I’m shocked at how well we’re all working together, moving from location to location. Cassie and Caleb continue their banter, but it’s back to the playful vibe they’ve had since we’ve been here.

We’re stopped dead in our tracks at one of the coordinates, the smell reaching us before we’re even a hundred feet away. “Oh, shit.”

“Shit is right,” I say as we approach a huge pile of manure. I see the tiny red and blue flags on top, and I wince. “That is like a dinosaur-size pile of shit.”

“Oh, fuck no!” Cassie yells. “Good thing we’re teamed up. Gentlemen…” she tells them with a wave of her hand, indicating it’s all theirs.

“Oh, I’m thinking this is a time for ladies first,” Caleb jokes. “Just remember, like Wesley says, eat shit and live!”

Cassie glares at him. “You know, sometimes I just wanna kick your nuts so hard they pop outta your nose. This is one of those times.”

Tony and I burst out laughing, causing Caleb to turn red with embarrassment. He doesn’t come back and instead opens the boys’ supply pack, finding a canteen and taking a big drink of water.

“But seriously, what do we do?” I ask. “This is fucking disgusting.”

“We’re gonna have to go through it,” Tony says. “The flags are right there.”

He looks around at the three of us, none of us wanting to have anything to do with it. “Fine. I guess it’s time for the real man to put on the big boy pants and get to work. I’ll take one for the team.”

Tony puts on some big gloves that were in the bag and starts trying to move it out of the way by handfuls. Just when I’m thinking this is going to take all day sifting through handfuls at a time, he lets out a triumph yell, pulling out two canisters. Holding them out, I can’t help but cheer and clap a little as Tony grins. “Nice job!” I say.

“We need to get those fucking things cleaned off a little,” Caleb says. “I don’t think any of us want to carry a can of shit all the way back.”

Tony laughs, pulling his t-shirt off to wipe the canisters clean. He’s trying his best not to get any on himself, but he’s going to need a damn good shower, that’s for sure. “I need another shirt. They’re still not clean, and mine’s dirty as fuck!”

With a smile, I shrug off my pack and pull off mine, leaving me in my sports bra.

“Here,” I say, tossing him my shirt. “I don’t know if I want that back though, even if it is washed.”

Tony uses my shirt to wipe some more before he’s satisfied. “So . . . your shirt off your back. That’s pretty serious. Does that mean we’re going steady? Wanna hold hands?”

“Fuck off!” I laugh, running away from him. I edge back, dashing forward to grab my backpack and pull it on. “You need a shower before you come near me!”

After a few laughs, we head off. Our last two coordinates are near the beach. One’s just off the coast, but there’s a problem with that. “Uhm . . . the coordinates are in the water.”

Tony shrugs off his pack and takes out some goggles. “Well, I guess that’s what these are for.” I open our bag and pull out a matching pair.

“Let’s divide and conquer, finish this up, and move on. I’ll take Miss Motor Mouth while you and Hannah go for a swim,” Caleb says. “You could probably use a little rinse anyway.”

“Since we’re on the subject of mouths, I have one, and only one use for yours,” Cassie growls. “I see that look on your face, and it’s not that either. Kiss my ass!”

Caleb laughs. “That’ll be the day. Come on, slowpoke, let’s get ours and get back.”

The two run off, and I look at Tony. “What are we waiting for?”

He grins at me, and we hurry to the shore, shucking shoes and putting our goggles on.

“You ready?” he says, excitement in his voice.

Looking into the sparkling waters, I nod. “When you are.”

Holding hands, we wade in. The water is darker blue than I thought, and as I struggle downward, I realize that it’s a lot deeper than I thought it’d be, too. Though we went in together, I don’t see Tony. Panicking, I turn, looking all around. I can barely see below the surface, but Tony comes up a moment later, causing me to sigh with relief. “You okay? I was right there beside you.”

“Sorry,” I gasp, grabbing onto his body. “I didn’t see you go under.”

“It’s all right,’ he says softly. “I’m fine. Let’s go down and look together, okay?”

I nod, feeling relaxed in his arms.

Tony smiles and gives me an encouraging kiss. “With me, take five big deep breaths, and then we go under. Hold onto my belt and kick like hell.”

We do it together, Tony putting those muscles to use as we sink fast. The water starts to get darker the deeper we go, and I’m starting to think I might need to turn back up when I see the flash of red and blue. It’s an old anchor, and attached to it are two tiny canisters on a floating buoy. Tony reaches out and undoes the simple bow knot holding it to the anchor, and the whole thing shoots up, Tony and I right behind it.

Breaking the surface of the water is like being reborn. Sweet air rushes into my lungs and the sun is dazzling bright as Tony and I hold each other. Cassie and Caleb cheer at us from the shore, waving their canisters at us.

“What took you so long?” they yell. “Y’all need a minute?”

Grinning, we swim in, Tony tossing the package to Cassie before pulling me into his arms and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. I wish we could go further, but there’s a time and a place. We’ve got a challenge to take care of.

We quickly get our shoes on, the four of us heading back to the house. Wesley is waiting for us, and he claps his hands gleefully, jumping a little bit like a kid on Christmas morning. “Ah, I’m so glad to see you all worked together. Very telling and wise of you, but it’s time for the puzzle. I have two tables set up just outside the house for you to use. You may begin.”

Cassie rushes over to our table, while I exchange a glance with Tony before joining her. Cassie’s already gotten three of the canisters open, and we see that it is literally pieces of a puzzle. “Oh, fuck, I suck at puzzles,” Cassie grumbles. “Shit!”

“That would be this canister,” Caleb says, tossing over their empty metal tin. Cassie squeals and knocks the thing to the ground while Caleb laughs. “And no cheating!”

“No cheating! Big booty ho!” Mo Mo squawks, and it feels like the metal canister is just the right weight to throw, even if I don’t hit anything but air.

Taunts and banter go quiet as we all focus. We sort out the edges and get the corners when suddenly, Tony yells, “Yes!”

“What?” I ask, feeling desperate. Did they finish already?

“It’s the resort!” Tony says before realizing he may have made a mistake. He glowers and stares at his puzzle while Cassie and I start to see what we’re missing. I go quickly, seeing chunks of pieces fall together while Cassie starts to work methodically. Finally, I see the last piece, the flag on the top of the yacht in the water, and slide it home.

“Done!” I yell.

Tony looks up in shock, his fingers holding a piece. Wesley comes over, checks, and nods. “A win for the ladies. The score is tied for tomorrow’s finale.”

Cassie hugs me, but I see nothing but the disappointment in Tony’s eyes as he comes over. He sees our puzzle, then shakes his head. “It’s not the same.”

“Of course not,” Wesley says, chuckling. “I wanted to make sure it was fair, so each team’s picture was different. So your comment about it being a resort didn’t help the ladies.”

“How close were you?” I ask, and Tony shrugs. It doesn’t matter. He turns and goes inside, and I walk around to look at Tony’s puzzle. One piece is missing . . . it was that close.

Wesley looks at me as I pick up Tony’s piece and slip it into place, completing his puzzle. “So, what did you learn today?”

I glance up at him, not ready for another of his speeches. “The property, this place . . . it’s special. It’s more than beautiful scenery. It’s a living, breathing entity. The oceans, the forests, and even the giant pile of cow shit—they’re all connected.”

“True, but you knew that before the challenge,” Wesley says. “What did you learn today?”

I swallow and think about the look in Tony’s eyes as I finished. “I learned . . . I learned that sometimes, winning really doesn’t feel like winning at all.”

“How true,” Wesley says. “Go relax. There is a festival in the village tonight, very special. You should see it, and you should be able to prepare for tomorrow’s finale. Enjoy it, for tomorrow, you’re right—the friendships you’ve built these past few days may very well be undone.”