Chapter 4

Alyssa drops me at the gate. "Alright, I can't go any further than this. So, this is where we part."

I roll my eyes. "Don't be dramatic. And be fully ready to make your return to come get me in like two weeks."

She laughs. "Well, at least you gave yourself a week to survive in your made-up scenario."

I shake my head. "I have a day or two of travel and settling. Then a few days of training before more traveling. So, I think I've given myself like two days out there. Tops."

Her smile changes, and I let mine drop. Seriousness befalls us as we stare at one another, both on the edge of tears. "Come back in one piece, please?"

I nod. I lose the battle with tears when she tugs me into a tight hug. Even though I'm not moving across the country permanently, it feels like it. The daunting task of surviving is going to be rough without Alyssa and her banter beside me. She's normally only a keystroke away.

"I love you bunches," she says, pulling apart from me.

"And bunches," I add.

She smacks my shoulder. "Now go! You're making us look weak!" She rubs tears from her eyes, looking around as if someone important saw us being blubbering fools.

I laugh and do the same. "Me? You started it!"

"Just go. Before I change my mind and make you stay!"

I shake my head, but grab my rolling bag and turn away. I know I need to keep my eyes front, or I'll crack, so I give my ticket info to the boarding girl and head down the connected hallway to the plane.

The pilot greets me as I enter, stewardesses in blue dresses standing beside him.

I haven't flown before. I've never left Florida. So this is a big deal for me. All things considered, if I was a little older in years, people would say I was having a mid-life crisis.

When I find my seat, a man behind me stands and helps me load my carry-on above my head. I smile warmly at him and then sit and fidget with my phone as more people enter the plane.

My phone vibrates.

I miss you already. I don't know if this was the best idea.

Well, it was your idea, and you know sometimes they don't go so well.

Text when you land. Don't forget.

Her anxiety isn't misplaced.I can't deny I'm having a bit of my own in the wake of uprooting everything and going on this adventure.

A man plops down next to me, sighing in relief. The staff closes up the plane and I realize he's only just made it on before they closed boarding.

I slide open the window Alyssa insisted I sit near and see baggage carriers departing and the plane pulling away from the terminal.

I snap it closed as the stewardesses give instructions on seatbelts and safety information.

Mr. Intuition next to me, finally acknowledges I'm beside him. "First time flying?"

"That obvious?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure you cut off your circulation with that seatbelt." His smile is big and bright, but his muscles are going to make this flight very uncomfortable. Only because any turbulence is going to knock us into one another.

He holds his hand out. "Arsenio," he offers.

I hesitantly put my hand into his. "Brynne."

"Pretty name."

"Thank you. It means a drop of water." I smirk proudly.

He laughs, covering his mouth when he realizes how loud it is. "I'm sorry. It was the confidence you exuded when you said it. Classic."

I purse my lips in faux annoyance. "Well, what does yours mean?"

He contains a laugh behind his plump lips. "Virile or strong."

A laugh barrels out of me, and now I'm the one drawing attention as the plane picks up speed on the runway.

The moment dies between us, and I sit board straight, grabbing for the arms of my chair to white knuckle the takeoff. I pin my eyes shut and prepare.

My hand pries off the chair as Arsenio takes it into his. His breath fans across my ear, and my body tenses for another reason entirely. "Open your eyes. Closing them makes it worse."

A shaky breath expels and the take-off is forgotten as he lingers near my face. I open my eyes and find his rich brown ones staring at me as the plane lifts from the ground.

Up, up, up we go as the wings shake and the plane groans through pockets of air along the way. But I'm not worried. Well, not about the takeoff. No, I'm worried about why I'm still holding a stranger's hand, staring into his chocolate pools, and allowing his thumb to rub soothing circles over my skin.

"There," he says, breaking the spell and releasing my hand, "that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"N—no," I manage, my voice only cracking once.

He's intense. Dark eyes, and a jaw that could cut glass. His hair is black and matches a full goatee on his mouth. His lips are plump and kissable, but I swallow against the thought.

This is an adventure, but not that kind of adventure. Get it together.

Arsenio teaches me how to use the television screen on the back of the chair in front of me, and once I have my super tiny ginger ale and assorted nuts, I settle in to watch a movie.

But all I can think about is that damn take-off and the proximity of his leg to mine.

* * *

Mr. Strongand Virile holds my hand as we land, the pilot doing an amazing job, as I barely feel it at all. Then we're off to separate parts of Vancouver. While I'm headed to the wilderness to freeze my ass off, I'm sure he's off to the gym or some function where his big muscles can do some good.

You're spiraling. Knock it off.

The executives' emails had been adamant someone would be there for me, so I go to baggage claim, find my luggage, and head out to where I was instructed to stand. Sure enough, a small woman with a pixie cut is rocking on her feet. She's holding a sign with my name on it, and I beeline for her.

"Brynne Howard?" She beams.

I nod. "That's me, though since I'm probably insane for doing this, I'm considering running right back onto that plane and begging them to take me back."

She laughs, crumpling her sign and stuffing it into her pocket. "Don't worry, even the hard-core survivalists feel that way. You're our star! Candace is so excited to meet you!"

I sigh. Some tension leaves me now that I've landed and I'm here. For days, it's been chaos. I had to get paperwork at work done, begging all the girls to cover for me in advance so I could get things arranged. I'd had to get my passport from my mother. Which, after all the emotion she'd shown the last time I saw her, it was uncomfortable to have to go back and admit I'd forgotten to get it from her.

Clearly, my survival skills will not kick in until necessary.

"So, am I the first to arrive?" I ask.

She shakes her head as she keeps a brisk pace to the doors that lead outside. "Nope. You're the last, actually. Only had you and one trainer missing. Now we're complete!"

The sliding doors of the airport open, and hell hits me in the face as snow and wind swirl around us. "Holy fuck!"

She giggles as I steel against the snow. It was a little cold in Florida when I left, but the cold to a Floridian is below sixty. This is like being on the face of Antarctica. And the way it stings my face has me wondering if I made the right decision.

"Do you want to stop and get your jacket?"

How had I not taken notice of the fur-lined jacket she was wearing when I arrived?

I halt and throw open my suitcase, pulling out the massive jacket Alyssa and I had to pack into a bag containing only it and my matching snow pants.

Stuffing myself inside, I only close the cold inside it when I zip it. Shivering, I right myself and tug my bags behind me as we stop at the curb.

"Our driver will be along soon. I'm Amy, by the way. I always forget that part."

She's awkward, but I like her. Likely, she's used to being so far behind the scenes that she hasn't had to hone her people skills, but it makes me more comfortable that she's a little off-kilter.

"Here's Wilson," Amy says as she waves a hand toward the approaching blacked-out SUV.

The driver gets out and fights the wind to grab my bags and stuff them into the back. I follow Amy into the backseat. Closing the door, I let the warmth of the interior give me a full rub-down as I close my eyes in thanks.

"So, I'm going to get you to your hotel. In the morning, someone will be along for a meeting and paperwork. After that, you'll meet your survival trainer and learn all you need to know about when it comes to the show and where you're going."

I nod along as I listen. "When do I get dropped?"

They always drop contestants in some random part of some island, all alone, from a helicopter. And it's the part I'm not looking forward to. The moments afterward when reality sets in are going to be the hardest part of this experience. Besides the actual surviving, that is.

"Four days from now."

It seems so soon. I thought I'd have more training than that. But maybe I'd read the email incorrectly.

I swallow against a growing lump in my throat.

"You'll be alright. After all, you're John Howard's daughter."

Admiration is floating in her eyes when I look over at her, and it soothes the feeling of panic in my chest.

Yeah! I'm John Howard's daughter.