7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

C andy

Was it just a week ago that we sat out here and I played my heart out for Courage? He wasn't faking it. He really liked my music. I plop down next to him on a wide chaise lounge. The glow of the laptop screen I'm carrying illuminates his chiseled features, casting shadows that dance across his face like secrets waiting to be unveiled.

"We leave tomorrow, and I wanted to run this by you. I think you're going to love it."

He arches a brow, his piercing blue eyes flicking to mine. "Uh, should I be worried?"

I nudge him with my elbow, a grin tugging at my lips. "Oh, ye of little faith. Just wait until you see what I've got planned for our cross-country adventure."

"Adventure?" His ears perk up, curiosity and skepticism warring in his gaze. "Before you launch, should I ask if this is Maury-Gold-approved?"

"Well, I didn't run it by Maury, but if my seven-foot-tall nanny thinks it's unseemly, I'll take it under advisement."

"I'm six foot six and a half—that is, if you measure to the top of my skull and not the tips of my ears."

I don't know how he manages it, but he flicks them a few times in unison, then one at a time until I'm almost doubled over in laughter. The juxtaposition of his fierce, wolven fangs and the comedic look on his face is priceless.

"Okay. Let's see what you've got." He leans toward the screen, which means we're shoulder to shoulder. Well, shoulder to thick, muscled biceps.

"So here's the deal…" My fingers fly across the keyboard. "The tour schedule Maury sent us is just a list of cities and dates. No personality. No pizzazz. We fly into Pittsburgh… wait, are wolven allowed to fly?"

"One of the other benefits of Bold's human rescue and the Warriors' increased popularity is that the Governor allowed Others to get government-issued photo IDs. I've never been outside of LA, but I'm looking forward to traveling with you and flying for the first time."

"Great. So… we fly to Pittsburgh, then, since we're renting a van and driving the rest of the way… well, I thought we could add some spice to the journey."

"Spice, huh?" His lips quirk, his tone dry. "Why do I get the feeling this will be more than just taking the scenic route?"

"Because you're getting to know me, wolven." I bump his thigh with mine, enjoying the way those gorgeous eyes crinkle at the corners. "Behold, the Candy Woods Back-to-Basics Tour, now with 100% more weirdness."

I turn the screen toward him with a flourish, watching his expression as he scans the detailed itinerary I've put together. Peppered between tour dates are an array of offbeat attractions, local landmarks, and hidden gems—a roadmap of whimsy and wonder to break up the monotony of highway miles.

His brow furrows, his head tilting as he reads. "Randyland? The Parthenon… in Nashville? And what in the world is the Forevertron?"

"Only the world's largest scrap metal sculpture," I inform him gleefully. "Built by a reclusive artist in the middle of Wisconsin. It's supposed to be this crazy steampunk wonderland."

"Of course it is." He shakes his head in mock disgust, but I catch the glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "You really dug deep for this, didn't you? I've never heard of any of these places."

"That's the point." I lean into him, sneaking a whiff of his clean, woodsy scent. "We're going off the beaten path, baby. Hitting the weird and wonderful corners of America they don't put in the guidebooks. If I'm banished from the big venues, I'm going to embrace what small-town America has to offer."

"Weird and wonderful, huh?" He glances at me sidelong, his heated gaze a little too focused. "Sounds like someone I know."

My cheeks warm, but I play it off with a hair toss and a smirk. "I didn't know you liked Maury enough to call him wonderful."

He laughs at that, a full-bodied sound that wraps around me like a plush blanket. "Oh, I don't know, rock star. I'd say of the two of you, you're the one who earned the title."

The air between us crackles with something unsaid, something that makes my pulse trip and my skin prickle with awareness. These moments keep happening—charged silences, loaded looks, casual touches that linger a beat too long.

But before I can examine it further, Courage clears his throat, turning back to the screen.

"So, what else do you have up your sleeve? I'm almost afraid to ask."

Grateful for the diversion, I launch into the highlights. "The World's Largest Chest of Drawers in North Carolina, the SPAM Museum in Minnesota, and if we get anywhere near Vermont, we're going to the Ben and Jerry's Flavor Graveyard even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming."

"Graveyard?'

"Yep. Complete with gravestones."

"Wait, back up." Courage holds up a hand, his ears flicking as he cocks his head. "Did you say a museum dedicated to canned meat?"

"You bet your bushy tail I did." I poke his side, enjoying the way he squirms away with a huff of laughter. "And we're going. No arguments."

"Wouldn't dream of crossing Candy Wood when she's on a mission." He settles back against the lounge, his arms crossed behind his head. "I've learned it's best to just buckle up and enjoy the ride when it comes to your schemes. Safer for my sanity that way."

I scoff, punching him lightly on one impressively muscled shoulder. "Schemes? I'll have you know these are carefully curated experiences, selected to broaden our cultural horizons and create lasting memories."

He arches a brow, his look pointed. "Uh-huh. And it has nothing to do with your weakness for the bizarre and kitsch?"

"Well, I never said that." I grin, unrepentant. "But come on, you have to admit it'll be fun! A real bonding experience for the two of us."

Something flickers across his face, there and gone too quickly for me to parse.

"Right. Bonding. Because that's… that's totally in my job description as your bodyguard."

An awkward moment passes, his words hanging in the air between us, our gazes locked.

Biting my lip, I suddenly feel off balance. "I mean, no, it's not like… uh… I didn't mean it like that." It takes all my self-control not to cover my face with my hands to hide my hot blush.

"No, I know." He sits up, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. "I'm just being an ass. Ignore me."

But I can't ignore it, this unspoken thing that keeps rearing its head when we let our guards down. This pull, this spark, this feeling that we're teetering on the edge of something dangerous and thrilling and altogether ill-advised.

And from the look on his face, the tension in his posture… Courage feels it, too.

But we can't go there. He's my bodyguard, my protector. To cross that line would be reckless at best, catastrophic at worst. We both know it.

So I do what I do best. I paste on a bright smile, bumping his knee with mine like the moment never happened. "Anyway, that's the plan. A zigzagging, seat-of-our-pants odyssey to break up the tour grind. What do you think, up for the challenge?"

He rolls his eyes, but the corner of his mouth lifts, letting me know we're back on solid ground. "With you riding shotgun? What choice do I have?"

Relief whooshes through me, giddy and cool. "Oh, come on. You know you love my company. I'm a delight."

"Debatable." But he's grinning now; the weird tension evaporated like morning mist under the rising sun. "Though I reserve the right to veto anything too bizarre. I have to draw the line somewhere."

"Spoilsport." I pout, but inside I'm buzzing, eager anticipation zinging through my veins. This trip, this tour… it feels like a precipice, a launching pad into something new, exhilarating, and life-altering.

Anything could happen. The possibilities stretch out before us, a highway of wonder and potential just begging to be explored. And I can't wait to map every inch of it, weird tourist traps and all.

Now I just have to make sure my pesky feelings for a certain wolven bodyguard don't complicate the itinerary.

Easy peasy, right?