That was one of the things he’d always loved about her—her ability to find joy and humor in everything, even her own mistakes. She’d never been self-conscious or embarrassed about them. Never one to sneak around camp to hide them.
Yet here she was sneaking around the back of camp to her RV so no one would see her.
He watched her go. When had she become that person who felt like she had to be embarrassed by her mistakes? Had he just been oblivious to changes happening in the woman he loved?
He scrubbed a hand over his face as he walked back into camp. He needed to cut her some slack. She was here in a professional capacity. If she didn’t want to announce that she’d fallen in the water because she was afraid it might hurt her effectiveness as a medical professional, that was certainly her prerogative.
Or maybe she wasn’t embarrassed by the fall into the lake at all. Maybe she just hadn’t wanted to walk back into camp with him.
Shit. This just kept getting worse.
Baby, sitting down on a giant fallen log to eat, lifted an arm to wave at him. He grabbed the now half-cold MRE he’d left and sat down next to his friend.
The only thing that tasted worse than rehydrated beef and rice was half-cold rehydrated beef and rice.
“Did I just catch a glimpse of you walking with Girl Riley? I heard you guys broke up. Sorry, man.”
“Yeah. It only happened four days ago. How does everybody know what happened?”
“That’s small-town life for you. Everything moves slowly except the gossip.”
Riley wasn’t from Oak Creek but had been hanging around long enough to know that was the gospel truth. “I was pretty much blindsided. Everything seemed fine, and then I got a call saying our relationship wasn’t what she wanted anymore.” He forced himself to chew a bite of his barely lukewarm meal. “I thought maybe there was another guy involved, but she said there wasn’t. Riley isn’t a liar or a cheater.”
Baby took a bite of his own food. “If it helps, I haven’t seen her around with anyone. Although…”
“What?” Riley prompted when Baby trailed off. “Anything is better than knowing nothing.”
“I’ve been pretty busy with Cade and Peyton. It’s not every day your best friend finds out he’s a father, so my intel may not be great because I’ve been dealing with that. But it seems like Girl Riley has been pretty distant over the past couple weeks.”
That wasn’t good. “Any particulars?”
Baby shrugged. “You know Riley, she’s pretty independent, doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve. Last time I saw her was about three weeks ago for a girls’ night out when they all showed up at The Eagle’s Nest. Riley seemed fine except…almost too fine, you know? Like she was determined to be happy or die trying.”
Three weeks ago. That was just about the time the weird behavior had started.
Baby shrugged. “Sorry I’m not more help. And I’m really sorry you guys broke up. Everybody always thought it was pretty amazing how you two made it work even with all the distance and the fame and everything. Plus having the same name. Seemed like it was predestined or something.”
Baby shifted to grab his water bottle and groaned in pain. “When Finn told me to do this race because it would be a life-changing experience, I didn’t know he meant it would be because I would want to kill myself.”
Riley chuckled. “I would tell you it gets easier as the days go on, but we both know I’d be lying.”
Baby groaned again. “That’s what I’m afraid of. Siblings, man. They’re trouble. Got any brothers or sisters?”
Riley nodded. “Older sister. Well, half-sister.”
“She do crazy stuff like this? Extreme sport stuff?”
“Oh hell no. Quinn is a college English professor. I’m pretty sure she disapproves of anything even remotely as immature as extreme sports.”
Baby’s fork stopped midway to his mouth. “Does she teach at Wyoming Community College?”
Riley let out a bark of laughter. “A community college? Dearest half-sister would never set foot in such a place. She teaches at Harvard.”
This whole conversation reminded him that he needed to call Quinn. They’d never been particularly close. An eight-year age gap meant she’d been out of the house before he’d gotten old enough to really know her.
He’d only seen her one time in the past couple of years—his schedule was always crazy. They talked on the phone every once in a while, but not often enough.
Yet another person he was letting down. A lot of that going around.
“Yeah, community college. That’s for people who can’t hack it in real college, right?”
“Don’t ask me, man. I’ve been putting off college for years, much to Quinn’s dismay. There’ll be time enough for that once this part of my life is over. Where did you go to college?”
Baby laughed, but something about it was forced, not the natural chuckle everyone was so used to, the one that put everyone at ease. “Me? I didn’t even make it all the way through high school. Your Harvard sister would probably think I’m the biggest moron on the planet.”
“Naw. Quinn isn’t that way. She’s never mean, just too smart for her own good.” At least, book smart. Quinn tended to close herself off in her academic tower. The two of them couldn’t be more different.
“Book smart. Yeah, that’s definitely not me,” Baby muttered. “I’ll just stick with my cars.”
“Nothing wrong with that. I mean, unless you want to go to college.”
Baby just shrugged. “Some things aren’t meant to be.”
Riley finished his last bite and stood and stretched. He was also feeling pretty sore for it only being the first day. Bo was right. Riley was going to have to get his head out of his ass and into the game if he had any hopes of avoiding injury, and forget winning.
Wildfire opened the door to the RV, clothes now changed and looking dry and warm. “Baby, you’re up for your medical check. Get in here.”
“Coming, Mom!”
With a salute to Riley, Baby stood and jogged off, tossing the food packet into the trash as he went.
Riley watched as Baby said something to make Wildfire laugh, then swat at his shoulder as he entered the RV. Riley wasn’t worried about it; Baby wasn’t going to make a move on her.
But if Riley couldn’t figure out how to fix whatever was wrong between them, he would have no say over who Wildfire dated. A knife twisted in his gut.
“Briefing in ten minutes,” Zac called out to everyone. “We’ll be going over tomorrow’s course and what evil events we have in store for you.”
Baby exited the RV just a couple minutes after he’d entered, obviously no serious wounds. But the knife was still twisting in Riley’s gut when Wildfire walked out just before the briefing started.
She looked warmer and drier but still had that pinched look in her eyes.
He pulled her over to edge of the group gathering to hear what Zac had to say. “Enough of this nonsense. I want you to tell me what’s going on.”
“There’s nothing going on. Thank you for your jacket. I have it hanging over the heater in the RV. It should be dry by morning.” She turned away, but he shifted so he was in front of her and she couldn’t escape. “Move, Phoenix.”