Part 28 (1/2)

'Don't be so sure you look hot! Do you think I would have stopped for you if you'd just been in jeans?'

I give him a playful punch.

'Seriously, I think any man would find you pretty hard to resist right now.'

My heart does a little flip. And I can still feel the sensation of his super-toned biceps on my knuckles. All my quippy sarcasm deserts me in favor of a good old-fas.h.i.+oned 'Take me now!' sensation.

'Great! It's still open!' Joel's attention s.h.i.+fts to a tin-roofed trading post on the roadside. 'This is my favorite store. I just need to get a few provisions. You coming in?'

I look down at my bottom half and then back at him.

'Okay, you stay put. I'll be back in five.'

'With snacks?' I ask, hopefully.

'As much beef jerky as you can stomach!' he teases.

'Is there a chance they'd have teabags?' I call after him.

'If they've got them, they're yours!'

Making sure he's safely in the shop, I unzip the fleece and peer down inside. Could this outfit really do the trick? If only. At least it's had some kind of effect on Joel. I wonder what kind of girls he usually goes for? I hope Jen isn't typical - she sounds all too Pepsi Max for my liking. What kind of woman wants to get married hanging from a rope? I'm just about to start rifling through his CDs when I get a mischief spasm and find myself jumping out of the car and scurrying around the back to hide without even really knowing why.

Five minutes later he emerges from the shop. I hear him open his car door and then stop.

'Lara?' He turns around to search for me and DUMPF! Direct hit! Right in the mouth. I rub my chilled hands together as he spits out the snow.

'Oh-ho-ho, you'll be sorry,' he says, dumping his brown grocery bag on the car seat and tearing after me.

Before he can fill his hands with snow I hit him again, this time in the chest left pec, ten points. I've already prepped an a.r.s.enal and have a serious advantage but it doesn't stop me screeching like a banshee when he lobs one at me.

'Gotcha!' he cackles, delighted that he's ruined half my movie-star hair with his first shot.

The second of Joel's missiles knocks me off my feet. I watch as the offending s...o...b..ll falls to the ground, still intact and streaked red with my lip gloss. Stunned, I wipe the remainder from my face.

That's not blood, is it?' Joel blanches, rus.h.i.+ng to my side.

I nod, looking like I'm about to cry.

'Let me look,' he frets, tilting my face towards his. As he inspects my mouth I reach up and shove a handful of snow down the back of his s.h.i.+rt.

'You evil little witch!' he howls as I wriggle free.

Now it's gone beyond s...o...b..a.l.l.s we're just scooping up great armfuls of powdery snow, more akin to a water fight. Staggering backwards to duck a dousing I trip on my train and splat into the snow, pulling him on top of me. Unintentionally, honest. I try and writhe free, knowing he's going to wreak an icy revenge any second.

'Now I've got you!' He looms over me.

I start frantically kicking and screaming, 'Get off! Help!' I struggle and strain. 'Aaaaaaaaghhh!' I squeal as he gives me a crushed ice collar.

'STOP!'.

Suddenly his weight is lifted off me and I see him yanked back by the scruff of his neck as a familiar voice cries: 'What the h.e.l.l is going on?'

Panting, I sit up and push my soppy, straggled hair from my eyes.

'Elliot!' I wheeze.

'Lara?' He reels.

Joel looks more intrigued than ever as he shrugs himself free from Elliot's rough grasp.

'I was just coming to meet you!' I blurt. 'What are you doing here?'

'We got a report of an abandoned car near Wawona, I was worried it might be you.'

'It was! Were you coming to rescue me?' I ask, feeling either dreamy or mildly concussed, I'm not sure which.

His look softens. 'Thought I might return the favor,' he smiles. I flash back to the surf drama and Elliot's absence of trunks and feel quite dizzy with desire. For a millisecond I could swear he's feeling the same way but then the state of me distracts him. 'So what exactly is going on here?' he frowns, shooting a dirty look at my burly a.s.sailant.

'Oh, this is Joel.'

'Do you two know each other?'

'Know each other? Haven't you heard? We're engaged!' Joel lunges at me and waves the ruby clunker on my wedding finger under his nose.

Elliot looks utterly bewildered.

'Not really!' I say, reaching out to Elliot but his look doesn't change. Before I can explain further, a real-deal park ranger appears by Elliot's side.

'Everything okay, son?'

'Yes, Mr Gediman this is Lara.'

I shake his hand, apologizing: 'I don't normally look like this.'

'It's her car,' Elliot continues. 'The abandoned vehicle.'

'Are you all right, miss?'

'I'm fine. Joel rescued me.'

Elliot looks a little put out.

'Great, well, I'll go ahead and get the car off the road. Elliot, why don't you get a ride back to camp with your friends?'

'Urm...'