Free Welcome to Paradise by Rosalind James Page B

allowing us at least a taste of the authentic experience.”
    “Yeah, right, a taste of the experience,” Kevin said. “More like ready-made drama. A little fatigue, a little bickering, maybe a meltdown or two . . . All good for the ratings.”
    “And I’d hate to think of living in a cabin built by Martin,” he said to Mira, dropping behind with her as they followed the wagons out of the yard. “There I’d be, innocently sleeping, buried under the rubble when it collapsed around me. If he didn’t bring a tree crashing down on him while he was building it.”
    They began the long journey, staying well behind the heavy wagons to keep out of the cloud of dust raised on the dirt road. Despite the warmth of the early July day, the mercury beginning its rise now that it was after eight, Mira found herself enjoying the walk. It was a relief to be out of the kitchen, and the countryside was so beautiful, with its rolling hills and stands of pines and firs, the tree-covered mountains looming ahead. A hawk circled in a blue sky with just a scattering of white clouds, and her heart soared right along with it. She was walking toward the adventure of a lifetime. Whatever happened in the game, she vowed, however far she got or didn’t get, she was going to take everything she could from the experience.
    The newly formed homesteads had been walking together, with Arcadia in the lead, but after an hour or so Scott left the group and waited at the side of the road for Mira to catch up. He pulled her back behind Zara and Kevin, with whom she’d been chatting in a desultory way, and launched into a monologue he’d clearly been mulling over for some time.
    “This is a stupid ratings gimmick,” he said irritably. “I’ve been discussing it with Arlene, and we can’t see how the two-person teams can have any chemistry, how they intend to come up with a coherent storyline with us split between homesteads. I don’t know what the producers were thinking.”
    “I guess just that it’d be something different,” Mira said cautiously. “Something to get people talking about the show.”
    “Different because it’s ridiculous,” Scott snorted. “But since we can’t do anything about it, we’re just going to have to adjust our strategy. I’ve been thinking about how to do that, and I’ve realized that all we need to do is revise my original plan. We’ll still be working with the same alliances. It’s just that I won’t be able to oversee your part of it as well as I was planning to.”
    Did he really think she was such an idiot that she couldn’t figure out how to talk to people without his help? But the last thing she wanted was a televised argument. Mike had dropped back to film them, to her chagrin. She shoved the irritation down and asked instead, “What are you thinking?”
    “I’ll start bonding with my group,” he began to plan. “Arlene and Chelsea are feeling left out and vulnerable right now. Probably Lupe too. That’s a group of four right there. I get one more with us, and we’ll have a majority. Meanwhile, you should be getting friendlier with Martin. Stanley likes you too, I’ve noticed. Work on that, and I’ll do the same with Calvin. But the main thing: cozy up to Maria-Elena and Melody. Get to be their best friend. Talk about clothes, brag about your boyfriend, all that girl talk.”
    “I’m not sure that’s going to work. Because I’m not particularly friendly with Melody,” Mira pointed out. “She sure isn’t friendly with me. I don’t think she’s all that interested in women. And I’m not crazy about Martin either. I’m friends with Zara and Kevin, and I like Stanley and Maria-Elena. I’m pretty sure we could become friends, once we’re living together. That’s five, with me. A majority.” She didn’t dare mention Gabe.
    “It doesn’t matter who you’re friends with,” Scott said impatiently. “That’s not the point. There’s no way we’ll win if we start out by making