Caving, Cuddles & Competition

Dalton's newest charity weekend was supposed to be wholesome: a guided cave tour, an outdoor skills competition, and a fundraiser banquet where nobody got emotionally exposed.

Then Rory Ward signed up.

Rory is fitness-forward, fiercely competitive, and allergic to losing-especially to Caleb Barton, the rescue-trained outdoor guide with calm competence and a teasing streak that makes Rory want to win and kiss him in equal measure. Their rivalry is instant: trash talk, one-upmanship, and "I could do that faster" nonsense that the entire town treats like live entertainment.

When Dalton pairs them for the main event, the rules change. The final challenge isn't about speed or strength-it's about trust. And when a harmless-but-dramatic moment underground forces Rory to face the one thing he can't out-train, Caleb is there with steady hands, quiet patience, and a warmth Rory didn't know he needed.

Between headlamps, knot-tying showdowns, matchmaking "data," and post-adventure cuddles that become suspiciously hard to stop, Rory and Caleb discover the real victory isn't beating each other.

It's choosing each other-especially when the whole town is watching.

Caving, Cuddles & Competition is a funny, tender small-town M/M romantic comedy packed with rivalry-to-romance tension, competence chemistry, found family chaos, and a happily-ever-after that doesn't require anyone to earn love by winning.