Accidental Surrogate

Chapter 387

The trip improves by leaps and bounds the moment we stop at the campground for the night.

“Finally,” I sigh, taking a deep breath of the fresh air as I climb down the steps of the RV, my baby curled in my arm and looking around him with bright and interested eyes. “It’s good to be on steady ground again.”

“Remind me never to take you on a boat,” Sinclair murmurs, coming down the stairs behind me. “If you didn’t like this…you won’t respond well to that.”

“Yes sir,” I say passively, smiling down at the baby, who frees one of his arms and reaches out into the cool evening air, clasping his fingers at a firefly who passes close by. I don’t mention that I liked the sea voyage to the desert much more than I liked this, even though the accommodations weren’t as nice.

“What about this?” Sinclair murmurs as he steps down the final step and comes to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I smile as I lean

back against his chest. “Is the forest an improvement?”

I look around our isolated campsite, lit with grey and blue tones in the dying light

of the day. I smile at what I see, appreciating the cool air and the blinking light of

the fireflies that float lazily through the space.

“Yes,” I say with a decisive nod. “This will do quite well.”

“Good,” Sinclair replies, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing

me and moving to a luggage compartment low on the RV, I watch as he opens it

and begins pulling out camping gear chairs, a cooler, some bags with extra

snacks and bug spray.

“Oh!” I say, surprised by it all as my mate begins to set it all up around a burnedout ring where a fire goes. “Oh, we’re very prepared.”

“Of course we are,” Roger says, climbing out of the RV with Cora behind him.

When he reaches the ground, Roger flicks the switch that prepares Henry’s little

elevator. “We’re always ready to go glamping in this family.”

I laugh at the term, settling into a chair that Sinclair waves me towards, smiling

down at the baby. “What do you think, Rafe?” I whisper to him. “Do you like

glamping?” He gives a happy little coo in response and I laugh, grinning up at

his father. “I think that’s a yes.”

“Kid has taste,” Sinclair says, winking at me as he continues his work. We’re all

settled around a fire much faster than I thought was possible and I smile as I

watch Sinclair and Roger set a little grill across it, apparently preparing to make

us our dinner as well.

“They only cook,” Henry whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us a

smile, “when it’s outdoors. Otherwise, they’re not interested.”

“Not true!” Sinclair protests, his eyes still on the fire.

“Absolutely true!” Roger chimes in, making us laugh. “If I’m making food, it’s

grilled. Otherwise I’m getting takeout.”

“Guess your baby is gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur to Cora.

she looks over at me from her chair

know I

hire us

the idea,

the night

everything, chatting lightly about

in our mutual future but not touching on any

know that they’re there, after all – and

to leave them untouched for the

laughter, and fun,

as I bite into a smore that Sinclair hands me,

the way I like it. “Oh my god,”

so good, I

Sinclair laughs, you’re going to get marshmallow all over

baby – ”

murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes as

bite. “He won’t

as he comes and lifts Rafe from my arms.

alone with my s’more

Rafe away from me, apologizing in a loud

I wave

words, knowing that he’s kidding

my s’more and look around

his grandchild while Cora and Roger

to each other, not talking but clearly connected in this peaceful

out here,” Cora says, wrapping her

didn’t think I’d

as much as this.”

it, isn’t there?” Roger murmurs,

Cora’s hair as he smiles at

the stars and

Roger, beaming at him.

my own smile from crossing my face as

I decide that that’s my

I stand up from

at me,

and then towards Roger and

gaze and then nods his understanding. He

a hand on his back,

we can – which is not very

lifted into the RV with a noisy platform –

us and the baby make our way back into the little mobile house,

fire to have a

you think they’re talking about,” I say to Sinclair as he climbs last

pulling the door shut behind him, the baby still curled in

the little kitchen nook, peering out the window at Roger

through the tinted window.

says, coming to

us our own

excuse about wanting to

we both know he

my mate and reaching for my

you know

“Do you know,” he murmurs, slipping his

against him, resting his

can look out at Cora and Roger, “I never cared

of my brother’s love life until you

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255