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 adds, sighing. Then she looks over at

know I can’t

we can make them hire us chefs,” I consider. She raises

idea, and

into the

and everything, chatting lightly about what we’ll

future but not touching

behind the conversation. We all know that they’re there, after all –

simultaneously decide to leave them untouched

just about laughter, and

little as I bite into a smore that Sinclair hands me, the

to a crisp just the way I like it. “Oh

is so good, I can

going to get

baby – ”

head and

“He won’t

and lifts Rafe from my arms. I let

be alone with my s’more anyway. Cora, Roger, and Henry laugh

walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in a loud murmur

is. I wave

knowing that

and look

his grandchild

to each other, not talking but clearly

says, wrapping

camp. “I didn’t think I’d like sitting

as much as this.”

about it, isn’t there?” Roger murmurs, raising

as he smiles at

says, looking up at the stars and then turning

Roger, beaming at him.

smile from crossing my face

each other, I decide that that’s my

stand up from my little camping chair and

up at me, curious and I nod my

and then towards Roger

nods his understanding.

on his back, leaning down to speak a

one by one, as stealthily as we can – which is not

into the RV with a noisy platform –

the baby make our way back

Roger alone by the fire

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

the door shut behind him, the baby still curled in

the little kitchen nook, peering out

through the tinted window.

their business, little spy?” he says, coming to sit with

to give us our own moment, rolls his

making some excuse

know

I sigh, looking up at my mate and reaching

arms. “But you

know,” he murmurs,

baby and I warmly against him, resting his chin on

he too can look out at Cora and Roger, “I never cared as much

my brother’s love life

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