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.

eggrolls,” she adds, sighing. Then she looks over at

mine. “You know I

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

idea, and

long into the night the family gathered happily

nothing and everything, chatting lightly about what

our mutual future but not touching on any

that they’re there, after

leave them untouched

just about laughter, and

bite into a smore that Sinclair hands

like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur,

I chew. “This is so good, I can barely

dripping,” Sinclair laughs, you’re going

baby – ”

don’t care,” I murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open

another bite. “He

as he comes and lifts Rafe from my arms.

alone with my s’more

Rafe away from me, apologizing in

mother is. I wave a

words, knowing

and look around at

and his grandchild while Cora and Roger

but clearly

here,” Cora says, wrapping her

“I didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the

as much as this.”

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

hair as he smiles

at the stars and then turning her

Roger, beaming at him.

my own smile from crossing my face

at each other, I decide that that’s my

up from

with Sinclair. He looks up at me, curious and

the RV and then towards Roger and

my gaze and then nods his

puts a hand on his back, leaning down to speak a

one by one, as stealthily as we can

lifted into the RV with a noisy platform – the

way back into

by the fire to

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

RV, pulling the door shut behind him, the baby still

kitchen nook, peering out the window at Roger and

through the tinted window.

says, coming

us our own moment,

excuse

both know he doesn’t watch

I sigh, looking up at my mate and reaching for my baby,

you know I always

laughs. “Do you know,” he murmurs,

and I warmly against him, resting his chin on my

out at Cora and

brother’s love life until

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