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.

sighing. Then she looks over at

“You know I can’t

them hire us chefs,” I consider.

idea, and

this long into the

about nothing and everything,

but not touching on

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

leave them untouched for the

tonight is just about laughter, and fun, and spending time

into a smore that

like it. “Oh my god,”

“This is so good, I

dripping,” Sinclair laughs, you’re going to get marshmallow

baby – ”

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

bite. “He won’t mind

he comes and lifts Rafe from my arms. I let

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

away from me, apologizing in a loud murmur for

mother is. I wave a hand at him, dismissing

words, knowing

look around at

his

each other, not talking but clearly connected in this

wrapping her arms around

I’d like sitting outside in

as much as this.”

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

as he smiles at

says, looking up at the stars and then turning

Roger, beaming at him.

help my own smile from crossing my

I decide that

as I can, I stand up from my little camping chair and send

up at me,

RV and then towards Roger and Cora, who begin talking quietly.

and then nods his

back, leaning

as stealthily as we can – which

into the RV with a noisy

baby make our way back into

fire to have a

think they’re talking about,” I say to

behind him, the baby still

the little kitchen nook, peering out the window

through the tinted window.

little spy?” he says, coming

give us

some excuse about wanting to

know he doesn’t

mate and reaching for my baby,

into my arms. “But you know I always

“Do you know,” he murmurs, slipping

pulling the baby and I warmly against him, resting

look out at Cora and Roger, “I never cared

brother’s love

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