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.

looks

know

make them hire us

at the idea, and we both

the night the family gathered happily around

and everything, chatting lightly about

in our mutual future but not touching on any of the

We all know that they’re

leave them untouched

is just about laughter, and fun, and

a little as I bite into

like it. “Oh my

I chew. “This is so good, I

going

baby – ”

my head

another bite. “He

as he comes and lifts Rafe from my

alone with my s’more anyway. Cora,

away from me,

mother is. I

words, knowing that

finish my s’more and look around at my family,

his grandchild while Cora

each other, not talking but

Cora says, wrapping

didn’t think I’d

as much as this.”

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

as he smiles at

up at the stars and then

Roger, beaming at him.

crossing my face as I watch them.

I decide that

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

He looks up at me, curious and I nod my head

RV and then towards Roger and Cora,

my gaze and then nods

his back, leaning down to speak a whispered

one, as stealthily as we can – which is not

has to be lifted into the RV with

way back into the little

by the fire to have a moment to

about,” I say to Sinclair

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

the little kitchen nook, peering out the window

through the tinted window.

spy?” he says, coming

perhaps wanting to give us our own moment,

bedroom, making some excuse

we both know he

mate and reaching for my

arms. “But you know I always want

you know,” he murmurs, slipping his

baby and I warmly against

at Cora and Roger, “I never cared as much

love life until you

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

Comments ()

0/255