Ryan shot Aelin a look, and she shrugged with a laugh. He was going to have to get used to that. Everyone here jumped in, even if they weren’t on a first-name basis.
“Mom, Dad, this is Ryan.” Aelin motioned to Amaya, who had already crouched next to the flames with Bailey. “That’s his daughter, Amaya.”
“So nice to meet you. Here, let me help with those," her mom reached out to take a few packages of the buns from their hands. "I'm Molly, by the way." She held out her hand to Ryan, who took it with a smile.
“Dave.” Her dad adjusted the waistband of his pants.
Aelin set the rest of the buns on the picnic table as gratitude swelled in her chest. Her parents were good people. Welcoming. Loving. They'd always been supportive, even when she and her sister had made stupid decisions. Like drinking their whiskey or driving her car through a puddle that turned out to be a mud pit. Or, you know, marrying Clark.
Her dad walked back to the fire pit. Aelin grabbed a roasting stick from the bucket next to the picnic table and handed it to Ryan.
They speared up dogs for the girls, then showed them where to hold it over the fire.
"So, how was the drive?" her mom asked, sitting down in one of the camp chairs.
"Pretty uneventful.”
“No traffic at the border?” Her dad looked skeptical. Ryan shook his head."That's good. It's always a crapshoot, especially on a weekend.You shall not pass!”
Aelin laughed and glanced at Ryan. She’d forgotten toprepare him for the excessive nerd energy he’d be encountering. “Dad, you’ve driven over the border exactly once.”
He waved her off. “I’ve heard stories.”
Ryan crouched down to help Amaya rotate her dog, and Aelin noticed how the light played off the curve of his lips. She forced her eyes back to the table and pulled the sleeves of her hoody over her hands.
"You started without us!" Mariah called.
Aelin turned to see her sister and her friends walking down the path from the cabins. Somehow, they all knew exactly who Ryan was. Mariah introduced her husband, Leo, and their kids, Tucker, Alicia, and Mary. Their friends introduced themselves next, and Aelin tried to keep track of names even though the teenage boys moved as a pack straight to the food.
They laughed and ate around the fire as the sun dropped closer to the horizon. The girls played in the water, grabbing pool noodles and floats to play some game involving mermaids.
Ryan leaned over as the sun was setting. “Should we get them cleaned up?”
Aelin nodded, laughing at Mariah trying to wipe ketchup off her ankle after dipping a bare dog on her friend Malcolm’s plate of extra condiments.
They helped put the rest of the food away, then called to Amaya and Bailey. There were no complaints once they reminded the girls that they’d get to do the same thing every day for a week. Aelin never made plans for this vacation. She liked soaking it in, enjoying every second on the water.
“You four want to take first shift with us on the boat in the morning?” Her dad asked as they started back toward their cabin.
Aelin looked at Ryan, and he nodded. “Sure. What time?”
“Eight o’clock okay? The water will be glass.”
She smiled. “Sounds great. Thanks, Dad.”
The girls showered and got into PJs while Aelin made themeach a piece of toast with a fried egg for a snack. She looked up and noticed Ryan eyeing the plate.
“You want one, too?”
He glanced up. “I wouldn’t turn it down.”
Aelin grinned and cracked another egg in the pan. It was quite possibly the perfect afternoon, which felt miraculous, considering the way it started. She kept waiting for Ryan to snap at her or go into hiding like Clark used to. To say something like, “Your family is a lot,” but he hadn’t.
He sat at the fire surrounded by perfect strangers and joined in the conversation like he was a regular. In the past few weeks, she hadn’t seen him get testy once besides that first day on her doorstep. Either he was putting on an excellent show, or she’d met him at his worst. And if that was his worst . . .
Bailey sat at the table first, and Amaya was quick to follow. Ryan offered to deliver the plates, but she waved him off. She brought their food and did a double take when she saw Bailey reach over and pull a piece of egg white hanging off the edge of Ryan’s plate and pop it in her mouth.
Ryan glanced up, and she turned back to the kitchen to grab water glasses. When they finished, Amaya cleared all three plates, and they all walked up the stairs to the loft together.
