I know I joked about being in my thirties and not having that quick of a turn around time, but that was total bull-honky. I just worried about him moving too quickly.Heshould be worried about moving too quickly. Discovering pieces of yourself that you’ve spent forever hiding—that’s no small feat, especially at his age. He’s got more than just coming out to himself to think about. I feel like he’d be best suited to pacing this out a little.
Which is why I shouldn’t be in this tent right now, basking in the feeling of being in his arms. Waking up next to him, as if this were something I planned to be doing for the rest of my life. Though, I could get very,veryused to waking up with the way Evan’s arms feel around me and the way he peppers small kisses on my shoulder and neck, like he’s trying to kiss all of my freckles.
As if a neon-sign flashing ‘You shouldn’t be doing this!’ suddenly flickered to life, confirming my suspicions, I hear voices from outside the tent.
“I think this is where our dads let him go before,” I hear Morgan pondering, then, “Oh! Dad’s actually here! That’s his tent.”
“What if he’s asleep in there? Shouldn’t we not, like, wake him up?”
Evan tenses up behind me, with a slight gasp. “Fuck!” he whispers. “Colton…”
I bolt upright, holding ashh!finger to my lips.I got this, I mouth to him, motioning for him to hide under the sleeping bag. “Morgs? Colton? What are you guys doing out here?”
Morgan giggles. “Noodles decided to raid cabin four again this morning while everyone was asleep. We watched him on the game cameras Evan installed. Avery and Riley caught him, so Colty and I are gently encouraging him to stay wild. What areyoudoing out here?”
I throw on a hoodie and crawl out of the tent, being sure to zip it back up behind me. I yawn and stretch, making a show of looking the picture of being relaxed—totally the opposite of how I’m feeling.
I feel like a kid getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Except the cookie jar in this scenario is the father of the teenager currently gawking at me, out of my element.
“Hadn’t gone camping in a while, figured since I had some time to myself, I’d take a solo trip,” I explain to Morgan—trying not to put suspicious emphasis on thesolopart.
“That’s awesome!” Morgan cheers. “I assumed you went to Portland Pride with Uncle Kai, since he wanted help.”
“I told him I’d go down tomorrow,” I explain. “I’m probably going to head downtown today and help your grandmother with her table.”
The Alder Notch Pride celebration is held every last weekend in June. It isn’t nearly as large as Portland, but it is both my mothers’ baby, so I figured I’d hang out here this year, as opposed to being at Kai’s beck and call for once. He and one of his other boy toys, Brody, have been working this event for years. I usually go help set it up andtear it down again, at the end of the festival weekend. An effort that is largely taken for granted, I know, but I don’t get out much, and hitting up the big Pride festival in the lower section of the State, is one of the only allowances I give myself away from camp—even though I hate leaving others with the burden of the camp while I’m away.
“Besides, the campers’ art showcase lines up with this weekend as well,” I remind her. “You know I never miss that!”
Morgan grins, peering over at Colton. “Someone’s going to be selling some of his art at Gran’s booth.” She nudges him in the ribs.
He bites his lip ring and toes at a pebble in front of him. “It’s nothing...”
“It’sawesome,” she corrects him. “Simple, yet meaningful. You’ve got some major talent, Colty-doodle!” She giggles.
He chuckles at her. “You’re the weirdest.”
She nods. “That’s why you love me! Come on, let’s go let poor Noodles out, he’s probably desperate to get out of Snarf’s carrier.”
I snort, looking at the lump on the ground. “He’s asleep,” I note.
“Aww. He’s a good boy, just a little misunderstood. Not unlike someone else I know,” Morgan coos, fixing Colton with a look.
“Ha ha,” he deadpans.
Then she picks up the bag and starts to wade across the stream. When she slips a little, Colton is by her side in a flash, propping her back up and guiding her the rest of the way.
Helpful and supportive. Like father, like son.
Like father…Oh, shoot! While their backs are turned, I make sure to hide the extra set of shoes sitting outside the tent. I peer around for anything else that might give away the man I’ve got hiding inside. I think we’re good.
Looking back across the stream, I swear Noodles looks particularly displeased about being awoken and finding he’s being deposited awayfrom his grub hub again. If raccoons could glower, I’d swear that’s the look he’s currently giving Colton and Morgan, as they try to shoo him off into the forest. When they stumble back over and find me again, I’m pulling my mini camp stove and kettle out of my bag, ready to make some coffee.
“Do you think you could take Colton’s print to Gran for him?” Morgan asks me, hiking a thumb at him. “We’re on Baywatch duty today, before we get the night off.”
I nod. “Sure can. You have a game tonight in Bethel too, don’t you?”
