“Aw, the hell he does,” I replied. “He’s just a cuddler.”
“Yeah.” Mikey jutted his chin at Dylan.
If we ever went on another family road trip together, we were gonna have to rent a bigger RV. So far, Nate had bunked with Hallie and Lily in the bed where two parents were supposed to sleep. And I had squeezed my body up in the big bunk above the front seats with Dylan and Mikey. It’d been…tight. Although, I’d appreciated having Mikey snuggled up against me. He talked in his sleep, almost exclusively about food and animals. It was fucking adorable.
“Come on, let’s eat,” Nate said. “The hot dogs are done.”
At around ten-thirty, Nate and I helped Hallie and Dylan get settled on the roof. We sent up the air mattresses, two sleeping bags, the bug net canopy, a flashlight, binoculars, and a small cooler with drinks and snacks. Hallie dutifully stayed away from the edge.
Fingers crossed that the temperature dropped a fuckload.
“Here’s your camera, son.” Nate climbed up the ladder enough for Dylan to reach the camera bag. “Do you need anything else?”
“I think we’re good for a week,” Dylan chuckled.
“Seriously, how many snacks did you pack?” Hallie giggled.
“Well, in case you got hungry…” Nate climbed down once more.
I glanced up there. “Dylan, remember—if Hallie needs to come down, help her.”
“Oh my gosh, Daddy, I’m not a baby,” Hallie complained.
Right. “On that note, do you need another Band-Aid for your knee? You scraped it pretty badly on that pebble.”
Oh, sheglowered.
I grinned.
“All right, Dad and I will be over by the firepit,” Nate said. “Holler if you need anything. And that includes if Micah or Lily comes outside.”
We’d still see the RV. We’d be maybe thirty feet away.
“Why are you going all the way over there?” Hallie wondered.
I pulled out the cigar from my chest pocket.
My little tradition for summer vacations.
“Ewww, that smell.” She made a face.
Hence, why I wasn’t going to sit at the table right below.
“Have a good night, kiddos. Love you both.” I sent them a two-finger wave before I started my short trek over to the fire. Luck was on my side, because none of the other camping enthusiasts were around.
Dylan and Hallie would be preoccupied for a while. Dylan with his camera, Hallie with…her phone. And Lily and Mikey were watching a movie on Nate’s iPad—if they hadn’t fallen asleep.
Four logs formed a framework around the fire, and I sat down on one of them and inspected the construction. I could totally build this, a smaller version anyway, the day I bought a house. A day I was getting increasingly ready for.
I needed a place that felt like home. I missed it.
At this point, I felt more at home in a rented RV than in that shitty little apartment.
Hell, I felt at home right here. Surrounded by forest and RVs and mountains in the dark. With millions of stars up above.
“Damn.” I’d forgotten. I stood up again and pulled out my whiskey flask, and I took two quick sips before I placed it on the rocks close to the fire. Let’s get that fucker warm.
Oof, that was a good blend. The strong flavors flooded my senses and burned a weirdly smooth trail down my throat.
