Ben nearly fell out of his chair. “That is the coolest thing I ever heard.”
Summer looked torn between amusement and horror when Frank slapped the table as if he’d just declared world peace. “I like him.”
Edie didn’t say it out loud, but the warmth in her eyes said she might too.
After the meal, Frank announced that Ben had to inspect the RV before their departure, and the boy dragged Pope outside with him.
When Ben’s hand had curled around his without hesitation, his throat tightened, and only clamped harder when he saw the way Summer’s face softened when she noticed it.
Frank proudly showed them storage compartments, the bunk area, the foldout table and the fridge already stocked with enough snacks to survive a minor apocalypse.
Edie stayed behind with Summer for a few minutes. Pope didn’t need to hear what they said—he already knew by how bright Summer’s eyes looked when they came outside.
Goodbyes took longer than expected. There were bags to load, last reminders about pajamas and toothbrushes, a hug from Summer that made Ben squirm and lean into it at the same time, and a firm handshake from Frank that turned into a clap on Pope’s shoulder.
Ben climbed into the RV, then popped back out for one more hug from Summer. Pope gave them space, but Ben turned toward him afterward, serious now beneath all that excitement.
“I’m not sad about leaving this time, Mom.”
Summer’s face changed.
Ben looked right at Pope. “Because I know Vander will be with you.”
The words settled over the little yard, unsure if he’d ever recover from hearing that.
Summer pressed a hand to Ben’s cheek, whispered something only he could hear, then kissed him hard before letting him go.
A minute later the RV pulled away with Ben waving wildly from the window, Frank honking twice in farewell.
Summer waved until they turned the corner.
Pope stood beside her, close enough to feel the tremor she tried to hide. He wanted to reach for her, but he waited until she leaned against him first.
When she did, he slid an arm around her shoulders and held on.
Ben trusted him to stay.
That should have terrified Pope.
Instead, it felt like a promise he was already making.
* * * * *
Summer carried a tray of beers through the Stockyard, her steps matching the beat of the country music rolling through the speakers. The dinner crowd thickened around the bar and boots scraped over old wood floors.
Usually the noise helped to make the night go faster, but tonight her mind kept wandering back to earlier when Vanderand Ben went outside with her father to check out the RV, leaving her and her mother alone to talk.
Which really ended in her mother saying things she never thought she’d hear.
She stopped beside table twelve and set down two beers, smiling and going through the motions of keeping customers happy and hopefully getting a big tip. But her mother’s conversation kept replaying in her head.
Her mother had shocked her. Not because she approved of Vander—that part was obvious from the second he helped with the meal and assisted Ben with cutting his food.
No, the shocking part had been learning her parents barely dated before marriage.
Thinking about her parents only knowing each other for three months before they jumped into marriage wasn’t information she’d ever heard before.
Three months and apparently her mother justknew.
