Page 69 of Wilde Ride

He shrugged. “I don’t even pretend to understand women anymore.”

I laughed, but it didn’t sound authentic, even to me. I followed Caden into the living room with an uneasy feeling I couldn’t shake. I glanced back and could see through the large opening to the kitchen. Vivianne was hugging Emeline…and my heart felt like it dropped straight to my stomach.

“Daddy.”

The feel of someone gently pushing on my shoulder caused me to stir.

“Daddy! Daddy, are you awake?”

I opened one eye and found my son standing over me, a wide smile on his face.

“I’m awake now, Rhett.”

He tugged on my arm. “Get up! Get up! Today is camp day!”

Laughing, I let Rhett pull me into a seated position. He crawled onto my bed and started to bounce on his knees.

I dragged my hands down my face. “Son, what time is it?”

“It’s six!”

Frowning, I slowly shook my head. “Why in the world are you up so early? We don’t even drop you off until ten this morning.”

He shrugged. “I’m happy, that’s all.”

I swung my legs over the side of the bed. “I’m glad you’re excited about it, bud.”

“You’ll be there today, right, Daddy?”

“All day. I’ve volunteered to help get everyone to their cabins and settled in.”

He smiled. “Can we make French toast for breakfast?”

I let out a breath. “We’ve got everything packed up and ready to go, so I don’t see why we can’t make some French toast.”

Rhett stood on my bed, jumped a couple of times, then jumped off.

“Do you think Moose will be with Emeline?” he asked right before he got to the bedroom door.

“I’m not sure, buddy.”

I hadn’t seen or spoken to Emeline since we’d had dinner with her family. She’d texted me information about camp—what Rhett would need, how I would be helping out, things like that.

I stumbled to the bathroom. After splashing water on my face, I got the day started. Breakfast was filled with Rhett going on and on about how excited he was for camp. I was hoping he’d be able to make some friends before the start of school this fall. He was going into first grade, and I was pretty sure most of the kids, if not all, had gone to kindergarten together, and so they would already know each other.

“Dad, did you pack my toothbrush?”

“Dad?” I asked, placing his bag into the back seat of my truck. “When did I lose the title ‘Daddy’?”

Rhett rolled his eyes. “I have to practice so I don’t say it in front of my new friends.”

I lifted my chin. “Ahh, got it. We’re playing it cool.”

He nodded. “Let’s go!”

When I pulled up to the campgrounds, I was surprised by the number of people already milling about. Parents were pulling sleeping bags and suitcases out of trucks and cars, as volunteers helped them find the right cabins. Larger vans were parked to the side, each emblazoned with the name River Haven. My heart broke for the kids from the orphanage. I knew they tried their best to give the kids good memories, but I couldn’t imagine what life was like without parents.

I glanced at Rhett, who wore an excited expression.