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Something shifted again for me last night while we were at Mom’s house, having dinner with her, Owen, and Lennon.

It was like living a version of the life I’ve always fantasized about.

And then reality slammed right back into me when Lennon started yelling.

The only thing I could think to do was put space between us—because if she’d kept arguing, I would have shut her up with my mouth and cock at the same time.

Now we have to sleep together in a tent small as fuck while pretending this undeniable tension between us—both emotional and physical—doesn’t exist. Sounds like the perfect recipe for a disastrous, uncomfortable weekend.

Lucky. Fucking. Me.

“We’re here,” Lennon announces flatly from her side of the truck as Bruce’s brake lights flare ahead. “Dad has all the reservations under his account, so once he goes through the entrance, we should be able to follow him.”

“Okay,” I reply because at this point, what more is there for me to say?

Lennon clears her throat but still avoids my eyes. “Look, I know last night was…” She doesn’t finish that sentence, and I don’t attempt to do it for her. “Anyway, everyone needs to believe we’re fine, okay? If we have to act, then so be it.”

I feel her gaze flick toward me, but I keep my eyes on the road. “Trust me. I can do that. I’ve had a lot of fucking practice,” I mutter.

A few minutes later, Bruce pulls forward, and the park ranger in the small booth waves me through behind him. We wind around a few curves and climb a small hill to a clearing with a breathtaking view of the surrounding forest.

The Smoky Lookout Campground was here long before Mom moved us to Garnet Valley. Since it’s been years since my Boy Scout days, I’m grateful the place hasn’t changed much.

The same bike trails wind through the mountains and campground. The playground has newer equipment already covered with kids. An in-ground pool sits fenced beside the general store, which is closed this late in the season but I’m sure sees plenty of action during the summer. The horseshoe pits and community fire rings are exactly where I remember them beside the playground, though the chairs and stonework have been upgraded.

As soon as I put the truck in park, Lennon hops down from her side, not bothering to wait for my help. I roll my eyes and follow her to the center of our campsite, where her parents, Hudson and James, and Nora and Blair have gathered to stare out at the view.

Ava inhales deeply. “Fresh air, people. Can you smell that?”

“Smells just like Garnet Valley does, Mom,” Blair quips from beside her.

Ava glares back at her daughter. “No, it smells like family time with no distractions. In fact, everyone give me your phones right now.”

Blair holds hers up in the air. “There’s literally no signal up here, Mom. Why do we have to hand the phones over then?”

“Because there are still plenty of distractions on those screens, and this weekend is about being present.” Ava opens her purse and circulates, waiting for each person to drop their phone inside.

Lennon rolls her eyes after relinquishing her phone. “Great. Sounds like we’re off to a wonderful start if Mom and Blair are already arguing and the phone prison has been instituted.”

“Papa?” James rushes over to Bruce, tugging on his arm.

“What’s up, kiddo?”

“You promised you would play horseshoes with me. I’ve been practicing, so…”

Bruce looks at Hudson quizzically. Hudson shrugs. “He wouldn’t stop talking about it, so I put a horseshoe pit in the backyard.” He tips his chin toward me. “Owen hooked me up with the shoes.”

“Well, it’s not like he doesn’t have a ton of those to go around,” I reply.

James pulls on Bruce’s arm again. “So, are we gonna play?”

Bruce ruffles James’s thick, dark hair. “Let’s set up camp first, and then that will be the next thing we do.”

Ava nods. “Yes. Once all the tents are up and the cooking station is organized, I’ll feel much better.”

Lucky for me, I practiced pitching our tent a few nights ago so I wouldn’t look like a complete idiot in front of my in-laws. It’s been years since I’ve done it, but thankfully, it was just like riding a bike.

Fuck. Bruce and Ava are my in-laws now. I think that fact just hit me.