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“Do you need help?” Lennon glances over, meeting my eyes for the first time today.

“Nope. And even if I did, I’d ask your brother or someone else because you should be relaxing.”

“Fine.” She takes off toward the other side of the campsite to talk to Nora, but I don’t take it personally. In fact, it’ll be easier to do this without her breathing over me or me watching to make sure she doesn’t hurt herself.

It takes me a minute to remember where all the pieces go, but once I get the poles in place, the tent goes up with ease.

Hudson comes over, whistling appreciatively. “Nice tent. You just bought it, huh?”

“Is it that obvious?”

He laughs. “Yeah, but most tents only last a few trips before something breaks. Just factor that into the future.”

Right—because I’m supposed to attend every one of these trips now that I’m married to his sister.

“You know, we haven’t had much of a chance to talk since you and Lennon…” He tips his head toward her. “And as the older brother, I guess I should have something intimidating to say to you, right?”

“If that’s what you feel you need to do,” I reply. “I won’t take offense.”

Hudson sighs, running a hand through his dark hair. “The truth is, I wasn’t sure Lennon wanted this life, but if she was going to build it with anyone, I’m glad it’s you, Easton.” His hand lands firmly on my shoulder.

“Thanks, Hudson.”

“Of course.” His eyes narrow almost instantly, catching me by surprise. “But I don’t need to hear or know anything about your relationship, got it?”

I catch his insinuation instantly. “Understood.”

“I know way too fucking much about my family and their relationships, and Lord knows, we can’t have one conversation without someone bringing up sex. Keep the details to yourself, and we’ll be fine. Understand?” He offers me his hand.

I shake it. “Absolutely.”

“Good. Now I’d better pitch my tent before James has me running all over this place and I forget until bedtime.”

I watch him saunter off before stepping inside the tent to inflate the air mattress I bought this week. I could handle sleeping on the ground, but I’d be damned if I put pregnant Lennon through it.

So I bought the highest-rated air mattress I could find to keep us both comfortable.

Blair pokes her head into the tent just as I shut off the battery-operated pump and press my foot into the mattress to test its firmness. She lets out a drawn-out whistle. “Damn, Easton. You went all out, didn’t you?”

“I want Lennon to be comfortable.”

Her eyes meet mine. “I’m sure she will be. Probably more comfortable than she’s ever been on one of these trips.”

Her words intrigue me. “What do you mean by that?”

Blair steps inside. The tent is tall and spacious enough for us to stand facing each other. “Lennon usually shares a tent with me,” she explains. “And I’m not a cuddler.” I chuckle at her candor. “In fact, she’s never had a boyfriend accompany her on one of our fabulous camping trips, let alone a husband.”

Blair’s confession surprises me. I’m fucking glad she’s never shared this experience with another man and I get to be the first. “Really? Not one?”

She shakes her head. “And trust me, I’d remember. It’s been a running joke between us, since I’ve never brought a man either.” She shrugs. “But that’s for a totally different reason.”

“So why are you telling me this, Blair?”

“Well, you’re family now, right?”

“Yes…”

“You should know that means something.” She reaches forward and slaps me on the shoulder. “But that also means I’m not going to take it easy on you when we start playing games.”