Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls #1)(64)

"You're here early." Derek offered her a friendly smile.

Kylie couldn't help but wonder what kind of a smile he'd offered Mandy when they'd been alone. Had he kissed her? Had he ever taken her to the rock? "Dad said he'd be here ten o'clock sharp."

"So is your mom going to come later?" he asked.

"No," Kylie said. "Mom doesn't want to chance running into him. The world would end if they had to see each other."

"Sorry about that. That has to be tough." He said it with such concern that her heart dipped a bit. Al last night she'd watched him and Mandy laughing, sitting shoulder to shoulder. She ached to go back in time and stop herself from tel ing him she just wanted to be friends. Then again, considering she was probably going home soon, maybe it was best.

"Is your mom coming?" Kylie asked, liking that he'd trusted her enough to tel her his past. Had he told Mandy anything?

"Afraid so," he said. "She's a tad overprotective. Has been since..."

"Your dad left?" Kylie asked, and lowered her voice.

He nodded and right then, the front doors opened and in came several sets of parents, along with some more campers.

"There she is," Derek said. "I'd better go."

"Good luck," Kylie said, and unable to stop herself she reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. Touching him felt right and ... wrong. The tingles traveling up her arm were not those that should come from a friend. He stopped moving away and stared at her. His smile seemed extra warm. "You, too."

Kylie watched him go and admitted that she was going to miss him. Heck, she was going to miss Miranda and Del a, too. She wouldn't miss their bickering, but she'd miss them.

Shaking herself out of the melancholy, she tried to find her dad in another group of parents as they flooded in. Kylie didn't see him, but she did see a set of parents that had to be Del a's. A Euro-American woman stood with an Asian American man, scanning the crowd. Knowing that Del a hadn't expected them for another hour and had stayed at the cabin, Kylie walked up to the couple.

"Hi, I'm Kylie. Are you Del a's mom and dad?"

"Yes, where is she?" the woman asked.

"She wasn't expecting y'al so early. If you like, I can get someone to run to the cabin."

"Is she stil in bed?" the dad asked. "My God, I thought this camp was supposed to straighten her out." He looked at his wife. "I'm going to ask for the results of the drug tests. If they don't have them, I'm taking her out of here and placing her in a better facility."

Kylie tried not to react to the harshness of the man's tone. But on the inside, she gave thanks for her dad. So what if he hadn't shown up at the police station, and maybe he should have come to see her before she was packed off to camp, but without a doubt, Kylie felt certain he was loads better than Del a's grumpy dad.

"Oh, she's awake," Kylie said, knowing it was probably a lie, but wanting to protect Del a from his demeanor. Giving the room another check for her dad, she said, "I'l tel you what, I'l run and get her."

She walked slowly to the door and took off in a dead run to get Del a up and dressed.

* * *

An hour later, Kylie sat at the back of the dining hal watching everyone else visit. She'd gotten Del a up and to the dining hal in record time. And on the way Kylie had stopped in the office to see Holiday and warn her about Del a's father wanting to see drug tests. Kylie gazed at Del a now, sitting and chatting with her sister, while her parents sat stiffly listening in. From the distance, the visit didn't appear to be going wel . Del a had been tied in knots about seeing them, and after hearing her father's temper, Kylie couldn't say she blamed her. Miranda's mom and dad showed up about twenty minutes after Del a's. Kylie had never seen Miranda appear so insecure as she did around her parents. She sat with her shoulders slumped over and not smiling. Miranda always smiled and her posture wasn't that of the browbeaten child, but that's how she appeared in their presence. Kylie wanted to march over and tel both Miranda's and Del a's parents how happy she was to have them as roommates, but for some reason, it seemed hokey.

Derek and his mom had gotten up to go take a walk. He'd actual y brought his mom over to meet her. Kylie had to bite back a laugh when his mom brushed a strand of his hair off his brow and Derek blushed. Guys never liked it when their moms made a fuss over them.

"Hey." Holiday came over to where Kylie sat. "Your dad's not here yet?"

"Not yet. He probably misjudged how long it takes to get here. Mom always was the one who figured out the maps and such. And you know men, they'l drive for hours before they stop and ask for directions."

Kylie knew she was close to babbling but she couldn't help it. Babbling was better than thinking about the possibility her dad simply wasn't going to come.

Holiday grinned. "Men. We can't live with them. And it's no fun living without them."

"Do you have ... someone?" Kylie asked, even though she didn't know if it was too personal of a question to ask her camp leader. "I don't see a ring or anything."

Holiday shrugged. "Wel , sometimes no fun is better than putting up with them."

"So you're divorced?" Kylie asked.