Family Camp (Daddy Dearest, #1)(32)

Cindy wandered back in a few times to check on them. And she kept looking at Geo.

“What?” Geo asked at last. “You’re giving me creepy eyes.”

“Creepy eyes?”

“These.” Geo gave her an exaggerated, skeptical stare.

Cindy laughed and sat down in the chair next to him. She was dressed in her usual attire—a Camp Evermore T-shirt, jean shorts, and tennies without socks. She crossed her tan, dusty legs and waggled one foot. “There’s something going on between you and my brother.”

Geo coughed. “Um. There really isn’t.”

“Oh, there really is.” Cindy gave him an intrigued look. “Listen, Travis isn’t out. And people here at camp, they watch him. Hell, they film him. So you guys might want to tone it down a notch. Or even a few.”

“We haven’t done anything. If I toned it down a notch, I’d cease to exist. Just wink out of the universe like a collapsing star.”

“Really?” Cindy looked surprised. “He likes you though. It’s obvious.”

She was the second woman to tell him that. If other people’s opinions were horses….

“He’s friendly,” Geo conceded.

“No, he’s not friendly. Travis has never been friendly. He doesn’t let people close. He has more walls than Jericho. But he likes you. With you, he’s the Travis I know, and that’s rare.”

Geo didn’t say anything, but God, he loved hearing that. So sue him.

“He told me you’re fostering Lucy and Jayden?”

“Yeah. It’s still pretty new.”

She nodded. “So maybe you should know. The Mayhews are my biological parents, but eight of my siblings were adopted or fostered.”

Geo relaxed back into the chair and turned slightly to face her. “I heard that. Your folks must be something special. And slightly insane.”

“They are.” Cindy smiled fondly. “But what I wanted to tell you is that it’s never perfect. I mean, there are good times and lots of love and it’s totally worth it. But it’s hard. And even when kids grow up, there’s baggage. That never goes away.”

Geo nodded. The conversation suddenly felt quite serious. Someday, Jayden would be thirty-two years old, like Travis. And Lucy would be a grown woman. He wanted to understand what they’d face, even if everything went hunky-dory from here on out in their lives.

“Like…trust issues?” Geo asked.

“Oh, yeah, big time,” Cindy said enthusiastically. “And self-esteem. Major issues with self-esteem. Co-dependency….” She sighed. “My brother Joe, for instance. Sweetest guy in the world. But he keeps falling for women who are seriously screwed up and can never love him back. Women who are unavailable. It’s tough to see him go through that time and again.”

“Oh, stop, you’re just trying to make it sound glamorous.”

Cindy laughed. “Sorry. I’m honestly not trying to scare you off. Travis is… He’s fantastic. I love him to death. I just don’t want to see him get hurt. Or you, either.”

Geo nodded, his heart heavy in his chest. “I know he can’t really be out in pro baseball. But he’s out to you at least. Right?”

Cindy made a face. “Only because I figured it out. And he’s not out to my folks.” She shook her head. “He is so afraid of disappointing them. As if they’d stop loving him if he told them he’s gay. I keep telling Travis that would never happen. But…self-esteem issues. Case in point.”

Holy shit, that pierced Geo to the core, the idea that Travis—well into adulthood, gorgeous, strong, a huge success, and probably rich as a lord—still struggled with the fear that the Mayhews would stop loving him. Inside, he was still that twelve-year-old boy nobody wanted.

He blew out a breath. “God. That’s intense.”

“It is. I’m glad you see that.”

Geo’s chest felt a peculiar ache. “And, crap, I might actually care about the guy. Damn it.”

Cindy laughed, her expression lightening. “You don’t say? Well, it’s not that bleak, Geo.” She hesitated. “Honestly? I think you guys could be amazing together. Just…remember that he’s not ready to have the world know about him. I think. Oh, hell, what do I know? Maybe I’m wrong.”

But she wasn’t wrong, and Geo knew it. He wasn’t sure where that left him. Only that he had enough on his plate with Jayden and Lucy. Could he really afford to get involved with a man who had deep-seated issues too?

But they weren’t involved yet. Hell, they hadn’t even kissed. There was still time to put on the brakes. Nip this in the bud. Back out of the ol’ service station.

Only Geo wasn’t sure it wasn’t already too late, that Travis hadn’t already claimed a piece of his bleeding heart.





Chapter 15




Geo only saw Travis briefly for the rest of the day. He stopped by their table at lunch with Max to see if Lucy was okay and to offer her well wishes and licks—the latter being from the dog, thank heaven. After lunch, Geo sat with Lucy on the beach. They watched Jayden’s swimming lesson while Lucy played quietly with her dolls in the grass, her little legs straight out in front of her to avoid bending her bunged-up knees. Poor little thing. Camp already felt like it was speeding by, and Geo was sad that she had to miss several activities.