Family Camp (Daddy Dearest, #1)(48)

“Same here.” James shook his hand solemnly, his grip warm and firm. “I hear you have a couple of new fosters.”

“I do. And I hear you and your wife raised a passel of them.”

James smiled. “That we did. Here, let’s get through this line, then maybe we can chat for a minute.”

James seemed used to taking charge of situations, so Geo let him. He got four cold bottled drinks—iced tea for himself and Travis and juice for the kids—and waited to the side while James got a large iced tea. They were taking a break after the family relay. There were some games the kids wanted to do next, assuming they could all find the energy.

Geo hoped Travis would continue to hang out with them. Having him do the relay with them was an unexpectedly sweet bonus, and one Geo didn’t want to see end.

“Come over here and sit for a minute,” James directed, leading him over to a nearby picnic table.

Geo put the drinks on the table and opened his iced tea. James Mayhew regarded him for a moment, those intelligent brown eyes studying his face. Geo wondered what he was thinking. Was he curious why Travis spent so much time with them? Or did he just chalk it up to some male bonding-friendship thing? Did he have any inkling that Travis was gay?

Geo felt slightly nervous, like he was being graded. “I haven’t done anything wrong, I swear,” he joked in an over-earnest voice.

James smiled. “Sorry. Don’t mean to give you the impression I’m calling you on the carpet. My wife tells me I get ‘that face.’ Guess I can’t help it.”

Geo chuckled. “Noted. James Mayhew has ‘resting authoritarian face.’ I’m sorted now.”

James gave him an amused look.

“So you raised, what, eight foster kids, I hear? I’ve only had Jayden and Lucy for a little over a month, so I’m all ears if you’ve got advice.”

James Mayhew considered that, swigging his iced tea. “Guess I do have some advice when it comes to kids. Especially fosters. They need a lot of love. Like plants need sunlight. They may not want to take it at first. They may not trust it. And there are times when they’ll test your patience and make it awful hard for you to feel it. But that’s what they need. You just keep putting it out there, and sooner or later, they’ll drink it in like they’re starved for it. Also, structure. Consistency. Rules. But if you’re a teacher, so you know that.”

“I do,” Geo said. “It’s funny. I can do that with my students from sunup to sundown, but it’s harder when they’re your own. I guess… I’ve tried a lot of things to become a dad. And the situation with Lucy and Jayden is being judged. You know, at some point in the next year, they’ll be asked if they want to stay with me or not, if they’re okay with me adopting them. So I feel….”

“Like you have to keep the pot sweet,” James suggested.

Geo nodded. “Yeah. That’s about it.”

James nodded in understanding. “Look, we adopted eight fosters. We never had one that told the judge they didn’t want to stay. And man, we had some tough cookies.” James grinned. “Travis was one of them.”

“I bet.”

“He was an adorable little shit. Still is.”

Geo’s grin broadened. “Truth, brother.” He held up a hand and James high-fived it lightly.

“My advice is, treat them as if they’re already yours—discipline included. Be firm but fair. Set rules, and then give them all the love they’ll take. Listen when they talk and let them be themselves. And don’t worry about the judge or social services. Geo, I can tell you’re a great dad. And these kids…they know a good thing when they see it, believe me they do. Trust in yourself and don’t worry about being ‘perfect’ or ‘likable.’”

Geo’s heart went a bit gooey, and his voice was raspy as he said, “Thanks. That’s really good advice.”

James shrugged. “We just did the best we could. In the end, that’s all you can do.”

James was looking out over the relays and his eyes fell on Joe and Cindy, who were using big gestures to explain a new game, horsing around with each other. James got a fond smile.

“Thank you for what you did,” Geo said. “I mean, it’s not my place to thank you. But you changed a lot of lives for the better. So thank you.”

Geo was thinking of Travis, of course. Of what James and Ida had done for that long-ago boy. And yeah, thinking of it like that strengthened his resolve to do whatever he could for Jayden and Lucy.

James met his gaze. “They did a lot for us too. We always wanted a big family. We love it. Seeing the kids grown with lives of their own. The times we can all get together. Knowing each of them as adults…. I can’t imagine my life without any one of them.”

“Yeah,” Geo said, getting it completely. He was an only child. The idea of a big family had always seemed like a Disney fairy tale.

Possibly he’d watched The Sound of Music too much as a kid.

Possibly Christopher Plummer had been his first gay crush. But that was neither here nor there.

They stood up and James held out his hand again for a shake. But when Geo took it, James held it firm, looking into Geo’s eyes.

“Travis has glommed onto you guys somehow. Not sure I’m seeing what I think I see. But I will say, I hope I see more of you, Geo—you and your kids. After camp, I mean.”