Family Camp (Daddy Dearest, #1)(9)

So he plastered a smile on his face as Travis walked up.

“Hey, there,” Travis said, his deep voice setting off another flutter in Geo’s belly.

“Hey, Travis!” Van smiled.

“Well, hi there, handsome!” Bridget stepped forward to wrap Travis in a form-fitting hug. Travis patted her back. It was hard to read his expression with his glasses on. Bridget stepped back.

“Nice to see you again,” Travis told her. “And you’re Stryker and Aiden’s mom, right?” Travis looked at Van.

“Yup. They’ll be so excited to see you. Stryker told all his friends at school that he played ball with a pro. He put your Padres poster up in his bedroom.”

Travis smiled. “Kid’s got a good arm.”

Van glowed with pride. “Oh my God. He would die if he heard you say that.”

“Travis this is Geo,” Bridget said.

And finally, Travis looked at him. Geo couldn’t see his eyes because of the mirrored sunglasses, but he thought Travis looked as tense as he felt.

“Hi. Small world, huh?” Geo said with an awkward little wave. “Though I guess we were on the main road leading to Big Bear. And the stash in the back of your SUV should have been a clue. Camping!”

“Did you make it to the gas station okay?” Travis sounded polite and stiffly formal.

“I did, yeah. With fumes to spare. At least three fumes, I’m pretty sure. You were a lifesaver!” Geo tried to joke but knew he sounded nervous. Bridget and Van were staring at him. He flailed for a distraction. “Lucy, look who it is. Do you remember Travis?”

Lucy waved her mama and daddy doll at Travis. “Max?” she asked softly, her expression hopeful.

Travis squatted down so they were on the same level. “Max will be around this week. He’ll be happy to see you.”

“We, um, located her dog doll,” Geo told him. “Which, you know, total win. We left it at a rest stop, and they’re FedExing it. I was gonna find the camp office and ask them to be on the lookout.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Travis said, still looking at Lucy.

Lucy let go of Geo’s hand and shuffled over to Travis in her purple sandals. “I see Max now?” she asked him. She wrangled the dolls in her right hand into the crook of her other arm so she could reach out and pat Travis’s beard. Pat-pat.

Travis smiled at her. It was a soft, warm, sweet smile, and Geo swore he heard Bridget’s and Van’s panties melt. Or maybe that was his own panties. Jesus, Lucy was normally so distant with strangers. It had taken Geo a week to get her to let him brush her hair. And there she was touching Travis on purpose. And in the car she’d held up her hands to him like she wanted Travis to pick her up. Geo felt a spark of jealousy.

What’s he got that I haven’t got? Okay, besides a dog. And stunning good looks.

Travis glanced up at Geo. And sunglasses ought to be damned to hell, because his expression was still unreadable.

“Tell you what,” Travis said, squeezing Lucy’s shoulder. “After you guys get settled in your cabin, ask your d—uh, Geo, to bring you up to the lodge. I’ll have Max there and you can say ‘hi.’”

Lucy’s little body went rigid with excitement. She whipped her head around to look at Geo for permission, expression pleading.

Geo nodded. “Sure. We can do that.”

Lucy jumped once with joy, which made Geo smile. He hadn’t seen her that interested in anything before.

Travis rose to his feet. “Have a great week, guys. I’ll see you around.” He went off to greet other campers.

Bridget and Van exchanged a look before turning burning gazes on Geo.

“What?” Geo said innocently.





Chapter 4




“Boom-chugga-lugga-lugga. Boom-chugga-lugga-lugga. Boom-chugga-lugga-lugga. Camp Evermore!”

“Everybody sing!”

“On the shores of Big Bear Lake, lived a little brown-haired boy….”

Travis stood on the platform at the flagpole behind his sister Cindy. There were six counselors this week—Travis, his brothers Joe and Wyn, and three female counselors, Cindy, Trish, and Becky. As Cindy led the camp song, Travis and the other counselors sang and made the motions—palms down at their sides for the little boy, then bouncing rabbit ears for the rabbit Froo Froo. They jumped and turned, shaking their booties on “Everyday was filled with joy!” The campers who’d been here before followed along.

“Boy and bunny swept away! Far from friends and far from shore! But the fishies swam them in. Landing safe at Evermore. Safe at great Camp Evermore.”

Travis made rabbit ears, swimming motions, and patted his heart. Yeah, it was ridiculous. But it was camp and being ridiculous was the point. Today, though, Travis felt more self-conscious than usual because Geo was out there watching.

Geo, the cute guy with the two foster kids. That he wasn’t keeping.

Travis was not happy they’d turned up at Family Camp. But they were here, which meant Travis had to put his personal feelings aside. Whatever Geo’s deal was, he was a parent here with his kids, and Travis had to treat them like everyone else.

Which meant killing him was out of the question. Or even ripping him a new one. Best to avoid the guy as much as possible.