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“My mother would lose her shit, and my father wouldn’t speak to me for at least a month for this stupid move.”
“Jesus, really?” I said. “Is it that bad in the family of wealth?”
“Oh, you have no idea, sweetheart,” he continued. “My home life is not one I speak of lightly. I love my parents and brothers, but it’s nice to do things off the leash sometimes. I forgot how liberating it is just to do shit for myself without a care for what is required of me and having to prove myself in everything that I do.”
Suddenly, I felt bad for him. I couldn’t imagine having a family like that, and it made me grateful for mine. It also made me happy that he did something that brought him absolute joy, even though it initially seemed ridiculous.
“Surely your family is proud that you’re one of the top doctors at Saint John’s?” I said with a smile, knowing how proud my parents were of me working there.
“Not even close,” he said with a smile. “My mother basically said she’d rather see me open a bakery in New York so I could waste my time closer to the family.”
“No,” I said, denying that could even be true. “You’re not serious.”
“It was merely a joke she made, but my family believes I’m just fucking around out here. They’re waiting for me to get bored of this life and rush back home to fulfill my obligation to the family legacy. Everyone must play his part.”
“Who the hell is your family?” I questioned. “Are you a member of a royal family or something?”
“Who is my family?” he said, almost to himself, before looking at me. “My family is just my family. And I’m nothing like any of them.”
“You’re the black sheep, huh?” I teased him.
“Aren’t all babies of the family?” he chuckled. “Listen, let’s get off that subject. I don’t want to get all stressed out while driving and leave behind bad vibes in this baby.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” I said.
I was more curious than ever about who John Aster was outside of work. I could see that he came from money, but the idea that he’d seemingly betrayed his family—or had any issues with them that he was working out by buying random vehicles—was something I didn’t see coming.
I was happy we were taking this camping trip together because I wanted to know more about this beautiful man who, for some strange reason, didn’t have the support of his family to do the job he did so well and with such natural talent.
Chapter Fifteen
John
I know how stupid it must’ve sounded, feeling so triumphant for buying a new car, but I didn’t care. This 4Runner was the kick in the ass I needed to stay on my course, not the one my parents had chosen for me. For once in my life, I was making decisions without the input of my family, and while it might’ve been something that every other adult in the world freely did, it was new to me and felt incredible.
No one would understand it, not even this beauty next to me, who’d nodded off in the passenger’s seat an hour ago. She had to think I was insane to act like a spoiled little rich boy, which was exactly how I acted when purchasing all the necessities to go on this trip and enjoy some time in a higher elevation with crisp, clean mountain air.
“Wake up, darling,” I said as I gently rubbed her shoulder to rouse her as we pulled into the campground at June Lake.
“Oh, shit,” Mickie said in a sleepy and very sexy voice. “Where are we?”
“Inyo National Forrest,” I said as if I were Clark Griswold, announcing our destination to Ellen and the kids.
“Wow,” she said, her eyes drawn to the tall pines that lined the single-lane road we were on. “I can’t believe I fell asleep on you.”
“Yeah, remind me not to take any long road trips where I might get tired and need you to take over driving. I now know you’re not one to depend on.”
I glanced over at the General Store of the Pine Cliff Resort area I’d seen online while scouring the coolest places to hike and camp. I’d probably pushed it by driving three hundred miles away from the city to score on some mountain, but the beauty of the Eastern Sierras called to me.
I wanted something unique and neat, and all the lakes here looked like they belonged in another country with their crystal-clear waters, still surrounded by snow, and all the things that one leaves the big city in hopes of finding.
“I read online that they have flushing toilets and bear containers here. It seemed to be the best of the camping spots, so I thought it would work well,” I stated, putting the truck in park and smiling over at her. “Care to come in with me to figure out where we’ll be and then grab some grub for you to cook over the campfire?”
She was still trying to get her bearings. From the looks of it, she’d fallen asleep pretty hard and was disoriented that we were pulling into an old western-like frontier general store.
“It’s like we’re in the Old West,” she chuckled.
“Sadly, we’re not,” I teased. “So, let’s get some fishing licenses and get this party star?—”
