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“Well, bring him along. Nice kid. But separate tents, or I’ll kill him and hide the body.” My brows shoot up to the moon. Totally didn’t see that coming.
“Daddy!” I slap his shoulder as he laughs, facing Levi. “I look forward to it, kids.” And with that, he disappears down the hallway toward his office.
“You went on a date with Braydon Connor?” Levi growls, startling me. I turn to him, taking in his dark scowl. Realizing he’s showing his cards, he cools his features. “You understand your father will have him fired for this.”
This gets my attention. “He would not,” I argue. “He just invited him to Ketterville. Why would he fire him?” I ask, praying he won’t.
“Because when he thinks about it more, he’ll see some newbie geek hitting on his little girl when he should be doing his damn job.” I thrust my hands to my hips, ready to stand my ground. “Maybe a little whispering in daddy’s ear would—”
“I am not little. And you wouldn’t dare.”
“I would. You’re not going on another date with him.”
I transform into Puff the Magic Dragon as steam blows through my nostrils. “He wouldn’t believe you.”
My dad is protective of me, but he wouldn’t simply fire someone who’s exceptional at their job because they asked out his daughter. Or would he? Shoot. My battle smile wavers.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. See ya, Brady.” He walks away, leaving my mouth hanging open, and disappears into his office.
I snap out of my shock and storm after him. “It’s Braydon, and my dad wouldn’t do that to me. Not if he sees I finally found someone who makes me happy.” If I wasn’t staring so intently at his back, I’d almost miss the falter in his step. He doesn’t respond to my reply, but simply sits at his desk and begins typing on his laptop.
Feeling dismissed, I whip around and walk out of his office. I don’t care what Levi Dent says, I’m going to ask Braydon to go camping. Give us the whole weekend to find that spark. If my dad gave me the green light, he’s okay with it.
It’s settled.
I throw myself back into my chair, ready to take on the rest of the day, when an evil growl erupts from my stomach.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Oh, okay…no, I understand. Honestly, it’s fine. It’s just a family trip. You would have hated it anyway—been weirded out and never spoken to me again.” I sigh into the phone, trying to hide my disappointment. We are literally seventeen minutes from leaving for Ketterville, and Braydon just called to cancel. Apparently, there’s a case that needs special attention, and he was asked to stay and work through the weekend. He said he’d try to get out of it, but what does that say about me if I hold him back from getting ahead at work?
Am I mad? No.
Disappointed? Yes.
Everyone will have someone, and it will be just me. Not that I’m not used to being a one-woman band, but still. And then there will be Levi, who will throw it in my face. I tell Braydon for the millionth time it’s fine, and we make plans to reschedule for when I get back. I drag my feet out of the kitchen and step out onto the front porch. My brother is at the end of the driveway helping Stacey put her bag and tent into the back of his SUV. I catch movement coming from the street. “You have got to be kidding me,” I groan watching Rebecca sashay up our driveway.
“Eeeek! This is going to be so much fun!” she squeals to Stacey as they hug and bounce up and down. What a joke. Rebecca? Camping? I doubt she’s ever been inside a tent or on a campground in her life. I roll my eyes as I step off the porch, walking toward my brother’s SUV.
Stacey sees me and releases her friend. “Hey, honey! Excited?” She wraps me up in a hug. I return her embrace with warmth. I love Stacey and don’t think my brother could have gotten any luckier.
“I am. Should be fun.” I pull back, and like the polite person I am, I try to say hello to Rebecca, but she flips her hair and offers me her back. Not in the mood for her attitude, I move on. It’s like they say, once a bitch, always a bitch.
“Hey, Kipley, where’s Dad? He should be here already,” I ask as Kip throws another cooler into the back.
“Oh, didn’t you hear? He’s going to be running behind. He’s got a case that won’t wrap up. He’s hoping to meet us by tomorrow.”
I lift my shoulders and let out another huge sigh. This trip is going downhill fast. With each passing minute, it’s sounding better and better to stay home.
