I waited in the dark of my porch for Nat to come out of our room and complain, but she didn’t. The last thing I needed was to see her in those cute short shorts she slept in. I wondered if they would be the pink pair with red polka dots. Or the gray ones with llamas on them. And just like that, I was back to my internal debate of which was better: Nat in sleep shorts or in my T-shirt and sweats. Would I be forever cursed with these images?
Fuck. Now I really needed to clear my head.
The moon shone brightly over camp, so much so that I didn’t need a flashlight, even under the cover of tall trees.
“Jack, wait.”
I turned to find Jamie in athletic attire, sweaty and out of breath. I didn’t realize the man even stayed up this late, but clearly, he had something on his mind.
“What’s up?”
Jamie wiped the sweat from his brow and stopped jogging in place. “I need to talk to you about something. I’m planning on asking Autumn to marry me.”
I couldn’t stop my jaw from dropping at that admission. But it quickly morphed into a smile. It had been nearly a year since they’d gotten back together. He made my best friend happy, so he was good in my book.
“And you need my blessing? Well, James, I must say, I’ve been waiting for this moment for what feels like forever.”
Jamie lifted a thumb over his shoulder. “I knew I should have gone to Leo about this.”
“Wrong. Leo’s a terrible secret keeper.” The man couldn’t even keep his secret Santa pick to himself. “Even with him beinggone, all of camp would already know everything by now if you had.”
Jamie shrugged. “I guess all of you suck.”
“I’m willing to ignore that comment.” After all, some days he was right. “That’s great, though, Jamie. Really.”
“I’d be excited if I wasn’t so nervous. It’s also her birthday. But it was the only way I could get both of our families here without her suspecting anything.”
I could tell he needed a confidence boost. “She’s going to say yes. You know she will.” I gave him a pat on the back. “I usually get her a Super Soaker or LEGOs or something. Look at you getting her a ring.”
Jamie shrugged, as if he wasn’t convinced. “Yeah, maybe. I know it’s fast, but I want to get started on our life, you know? And it just feels right. But I’m here because I need you to do me a huge favor. I found this ring that screamed Autumn, but it had to be shipped here. It’s supposed to arrive on Wednesday, but I’m going to a mediation in Emerald Falls, so I can’t sign for it.”
“What’s the window?”
“Sometime between one and three.” He winced. “I can get coverage after that, but I need someone to hang out at my office. I couldn’t get the thing delivered here, you know?”
Wednesday was two days away. I thought over my plans. I could make it happen. This was obviously important. “I can do that.”
“You’re a lifesaver. I’m going to propose on Thursday. Our families will be here for her birthday, and it’s her day off, so…”
“That sounds great, Jamie. Looks like you have it all planned out.”
“I need it to work. I can’t keep holding on to this secret. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
I smiled at that. “Of course. It’ll all work out.”
“You have gotto be kidding me, Jack.” Nat swept in like a whirlwind, partially deflated multicolored balloons parting at her feet. Her face was two shades redder than usual, and I could already tell this was going to go poorly.
She burst onto my side of the room, which had been designated as such by a blue line of painter’s tape right down the middle. The night she’d taped it, I’d had half a mind to tell her that it only allowed for her to use half the doorway, but I’d figured I should pick my battles.
“What is it, Nat?”
“How can you be lying there when this place is such a pigsty?” She gestured to the empty stack of bins at the base of my bed and the pile of stuff I’d placed there after making space for her in front of it. I’d had every intention of shoving things inside after I’d bought them, but I hadn’t gotten around to it. “And how have you still not cleaned up these balloons?”
She shoved a creeping pile of winter clothes over the line with her foot, and my blood started to boil.
Nat acted as if she had been living in a warzone. Sure, this room was the worst, but at least I knew where everything was. She had yet to see the second bedroom, which was a blessing considering her reaction to this.
I’d tidied the living room, removed all the work supplies, and piled up the mail. But before all this, the kitchen and bathroom had always been clean. I wasn’t an animal. And she could walk from point A to point B easily. Wasn’t that enough?
