took her eyes off his sweet, sleeping face while she hugged her brother and then her sister-in-law.
“He’s so perfect,” she breathed, wanting to touch his cheek but not daring to in case she woke him up. She didn’t know a lot about babies, but she knew sleeping ones were a lot quieter than awake ones.
Because Mitch had just one more business call to make, they’d gotten a later start than he’d intended and they were the last to arrive, so it was quite a crowd to get through. But Bobby and Brian finally showed her where her site was. Thankfully, she noted, it was close to the bathhouse, which meant she wouldn’t have to stumble around too far in the dark to go pee in the middle of the night.
Tent first, she decided. After lugging the bag from the truck to her site, she unzipped it and pulled out her accommodations for the next week. Luckily it was designed for easy setup, with the thin, bowed poles already attached to the tent, so all she had to do was unfold it, square up the corners and pop it up. A few adjustments and ground pins later, and voilà. She had a tent.
With her hands on her hips, she tilted her head and pondered her accomplishment. It was a lot smaller than it had looked on the package. She and her one duffel bag would be very, very cozy, and anytime she was moving around in it, she’d have to be on her hands and knees.
She heard a chuckle off in the distance and looked over to see Drew, standing in front of his own tent, inflating an air mattress and watching her. His tent looked like something on the cover of a camping gear catalog. It was spacious and tall, made out of a rugged-looking canvas material. It had a fly over it, to protect from rain and sun while allowing ventilation. And it had a small screen house built out from the door.
Rolling her eyes, even though she wasn’t sure if he could see it from that distance, she turned her back and made her way back to Mitch and Paige’s site. From the humming sound, she knew they’d already fired up the air-conditioning in their RV and she mopped at her forehead before grabbing the duffel containing her clothes, toiletries and miscellaneous things from the back of his truck, along with the grocery bag that held some snacks and water to squirrel away in her tent.
“How much more is yours?”
Liz jumped when Drew spoke from just behind her. She hadn’t realized he’d followed her. “The sleeping bag and ground mat, and then my pillow and a bag of books in the backseat of the truck.”
He grabbed the items she pointed out and fell in beside her for the walk back. “I hope you measured this sleeping bag before you bought that tent.”
“I did. It’ll fit.” Probably. It was going to be tight, though.
“I’m surprised you’re not bunking down in one of the RVs. They’ve got plenty of room.”
“That’s not real camping,” she said, because it was easier than explaining she didn’t really want to be a third wheel to any of the other couples. “Those are like luxury hotels on wheels.”
“Ah.” He nudged her with his elbow. “So you’re hard core.”
“That’s me. Hard-core camping.”
They stopped in front of her tent and she set down her bags so she could unzip the door. He crouched to hand in her belongings once she was inside. “So hard core you don’t need a cooler?”
“My family has, like, eight refrigerators. There’s a limit on being primitive.”
She watched him take a knife from his pocket to slice the plastic wrapping on the ground mat, relaxing a little. This wouldn’t be so bad, she thought. Obviously she had the ability to hang out with Drew and chat like friends did. Friends who’d had sex and occasionally snuck little touches they didn’t want her family to see, but friends.
Once he handed her the mat, she unrolled it onto the tent floor and then spread the sleeping bag on top. After she added her pillow and tucked her duffel, book and food bags along the side, she was done. Then she crawled
“He’s so perfect,” she breathed, wanting to touch his cheek but not daring to in case she woke him up. She didn’t know a lot about babies, but she knew sleeping ones were a lot quieter than awake ones.
Because Mitch had just one more business call to make, they’d gotten a later start than he’d intended and they were the last to arrive, so it was quite a crowd to get through. But Bobby and Brian finally showed her where her site was. Thankfully, she noted, it was close to the bathhouse, which meant she wouldn’t have to stumble around too far in the dark to go pee in the middle of the night.
Tent first, she decided. After lugging the bag from the truck to her site, she unzipped it and pulled out her accommodations for the next week. Luckily it was designed for easy setup, with the thin, bowed poles already attached to the tent, so all she had to do was unfold it, square up the corners and pop it up. A few adjustments and ground pins later, and voilà. She had a tent.
With her hands on her hips, she tilted her head and pondered her accomplishment. It was a lot smaller than it had looked on the package. She and her one duffel bag would be very, very cozy, and anytime she was moving around in it, she’d have to be on her hands and knees.
She heard a chuckle off in the distance and looked over to see Drew, standing in front of his own tent, inflating an air mattress and watching her. His tent looked like something on the cover of a camping gear catalog. It was spacious and tall, made out of a rugged-looking canvas material. It had a fly over it, to protect from rain and sun while allowing ventilation. And it had a small screen house built out from the door.
Rolling her eyes, even though she wasn’t sure if he could see it from that distance, she turned her back and made her way back to Mitch and Paige’s site. From the humming sound, she knew they’d already fired up the air-conditioning in their RV and she mopped at her forehead before grabbing the duffel containing her clothes, toiletries and miscellaneous things from the back of his truck, along with the grocery bag that held some snacks and water to squirrel away in her tent.
“How much more is yours?”
Liz jumped when Drew spoke from just behind her. She hadn’t realized he’d followed her. “The sleeping bag and ground mat, and then my pillow and a bag of books in the backseat of the truck.”
He grabbed the items she pointed out and fell in beside her for the walk back. “I hope you measured this sleeping bag before you bought that tent.”
“I did. It’ll fit.” Probably. It was going to be tight, though.
“I’m surprised you’re not bunking down in one of the RVs. They’ve got plenty of room.”
“That’s not real camping,” she said, because it was easier than explaining she didn’t really want to be a third wheel to any of the other couples. “Those are like luxury hotels on wheels.”
“Ah.” He nudged her with his elbow. “So you’re hard core.”
“That’s me. Hard-core camping.”
They stopped in front of her tent and she set down her bags so she could unzip the door. He crouched to hand in her belongings once she was inside. “So hard core you don’t need a cooler?”
“My family has, like, eight refrigerators. There’s a limit on being primitive.”
She watched him take a knife from his pocket to slice the plastic wrapping on the ground mat, relaxing a little. This wouldn’t be so bad, she thought. Obviously she had the ability to hang out with Drew and chat like friends did. Friends who’d had sex and occasionally snuck little touches they didn’t want her family to see, but friends.
Once he handed her the mat, she unrolled it onto the tent floor and then spread the sleeping bag on top. After she added her pillow and tucked her duffel, book and food bags along the side, she was done. Then she crawled
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