2. Tate
2
TATE
Hazel wipes at a tear that’s sliding down her cheek, nearly breaking my heart. I kneel in front of her, grabbing ahold of her arms to comfort her.
“You’re going to have such a good time.”
“I’m going to miss you,” she sniffles, looking so tiny and young among the other kids.
My heart aches in an unexpected way. She’s not my kid, but that doesn’t mean I feel great about leaving her.
“I’m itching already,” Maddox whines as she drags a suitcase over the dirt-and-gravel path like it’s filled with bricks. “This sucks.”
Wylder hoists a duffel bag over his shoulder, the second piece of luggage Maddox has packed even though she claims she’ll be out of here when her two-week stay is done. “Did you pack the itch cream and bug spray?” he asks her.
“Of course, Dad. Duh.” Maddox rolls her eyes, but thankfully, Wylder doesn’t see it because he has only the smallest shred of patience left.
Wylder mutters under his breath and shakes his head but doesn’t say anything more to her.
The girls complained the entire car ride. It didn’t bother me. They were just being kids and were probably nervous but had no other way to voice their worries besides whining about everything.
A woman’s voice comes through the speaker, and everyone in the area looks up as if we’re going to see her lurking somewhere. “Welcome, campers. Set your watches for seven o’clock. We’re holding a s’mores-eating contest, and the winner will earn the premium cabin for themselves and the roommates of their choice. The cabin has air conditioning, a big-screen television, and a private bathroom. Be ready and be hungry.”
“Oh. My. Goodness,” Hazel exclaims with wide eyes. “All-I-can-eat s’mores?”
I nod, unable to hold back my smile at her sudden change of mood. “You’re going to eat until you puke, huh, kiddo?”
Hazel giggles and twists her body back and forth like she’s ready to jump out of her skin. “Maybe.”
“If you win, I’m your new and only roomie,” Maddox tells her, already pinning her hopes and dreams on her little sister.
Hazel glowers at her big sister with so much sass, I have to hold back my laughter. “Well, duh. It’s not like I know anyone else, Maddy.”
She sounds more and more like Maddox every day. She’s growing up too fast, even in the short amount of time I’ve known her.
“I’ll get Maddy settled in and come back for Hazel,” Wylder says to me as he adjusts the duffel bag on his shoulder.
“I can handle her,” I tell him, wanting to be a little useful because standing here doing nothing isn’t an option.
I’ve already been given more than a few dirty looks from the mothers who are wandering around with their noses in the air. I don’t fit in here, but that’s no shocker. We’re in the middle of Indiana, and I look like I stepped out of an issue of the newest tattoo magazine on the newsstand.
Wylder nods his approval. “I’ll meet you at her cabin in a few.”
“Sounds good,” I tell him as Hazel twists around, no doubt daydreaming about chocolate and marshmallows.
Wylder and Maddox head off, leaving me with Hazel.
“Ready?” I ask her, pulling her back to the here and now with my voice.
She slides her tiny hand into mine before tipping her head back, giving me the biggest smile. “This is going to be the best summer ever.”
My heart melts a little at her excitement and her hand in mine. This kid is quickly stealing my heart with her sweetness.
She deserves a good summer. Lord knows they’ve had enough bad shit because of their bitch mother ditching them like an old pair of shoes.
“I hope so, sweetie,” I say to her as I glance around, trying to figure out where the hell I’m going.
Hazel’s in cabin forty-seven, and we’re standing in front of cabin six.
“This way,” she says, dragging me to the right like she knows where she’s going. I follow without giving it a second thought. She’s a smart kid. Observant. Maybe even a little too much for her age.
In less time than I thought, we’re standing in front of her cabin. Hazel stops, turns, and stares at the wooden building like it’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen.
“This is it,” she whispers, and she clutches my hand a little tighter, as if she’s trying to ground herself to this very spot.
“You nervous?”
“No,” she answers quickly. “I won’t be here long. I’m getting the penthouse.”
I chuckle at her self-confidence. “Okey dokey.”
“You’ll see.”
I have no doubt this kid can eat a mountain of s’mores, and I also know she’ll throw up by the end of the evening because she won’t know when to stop. Whoever came up with the idea wasn’t too bright because who wants to start camp with a bunch of sick kids? Not me.
“Will you come in with me?” she asks, giving me her big doe eyes.
“Well, duh,” I say, giving her the same answer she gave to Maddy. “I would never just leave you here.”
But as soon as the words are out of my mouth, I feel a burn deep in my chest. How would she know I wouldn’t leave her? Her mother did.
She exhales and gives my hand a squeeze. “As Tone Loc once said, let’s do it.”
I stare down at her in disbelief as we take our first step toward her cabin. “How do you know Tone Loc?”
Hazel giggles. “Grandma loves him.”
“Huh,” I whisper, completely shocked.
“She likes to put it on and dance around the house.”
I would’ve never pegged Cheryl as a Tone Loc fan. Not in a million years. And to think about her dancing around the house, shaking her ass, is on a whole different level. Mind blown.
The cabin door swings open before we make it onto the first step. A little girl comes barreling out, running down the steps so fast, I immediately brace for impact.
“I’m Credence,” she says, wrapping her arms around Hazel and shaking with so much excitement, I’m surprised she doesn’t levitate off the ground. “What’s your name? We’re roomies.”
“Hazel.” She flicks her gaze at me, looking scared.
Credence finally releases Hazel from her grip before throwing her arm around Hazel’s shoulder. “We’re going to have the best summer. Wait until you meet the other girls.”
“The others?” Hazel asks, swallowing nervously.
“Iris and Avery. They’re cool like us, though.”
I smirk, wondering what makes a kid cool these days. They’ve known each other for a few minutes and have already come to a determination.
I follow the two girls as we head up the steps, but I almost trip when I see the most beautiful and elegant woman filling the doorframe.
“Who’s this?” she asks Credence with a smile.
“Hazel. My other roomie.”
“And this?” the woman says as her eyes drag up me with nothing but a look of disgust on her face.
Bitch.
“My dad’s girlfriend,” Hazel answers before I have a chance to say anything.
Am I his girlfriend? We haven’t made any promises to each other. Not that I’d say no, but I’m still trying to hold on to the rules I set forth for myself on my last birthday.
“I’m Tate,” I answer. “A friend of the family.”
“And the mother?” the woman asks, glancing around like someone is going to materialize out of nowhere.
“She left us,” Hazel says like it’s not a big deal and totally normal, when it isn’t. “But we have Tate now.”
That ache from earlier is back and more painful than before. If I ever meet the bitch, I am going to knock her teeth out for what she did to Hazel and Maddox.
The woman’s eyes widen. “Oh. I’m sorry,” she whispers. I hope the nosy bitch chokes on her fake apology.
“It’s okay. I like Tate more,” Hazel replies to the woman, walking right by her as she says it.
“I made it,” Wylder says as he comes up behind me. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. I was just talking to…”
The woman doesn’t hide her sneer as she says, “Camilla.”
A stuck-up name for a stuck-up woman. Serendipity.
“I’m Wylder. Hazel’s father.”
“Credence’s mother,” she says, finally letting her bitch smile drop.
“I’m going to go say goodbye to Hazel, and then we can dip,” he says as he brushes his hand across my back. “Okay?”
“Yeah,” I say, relishing the light touch. “I’ll chat with Camilla.”
Wylder jogs up the steps to the cabin, giving Camilla a brief chin thrust like she’s one of his buddies.
But instead of chatting, Camilla and I stare at each other, totally silent.
Thankfully, Wylder’s back outside a moment later. “She’s settling in. Ready?”
“Yep,” I snap, still holding Camilla’s gaze.
He slides his arm around my body, turning me around. “Later, Cammy,” Wylder calls as we walk away.
Damn it. I wish I could’ve seen her face. I bet her lips were puckered up like a tight asshole from the nickname. I’m sure no one has ever called her Cammy. It’s way too casual for a woman with her attitude.
“She was pleasant,” Wylder says to me as he guides me down the gravel-covered path.
“You can’t be serious,” I mutter.
“If she was wound any tighter, she’d be a knot,” he jokes, pulling me against him until our hips bump. “She reminds me of someone I know.”
I bump him back. “I hope you’re not talking about me.”
“I meant my ex.”
Camilla is exactly how I picture Katie. Neither one of them is anything like me…thank God.
“Thanks for coming with me today. It meant a lot to the girls.”
I turn my head to face him. “And you?” I ask.
“You’re so needy.”
“That’s not an answer.”
He tips his head down, brushing his lips against my forehead. “And me too.”
“Better,” I tell him, smirking at the validation and probably neediness too. “I wanted to be here for the girls.”
“And me?” he asks, being just as needy as me.
“You too.” I laugh at our ridiculousness.
It’s easy to be around Wylder. Too easy. Alarm bells should be going off in my head, but they’re not. And that’s concerning and comforting. It’s a strange mix of emotions I’m not sure I can reconcile.
Rowdy and I never really did anything together unless I begged him to go somewhere with me. Rowdy was about a good time. That good time almost left me six feet underground, though. Totally not worth it. No amount of good dick is.
“What now?” I ask, suddenly feeling a little weird because we usually have to look over our shoulders for two sets of young eyes.
“Now, we have an entire summer to ourselves.”
My belly does a little flip at the thought of having days, weeks, even more than one month with Wylder to myself.
“And I plan to take full advantage of it too.”
“Advantage of time or me?”
Wylder leans over, bringing his mouth close to my ear. “Both,” he growls.