Chapter 14
“Wow.” I stopped short.
The promotional pictures on Greenwood Preserve’s website hadn’t done the campsite justice.
Maisie, Trixy, and I stood at the edge of a grassy sunlit clearing dotted with yarrow and dandelions.
Nestled at its center were three canvas tents pitched in a triangle formation, all connected by a massive deck furnished with wicker patio furniture and picnic tables.
Red, white, and blue bunting flags hung from the wooden railing.
Even though I’d known what to expect, the simple beauty surrounding us caught me off guard; there was a nostalgia to it that made me long for summertime as a kid.
“This place looks like a travel blogger’s Insta feed,” Maisie said as I counted the Adirondack chairs positioned around the firepit. There were twelve in total.
“It’s called the Stargazer Suite,” I replied. “There are viewing windows above each bed so you can see the stars at night.”
Trixy propped her hands on her hips and surveyed the clearing. “That sounds expensive. How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing. Oliver paid for everything as a birthday gift.”
“Well,” Trixy said, eyebrows skyrocketing. “Thank God for rich boyfriends, because I’m broke. When’s everyone getting here?”
I glanced at my phone. “Hopefully within the hour.”
This morning, while Drew, Maisie, Trixy, and I drove up to the campground to check in and set up, Stella went to the airport.
Once she arrived, we would spend the day on the water.
I couldn’t see the lake from where we were standing, but there was a second path on the other side of the clearing that presumably extended down to the dock.
“Coming through!” Drew announced. The three of us stepped aside as he hustled past carrying a cooler. “A little help would be nice,” he called over his shoulder.
We dropped our luggage off on the deck and trekked back to the car.
It took three more trips to unload everything.
Besides the cooler, there were bundles of firewood, a giant box filled with snack food, pool noodles and floaties, enough beach towels for everyone, and Dad’s camping kit—a large plastic tub that held all the essentials for spending a night in the woods.
“What are the sleeping arrangements?” Maisie asked once we finished unpacking.
“You’re with me,” Drew said, not bothering to look up from the box of fireworks he was rummaging through.
“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” she muttered. “That’s not what I’m asking.”
“Why don’t we check things out and decide who’s sleeping where?” I suggested.
Although each tent had its own private bathroom, the layouts were different in all three.
Tent number one was divided into two main rooms—a bedroom with a king-size bed and a living room with a sleeper sofa.
The second was split down the middle, creating equal-size rooms with a queen in each.
As for the third tent, it was clearly designed for kids.
Bunk beds lined each wall, and a collection of beanbags formed a small sitting area at the center of the space.
“Drew and I can take the pullout,” Maisie said after our exploratory tour.
“If you don’t mind sharing with them, I think we should give Stella and Oliver the king bed since he’s paying for everything,” I added. “The other couples can have the second tent.”
That left me, Trixy, and JJ with the bunk beds.
My best friend grabbed her duffel and took off toward our tent. “Dibs on the bottom,” she called, which was fine with me. After all, I planned on sleeping under the stars.
Twenty minutes later, I heard a honk from an approaching vehicle. “That must be them,” I said, trotting down the deck steps. “Let’s see if they need help carrying anything.”
Instead of following, Drew dashed into his tent. “Be there in a minute.”
Maisie, Trixy, and I exchanged puzzled looks before shrugging and heading back across the clearing.
When we reached the parking lot, Stella waved from the front seat of our mom’s minivan and pulled in beside Drew’s car, tires crunching on the gravel.
The back door slid open the second the van stopped moving, and JJ jumped out wearing a pair of mirrored shield sunglasses, a stars-and-stripes tank top, and black swim trunks.
“Happy birthday, America!” he shouted as he flexed both his biceps. “JJ’s in the motherfucking house!”
Trixy lifted an eyebrow.
“Trust me,” I whispered. “He grows on you.”
JJ strolled over to us, grinning the entire way, and dropped an arm around my shoulder. “Hey, birthday girl,” he said, squeezing me against his side. “Did you miss me?”
“That depends,” I said, tipping my head back so I could smile up at him. “Did you bring me a gift?”
He wagged a finger at me. “Tsk, tsk. You’ll have to wait and see.” After saying hi to Maisie, JJ focused his attention on Trixy. The smile he offered her was not his usual smirk or cocky grin. It was broad and eager, like he knew winning her over was important. “You must be the best friend.”
“Trixy,” she replied, holding out her hand. “You must be the fake boyfriend.”
“That’s me, although I’m working on the fake part. Maybe you can put in a good word for me?”
To my surprise, Trixy threw back her head and laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Everyone else had piled out of the van by that point, and although I knew their names, there were two people I’d never met before.
The first was Felicity, a petite redhead.
I recognized her from the tabloid pictures when she and Alec started dating.
That meant the other girl—a tall, curvy blond helping Xander remove suitcases from the trunk—was Indie.
Before I could go introduce myself, Oliver walked over lugging multiple duffel bags.
“Anyone know where I can dump these?”
“Yeah, this way.” I turned back toward camp and motioned for him to follow me. “Need any help?”
“No, I’ve got it,” he replied, adjusting one of the straps digging into his shoulder. “Happy birthday, by the way. Stella said the whole glamping extravaganza was your idea?”
“It was. Thanks for covering everything.”
“Don’t mention it,” he said, waving off my thanks. “I don’t remember the last time I did something fun on the Fourth, so this is as much of a gift for myself as it is for you guys.”
“Well, we still appreciate it.” There was an awkward pause when Oliver didn’t respond, so I scrambled for something else to say. “How was your flight?”
“I was stuck next to JJ,” he said with a sigh, and I didn’t need any more detail to guess how that went.
“So quiet and relaxing?”
This made him chuckle. “Exactly.”
I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something about Oliver felt…
different? Peeking over at him, I tried to figure out what.
He was wearing a heathered blue T-shirt that fit snugly across his chest and made his eyes pop.
The only physical change I could discern was his hair.
In Miami, it had been long enough to brush his chin in gentle curls, but he’d cut it short since then, and only a hint of wave remained.
Despite the new style, he looked as handsome as ever.
A shriek of protest pierced the air behind us, followed by raucous laughter.
Oliver grinned as if he was in on the joke, and that was when I realized the difference.
It wasn’t him who had changed—it was me.
Both of his dimples were on display, but for the first time since we’d met, the sight of Oliver Perry smiling didn’t make my heart race.
Weird.
I stole another glance at him and…nothing.
Oliver would always be handsome, but it was like all my secret longing had bled away. At what point had that happened?
When we reached the deck, I pointed out the first tent. “You and Stella are in there.”
“Thanks,” he said and disappeared inside. It was quiet for a single heartbeat, then several loud bangs that sounded like gunfire tore through the silence. Oliver yelped, but before I could react, Drew burst from the tent laughing so hard he almost tripped over his feet.
“You better run, asshole!” Oliver shouted.
Five seconds later, he reappeared, a can of Silly String clutched in each hand and a murderous look in his eye.
Where he’d pulled those from so quickly, I couldn’t begin to guess.
Without a backward glance in my direction, he tore after Drew, who was already halfway across the clearing.
A quick investigation revealed a burned-up firecracker was responsible for the noise.
Drew must have hidden under the bed and waited for Oliver to arrive before lighting the firework and tossing it out into the middle of the floor.
The whole tent reeked of gunpowder, and I was glad I’d be sleeping elsewhere.
“What happened?” Stella asked when I stepped back outside. Maisie stood beside her, eyebrows furrowed in concern.
“Drew pranked Oliver with a firecracker,” I explained. “Now Oliver is retaliating with Silly String?”
“Good for him,” Stella replied. “He’s wanted to get Oliver back for sending us into an ambush ever since we met him.”
“Children,” Maisie muttered, shaking her head. “We’re dating children.”
Stella patted Maisie on the arm as if to offer the other girl comfort.
“Welcome to the club. There are therapy sessions on Wednesdays. As a longtime member, I’ve learned that when they do stupid things, it’s best to let them have their fun.
Unless, of course, it involves you. Then you can crush them without remorse. ”
“What I don’t understand is where Oliver got the Silly String from,” I said. “It was like he pulled it out of thin air.”
“He always travels with an arsenal—Silly String, confetti cannons, water balloons, you name it.”
“But…why?”
“Because he’s, like, eight,” Stella said. “Keep up, Cara. We just covered this. What do we do when the men in our lives act like idiots?”
“Ignore them,” Maisie said, a slow grin stretching across her face.
“Exactly,” Stella said. “Stick with me, ladies. You’ll be fine.”
* * *