Romance One Shots

Camp Tendaro {2}

THREE WEEKS LATER

"Janie, don't forget your water bottle." I pointed at the turquoise bottle covered in stickers that was still sitting on the sand even though everyone else had packed up their stuff.

"Oops," she smiled apologetically at me before scooping it up and returning back to her spot by me. I smiled back then shouted for a count off. I started walking as my girls all said their numbers, following behind me.

"Maddy, what are we doing next?" Whitley asked. Whitley had long, blond hair for an eleven year old and was extraordinarily good at braiding, which is why I already knew her follow-up question would be-

"Can we do each other's hair?"

"As soon as we're done changing out of our swimsuits then you guys totally can! It's free time until dinner so as long as you guys are presentable by 6:30 then we'll be good." I got a few more questions about what dinner was going to be and what we were going to do after as we walked back from the lake to the cabins. I waved to my girls as we split between their cabin and mine, Kenzie walking in a few minutes later as I pulled a clean t-shirt over my head.

"What are you planning to do after dinner with your girls?" Kenzie asked.

"We were going to let them vote between making music videos or watching a movie," I spoke while pulling my hair into a more-than-messy bun. "There will probably be a tie on the vote however so we'll end up doing one tonight and the other tomorrow. What's your plan?"

"My kids are obsessed with a card game that Peter taught them a couple days ago so we'll probably just do game night but if any of my kids aren't too excited about it can we send them your way?"

"Sure! If we do the movie I was wondering if I could steal your projector?"

"Of course! What are you doing for your free time?"

"Honestly?" I fell backwards onto my bed. "Probably take a nap."

"Same," Kenzie huffed as she fell onto her bed. We had only sat with our eyes closed for no more than one minute when there was a knock on our door.

"Ladies! We need adult conversation for a moment and were hoping you would be willing to help!" Jay spoke through our screen door.

"No, we're napping," I responded.

"That works too!" Peter whispered, slowly opening our screen door, Jay following him inside. Peter laid across Kenzie on his back, fake snoring loudly while Kenzie tried to push herself up, a huge smile adorning her face even though she was complaining about being suffocated.

"Can't you two please try to get along? You're worse than the kids!" Jay joked as he laid on my bed next to me. I laid my head on his shoulder and he put his arm around me, his fingers brushing lazily up and down my arm. My arm laid across his chest, eyes fluttering closed as I felt the drowsiness that I always felt after a good beach day come over me.

"How was the lake?" Jay asked softly, the hand that wasn't touching my arm laying over mine on his chest.

"It was good. A few of them tried to do paddle boarding and kayaking and Janie made me a huge sand castle complete with little stick people that were supposed to be you, me, and all of our kiddos."

"I wish I could have seen it!" He squeezed my hand and I could basically hear his brain just yelling how much he loved Janie. He loved all of the girls but he had told me the first night that he had a soft spot for Janie. She was the smallest in the group but was the sweetest. Her dark, curly hair was always done in the cutest little poofy pigtails and her dark brown eyes were always bright and wide open no matter how early she woke up or how long of a day we've had.