Page 49 of Summer Ride

He nodded. “Okay, I’m telling them you’re okay and that we’re leaving in half an hour.” He hit send. “That way they won’t try to—” His mother replied quickly that they would bring donuts over in ten minutes. “Sorry, babe,” he said. “They’re on their way over here with donuts.”

She chuckled and then sighed. “I could go for donuts,” she admitted, rolling out of bed. “After I pee,” she said as she headed to the bathroom.

By the time his parents walked in the front door, they were both dressed and almost fully packed for their trip.

Jenny and Bill Jameson were some of the nicest people in the area. They knew everyone, helped out when needed or asked, and best of all, thought of everyone at River Camps as family.

He enjoyed watching the way his parents interacted with Kara. Since the moment they’d met her years ago, they had thought of her as their daughter, regardless of their relationship status.

Before his parents had even found out that he and Kara were seeing one another, they had already brought her into the fold.

The first time he realized how much he cared for Kara was when he’d found her having lunch with his parents at the pool during one of her breaks. His parents had been at the camp to enjoy the pool and have lunch with him, and she had run into them when she stepped out of the pool house on break. Without the group knowing it, he’d watched them for a few moments before making his presence known.

Kara had looked so comfortable chatting and laughing with them. It was the moment he’d fallen hard for her. The moment of no return, as it were.

His parents chatted about their cruise trip while they all ate donuts and muffins from a local bakery.

“Well, we’re so happy you’re feeling better,” his mother said as she stood up and took her coffee mug to the sink. “Lea seemed very concerned in her text this morning.”

“She texted you?” Kara asked.

“Yes, she knows how much we worry about you two.” His mother walked over and hugged Kara.

“We’re pregnant,” Kara blurted out during the hug.

He watched his parents’ response. For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then his mother smiled, laughed, and hugged Kara again.

“Oh, my child. You have just made us the happiest people on earth,” his mother said. His father walked over and hugged him.

“I thought we were going to wait a week to tell them,” he said to Kara who chuckled and shrugged.

“Your mother has magical powers in her hugs,” she joked as she wiped a tear from her eye.

“It’s still very early,” he pointed out. “Very early.”

“That’s why we were going to wait to tell you,” Kara said.

“Anything you need,” his mother said to Kara, “you just let us know.”

“What they probably need now is a vacation, which we are keeping them from,” his father joked.

“Right.” His mother smiled and then hugged them both again. “Go. Have a relaxing time. Your father and Brett will watch out for the goats and any other animals you have hiding around here.” She laughed.

“Thanks.” He hugged both of them and then his father helped him cart their luggage to Kara’s car. On long trips, they drove it instead of his gas-guzzling truck.

They made a quick stop at the camp and picked up three refrigerated coolers stocked with food that Isaac and his team had put together for them earlier that morning.

“I never could have imagined working at a place that took such good care of its employees,” Kara said once they were finally on the road. She glanced at the back seat of the car. “I mean, did you see how much food is here? That’s going to save us a couple hundred dollars on food. Not to mention that we get to stay at a beautiful vacation spot for free.”

He smiled at her. “It does have its perks.

She was quiet for a moment. “I never thought I would have anything close to a family. The camp and your parents changed that in my life. You changed that.”

He reached over and took her hand in his. “The fact that they hugged you more than they hugged me should tell you something.” He smiled. “They love you. Even if this”—he used their joined hands to motion between them—“doesn’t stick. I’m not saying it won’t,” he added quickly, “but even if it doesn’t, you belong to them.”

She leaned her head back and looked out the window as he drove through the town. While they made their way through Panama City, they talked about all the things they were going to do—or rather, not do—over the next week.

They stopped to fill up with gas on the outskirts of town and when they hit the country road heading south, with the water on the right side of them, he could tell she’d fallen asleep.