Worth Fighting For by Wendy Qualls

Author:Wendy Qualls
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-04-23T15:48:46+00:00

Chapter 12

Tante Brielle called Jericho three days later with an offer: Would he and his new friends like to come to Camp Ladybug for the bonfire on family weekend? Specifically, would Alexa like to come visit overnight?

“She’ll stay in their guest room,” Jericho assured Sterling when he first brought up the idea. “Same one I did whenever we were between sessions and I wasn’t assigned a camper. I prodded a bit, and it sounds like she actually would be a help. One of the families there this weekend has three kids—twin boys and a ten-year-old daughter. I had one of the boys his first year at camp. They’re good people and Kiana, the daughter, is really sweet. She’s also neurotypical and her brothers both do best with a lot of one-on-one supervision. Two teenage boys, two parents, and one ten-year-old who’s going to feel left out even if she has her own counselor ‘buddy’ for the weekend…and we’d get a night to ourselves.” He winked suggestively, and had to stifle a laugh at Sterling’s startled look. Three days into this, whatever it was, and Sterling still rarely flirted back. He always looked so surprised and pleased when Jericho turned on the charm, though, that Jericho started making a point of hitting on him as often as he could without Alexa noticing.

“So they want Alexa to…what? Babysit?” Sterling’s forehead crinkled adorably. “She’s not really old enough for that…”

“Oh, God no.” Alexa was a wonderfully thoughtful and kind girl once you got past her abrupt and sometimes disorienting monologues, but actual child-minding was going to be a few years off yet. If that. “Tante Brielle proposed that she and Alexa and Kiana be a trio for the weekend instead of the one-on-one with campers like they usually do. I know it’s a big step to take, especially since you’ve only met my aunt and uncle the one time, but Alexa would have a blast. Uncle René and Tante Brielle are amazing people. They loved her, and they’ll accept her as she is without blinking an eye.” He punctuated his argument by giving Sterling a blatant up-and-down ogle. It wasn’t entirely feigned—Sterling in a button-down shirt and dress pants was worth mentally undressing any day. Sterling didn’t look as surprised the second time around. “Totally incidentally,” Jericho added, “us having a day and a half to ourselves would give us time for a few of the things I’d love to introduce you to.”

Sterling pretended—badly—that he didn’t notice the hint. “Things, like…”

“Like however you want it to mean.” Like we both want a repeat and you know it. He waggled an eyebrow suggestively, and Sterling blushed right on cue.

Sterling later insisted he said yes for Alexa’s sake, but they both knew better. Alexa needed no convincing—she was practically ready to jump in the car the moment Sterling and Jericho asked if she wanted to go. Jericho set her up for a phone conversation with Tante Brielle instead.

“They’re gonna have a nature scavenger hunt in the morning,” Alexa told them both over dinner that night.

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