Page 37 of Alice & Meg, Girls Trip

Alice

“What in the hot hell are you doing here?” I repeated, unable to keep the shock out of my voice.

Wrecker didn’t answer right away, just pushed his way into the camper, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

“Hey, Mom!” a voice called out from outside, unmistakably Fox’s.

I blinked, staring at the closed door as if it could somehow explain everything. “Was that Fox?” I asked, my mind still struggling to catch up. “And who is watching my cows if you two are here?”

Wrecker shook his head, the barest hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Fox is here, and Kingston is watching the cows, babe.”

I shook my head, trying to wrap my brain around the sight of Wrecker and Fox being here in the middle of the night, completely out of the blue.

“Am I dreaming?” Karmen mumbled from her spot on the bed she was sharing with Wendy.

“Is that Wrecker?” Wendy asked, her voice heavy with sleep and confusion.

“What on earth are you guys doing here?” I demanded, glancing between Wrecker and the door. “It’s the middle of the night!” It was obvious, but I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“We rode up with King and Snapper,” Wrecker said, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

I reared back, shaking my head in disbelief. “King and Snapper are here, too?”

“Yeah,” Wrecker said, his voice thick with exhaustion as he took off his cut and hung it over the back of a chair. “You think we can have this conversation in the morning? I’m pretty fucking tired, babe.”

I pointed my finger into my chest, feeling like I’d stepped into an alternate reality. “I’m the one who’s supposed to be spontaneous in this relationship, Wrecker. I do crazy things like showing up somewhere in the middle of the night.”

He grunted in response and began making his way toward the back bed where Nikki and I had been sleeping.

Nikki appeared wrapped in a blanket, her hair mussed from sleep. “I’ll sleep with Wendy and Karmen,” she muttered, shuffling past us. “Pretty sure Pipe would flip his lid if he heard I shared a cozy bed with you two,” she laughed softly.

“Wait, what?” I hissed, completely thrown off.

“Incoming,” Nikki called right before she flopped down between Wendy and Karmen in their bed.

“I don’t like to be the big spoon,” Karmen mumbled, clearly not fully awake.

“I don’t care as long as everyone stops talking,” Wendy moaned, her voice muffled by a pillow.

I rolled my eyes and reached over to turn off the lights. “Get going,” I whispered to Wrecker.

We made our way to the bed in the back, and Wrecker kicked off his boots with a heavy sigh.

“Where’s Fox going to sleep?” I asked, glancing toward the front of the camper, where I could still hear muffled voices from the girls.

“Fire,” Wrecker grunted. “He brought a sleeping bag. He’ll be fine outside.”

“There could be bears out there, Wrecker. He can sleep with us.”

He leveled his gaze at me, his expression firm. “I will not be sleeping in this tiny-ass bed with my wife and twenty-one-year-old son. He’ll be fine outside.”

“But—” I started to protest, but Wrecker cut me off with a shake of his head.

I knew Fox would be fine outside. He’d camped with the Boy Scouts his whole childhood and was probably thrilled to be sleeping under the stars. Still, I couldn’t help but worry.

Wrecker pulled his shirt over his head and climbed into the bed, sliding under the covers with a tired grunt.

I rolled my eyes but climbed in next to him, feeling the warmth of his body instantly against mine.

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