Page 39 of What I Should Have Known

“Hi, sweetheart,” my mom said as I continued to stare at the perfectly constructed campsite.

“What’s happening?” I asked as the spurs behind me grew nearer.

“Oh, nothing. Other than dinner is ready whenever you want to grab a bowl.” My mom pushed up from her camp chair as Emma rolled her head lazily in my direction and wiggled her brows.

“But normally…” My voice trailed off as I scanned the immaculate campsite. “It’s way too quiet and calm.”

Emma giggled. “We had help.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Also, where’s my little brothers? I heard them laughing at one point.”

“That Bernie fellow has kept those two entertained for the past hour or so. Man, he’s really handy to have around. He set up all of the tents and griddles, started the fire so Emma and I were even able to cook dinner over the campfire.” My mom tossed a thumb over her shoulder at the blazing embers while she walked toward the cast iron pots. As she lifted the lid to one, steam slipped out of the crack, trailing up to the sky.

And familiar giggles pierced through the encroaching jingle of spurs and casual conversation—laughter from two young boys I’d know anywhere. Behind the tents, another Power Wheel flew out from the trees. Seated next to each other, my two little brothers laughed loudly and zoomed around a stump.

“He’s never gonna get us!” Beau, the youngest, shouted, waving two black airsoft rifles into the air.

Levi whooped and hollered, steering the red Jeep back around another tent and quickly let off the gas. With a jolt, the whine of the battery died and both boys went absolutely silent. Not a sound left their mouths, quieter than I’d ever heard them before in my life.

At eight and ten, quiet wasn’t in their vocabulary. At least I hadn’t thought it was until that very moment.

As still as death, even Mother Nature herself seemed to hold her breath.

My mom froze beside the griddle, ladle in hand. Emma sucked in a deep breath and stared at the trees. The only sound breaking the suspense was the rest of the men emerging from the grove behind me. But, as their eyes rested on the sight, even they seemed to sense the tension as a cord wrapped around their own tongues, stilling their voices.

Pausing beside my shoulder, my father leaned toward me. “What’s going on? Why are Levi and Beau—”

“Shhhh,” Emma hissed from across the campsite.

He raised his brows but smashed his lips together.

A leaf rustled in the wind.

But there was no whine of another battery-powered vehicle.

A bird cawed.

But nothing else.

A squirrel raced across the campsite, disappearing up a tree trunk.

Yet there wasn’t anything else that stirred.

Then, four quick cracks snapped through the air.

“Ow!” Levi shouted, clutching his side.

Beau dove sideways, crashing out of the Power Wheel, with his hand pressed to his chest.

“Who’s ready for round four?” Bernie’s voice slithered through the air, and from around the far side of the very tent my two brothers had stopped beside morphed into existence the man they’d been running from.

He held the pink rifle to his chest, barrel pointed down, as Muffin, seated upon his shoulders, opened her jaw and yawned. The pink of her tongue paled in comparison to the vibrant color of her Kevlar vest and goggles.

My stomach swirled warm, drawn to him. Every cell in my body screamed at me to run over to him, launch myself into his arms, and let loose. Heat rose to my cheeks, flushed hot with desire that was ill-timed but something I did not fight.

“How’d you do that?” Beau asked, pushing himself out of the dirt.

Bernie grinned, the streaks of camo paint on his face an exact mirror for the ones on both of my brothers’ cheeks. “Helps that I have a brother of my own,” he answered, and his gaze slid over to mine.

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