Camping with Her Stepdad

Camping was the last thing I wanted to do when I came home from college for the summer. I wanted to relax, be lazy, hang out with some of my friends from high school. Instead, I’d gotten roped into a family camping trip with my mom, stepdad, and little brother, Henry. Technically, since I was eighteen, I probably could have put my foot down, but Mom would have been all ‘my house, my rules,’ so kept my mouth shut. I figured it was only two weeks out of the summer wasted. Since I loved hiking, it wouldn’t be all bad. I just needed to go off on my own to enjoy nature. I loved my little brother, but he was five, so he was going to slow us down. He was also a little spoiled. Mom and Jack were already bickering as we packed the car. Henry and I stood off to the side, not wanting to be there, but also not wanting to get involved. First, they fought about the way to pack the car, then it was if we had enough food. Lastly, it was whether to bring bedtime pull-ups for Henry. Jack voted ‘yes’. Mom and Henry voted ‘no’. Everyone turned to me as if I were the tiebreaker. When I voted with Jack, mom said it was up to Henry because he shouldn’t have to wear pull-ups if he didn’t want to and if he promised to step outside the tent to pee. Jack and I looked at each other. He rolled his eyes. I felt for him, I really did, but it wasn’t like this was a new side of Mom. The drive was tension filled because Mom was navigating. I mean, I love her, but she isn’t very tech-savvy. I had the map up on my phone and called out turns she missed because, even though I love her, I don’t want to get lost. After a few pit stops, I ended up in the front seat with Jack. He seemed to relax then as I navigated. When we arrived at the campground, I opted for a hike and left everyone else to bicker over unpacking and tent placement. When I came back to our campsite, Henry was excited about the prospect of cooking over a campfire. “You get to sleep my me, Jessa,” he said. “Okay.” I smiled, but it was more of a grimace. Henry was a restless sleeper, so I hoped his sleeping bag would bing him enough that he didn’t kick me in his sleep. Dinner went really well, and I think we were all hoping that was a good sign. As the night went on, we all seemed to relax. Mom put Henry to bed while Jack and I stayed out by the campfire, toasting marshmallows. “So the first year’s in the books,” Jack said. “How does it feel?” “Honestly? Good, but a little strange to come home. I mean, I’m used to doing everything on my own now, so coming back to Mom wanting me to be the same as I was in high school is a little weird.” Jack huffed out a laugh. “I don’t know why I thought she’d be less of a helicopter mom with Henry than she was with you.” He looked over to the tent, then lowered his voice. “In fact, I think it’s worse.” I nodded. I thought so too. Jack had always been up front with me. When they got married, I called him Daddy for a little while, but as I got older and my crush on him got bigger, I liked calling him Jack. It felt more grown up. Mom came out after that and we talked quietly for a while until it was time for us to go to sleep too. I used my flashlight to find my way around the tent, but when I shined it on my sleeping bag, something was wrong. It looked like there was a puddle next to my sleeping bag. My mind flashed back to the fight about the nighttime pull-ups. Shit. “Uh, guys? I think we have a problem,” I whispered to my parents. Cue the whisper yelling as they tried to figure out what we were going to do now that we only had two dry sleeping bags, four people, and a temperature of about forty-five degrees at night. I sat there shivering in my pajamas until Jack told me to curl up in his sleeping bag until they figured it out. I’d just started to dose when I heard Jack’s voice. “Come on, Jessa.” Jack poked his head into the tent and waved me out. Mom had the soiled sleeping bags hanging over the picnic tables. Jack gathered his sleeping bag and pointed me toward the SUV. I could tell he was still pissed, so I stayed quiet and did as he asked as we got the car ready to sleep in. “I’m sorry,” I said as we lay the sleeping bag out. “Why are you sorry? I’m sorry. I should have put my foot down with the pull-ups. It’s your sleeping bag that currently smells like piss.” I snorted a laugh. I didn’t know why, but that word coming from his perfect mouth and said in his sexy voice just seemed wrong. We stood there looking at the lone sleeping bag for a moment. Jack cleared his throat. “We could unzip it all the way and sleep on top, but it might get cold, even in the car.” “I don’t mind cuddling,” I said. I was pretty sure he knew I’d had a crush on him as a teenager. And since technically I was still a teenager, it wouldn’t be too off base to assume I still had a crush on him. “Alright.” Jack crawled in and slid into the sleeping bag. I took off my sweatshirt, so I was in a tank top and pajama bottoms, then crawled in after him. He wore shorts and a t-shirt. It was a compromise, since I knew he normally slept naked. I’d walked in on him enough times to be absolutely sure about that. “I’ll be big spoon,” he said as he held the sleeping bag open for me. I snuggled up to him, my back to his chest, and sighed. It was going to be both a pleasure and torture to sleep in his arms. Jack and I talked about everything and nothing as we lay in the back of the car. The longer we sat there, the hotter it got in that sleeping bag. It was hard to stay still when sweat started to make me itch. I really wanted to take off my pajama pants, but there was no way that was happening. “You move around almost as much as Henry,” Jack complained. “Very funny.” “Let’s try to get some sleep.” “Okay,” I said, and snuggled back against him. I thought it would be hard for me to fall asleep, but soon my eyes felt heavy as dreams pulled me under.