Page 71 of A Baby for the Firefighter

“You look like you’re in a good mood,” Dean commented.

“I am!” I said, grinning. “Remember that camping trip the school sent us on that one time? I was thinking about that.”

“Was that the one where Dean was caught skinny-dipping?” Shane chimed in.

“Oh, that wasn’t me, cousin.” Dean patted him on the back. “That was you.”

“Oh, right!” Shane grinned. “Good times!”

I shook my head at the two.

“What’s skinny-dipping?” Jake asked.

“Something you won’t be doing,” I replied. “You promised your daddy you were going to behave.”

Jake tilted his head and feigned innocence. “How do I keep from doing it if I don’t know what it is?”

Clever little—

“Skinny-dipping is swimming naked in a lake,” Conner said, surprising me. How did he know that? I glanced at Shane, who just held his hands up and shrugged as if to say he was wondering the same thing.

“I read it in a book,” Conner clarified when he noticed our confusion.

“Totally naked?” Jake asked before any of us adults could ask what books Conner was reading.

Conner blushed a little, and I decided to save him from answering by quickly changing the topic.

“That spot up ahead looks like a good place to set up tent, doesn’t it?” We’d reached the small valley we were heading for. I’d discovered it on a photo-taking trip recently, and it was perfect for our purposes.

“Looks great,” Dean agreed.

I smiled at him and set my backpack on the ground. “Ooof. That was heavy.”

Dean raised an eyebrow at me. He’d offered to carry my stuff earlier, but I’d declined. He and Shane were carrying the tents and our sleeping bags, and that was enough. “What did you bring?” he asked.

“Oh, only my most essential equipment.” I grinned. Just because it was the weekend didn’t mean I couldn’t sneak some work in. Who knew what great shots I might be able to take at this outing! A few of nature, and a few candid shots of my travel mates. My fingers itched to take a few good pictures of Dean. Maybe in the light of the setting sun with the red and gold mountain sky in the background…

“Why are you smiling like that?” he asked.

“No reason! C’mon, let’s set up the tents.”

* * *

When the daywas nearing its end, the alphas started to set up a campfire so we could roast some marshmallows. No camping trip was complete without roasted marshmallows, after all. Shane and Dean were doing the bulk of the work, but Jake, and eventually even Conner, had enthusiastically helped gathering firewood.

I took the opportunity to pick up my camera. It was still light enough to get a few shots, and I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather photograph than my alpha building a fire. All my caveman instincts adored the image in front of me, and since I’d decided not to argue with my instincts anymore, I might as well indulge them, right?

“Are you taking pictures?” Dean asked when he noticed me with the camera.

“No better motive than an alpha who knows how to handle a fire.” I grinned, but Dean’s face fell. The expression lasted only a fraction of a second, but I noticed. I had no idea what caused it, though. Had I said something wrong?

“Don’t you wanna help?” Shane asked, distracting me.

“Nah, you got it.” I fiddled with my focus and looked at the alphas through the camera, waiting for that perfect moment to click the shutter.

Dean got some sparks going and I pressed my finger down.

Click.