Page 22 of A Little Campfire Blues (Pride Camp 2025 #10)

Chapter Nineteen

Ezzy

Fuzzy-brained and tripping on the edge of little space, I tried to get dressed for the day, only to find myself half-stuck in dungaree shorts with both legs through the same hole. Hopping, I tried to reach the edge of the bed only to topple over and land on my ass on the hard wooden floor.

Tears welled up in my eyes moments before I let out an ear-piercing wail that brought Ro, Daddy Mack, and Axis running. Daddy Mack immediately scooped me up and sat on the bed with me in his arms while Axis scampered up beside us, rocking the bed as he bounced around trying to hug us both.

“It’s okay, Sparkle Butt, you’re okay,” Daddy cooed.

“Owie, Daddy!” I cried, burrowing my head against his chest. “I hurt my bottom!”

Wailing, I launched into another round of sobs as my bottom throbbed from where it was pressed against Daddy’s leg.

Leather paws stroked the back of my neck as Ro started trying to comfort me too. Even after passing out on the floor and taking a long, bliss-induced nap, I was still a little tired, and now a bit cranky too.

“Daddy will check to see if there’s any damage and get you untangled from your clothes,” Daddy Mack cooed. “Then we’ll go down to the water ball pit so you can play and have your picnic by the lake.”

Thoughts of colorful balls and yummy things to nibble on settled me some, as did the scent of Daddy Mack’s bodywash and the way he so tenderly held me.

Ro and Axis were helping too. Axis rubbed circles on my back; the soft slurp, slurp, slurp of him sucking on his pacy at a rapid rate told me he was worried and just wanted me to smile at him.

He’d woken fully in little space, raring to play, and when Daddy Mack had mentioned the ball pit that had been created in the lake, we were both excited to see what they’d made for us.

My tushy didn’t hurt so much anymore, so I sat up a little and swiped at my tears, sniffling as Daddy pressed a kiss to my forehead.

“There you go, little Sparkle Butt, let’s dry those tears now,” he said, as Axis started trying to help by brushing at them, and my entire face, with a tissue from my bedside stand. The edge dragged over my nose, tickling and making me sneeze.

“Okay, okay,” I squealed, batting at the tissue until Axis got the hint and threw it away.

“Let’s see about getting you sorted out,” Daddy Mack said.

Axis decided to help and tugged my shorts off my legs, finally freeing me of them. I had my swimsuit on underneath, just a pair of yellow and green briefs with a sparkly frog on the rear.

Daddy chuckled upon seeing it.

“One of many reasons I call you Sparkle Butt,” he said as he peeled them down.

His hand stroked the last of the soreness away and helped me settle back into my little headspace again.

“No damage done, not even a bruise,” Daddy said before leaning over me to kiss both cheeks. “There, does that make it all better now?”

“Much, much better, Daddy,” I declared as he pulled my briefs back into place.

I held on to Daddy while Axis held my shorts for me to step into. Ro pulled them up and helped fasten the one strap I always clipped. I hadn’t bothered with a shirt, since we were just gonna strip off our clothes when we reached the lake.

“I’m ready for the ball pit now!” I declared, slipping off Daddy’s lap and holding my arms open for a hug.

He squeezed me gently, pressed a kiss to the top of my head, then took my hand and led us all out into the sunshiny day.

Having Daddy with us chased the grumpiness away.

I was excited to see the ball pit and insisted upon sitting up front with Daddy in his big pickup truck, while Ro and Axis cuddled in the back.

In the rearview, I watched Axis pet Ro’s hair as he leaned against him in his Dalmatian-spotted swim shorts.

I loved how he was a pup even in swim gear.

He was so much fun when he was playing with us.

As soon as we got near the lake, bright colors made me squeal and clap my hands. They had big balls. Beach balls! And a huge area roped off for us to play in.

“Don’t you touch that door until the truck is parked and the locks disengaged,” Daddy said in his super stern, growly voice. “Or your little Sparkle Butt is gonna be sore all over again.”

“No more sore!” I declared, sitting on my hands so I wouldn’t be tempted to touch the door handle as he was parking.

He chuckled, maneuvered into a space, and finally parked the truck while I waited impatiently for the little noise the locks made when they opened.

As soon as they did, I scrambled out and nearly fell over when I tried to yank off my shoe as I hopped around, struggling to pull it off so I could get in.

Clothes were for the picnic anyway, and that was hours and hours away. I had big, bright, beautiful balls to get to.

“Rufffffff!” Ro declared as he came tumbling out beside me, flinging his T-shirt over his head.

“You will pick that up along with any other clothes you discard, fold them, and carry them to where we're going to set up our picnic blankets, is that understood!” Daddy declared as he stepped out and saw the chaos. “That goes for all of you.”

“Yes, Daddy,” we chorused.

Like Ro, Axis was in board shorts and a T-shirt, his binky still in his mouth.

He better not take it in, or it might get lost in all the balls.

Then he’d be sad, and I hated when our Firefly was sad.

If Daddy didn’t remember, I’d take it out of his mouth for him once our blanket was spread out.

Then it would all be okay when we got in the water.

At the shore of the lake, well away from where all the splashing would be, Daddy shook out the blanket, and it blocked out the sun.

Axis ran under it but didn’t make it to the other side before the blanket fell over his head.

Spinning, he got himself all tangled up in it, little giggles coming from underneath the fabric while Daddy chuckled.

“The blanket is for the sand, not my Firefly,” Daddy said as he untangled him.

“Firefly undercover!” Axis giggled as his head popped out, binky dangling from a clip on his overalls. Ohh, smart, I’d forgotten about that. “Uh-oh, cover blown.”

“It most certainly is,” Daddy declared. Now please go stand over by Ro until I get it spread out properly, then we can weigh down the edges with our shoes, and we’ll be all set to play.”

“Yay!” Axis declared, bouncing, which made untangling him take even longer.

Daddy just laughed while he wrestled with the blanket, then Axis spun free and bounded over to Ro, who draped an arm over his shoulder and kept him pressed to his side until Daddy Mack had smoothed the blanket out over the sand.

We placed our shoes on the edges, followed by our clothes and the big picnic basket and cooler daddy had carried down from the truck.

“Now can we go in?” I asked, bouncing as I stared at the balls and the spaces between them rapidly being filled with other bodies.

“Now we can all go in,” Daddy declared.

“Ruff, ruff!” Ro barked and took off for the water.

“Wait for me, wait for me!” I called out, legs churning against the sand as I raced to catch up to him, Axis floundering through the sand right beside me.

Into the cold water we splashed with Daddy Mack right behind us.

I had my eye on a pink and yellow beach ball when something brushed against my leg, and I yelped and jumped back, lost my balance, and sank under the surface for a moment.

I popped up just in time to catch the pink and yellow ball that was hurtling at my face.

Axis stood grinning several feet away, water streaming down his face with a purple ball in his hands.

“You scared me!” I squealed as I waded towards him. “I thought you were a big ol’ water snake or something.”

“Snake!” Someone squealed several feet away.

The cry went up across the ball pit as several littles and pets rushed for the shore.

“There’s no snake,” Daddy Mack called out, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Just my Sparkle Butt being overly dramatic.”

“Oopsie,” I said, squirming under the fierceness of his gaze. “Sorry, Daddy.”

“Just watch what you say, Sparkle Butt.”

“I will, Daddy,” I replied, before sticking my tongue out at Axis, who returned the gesture, only to be pounced and knocked underwater by Ro.

“Avenging puppy to the rescue!” I declared as they popped up, laughing.

Axis had to chase his ball, so I threw mine to Ro, who caught it and tossed it back. Axis threw his to Daddy, and soon we had balls flying in a crisscross pattern, occasionally crashing together and forcing us to chase them. It was so much fun.

“Chicken fight, chicken fight,” I declared, tossing my ball aside to try and scramble onto Daddy’s back.

Daddy hooked his arms behind him, giving me the boost I needed to reach his shoulders, where I wobbled, teetering and almost tumbling over his head, until he grabbed my thighs and steadied me.

Axis floundered, trying to climb Ro, until he ducked low enough that Axis could just sit on his shoulders.

Like me, he almost tumbled off when Ro stood, but soon we were steady.

Daddy Mack waded towards them with me on his shoulders, but when I tried to shove at Axis, he just played patty cake with me until I was laughing so hard, he easily shoved me off and sent me splashing into the water behind Daddy.

“Round one goes to Firefly!” Daddy declared.

“No more patty cake!” I declared as I came up sputtering.

“Ready to try again?” Daddy asked once I was back on his shoulders again.

“Let’s get them!” I squealed. “Charge, Daddy.”

I went into battle more prepared this time, tangling up with Axis as we tried to wrestle for leverage, giggling and squirming. I felt him start to slip, but the big meanie wouldn’t let go and pulled me off as he fell in.

“Round two is a tie!” Daddy declared.

“Woof, woof, rurrrrrrffffff,” Roman barked as we shook water all over him.

“Gonna get you this time!” I declared to a grinning Axis as Roman rose out of the water with Axis on his shoulders again.

Ro and Daddy Mack were almost the same height, which made the battle harder, until Axis wiggled and stuck out his foot, trying to reposition himself. Instead of shoving, I caught it and tickled him until he rocked and flailed and finally fell off Ro’s shoulders and back into the lake.

“And now it’s all tied up!” Daddy said as Axis popped up laughing.

“One more round, one more round!” I chanted as Ro woofed along with me, then ducked so Axis could climb back up.

“If no patty cake, then no tickles!” Axis declared, sticking his tongue out at me.

Roman backed up a little, forcing Daddy to wade in deeper, bobbing a little as he found his footing. When we were close enough, Axis and I tried our best to dislodge the other, squealing and shoving, rocking, wiggling, and laughing until we both fell in again.

“Still tied,” Daddy said, sticking a finger in his ear and making a funny face as he wiggled it around, trying to get the water out.

“Again! Again!” I declared.

“I don’t know, Sparkle Butt, you two might be too evenly matched.”

“Again!” I demanded, already trying to climb up, so Daddy helped me.

Up I went and down I tumbled, but Axis fell too, so we were still tied, and tied we would stay, after four more tries, until Daddy waved the white flag and declared us the winners and himself too tired for another round.

“Are you too tired for sharks and minnows?” Axis asked.

“I think I can manage that,” Daddy declared.

“Yay! You’re the shark!” Axis declared.

“Should have seen that coming,” Daddy muttered, chuckling as we backed away from him.

Then he let out the biggest, fiercest roar and charged after us, forcing us to scatter to avoid getting caught.

Squealing, I dove under when Daddy Mack got close to me and swam until I saw spotted swim shorts and hid behind Ro just as he got caught.

He spun around, roaring, with his arms opening and closing like he was trying to chomp on me.

When I dove again, I ran right into Axis, bumping heads and coming up rubbing them.

Ro was chasing Daddy, so I grabbed Axis’ hand, and we backed away so we could maybe see them coming if they headed our way.

Axis wrapped his arms around me and laid his head on my shoulder, clinging as we watched Daddy Mack evade Roman several times before Ro finally caught him and then dove, swimming straight for us.

“Torpedo puppy,” I declared as we jumped apart, evading him and Daddy.

Round and round we went. Under the water, whirling and frantically searching every time we popped up, trying to keep to our own little section of the ball pit so we didn’t interrupt the others’ games.

I went under and swam as far as I could while holding my breath.

When I broke the surface, I was well away from the three of them as Daddy advanced on Axis, who ducked under and vanished.

Daddy Mack whirled around, looking. Ro barked, dogpaddling away from Daddy, who was still looking around, confused, when Axis popped up right in front of me.

“I swam through Daddy’s legs,” Axis declared, looking rather pleased with himself.

Until Daddy spotted us, roared, and took off after us again. I was so tired by the time he caught me that I leapt into his arms, laid my head on his shoulder, and blinked dripping lashes at him.

“I surrender, Daddy,” I declared. “I tired.”

“Me too, Sparkle Butt,” Daddy said as he turned and carried me towards the shore. “How about we find a snack and maybe take a little nap while we wait for them to finish tiring themselves out?”

“Gonna take a long time, Daddy,” I declared as we neared the shore.

“No worries, Sparkle Butt, we’ve got all the time in the world.”