Page 27 of Camping with the Boss (Pride Camp 2025 #9)

Why didn’t I think of this earlier? Maybe I can stay in the bigger room with Ander and Jared. There are plenty of bunk beds. I go into the room I’ve shared with Wade to get my stuff. I’m stuffing my clothes in the bag when he walks in.

“Can…”

I shake my head. I’m not ready to talk to him.

“Listen, I can sleep somewhere else.”

“No. It’s fine. I’ll stay in the other room with Jared and Ander.”

He nods with a sad look in his eyes.

But when I open the door to the bigger room, Jared and Ander jump apart and Ander turns to face away from me.

“Hey, Can,” Jared says, darting a glance at Ander. “What’s up?” Then his eyes widen and his gaze goes to the wall that separates the two rooms.

“I… Nothing.” My smile feels forced, but it’s all I’ve got.

“Are you sure? We can?—”

I don’t let Jared finish. “Positive. All good.”

Shutting the door behind me, I examine the couch in the shared living area. It doesn’t look inviting, but I don’t want Jared and Ander trying to convince me to stay in the room with them. They clearly want to be alone. Good for them. At least someone is happy.

Come on, Canyon. You’ve been through harder things. Surgery. The loss of your parents . But right now, this is fresh. New. Raw. It feels too hard. I press my palms into my eyes, trying to regain control. I can do this. Sleep in the same room with Wade.

I walk back into the room confidently. Yes, I’m faking it. Wade jerks up. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah. But it looks like this is the best option.”

“What about Jared and Ander?”

“I’m tired. I just want to go to sleep.”

Wade stands and starts to gather his stuff. He’s wearing a worn shirt and sleep shorts. Is that for my benefit? Probably. He’s been sleeping in just his underwear.

“No. Don’t—” I grab his arm, and the sparks make me immediately release him. Why is this so hard?

“I can find somewhere else. I don’t want to make this harder for you.”

“It’s fine. I’ll take the top.” My eyes flash to his. “Top bunk, I mean. You can keep the bottom.” My face feels hot as I wait for him to respond.

He studies me, and it’s the first time he’s really looked at me since this morning. “Are you sure?”

I smile. And it almost feels real. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

Once we’re both in bed, I can’t sleep. This is so messed up. I’m so tense that I feel like I might pop at any moment.

“Can? About Tim…”

“No. I don’t want to talk about him. Besides, you have your NDA.”

“Possibly. But…” He sighs. “I don’t date often. And when I do, there’s usually an NDA involved. I mostly have hookups. Now and then. It’s so no one can take advantage of me or the company.”

“I would never do that.”

He shuffles on the bed. “I know. I never thought that.”

“I just wanted you to know that. Go on.” I press my ear to the mattress as if that makes me closer to him.

“The thing I like—you know?—”

“You’re bossy tendencies?”

He laughs. “That’s a nice way to put it. I can’t have someone selling my story for cash.”

“Is that what Tim did?”

“No. Although I’m surprised. The NDA came after the lawsuit.

” His breathing changes. It’s more ragged.

Faster. “He caught me at a low point. I— God, I felt so alone.” He swallows loudly.

“I didn’t recognize him. The company is big.

He was flirty and friendly.” He laughs again, but it sounds harsh this time.

“He poured it on. He told me his sad story. I was polite. But I didn’t encourage him.

And then I told him to fuck off, and he said?—”

He gets quiet. More rustling.

“What did he say, Wade?”

“He said, ‘Yes, Daddy. Tell me what to do.’” He laughs, and it’s full of shame and guilt. “And so, I did.”

“Wade,” I say in a soft voice. I want to comfort him, but I can’t. “How did he know?”

“I have this Daddy vibe or something.”

“I’m aware.” My voice is warm, and I can’t help that.

The sounds of rain and thunder infiltrate the room. Outside the window, the skies are clear.

“Jared has a sound machine.”

“I don’t even want to know what they’re doing.” I listen to the sounds of a storm coming from the other room. “When did you realize he was your employee?”

“A few months later. George asked me to sit in with him on a meeting with an employee he was struggling with. It was Tim. I thought he was going to announce it then and there, but he didn’t. Not long after that, I started getting notes slipped into my desk. He was blackmailing me.”

“What did he want? Money?”

“His job problems to go away. He got fired. I asked Ander to handle it. So I wasn’t involved. Then, six months later, he’s suing for discrimination, which is ridiculous. But George somehow lost the documentation.” He pauses just long enough for my brain to spiral.

George. Is that why Ander and Jared were talking to him? Or was that something else?

“I’m so sorry, Can. The thing we have—had is completely different. Please believe me.” The anguish in his voice almost breaks me.

I force myself to say the words I don’t want to say. “I believe you.”

“Thank God.”

“But—it doesn’t change anything. We can’t be together. I won’t be the reason you lose your company.”