Embracing Today, a firefighter romance: (The Trading Yesterday Series, #3), Kahlen Aymes [essential reading txt] 📗

“I will, Uncle Ben.” Dylan sat down beside me and leaned forward so his marshmallows were hovering over the fire. I’d made the sticks long enough that their little hands would be far away to protect them, but I was still watching closely.

I helped Remi get her stick loaded and then watched as she took a seat next to Marin as she carefully held her marshmallow over the fire.

“Like this, Uncle Ben?” she asked, bright eyed. I nodded.

“Can we have s’mores every night, Marin? Can I call you Aunt Marin? Jace calls my mom aunt, even though she’s not really his aunt,” Dylan said.

“It’s Auntie Marin, Dylan. And I call Uncle Ben, Uncle Ben even though he’s just Dylan’s uncle. I love him like my uncle, so he says it’s okay,” Remi corrected.

She rambled on and my lips pressed together as a closed-mouthed smile split my face. I met Marin’s eyes as she put an arm around Remi and squeezed her shoulders, pulling her closer. She bit her lip, then beamed.

“That’s perfect, actually. I’m an only child so I won’t get to have any nieces or nephews of my own, so I’d love to think of you three as such. I’d love it if you’d call me Auntie Marin.”

Boom! And just like that, Marin was one of the family. A short laugh broke from my chest.

Dylan got up and walked over to Marin. “‘Cept, I’ll call you Aunt Marin, since I’m a guy, and all. Kay?”

She laughed at the seriousness of my eight-year-old nephew. “Of course, I understand completely.”

“Sorry, Marin,” Missy said. “They get a little carried away.”

“Not at all. I think they are incredible,” Marin replied.

Teagan yawned. “Awwwww! If you don’t mind, I’ll head to bed as soon as Jace has his dessert. This little guy needs to sleep almost as much as his mama.”

“Would you like a s’more, Teagan? I can make it,” Marin offered. “I can do two like Dylan.”

Teagan nodded. “Sure, thank you.”

“I want s’more!” Jace demanded.

“You’re getting one, Jace,” Remi said. “Jeeze.”

The rest of the evening wound down and Marin took Missy, Teagan and little Jace into the house to get settled, though Jace was upset he couldn’t stay in the tent with us and cried all the way in as Teagan assured him that he could the following night when his daddy was at the ranch.

“What do we sleep in, Uncle Ben?” Dylan asked.

“Well, if we were out in the wilderness, we’d probably stay dressed, but you can put on your pajamas or sweatpants. Did you bring some?”

“I only have Jeans and leggings, but Mommy made me bring old ones.”

“Leggings work, kiddo. Hurry in and change while I fill the canteen and lay out the sleeping bags. Brush your teeth.”

“We will, Uncle Ben! Thank you for inviting us!” Remi came up and threw her arms around my waist and hugged me hard.

My hand settled on her little back and I patted her gently. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Remi had been through so much and even though I didn’t know her when she had cancer, my heart still seized up knowing such a little child had to go through something so awful. Looking at her now, you’d never know she went through two rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. She was a vibrant and healthy child.

“I wish we lived closer,” Dylan said sadly. “You’re so lucky to live here.”

“Every place has its good qualities. You can go swimming in the ocean where you live.”

“So? The ocean all looks the same. I love the mountains. They’re all different.”

“Well, what about all of those soccer friends and the fun you have with Chase and your dad? Jensen and your mom wouldn’t be able to get you all that cool sports gear I’m always hearing about if they didn’t work at ESPN.”

Dylan shrugged. “I guess.”

“You guess? I’d love all that stuff!” I could see my nephew was still not convinced. “Listen, we have all week to play cowboy, and when we get in the tent, we can make plans for the week. Okay?”

“Yay! Come on, Gemmy,” Remi called happily to the puppy and they both hurried toward the house.

Dylan stayed behind as I gathered the canteens and made my way toward the water spigot. He watched me fill the first one, then unscrewed the plastic lid off of the second one and held it under the water stream when I was finished. He struggled holding it steady with his smaller hands and the lid, attached by a short chain got caught up in it, and the water splashed everywhere.

I shut the water off when it was finally filled. “It’s so cool on your ranch! You have your own campground water spigot, and everything!”

“It’s Marin’s ranch, sport.” I reached out and ruffled his head. “Maybe next summer you can come spend more time with me and we can ask some of your friends from Billings to join for a week or so. Would you like that?”

“Oh, boy! Would I! Thanks, Uncle Ben!” His face lit up in a huge smile.

“Well, let’s not get our cart before the horse. We have to clear it with your folks, first.”

“They’ll say yes! I know it!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle as Dylan followed me back to the fire and I dumped the contents of the canteen in my hands over the now smoldering coals; the remnants of the campfire. “Go ahead and pour yours on there, too, but do it slowly so sparks don’t start flying around. Then we need to poke around the embers with a stick and make sure all of the orange glow is out.”

He did exactly as he’d seen me do and after another trip to fill the canteens again, the embers were out. We refilled them and stashed them in one corner of the tent. “I’ll unroll the sleeping bags and you go get ready then come back out here with Remi, Gem and