“What did he want this time?” Elizabeth asked.
“He suggested a camping trip to Yellowstone, thinking it would be a good place to get to know Alex.”
Grams looked disappointed. “We were hoping for more time to visit.”
“You and Granddad are invited, too.”
“Oh.” Elizabeth’s eyes cleared. “That would be fun, and we enjoy camping. I’ll talk to your grandfather, but I’m sure he’ll want to go.”
“Good, and I’ll see if Alex is interested.”
Her grandmother leaned forward. “How do you feel about seeing Jackson so much?”
Kayla thought about the question as she sipped her iced tea. “It’s awkward after all these years, but I can handle it. And compared to some things, this isn’t so difficult.”
Elizabeth squeezed her hand. “If the trip works out, shouldn’t we plan ahead for DeeDee’s birthday?”
“Yes. It could land in the middle of the trip.”
“Then, let’s go shopping.”
The shopping went well, except that Kayla had to restrain Grams from being too extravagant. For her own gift, Kayla found the telescope she knew DeeDee had been wanting. She also bought clothing for herself and the kids to supplement the small supply they’d brought to Montana.
“Don’t they insist on choosing their own?” Elizabeth asked.
“For school things they do, but this is leisure gear and pretty standard,” Kayla told her. “I can return anything they don’t like when we come down to get shoes for hiking.”
After they finished, Kayla helped her grandmother fix dinner. The others were back by five, and she took her son aside for a talk; his expression grew guarded as soon as he sat down.
“What does he want now?” Alex demanded.
“It’s very simple. Jackson suggested a camping trip to Yellowstone, all of us together, including Grams and Granddad. That way you can get to know him and Morgan, but still have the rest of us around as backup. What do you think?”
“I don’t know.”
His face was still reserved and she tried to project enthusiasm. “Hey, it could be a lot of fun, and you’ve been bugging me to see Yellowstone.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t be a sap,” DeeDee advised from outside the family room door. “This is our chance to go!”
“DeeDee, what have I told you about respecting private conversations?” Kayla scolded, reminded of Jackson’s snide comment about teaching kids not to eavesdrop.
“It was an accident,” DeeDee protested. “I was going to wash my hands for dinner and the door was open.”
“It’s okay,” Alex said. “She’d be coming, too.”
DeeDee marched inside and dropped into a chair. “Cool. How long would we stay?”
“We haven’t decided,” Kayla explained. “I needed to check with Alex before we made plans.”
“Don’t I get a say?” DeeDee asked.
“Not this time, and don’t act offended. Your brother has to decide for himself.”
“Okay, okay. How would we get there?”
“The five of us would probably go in Grams and Granddad’s RV.”
Alex relaxed at the reassurance. It was understandable. The forced intimacy of a long drive together could be overwhelming.
“If I...if we didn’t like being there with him, could we leave?” he queried.
“That’s a possibility. But remember, you don’t bail out at the first bump in the road. I’d want you to try to make it work.”
Kayla hoped she was saying the right things. Now that everything was out in the open, she believed it was best for Alex to get to know Jackson. There probably would be uncomfortable moments, but she didn’t want her kids to be easy quitters. She was still worried about Jackson being a bad influence, but it might also be an opportunity to point out inappropriate male attitudes.
Alex bent over and retied his shoelaces, hiding his face. “Would we have to spend all our time together?”
“What do you mean?”
“Um, could me and DeeDee do things on our own, or with you and Grandma and Grandpa? Or does it have to always be with them?”
Kayla wasn’t sure what Jackson had in mind, but she’d never force Alex into nonstop contact with someone he was reluctant to see in the first place.
“No. You don’t have to spend every minute with the McGregors,” she promised. “But Jackson will want to do some things with you, and of course we’d all eat together.”
With so many questions, Kayla would definitely have to meet with Jackson again to work out the details.
“Just think about it,” Kayla suggested, not wanting him to feel rushed into a decision. “Let me know in the morning if you have more questions and I’ll talk with Jackson to figure it all out.”