“Are you awake, Morgan?” DeeDee whispered.
“No,” she mumbled.
“Maybe you could text me sometimes, and not just Alex.”
“Sure, now let me sleep.”
“Okay, but just so you know, Grandma is up and she’s making chocolate-chip pancakes for breakfast.”
Mmm. Morgan practically drooled. The last time she and Dad had gone camping, he’d made oatmeal every morning that tasted worse than glue.
“DeeDee?” she said.
“Yeah.”
“Wake me up when the pancakes are ready, okay?”
“Uh-huh.”
Morgan bunched her pillow up and shoved it harder under her cheek. DeeDee was a pest at times, but it was almost as if she was becoming Morgan’s little sister, too. That was cool.
And after all, it wasn’t Alex’s fault that her father had finally gotten the son he wanted. He probably would have been happier if she’d been a boy; he’d even given her a boy’s name. Not that she disliked being called Morgan, but it reminded her that she was a disappointment in almost every way.
CHAPTER TEN
KAYLA FELT AN odd regret as they broke camp—in a way, she was sorry they were leaving.
The ten days they’d spent in the national park had been a mixed bag of fun and stress, particularly after Jackson’s kiss. Drat him anyway. He’d reminded her body of needs that went beyond food and sleep. Since then she had remained determinedly casual toward him, hoping no one would realize something had happened.
Yet other aspects of the trip had been wonderful.
Yellowstone was spectacular, and sharing it with her kids and grandparents had made it even more special. Meals and activities had held a warmth that had been hard to find in the frantic pace of life in the city.
Once they’d packed everything and tidied the campsite, Kayla automatically climbed into the Suburban, knowing Alex, DeeDee and Morgan wanted to ride in the RV again. At least the trip home wouldn’t take as long since they wouldn’t be sightseeing along the way. Well, probably. A ghost of a smile lifted her mouth... Her grandparents knew every historical marker, local museum and viewpoint in Montana and Wyoming, and wanted to share all of them with their great-grandchildren.
Jackson got into the Chevy and gripped the steering wheel so tight the skin went white over his knuckles. “It isn’t enough to have a daughter who avoids my company,” he muttered. “Now I have a son who feels the same way.”
Your ex-girlfriend isn’t crazy about riding with you, either, Kayla restrained herself from saying.
With a scowl on his face, Jackson started the SUV and followed the Garrisons out of the campground.
“Hey, they’re kids,” Kayla said finally. “They’ve got a table and games in the RV, along with a built-in Blu-ray player and television. Nobody could compete with that.”
“I suppose, but we went on this trip and nothing got better with either one of them,” he grumbled.
Kayla frowned. “Are you giving up?”
“Hell, no. I’d never give up on my kids.”
“Okay, then. Don’t talk as if Yellowstone was a failure. Alex has had ten days to get more familiar with you. As for Morgan, the way she looks at you sometimes, when you’re not watching... It’s as if she wants something, and is sad or scared, though I don’t know what—”
“I’ve never hit her,” he broke in, sounding horrified. “I wouldn’t dream of hurting my daughter.”
“Not that,” Kayla quickly assured. “It’s more as if she’s uncertain. I’ve wondered if... I mean, she’s gone from being an only child to suddenly having a sibling her own age. That’s quite an adjustment.”
“If her behavior started with finding out about Alex, then that might be the reason. But this has been going on for over a year. Has she said anything that might explain why she’s acting out?”
Kayla could tell how much Jackson hated asking. It was clear he desperately loved his daughter, and equally clear he didn’t have a clue what was going on with her.
It had been a surprise when Morgan had asked if they could go running together, but Kayla hadn’t minded. The teen turned out to be eager and cheerful so long as they were alone together. When she was near her father, however, she seemed both angry and sad. In fact, Kayla had gotten the impression that Morgan felt as if she was a nuisance.
“It’s obvious you love Morgan,” Kayla said cautiously, “but I get the strangest sense that she feels unwanted. Has she ever—”
“Are you insane?” Jackson burst out indignantly. “My daughter knows how much I love her. You just said it was obvious.”