Chapter 21

The next morning was beautiful. I had to stop and think about it to realize that it was Sunday. I also realized that if Tami's original schedule was holding, we only had four more days before we had to go back to the real world.

Maybe we could head north. Just keep going and going. Find a spot in the Northwest Territories, build a cabin, and live happily ever after. No more school. No more Parker. No worrying about college and life after. Just Tami and me, and Robbie makes three. Of course Darlene, Mikee, and Kelly make four, five and six. Traci we could use for bear bait. I'd been planing to bury her in the woods anyway, though at the moment I didn't remember why.

The girls started stumbling out around nine. I'd already been up three hours, run four miles, had a shower and cooked my breakfast—one of our neighbors caught more fish than he needed. I don't fish myself, but I was happy to take four big trout off his hands.

Robbie was first. She made a smart-ass comment about me being too happy this early in the morning and stumbled toward the restroom. Darlene was next. She just glared as she passed. Kelly and Traci never opened their eyes but somehow made it down the trail. Tami's was the only smiling face I saw pre-bathroom. I take personal credit for it, putting it down to enthusiastic exercise before sleep and a safe secure feeling during.

By the time the girls started coming back I had breakfast ready: trout, eggs, and hashbrowns. Darlene made a face at the trout, but I noticed it was all gone when she brought back her plate.

It was almost eleven before we'd packed up and hit the road. I drove from Cheyenne to Casper, where we hit an Outback for lunch. Robbie took over for the drive to Sheridan, then Mikee took the last leg. We were staying at the Prune Creek Campground in the Big Horn National Forest, about an hour from Sheridan.

An hour later I was sitting by the firepit—we didn't have a fire going because it was too hot—a cold Coke in one hand and the other arm around Mikee as she wiggled in my lap. The tents were up, the gear unpacked, and all was right with the world.

"Hitting on freshmen now?" a voice said over my shoulder.

"I'm a sophomore," Mikee said automatically before looking up. I saw the shock on her face.

I twisted around and looked, then stood, dumping Mikee on the ground. "What the hell are you doing here?" I almost shouted. I reached down and helped Mikee to her feet, mumbling an apology.

"She wanted someone to keep her company. Said her brother was boring." Chad Davis hooked his thumb back over his shoulder at the two siblings standing twenty feet back.

I laughed. "I'm guessing this has something to do with the mysterious calls and e-mails the future Mrs. Sims has been sending.

"We were sworn to secrecy," Sally said, stepping up next to Chad.

"She threatened to rent me to Robbie for a tackling dummy if I breathed a word," her brother Toby added.

I grinned, "Having been tackled by Monster Girl a couple of times, I understand your decision," I said with a grin. "Mikee, why don't you see if you can track down the rest of the group?" They'd gone for a walk a few minutes before. Mikee nodded, then jogged down the trail they'd left on. I stepped forward and shook hands with the two boys and hugged Sally.

We were sitting and talking about our summers when the girls came back. Mikee had evidently not told them, because they all looked surprised. There was a lot of hugging, and I made a mental note to remind Chad that my sister was only an eighth grader. And remind Trace that Chad was a senior.

The guys and I sat down, and Tami settled in my lap. Chad looked at us, then glanced at Mikee. I'm pretty sure that Robbie noticed the look, 'cause a second later she made herself at home on Toby's lap, not that he looked like he minded. Then Darlene settled on Chad.

Sally looked around. "I feel left out."

"Can't have that," Robbie and I said at the same time. Robbie got up, walked over, and sat in her lap.

"Not exactly what I had in mind," Sally said in surprise.

"Be that way," Robbie said huffily and returned to her brother.

I stretched my legs out in front of me and gave Tami a small push. She slid down to the ground. I looked at Sally. "Do you want me to go there, or you come over here?"

Sally looked surprised, though not as surprised as Tami. Then she giggled and moved over onto my lap.

"Well!" Tami said in a way that reminded me of Jack Benny on the old, old reruns. She stood and dusted herself of with exaggerated motions.

Traci and Kelly got up and hugged her. "We still love you."

We talked for about a half-an-hour while the girls played musical laps with Chad and Toby. I think the guys were in shock, and Sally, on my lap, could barely restrain herself from laughing.

Tami stood up. "Everybody ready to rehearse?"

"I thought we were Unrehearsed," Chad said, enjoying a lapful of Mikee.

Robbie, sitting next to him, laughed. "Ever see the movie Fame?"

He nodded.

"Remember the slave driving dance teacher?"

He nodded again, looking a little confused.

"Meet her cousin, Tami."

Tami grinned and took a bow.

I turned the van into a park and was surprised to see a half-dome stage like we played in Otter Park, though a lot older and not quite as big. Tami directed me to follow the road that circled the park, passing a playground with an ice cream stand that I decided was worth coming back to. Eventually we came back around to the stage.

"Ever feel like you've been set-up?" I asked Robbie, who was sitting behind me.

"Only when I hang out with your girlfriend."

Over the stage was a banner proclaiming a week of concerts in the park. Most of the groups I didn't recognize, but apparently Unrehearsed was playing on Sunday.

I glanced at Tami, but she was pointedly looking out the side window. We'd all been surprised when Tami suggested a drive before rehearsal, especially when Tami's directions took us all the way back to Sheridan and Kendrick Park.