Wes hit the next nail harder than he intended, sending it straight through the wood. “I’m sure you are,” he mumbled, Carmen’s warning echoing in his mind.

“So do you think we can do that soon? Register, I mean. Spaces are starting to fill up,” she said, looking hopeful.

He had to be honest with her. He couldn’t put it off any longer. He set the hammer on the roof and climbed down the ladder. “Hey, Rissa, can we talk for a second?”

“Sure. What’s up?” She didn’t look up from the brochure, and he bent in a crouched position and gently took it from her. “What’s wrong?” she asked, seeing his expression.

“Camp STEM isn’t happening this year,” he said. Like pulling off a Band-Aid. It was going to hurt, but better to do it quickly.

She frowned. “Dad, I promise you, just let me go for the two weeks, and then I’ll do whatever activity you want me to for the rest of summer vacation. And I’ll still go to Girl Guides camp.”

Of course she thought he wasn’t on board with it because it wasn’t something physical. “No, it’s—”

“Fine, I’ll join the fall soccer league, too, and I won’t complain about going to the games. Anything. Dad, please!” She folded her tiny hands in front of her body, and Wes’s heart shattered into a million pieces.

Saying no to her sucked the life out of him, but he wasn’t comfortable with letting her go. He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Rissa.” He had to tell her the real reason—otherwise she’d think he was punishing her for something. “The camp is just a little too far away.”

Her face fell, but she hid her disappointment quickly, seeing his. “Oh. Okay. That’s totally fine.”

It wasn’t fine. But he’d promised Kelly that he’d take care of their daughter, and she was only nine. She hadn’t been away from home like that before. Two weeks was a really long time. What if she was homesick or scared? What if she got sick? And the age group of the camp went all the way to eighteen. He didn’t like the idea of her at a sleepaway camp with older kids. Older boys in particular.

“There’s always next year.” She took the brochure from him, folded it, and put it into her backpack. Then she stood. “I’ll get out of your hair.”

Damn. “Hey, I’ll break for lunch soon, and we can have a picnic on the beach. The ice cream cart should be setting up down there soon.” Ice cream hardly made up for disappointing her, but there was nothing else he could do. He had to think about her well-being and safety…that didn’t always include the things she wanted.