The Summer of Us

by Moreland, Melanie

  “I know. Our names are still there.”

  “You’ll have to show me.”

  “Later,” he promised.

  I waved at the tent. “You did this?”

  He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. “I have a lot of plans I want to show you, Sunny. Lots of things I want to discuss I hope you’ll be a part of.”

  “Including your plans for this area?”

  He smiled. “I finally figured out what belonged here. Gerry and Cindy are onboard with it—in fact, they’re quite excited.” He tugged on my hand. “Come and have dinner, and later I’ll tell you all about it.”

  Inside the tent was a table, set for two, complete with flowers and candles. A small serving area was off to the side. An ice bucket holding champagne was waiting. A bottle of my favorite red wine open on the table. Tiny twinkle lights were strung from the ceiling of the tent, soft music played, and the entire tent felt dreamy and special. At the back of the tent was a longer table. It held two large white boxes covering some secrets I assumed Linc would share after dinner. He had thought of everything to make this romantic and cozy.

  In one corner were thick blankets piled with pillows. I met Linc’s eyes, mischief dancing in them, making them sparkle under the lights.

  “Pretty sure of yourself, Mr. Webber.”

  He wrapped a hand around my waist, pulling me close. “Pretty sure of you, Sunny. Don’t think I didn’t notice the girls on display earlier.” He brushed a kiss to my ear. “Your fucking tits always turn me on. You know that, you naughty girl.”

  I tried to wrap my arms around his neck, but he stepped back with a shake of his head. “I have tonight all planned, Sunny. Your overwhelming lust for me is not waylaying them.”

  Then he stepped to the table and pulled out my chair. I didn’t fail to notice the bulge in his dress pants or the low groan he made as I pressed myself against him before sitting. He sat across from me, pouring my wine. He lifted an eyebrow in warning, his eyes narrowing. “Behave.”

  I picked up my wine and sat forward, my dress dipping a little lower. I smiled innocently at him. “Of course.”

  * * *

  Linc

  She was trying to kill me. I had the entire evening planned out. Showing her my new office, bringing her here, unveiling my plans for the future—our future. I had visions of romance and laughter. Gentle teasing and great joy. And celebration.

  I hadn’t banked on that dress.

  That pretty, lacy garment of torture. The colors swirled around her as she moved, the light, diaphanous fabric hinting at the curves it covered. It would have been fine except for those goddamn bows. Tempting little curls of fabric that teased, begging to be pulled open—with my teeth. My body ached knowing that, with one tug, the dress would fall from Sunny’s body and she would be naked and stunning. Her full, perfect breasts on display for my eyes only. My cock was hard, pressing against my zipper, hoping I would give in and adjust my plans. Use the blanket and pillows now. Not later.

  Breasts—particularly Sunny’s breasts—had always been my downfall. When I was a teenager, they were endlessly on my mind, playing out in every fantasy I ever had. As an adult, I was still fascinated by them, but none affected me the way Sunny’s did. Seeing her in a baggy shirt, one shoulder bare, knowing there was nothing between the fabric and her breasts, stirred something within me. When she was dressed and busy in the bakery, I thought of the pretty scraps of lace cupping her underneath her apron, wishing it were my hands instead.

  And tonight. Nothing but that dress. Two bows and Sunny’s knowing smile as she leaned forward, her full breasts—her amazing, round, full tits—swaying as she did, pressing against the pretty garment, pulling the front down little lower, teasing me without regard.

  I shook my head. I was a full-grown adult. A savvy businessman who made millions with a single deal, commanded boardrooms, planned out this evening in meticulous detail.

  I would not be sidetracked by a pair of breasts. No matter how spectacular they were.

  I narrowed my eyes at her in warning. “Behave.”

  She bowed her head, leaning back, pretending to be innocent. Little minx knew exactly what she was doing to me.

  I tapped out a message on my phone, and a waiter appeared. He made quick work of serving our dinner, then leaving. Luckily, Sunny was hungry, so she settled in to eat her meal.

  “This smells amazing.”

  I lifted my glass in a toast. “To us,” I stated simply.

  She touched her glass to mine. “Us,” she repeated.

  We relaxed and ate, the filet cooked exactly the way she liked it, her favorite vegetable, asparagus with béarnaise sauce, still crisp and fresh. She exclaimed over the tiny potatoes, the ragout of root vegetables I thought she would enjoy, and finished everything on her plate. I loved knowing I had fed her, taken care of her needs. I planned to take care of every single one—tonight and for the rest of her life.

  The waiter reappeared, removed our plates, and slid a tray on the table. “Dessert and coffee.”

  “Thank you.”

  He left, and a few moments later I heard the van leave. They would return much later to clear away the last of the dishes and take down the tent. They had been well paid to handle every detail.

  “I think I’m too full.” Sunny frowned.

  I waved away her worries. “No problem. We can have it later.” I felt the stirrings of anxiety building in my stomach as I stood. “I have some things to show you.”

  She let me take her hand, guiding her to the back of the tent. I switched on a light they’d set up and indicated the smaller of the two white boxes. “Open this one, Sunny.”

  She lifted the cover, gasping at what she saw. “Linc, is this…”

  “Yes. The concept model for the Amanda Webber Community Center. We break ground next week.”

  She dropped the lid to the side, throwing her arms around my neck. She hugged me close. “Oh, Linc, this is wonderful! Show me.”

  I explained the outlay. “The main floor has an open area where kids can hang out. A kitchen area where kids can be taught how to cook or, if needed, be given a meal. Learning rooms—free tutoring, computers, that sort of thing. I added an art studio. There will be counseling available. Someone to talk to if they need it.”

  She squeezed my arm. “Linc, love, that is amazing.”

  I blinked. Sunny had never called me a pet name before. I rather liked it. I squeezed her hand back. “Upstairs is all library. It will hold three times the number of books the one in town does. The place is open to everyone, Sunny. Anyone who wants to walk in the doors is welcome.”

  I paused, looking at the concept model. “I was going to add a pool, but I was advised against it. So I’m donating the funds to enlarge and upgrade the one in town, and I’m adding a second one at The Sunny Place.”

  “Wow. So you, ah, have enough…” She let the words trail off.

  “Remember I told you I tripled the estate?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m good at finance, Sunny. I keep his money away from mine. I never touch it. It will pay for this and fund it for decades the way it is structured.”

  “Wow.”

  I tilted up her face and kissed her. “Yeah. Wow.”

  She indicated the table. “I am so excited for the town, and for you. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

  I ran my finger down her cheek, my heart racing in my chest. “I have more to share.”

  She bit her lip, picking up on my nervousness. “What next, I wonder?” she quipped, but the tremor in her voice gave her away.

  I walked behind the table, placing my hands on the lid. “The future,” I said. “Our future.”

  26

  Sunny

  Something in Linc’s posture made me tense. An underlying hint of nerves in his usually calm voice set me on edge. But I wasn’t prepared for what he revealed as he lifted the cover on the larger of the two boxes. I was prepared for a concept model. But n
ot this.

  It was a house. Even as a model, it took my breath away. Shaped like a U with a courtyard in front and a large secluded backyard, it was spectacular.

  For a moment, I was stunned and silent. I couldn’t move, Linc’s words playing and replaying in my head.

  “Our future.”

  I blinked. This was the house he wanted to build for us? A home for us to share? I tore my gaze from the model to meet his eyes. His warm, filled-with-love eyes that assured me what I was thinking was exactly what he meant.

  “For us?” I questioned.

  He set down the lid and leaned on the table. “For you,” he replied.

  I blinked at the moisture gathering in my eyes. “I-I don’t know what to say.”

  “Let me show it to you.”

  “Okay,” I sniffed.

  He hurried around the table and pulled me into his arms. “If you hate it, I can change it all. I promise.”

  I shook my head. “I already love it. I’m just overwhelmed and confused.”

  He winked. “Let me help.”

  He bent over and carefully lifted off the roof. Unlike the community center, this model was fully developed inside.

  “This side of the house—” he indicated the left “—is bedrooms. Our master suite, and two others. The right side has two more guest rooms or extra kid rooms and a home office for me. The center of the house has a kitchen on one side, and a huge family slash dining room on the other.”

  “All one floor?”

  “Yes. All the front-facing rooms will have huge windows to let in the view and the light. In the front courtyard, there will be a deck with lots of seating. The backyard off the kitchen will be fenced in and private with lots of room for the kids to run around. Sliding doors that open fully on the back and front to let the breeze blow through. A pool and maybe a hot tub out back.”

  “Kids?”

  He grinned. “Until we have them, I’ll chase you. Naked.”

  I giggled at the image.

  “There’s a large laundry room on our side, and a smaller one on the other side for the guests.” He winked. “They can do their own damn laundry.”

  “Or as the kids get older and move across the house, they can do it themselves,” I stated wryly, getting into the spirit.

  “Yes,” he laughed. “Perfect.”

  “Where will you build it?”

  He touched my nose. “Right here.”

  I gasped. “Here?”

  He smiled, stroking my hair, letting a curl wrap around his finger.

  “This place holds the memories that got me through those years away from you, Sunny. It was the happiest I had ever been after my mom died. It’s special to me. It was the summer of us—and now I want it to be our future.”

  “You’d really build here?”

  “Right here. This would be your view for the next several decades. Favorite trees and all. The house has been designed around them.”

  “You-you’d be okay with that? So close to Mission Cove?”

  He sighed. “I don’t mind being close to Mission Cove, I simply don’t want to live in it. I figured it was a compromise. I wouldn’t be right there all the time, but it’s only a six-or seven-minute drive to the bakery for you.”

  “You don’t mind it, then? That I still would want to work?”

  He gaped at me. “I don’t want to own you, Sunny. I want you to be your own person. I know what the bakery means to you. I support you one hundred percent. But one day, if you decided not to work, to sell the bakery or keep it and let someone else run it, great. Whatever you want to do. As long as you do it with me beside you.”

  I looked at the beautiful gift he was offering me. A life with him in this gorgeous house he had helped design. I could see how much care had gone into the details and how much this meant to him.

  A memory stirred. My younger self, staring at Linc, knowing deep in my heart that we were meant to be. That the boy I loved would be the man I grew old with. I had thought that dream was gone, but it was real and it was right in front of me. I wasn’t letting it go this time.

  “I love it,” I told him. “I don’t want to change a thing about it.”

  His eyes lit up. “Yeah?”

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  He hesitated. “I have two more things to show you, Sunny.”

  “I’m not sure how much more I can take.”

  “These are much smaller. But important.” He tapped another building adjacent to the house. “This is the garage.” He lifted off the roof, revealing two small model cars. He lifted out the charcoal-gray Mercedes. “This is mine.”

  I chuckled, the sound dying in my throat as I saw the vehicle left in the model garage. A bright copper-colored SUV. One I had seen very recently—right outside this tent. He lifted it up, holding it out to me on his palm. “Yours.”

  I blinked. Looked at him. Turned my head in the direction I knew the SUV was sitting right now. Blinked again.

  Was he serious?

  He took my hand, leading me outside. Under the moonlight, the vehicle glowed, the sparkle in the paint bright. Linc opened the door, and I slid behind the wheel, shocked into silence. I ran my hand along the leather of the steering wheel. Touched the smooth dashboard. I had never owned a new car before. I drove Uncle Pete’s car in Nova Scotia and all the way here. When it died, I went back to walking. The van I utilized for the bakery was old and used, but it was all I could afford.

  This one was so pretty.

  “Put your foot on the brake and press the start button.”

  The engine roared to life, the dashboard lighting up, buttons and knobs appearing in the dimness of the interior.

  “My own little truck.”

  Linc chuckled. “SUV.”

  “Linc,” I whispered. “I can’t take this all in. I don’t know what to say.”

  “It’s all yours, Sunny. All of it. The house, the SUV, my heart, and my love. The only word you have to say is yes.”

  I glanced toward him, wondering why his voice had changed. As if he had moved.

  He had.

  He was on one knee, holding up a tiny square package. “One last box to open tonight,” he said. “One last surprise.”

  Tears sprang to my eyes. He warned me he’d be doing this big. I’d had no idea how big.

  “Marry me, Sunny. Live with me here and make a lifetime of memories with me. Give me what I want more than anything in the world. The right to call you mine. Please.”

  There was no hesitation. Without a thought, I flung myself from the little truck and into his arms. We fell back onto the damp earth, landing with a dull thump as I knocked the breath out of him, pressing hundreds of kisses to his face.

  “Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, Linc.”

  He laughed into the open sky, wrapping his arms around me. He let me prattle on, probably because he was too shocked, or perhaps winded, to move.

  Then he kissed me.

  * * *

  Linc

  I lay on the soft, damp earth, my arms around Sunny. She babbled, laughing and crying at the same time over her pretty little truck, getting married, the house. All of it. I finally caught my breath, not having anticipated the lunge, and lifted her still-talking-mouth to mine and kissed her.

  That shut her up.

  I managed to get to my feet, still holding her, our mouths locked together. Blindly, I reached inside the vehicle and pressed the ignition, shutting off the SUV. I strode to the tent, setting her on her feet, and pulled away. She growled in frustration, reaching out for me, but I grabbed her hands, kissing them. “No, Sunny.” I shook my head in amusement. “You haven’t even looked at your ring.”

  “Oh. I love it. And I said yes, so back to kissing, please.” She rose up on her toes, looking hopeful.

  I chuckled, gently eased her back to her feet, and took the box from her hand. Only my Sunny wouldn’t give a fig about the ring in the box. Most women wouldn’t even agree to getting married until they checked out the stone.
I was pretty damn certain she was going to be pleased. I opened the lid and let her see the ring.

  Her eyes widened as she stared at the cushion cut diamond, surrounded by two rows of tinier diamonds set in platinum. It twinkled and flashed white under the lights, reflecting all around the tent in its brilliance. Her hand flew to her mouth, tapping her lip in worry. “I can’t wear that in the bakery.”

  “Not while you’re baking, no. But you can the rest of the time.” I pulled the ring from its cushion and took her hand. “May I?”

  She nodded in silence, and I slipped on the ring, kissing her hand when I was done. “Perfect.”

  She twisted her hand side to side, studying it. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “So are you.”

  She bit her lip in worry.

  “I have something that will make you feel better.” From my pocket, I drew a set of thick platinum bands. Hers was so tiny it nestled within mine until I lifted it away. I liked the fact that my ring encircled hers. The way my love would encircle her from now on. “I want to see this with your ring, Sunny. I want you to promise once I put it on your finger, you’ll never take it off. I know you have to remove the diamond for work, but not this one. Promise me.”

  “I promise.”

  “And I want to see it on your finger, soon.”

  She swallowed. “How soon?”

  “I spoke with Hayley and Emily. They’re both good to fly in next week.”

  “Next week?” she squeaked.

  “The company that made our dinner is prepared to do it all over again for us—except on a slightly larger scale.”

  “How many?”

  I shrugged. “That’s up to you, Sunny. I only need you to be there. Gerry and Cindy, of course. Abby, Ned, and their plus ones. Whoever you want. The point is, if you’re willing, then we can be married fast.” I grinned at her. “I was patient and waited a month so this could all be in place. My patience is gone. I want to marry you.”

  “Here?”

  “Yes. A larger tent, some tables. We can get married under your trees. I’ll carve our names and dates in again.”