by Elle Viviani
“I love it! Count me in. What about you, Summer?”
“Sure,” she says with a shrug. “Why not.”
Bryce nods approvingly. “Now what about the birthday boy?”
I glance over at Maddison as she pulls off her sundress, revealing a dark blue bikini underneath. She’s cute, hot even, but it’s Summer that I’m thinking about. What’s Summer in a bikini going to do to me?
“Nah.”
“Come on.”
“I’ll wait,” I say, ignoring the look Bryce is giving me.
“Suit yourself.” He grabs the girls’ hands and pulls them toward the surf. “Looks like it’s just us, ladies…”
Summer glances over her shoulder as she’s tugged away, giving a little shrug and a wave. I can tell she’s wondering what she’s gotten herself into. I smirk and wave back. What Bryce wants, Bryce gets, and what Bryce wants right now is getting Summer and me in the water together.
Not going to happen, pal. At least not while Summer’s in a tiny bikini.
“Hey…” I turn as a hand lands on my arm. “Happy birthday, Koa.”
I look down into a pair of bright green eyes—eyes I know a little too well. “Kimberly. I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“Of course I’d be here,” she says, tossing her rich, espresso-brown hair over her shoulder. “I’d never miss your birthday, Koa.”
“Well, thanks for coming,” I say, turning away from her. I’ve had enough dealings with Kimberly to know that if you give her an inch, she’ll take a mile.
“She tilts her head to the side and purses her lips into a sexy little pout. “You’re not happy to see me?”
“What gave you that idea?”
“You’re being cold,” she coos. I flinch as she traces the curve of my bicep with her fingertip. “We go way back, or have you forgotten New Year’s?”
Oh, I remember. In some stupid lapse of judgment, I let Kimberly be my date to this New Year’s Eve party. I remember kissing her after the ball dropped…and I also remember finding her locking lips with Mike McKarney ten minutes later.
“I remember. Everything,” I add.
Her pout falters. “Then you know I’ve been trying to reach you. To apologize.”
“And I would’ve thought you’d get the hint after no response.”
Her pout twists into a scowl. “It was one little mistake.”
Everything with Kimberly is a mistake. “Let’s agree to disagree on that point.”
“Fine,” she snaps. “You know what? I don’t even know why I bother.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re impossible, Koa.”
“I’m impossible?” I stare at her. “You’re joking.”
“I’ve given you plenty of chances,” she says, stabbing my chest with her finger, “but you’re always so standoffish. So rude. Well, I’m done with you.”
“Great,” I say with unconcealed relief.
She narrows her eyes. “You think you’re better than all of us, don’t you?”
“Excuse me?”
“You do. Well, enjoy being lonely, because you’re never going to find someone who can put up with you and your cold heart!” Kimberly spins on her heel and marches away, saving me the task of replying to her little outburst. She joins a group of chatty women and launches into a story, no doubt about me and my “cold heart.”
I stare after her in stunned silence before finally shrugging it off. I don’t need another girl driving me nuts this summer.
Summer.
I turn back toward the water’s edge and see that half of the party has peeled off their clothes and run into the surf. The other half is running down to join them. I scan the shoreline, looking for Bryce’s tall form. I see him a minute later, picking up Maddie and throwing her into an oncoming wave. That feeling of surprise and disbelief trickles through me again. He’s never been this relaxed in the twelve years that I’ve known him, though in his line of work, it’s no surprise he’s lost sight of the good in the world.
But as Maddie flies through the air, letting out a shriek before going under the dark surf, I hope that maybe this is the beginning for Bryce. A beginning that could lead him back to the good side of life. The less horrific side.
Bryce turns and begins wading forward toward another girl—a girl in a bright pink bikini. Every muscle in my body tenses as I realize it’s Summer. He snatches her up into his arms and out of the water, letting me rake my eyes over her soft skin, full breasts, and beautiful curves. She’s utterly tantalizing, beyond tempting, more beautiful than my wildest fantasy. She’s gorgeous. Heart-stoppingly gorgeous.
Summer gasps with laughter as Bryce crushes her to his chest, shoving her palms against his pecs to try to free herself. But it’s no use, and soon Summer’s flying through the air and into the surf after Maddie.
I let out my breath as she’s swallowed up by the waves. Those curves are hidden underneath what I see every day? From now on, every time I see Summer Rae, all I’ll picture is yards of creamy skin and seductive curves in a few inches of soaking wet, bright pink fabric.
Damn. This summer just got a whole hell of a lot longer.
14
Summer
“Good morning, darlin’. Wake up…”
I groan as something rattles my arm. “No. More sleep.”
“Come on, Summer.” The shoving gets more incessant until I can’t ignore it anymore.
“What?” I croak, turning my head toward the shoving. I open my eyes to see Maddison staring down at me.
“There you go,” she says with a smile. “Time to get up.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s almost ten o’clock.”
“Yeah, but we were out until three!”
“Still—” Maddie plants her hands on her hips “—I leave tonight and we’re wasting daylight.”
I yank the covers over my pounding head. “Thanks for the guilt trip.”
“Is it working?”
I resurface with a scowl. “Alright, I’ll get up, but it better be for something good because I’m definitely feeling like crap this morning.”
She smiles down at me. “Last night was a fun time.”
I pull myself out of bed with a groan. “Yeah, a little too fun.”
After the whole party frolicked and played in the water (without the birthday boy), Bryce called us all back to the bonfire for burgers and hot dogs. Midnight approached and shots were passed around and then we all toasted to Koa’s new decade as the clock struck twelve. Then, four beer pong tables appeared out of nowhere (Bryce) and a cutthroat tournament started. Maddie and I went up against Bryce and Koa for most of the night, and I’m happy to say we creamed them.
Except that’s why my head is killing me right now.
“Well, you know what the cure is?” Maddison says from the bathroom. She returns a second later with a large cup of water in her hands.
I take it greedily. “What?”
“A morning beer.”
My stomach rolls at the thought. I settle it by chugging the whole glass of H2O. “No thanks. Actually, what I want are waffles with honest-to-God real Maine maple syrup. Koa mentioned this place with a gross name…”
“Duckfat?” Maddison suggests.
“That’s the one,” I say, grimacing. “Did he tell you, too?”
“Nope, but Bryce did. And we should go there.”
I perk up. “Really?”
“Yup! I’ll, uh, make a reservation for eleven thirty. Sound good?”
I glance at the time and nod. That gives me a little over an hour to make myself presentable.
Thirty minutes later, I step out of the bathroom, freshly showered, teeth brushed, skin scrubbed, in a pair of jeans and a ratty old t-shirt. Maddie frowns at me from her perch on the bed.
“What?”
“I don’t think that will work,” she says slowly.
That’s when I notice her perfectly coifed hair and cute little polka-dot sundress. “Um, why do y
ou look adorable?”
“Why do I what?”
“Maddie.”
She gets up and walks over to my closet. “I always look adorable, thank you very much.”
“Uh huh. You blow-dried your hair.”
“Well.” She starts rooting through the hangers. “I think Duckfat has a dress code.”
“Are you serious? This is Maine.” I narrow my eyes. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” comes her muffled reply.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing! Now, try this on.” She hands me a navy blue sundress and a pair of brown espadrilles. “It’ll flatter your light eyes and make your bright hair pop.”
I stare at the outfit. “And why would I care about either of those?”
She shrugs. “No reason.”
“Maddie!”
“Alright! I’ll tell you if you try these on.”
I take a deep breath and grab the dress and sandals out of her hands. “Fine.” I stomp into the bathroom, throw on the the dress, slip on the espadrilles, and stand back. Well, look at that. I do look pretty darn cute. At least the outfit distracts from the bags under my eyes.
I open the door and do a little twirl for Maddie. “There, now spill.”
“We’re meeting Bryce and Koa for brunch.”
“WHAT?!”
“Bryce and I thought—”
“Oh, it’s ‘Bryce and I’ now?”
She meets my glare calmly. “We thought it would be a fun way to celebrate Koa’s birthday.”
I tilt my head down and raise my eyebrows. “And?”
“And…” Maddison bites her lip “…get to know each other a little more.”
“There it is. Good heavens, lady. Why are you trying to get me and Koa together?”
“I’m not!”
“Oh, come on.”
“Fine,” she snaps, glancing down at her feet. “I think you two would be great together.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“I know!” Maddison stomps over to the mirror and smooths down an invisible strand of hair. “God, you drive me mad sometimes,” she mutters.
“I drive you mad? You’re not the one trying to hook me up with Captain Curmudgeon.”
She whirls around. “Stop it. He’s not that bad.”
“You’re not stuck on a boat taking batshit crazy orders him him all day.”
“You two were getting along last night.”
I open my mouth and then shut it. Darn it, she’s got me there.
“So it can’t be all bad,” she says with a tentative smile.
“True, but there was alcohol involved.”
“Then you should have no problem this morning.”
“What?”
“Bloody Mary, mimosa, or Kir Royale. Pick your poison.”
“I’d rather just have waffles,” I grumble.
Maddison perks up, realizing that she’s won. “Then you can just have waffles. Now, get back in that bathroom and do something with that hair.”
I pick up a tangled, wet strand and frown. “What’s wrong my hair?”
Maddison sighs. “Sometimes I wonder why Koa’s even interested.”
“What?” I sputter. “Koa’s not interested. He can’t stand to be in the same room with me, remember?”
“You sure about that?”
“Yes! Besides, he was flirting with that prissy girl last night. Kim or Karen something.”
Maddison shrugs. “Didn’t look like he was interested to me.”
I scoff. “Yeah, right.”
“Summer! He couldn’t keep his eyes off you.”
“Now you’re just making stuff up.”
“Lord, you’re thick sometimes.”
“Am not!”
Maddison rolls her eyes and heads for my bathroom. Speaking of can’t keep your eyes off someone…
I clear my throat. “Uh, Maddie?”
“Yes?”
“I noticed you were talking to Bryce a lot last night, and…well—”
The commotion in my bathroom stops as Maddie pokes her head out of the doorway. “What?”
I twine my fingers in my sundress, pulling and tugging at the light, floaty fabric. “Koa mentioned Bryce may be off the market. Something about a girl in Nashville.”
Maddison laughs. “Sorry,” she says, seeing my worried look, “it’s not funny. That just sounded like the name of some cheesy Western movie.”
I give a feeble laugh. “I’m sorry, Maddie. I could tell you liked him.”
“It’s okay.”
“But I’m glad you’re getting back out there,” I add quickly.
She shrugs. “Yeah, it’s a start. He was a nice guy…”
“And nice to look at.”
That earns a real laugh from my best friend. She waves me over to the bathroom. “Alright, now it’s time to pull a Princess Diaries on that hair.”
I cringe. “Is it that bad?”
“You bet,” she answers seriously. “But if you tell me where you’ve hidden your blow-dryer, Miss Rae, then I’ll work my magic on that beast.”
Maddison’s makeover definitely made an impression. Koa can’t keep his eyes off me as I sit next to him at a four-top table in Duckfat. It’s either my new do, or the fact that he wasn’t expecting to celebrate his birthday with two girls from New York City. I personally like to believe it was the hour of primping.
I turn to him after we’ve put in our orders. “So, feel any different?” My attempt at injecting some humor into the strained silence between us falls flat. He just stares at me. “Since you’re thirty now…?” I laugh at his puzzled expression. “I’m guessing no one’s ever asked you that.”
“Nope. I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“Consider yourself lucky. My dad asks my sister and me that question every year, and our answer is always the same.”
“What?”
“Nope. Just like you said.”
That gets a smile out of him. “That sums it up. I did have a headache this morning, though, but it was from last night.”
“Ugh, same.”
“My body knows I’m older, I guess.”
“I’m five years behind you, but I still felt it. Maddison had to drag me here.”
Koa cocks an eyebrow. “Let me guess, you didn’t know about this either?”
I shake my head. “I bet you weren’t expecting to celebrate your birthday with two girls from New York City.”
“I wasn’t.” Koa pauses, his sapphire-blue eyes flicking to mine. “But I’m not complaining.”
I grab my water glass as my pulse quickens. I take a long sip and put it back slowly. I’m in no hurry to meet those smoldering eyes again any time soon. “Good. I had fun last night.”
“I did, too.” He gives me pained smile. “Where did you learn to play beer pong like that, though?”
“Sorority,” I admit, nervous about how that’s going to sound to a guy like Koa.
To my surprise, he nods and glances across the table at Bryce and Maddison. They haven’t stopped talking since the moment we sat down. “Is that where you two met?”
“Actually, we met through a mutual friend when she moved to the city for grad school. I went to Columbia and Maddie went to Rhode Island School of Design for undergrad.”
“What did you major in?”
“Communications.”
“Oh.” Koa frowns. “What is that, exactly?”
“No idea,” I say, laughing. “It’s whatever you want it to be, which is why I chose it.
“What do you mean?”
I shrug. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do.”
“So what do you do now?”
I sit back, slightly shocked at his interest. It seems genuine, though don’t quote me on that. “I’m a teacher’s assistant. Right now I’m helping middle schoolers, but I’d like to teach high schoolers.”
Koa raises his eyebrows. “Wow, that’s impressive.”
“Rea
lly?” I ask, screwing up my face. “Try telling that to my father. He’s a surgeon.”
Koa shrugs. “It takes guts to stand up in front of a room full of teenagers and tell them what to do.”
I snort. “That’s definitely one way of looking at it.”
“I bet it’s harder than commercial fishing.”
My eyes go wide. “No way, Koa. You’ve got the hardest job on the planet. I’d choose a classroom of apathetic adolescents over lobsters any day.”
He chuckles. “Come on.”
“I’m serious! You may not think it’s hard because you’re good at it.”
“You’re not too bad yourself.”
My jaw drops. “Is that—did you just compliment me?”
He shrugs.
“Ha!” I pump my fist in the air with a smile. “I’m reminding you of this exact moment the next time you yell at me for dropping the pots in the wrong spot.”
“Alright, alright,” he says, trying not to smile. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
The waiter appears at our table toting a tray filled with four steaming plates of waffles. Yes. Everyone at our table got the exactly same thing.
Koa turns to me the moment the waiter moves off. “You said you want to teach high schoolers? Does that take tests or come kind of certification?”
I nod as I drown my waffles in silky smooth butter and the most addictive maple syrup on Earth. “I’m earning my certification while teaching, but there are still tests I have to take. First, there’s the general Praxis. Then the subject assessment based on my speciality—”
“Which is what?”
“Language Arts.” I’m impressed he’s paying attention. This isn’t the most interesting stuff in the world, but then again, Koa’s full of surprises these days. “And all that’s specific to New York in order to teach there. I scheduled them for late August so I could use the summer to study.”
Koa grimaces. “And then you got stuck with me and a fishing boat.”
“Oh. Well. It hasn’t been that bad.” I glance over at Maddison to make sure she hadn’t overheard. I’d never hear the end of it if she knew I kinda liked being out on the water all day. “I’m still studying on the weekends.”
“Good luck…” His blue eyes meet mine in a long, piercing stare. “Though I doubt you’ll need it.”