Time for Love

by Lynn Michaels

  Time for Love

  by

  Lynn Michaels

  Copyright © 2018 Lynn Michaels, Rubicon Fiction &

  Blue Eyed Dreams, LLC

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9970091-8-7

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Time for Love

  DEDICATION

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  One – Jeremy

  Two – Ollie

  Three – Jeremy

  Four – Jeremy

  Five – Jeremy

  Six – Ollie

  Seven – Jeremy

  Eight – Ollie

  Nine – Jeremy

  Ten – Ollie

  Eleven – Jeremy

  Twelve – Ollie

  Thirteen – Jeremy

  Fourteen – Jeremy

  Fifteen – Ollie

  Sixteen – Jeremy

  Seventeen – Jeremy

  Eighteen – Ollie

  Nineteen – Jeremy

  Twenty – Jeremy

  Twenty-One – Ollie

  Twenty-Two – Ollie

  Twenty-Three – Ollie

  Twenty-Four – Jeremy

  Twenty-Five – Ollie

  Twenty-Six – Jeremy

  Twenty-Seven – Ollie

  Twenty-Eight – Jeremy

  Twenty-Nine – Ollie

  Thirty – Ollie

  Thirty-One – Jeremy

  Thirty-Two – Jeremy

  Thirty-Three – Ollie

  Thirty-Four – Jeremy

  Thirty-Five – Ollie

  Thirty-Six – Jeremy

  Thirty-Seven – Jeremy

  Bonus Features

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ALSO BY LYNN MICHAELS

  Surf and sand, beach and bar-tending, and practicing Taoism are the important things in Jeremy Ringer's life. Until a death in the family sends him across the state, and he realizes that it's not enough. By trusting the wrong people, he is pushed toward sexy police specialist, Oliver Mendosa.

  Ollie Mendosa is only interested in one thing, the new police app he's developing. That is until he meets a victim of crime, surfer-boy, Jeremy Ringer. When his protective nature is brought out in full force, he can't resist the temptation of a summer fling.

  Is it possible for these two men, from such different worlds, to overcome their differences and fears in order to find the love they both desire?

  DEDICATION

  To Aunt Christy. You took care of me so many times in my life when you didn’t have to. Now, however indirectly, you’ve given me everything. I’ll always love you for it, and I’ll always make time for love.

  Always,

  ~Jeremy Ringer

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Many people constantly help me in my journey and are too many to name. So many that encourage me daily, listen to me moan, and generally hold out their figurative hands so I don’t have to let go. You all know who you are. If you think you’re on this list—you are! I love you all.

  I want to specifically thank my readers and followers who have walked with me on my journey. Those in my ARC Angels group, those who follow my Lynn Michaels Page, some of you who are now Rockin’ Beta Readers, and many of you that read and enjoy my books silently, happily without much fuss. I love you all. Thank you for continuing to pick up my stories.

  Special thanks to Jay Aheer and Simply Defined Art. You hung onto this cover a long time! It’s amazing, and makes me sigh with happiness every time I see it.

  Special thanks to Sharon Stogner and Devil in the Details Editing. I know this one was hard, but you made it so much better.

  Thanks to Michelle Slagan and Vibrant Promotions who will help me promote the shit out of this book.

  Thanks to my Beta readers. Melissa and Amy. Your input was invaluable.

  I must acknowledge the use of songs and lyrics within the text. I do not own any of these songs, but pay a deep and grateful homage to their classic staying power:

  Jimmy Buffet, Sharks, Cheeseburger in Paradise & Margaritaville

  The Cars, Just What I Needed

  Panic at the Disco, Victorious

  Nick Gilder, Hot Child in the City

  Eagles: Take it Easy

  Summer in the City, Loving Spoonful

  Same thing with brands:

  Panama Jack, Chrysler’s PT Cruiser, Hawaiian Tropic, Ron Jon, Lifesavers, Toyota Camry, Grateful Dead, Oakley, Jacksonville Jaguars, Fast and the Furious, Led Zeppelin, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Coke (Coca-Cola), Birkenstocks, Home Depot, Walmart, Waffle House, The Ramones, iPhone, Samsung, GQ Magazine, Cosmopolitan Magazine and Uber.

  Tao·ism

  ˈtouˌizəm,ˈdouˌizəm

  noun

  a Chinese philosophy based on the writings of Lao-tzu ( fl. 6th century BC), advocating humility and religious piety.

  One – Jeremy

  Journal entry: Life is grand if not lonely. I’m heading to the beach for some skimboarding before work. At least I find peace there, surrounded by nature. I don’t always like hanging around with people much and need to recharge my batteries often. The beach is perfect for that. Sand, surf, seagulls. I think from my teachings: He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened. That’s from Tao Te Ching. Indeed, I feel enlightened when I can stand still and be.

  The sun shone down from overhead and sparkled across the water as Jeremy made his way to his favorite beach by Clearwater Pass. His beat up old PT Cruiser coughed a bit as he pulled up behind the Ocean Breeze Marketplace and parked. He finagled his skimboard out of the back seat and grabbed his towel. Circumventing the bleached out old gazebo, he picked his way to the shoreline. This spot didn’t offer a lot of beachfront, but sand covered tourists with their designer swimsuits and sunglasses, smelling like Hawaiian Tropic weren’t hanging out there, either. That was fine with Jeremy.

  He pulled off his Panama Jack tank top, dropping it on the towel on the sand. He kicked off his cheap canvas shoes and headed toward the water with his board tucked under his arm.

  The inlet was perfect for skimming. He waited with little patience for the perfect moment. The water flowed in over the sand in a gentle wave, unlike the rumble and pound on the gulf side, and slowly slid back. Jeremy watched, feeling the rhythm, learning the pull of the day’s tide. When the moment seemed perfect, he jogged across the sand and released his board at an angle. He jumped on, skimming across the sand in a perfect hydroplane. Until his balance failed him. Then he jumped off and scooped up his board, splashing in the water. Drops landed on his cheap shades, but he didn’t care, that was part of the experience.

  Jeremy spent a good hour skimboarding up and down the coastline. When he needed a break, he sat his wet ass on his towel and stretched out under the sun’s rays. The day slowly slipped away from him. He listened to the call of the gulls and tried to ignore the sounds of the cars on the road behind him. He wasn’t far from the bridge that would take him over to the resort area where the Tiki-Tops bar was tucked in between two hotels. He had to be there to start work at seven, so he still had plenty of time left to enjoy the day. This moment. The water. The sand. The sun.

  Perfect.

  His world felt peaceful, in harmony. He sat up and looked out over the water. A small pod of dolphins played in the distance, fins popping in and out of the water. Jeremy smiled. He lived in paradise. Worked in paradise. He had no right to ask for more than that. His path was set, and he intended to enjoy every minute of it. He hummed softly to himself, only thinking the lyrics to the perfect song... Cheeseburger and paradise...

  Hell, he even loved his job. The Tiki-Top was a tourist trap for the most part, but a handful of local regulars also frequented the place. He didn’t
mind the tourists in general. They usually ordered fruity drinks and didn’t get too blitzed. They were there for the atmosphere and fun, and Jeremy usually had fun serving them from behind the bar.

  After a few more trips hydroplaning along the beach, he stuck sandy, wet feet back in his canvas shoes. He couldn’t go barefoot or wear flops traipsing through the underbrush back to the boardwalk. He’d end up with sand spurs in his feet. As it was, the laces of his shoes were covered in them, but that was also to be expected.

  Back at his car, he loaded his board and quickly shucked off his shorts, pulling on a dry, clean pair of cargo pants over his bare ass and his work t-shirt over his shoulders. It was orange with the Tiki-Top logo across his chest. Not the most flattering color, but it stood out, which was the purpose. He’d been told he was crazy to worry about it because with his tanned skin and piercing blue eyes, he would look good in any color. Jeremy didn’t believe that, but neither did he care much. He didn’t dress to impress others, anyway. He dressed to make himself happy. That meant he traded his sticker encrusted canvas sneakers in for flops. He tossed the wet clothes and towel in the back of the Cruiser and popped into the market for a cold drink before finally heading to work.

  When he pulled into the parking lot at the Tiki, he still had an hour before opening. He made his way around to the back and tapped on the door. His boss opened it and let him in. She was a tough nut, but Sheila always had a smile. “What’s up, J-man,” she called out.

  “Sheila-B. How’s it going?”

  “Same ol’ my man.” She gave him a high-five, and they made their way back into the bar area. “Your station is mostly set up already. I got here early. But you need ice.”

  “I’ll fill ‘em all up, yeah?”

  Sheila smiled. They made a good team.

  Jeremy hauled buckets of ice from the machine in the back and filled the ice bins for all three bar stations. Sheila would run one of the stations and Paul would run the other that Jeremy wasn’t at. He always showed up late and left early, so he had the back bar, which was less popular while Jeremy had the busiest station. His bar practically sat on the sand. Out in front of it, tables and chairs with umbrellas stretched out toward the jade water.

  The sun sunk slowly over the ocean, casting orange and purple streaks across the sky. Sheila plugged in the party lights. They twinkled white and shiny around each bar adding to the festive atmosphere. Above the lights, grass straw covered the roofs of each bar, and bamboo trim finished the look. Tropical and fun, it gave off the perfect vibe—paradise.

  Jeremy smiled as he helped Sheila cut up some extra fruit. When they finished, he double checked his station to make sure he had plenty of sangria and drink mixes in all their varieties, including margarita, daiquiri, and pina colada. Those were always the most popular. Although, sex on the beach got its fair share of requests, especially if women were around. For some reason, they loved ordering the drink more than actually drinking it.

  Jeremy was more than ready by the time the Open sign lit up. And it was a good thing because people were already waiting to get in. Some people came over from the adjacent hotels once they saw the lights on and quickly surrounded the bar.

  A few hours into his shift, a couple of the locals showed up and ordered shots. Then they started arguing. Jeremy didn’t need their bad vibes messing up his tips. “Hey, guys! Everyone has their own path to travel.”

  “Geez, dude. Don’t be shoveling all that Buddha crap around me.” One of them griped, but only half-heartedly. These guys came to the bar often, and they’d had this discussion more than once.

  Jeremy laughed and shook his head a little. “Nah. That’s not Buddhism. It’s Tao.”

  “Da what?” the other guy asked. He was the smaller of the two and had sea green eyes that nearly matched the ocean. His hair was a lot like Jeremy’s, brown waves streaked blond by the sun.

  “Taoism. It’s about finding your path in life.” Jeremy wiped the bar, then set two more shot glasses out. He raised his eyebrows, asking them if they wanted more.

  The first guy, the bigger one with the darker hair and hazel eyes, rolled his hand in the air as if to tell Jeremy to keep ‘em coming. “I’m a good Christian, J-man. I don’t need your worldviews.”

  Jeremy poured the whiskey and slid the glasses in front of his two customers. “Actually, Tao isn’t all that different.”

  “How’s that?” asked the smaller guy.

  “Well, your good book says do unto others as you would have them do unto you, right?” The guys nodded and shot their drinks back. “Well, Tao is all about Karma, and Karma says what you reap is what you sow. If you put out good vibes and be good to others, you’ll get the same back.”

  One of them said, “Sounds good. Do good to me with another shot, man.”

  While the other said, “I don’t know about all of that.”

  Jeremy poured them another shot each. “Well, it got y’all to stop arguing.”

  They both burst out laughing. Jeremy kept his smile on as he collected the cash from the edge of the bar, then made his way to the tourists at the other end. They drank sangria, and he refilled their glasses and added extra fruit. One of the girls winked at him, and he smiled back. It was easy to be friendly in this atmosphere.

  Somebody finally put some music on from the jukebox, which was stocked with classics perfect for hanging around the surf and the sand. An Eagles tune rang out with light guitar work, notes strumming into the summer air. Jeremy bobbed his head to the beat and sang right along with the lead. “Well, I’ve been running down the road trying to loosen my load, I’ve got seven women on my mind...”

  Someone yelled out, “That’s not women you’re thinking about.” Some of the crowd chuckled—those that knew him or had hung out there long enough to know. Some of the tourists looked confused.

  Jeremy ignored the comment and hummed along with the song, wiggling his hips and bobbing his head while he opened beer bottles and poured drinks. “Lighten up while you still can, don’t even try to understand, just find a place to make your stand, and take it easy....”

  Many of the regulars and some tourists sung along with the next verse. It was going to be a decent night. “Take it easy...easy....” Jeremy added a few extra woos, and many around the bar clapped.

  Paul finally sauntered in nearly an hour later, but before he went to open his station, he made his way behind Jeremy’s. “Hey man,” he said with a somber voice, barely loud enough to be heard over the music.

  “What’s up? Are you okay?” Jeremy suspected he’d be sick and split before his shift was over.

  “I’m good. You have a phone call in the back office.”

  “Oh.” That was unusual. First, any friends who might call him were already at the bar. Second, if anyone else ever called him, it wouldn’t be at work.

  Paul shoved his shoulder gently. “Go on. It sounds important. I’ll cover until you get back and then I’ll open.”

  “Okay.” Jeremy looked at Paul skeptically. He wasn’t one for pulling pranks, but it was hard to believe he had an actual phone call in the office. The music dimmed as he walked down the short hallway.

  Jeremy didn’t have a lot of friends. He was generally a loner. He liked it that way. Mostly. He didn’t even have much family. Well, some out on the other coast in Jacksonville. He suspected it might be them, so he picked up the receiver. “Jeremy Ringer speaking. Can I help you?”

  “Jeremy, it’s Scottie.” His cousin’s familiar voice greeted him.

  “Oh. Hey, Scottie. Damn, I haven’t heard from you since, what? Last Christmas?”

  “Right. I know it’s been too long.”

  “I’d love to reminisce, but I’m at work. Can I call you tomorrow or something?”

  “Uh, Jeremy...I have to tell you something. It’s serious.”

  Jeremy sat in Sheila’s chair. “What? What is it?”

  “Aunt Christy died. She, uh, had a heart attack. Yesterday afternoon. She didn’t make it.” />
  “Oh.” Jeremy was stunned. He had always loved his Aunt Christy. She was always a little crazy. The fun aunt that would take you out for ice cream at three a.m. and not think anything of it.

  “So...you need to come out here. Can you take time off? Because they’re going to go over the will in a few days and the funeral and all.”

  “When, when, uh, when is the funeral?” His heart stopped beating like it had been covered with sludge and could barely move through the gunk.

  “In the next day or two. Mom says she wants you here to work through all of that.” Scottie’s mother was Bernadette or Aunt Bernie. She would be the last left alive of the three sisters. She must be sad. Jeremy’s mother Maria had died a long time ago.

  “Yeah. Okay.” He could get the time off. Sheila wouldn’t hesitate to let him go for as long as he needed. “I’ll be up there in the next day or two. I’ll call when I’m on my way.”

  “Hey. Sorry to have to get a reunion for such a sad reason, but we’ve missed you.”

  “I know,” Jeremy said quietly. He didn’t know what else to say. He hadn’t been close with family in a long time. They talked now and again, mostly on holidays, but he’d been in Clearwater since he was a kid. Since his dad, Brian, had picked up and moved across the state when Jeremy was about twelve years old, leaving Jacksonville behind. “Missed y’all too. I’ll see you in a few. ’Kay?”

  “Sure. Call me later.”

  “Bye.” Jeremy hung up. He didn’t want to go to Jacksonville. Had Scottie said there was a will? Why would Aunt Christy have a will? What did she have to leave anyone?

  Jeremy was still in a state of shock when Sheila stuck her head in. “Everything all right, J?”

  He slowly shook his head back and forth. “No. No, it’s not. My Aunt. Uh, my Aunt died.”

  “Oh! Jeremy. I’m so sorry.” Sheila had her arms around him faster than his heart could thump out a beat through the thick sludge that he imagined was slowing him down. “So, sorry. Were you close?”

  “Well, not recently. I feel like I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. They all live out in Jax.”