by Anthology
“I’m sure you can still—”
“I got it.” She smiled, more to calm herself than to placate Archer. “I just need you to take care of…” She waved in the band’s general direction. “They should go on soon.”
“I got it.” He waved her away. “Go take care of whatever it is you need to take care of with Trent.” He winked at her. “And I do hope it’s what I think it is.”
Sam stopped in mid-turn and stared at him. “And what is it that you’re thinking?”
“I’m thinking the two of you need to get over yourselves and make it happen already. This is ridiculous.” He grinned. “Am I wrong?”
“No.” She laughed. “You’re not wrong.”
~ ~
Instead of going back through the crowd, Sam dodged along the outside of the clearing, weaving through the trees and skirting along the shoreline. With the sun starting to set over the lake, the reflection of the mountains was cast in a beautiful combination of oranges, pinks, and purples. It was one of her favorite times of the day, and with everyone in town at the festival, it was perfectly calm and quiet on the water. Normally she would have stopped and enjoyed every second until the sun dipped low behind the mountain peaks.
But it wasn’t a normal situation. From the moment she’d decided to tell Trent how she felt about him, she’d been on edge, but knowing he wanted to see her too…knowing he might feel the same way…it was too much. Maybe she’d finally get that summer solstice kiss and she’d get her happy ever after.
She laughed out loud and picked her way across the pebbly beach when a noise stopped her.
A shadowy figure, maybe a girl, was sitting by the water’s edge, her knees up and her head on her lap. Something was familiar about the figure.
“Jules?”
The girl turned her head and sniffed loudly, wiping her arm across her face.
Dammit.
Sam glanced down the beach in the direction of the boathouse and back at Jules. No contest. She slid her shoes off and let them dangle from her finger. It was easier to walk in sand and pebbles without the heels, even if they weren’t very high.
“Hey.” She put her hand on the girl’s shoulder and squeezed. “What are you doing down here? I don’t know if you heard, but there’s a party going on up there.”
Jules nodded and wiped at her face. She attempted a smile, but even in the dim light, Sam could see there was no effort behind it.
She dropped her shoes, and fluffed out her skirt, kneeling on the rough beach next to the girl she loved as her own. “What’s going on, Jules? Talk to me.”
“It’s just…I don’t…”
“Yes…”
“I don’t have anyone to kiss tonight,” Jules blurted.
The confession was so sudden and unexpected, Sam almost toppled backwards in the sand. “Wait,” she said after a moment. “What?”
“I don’t have anyone to kiss and isn’t it a legend that whoever you kiss at the summer solstice festival will be your love for the season?”
Sam shrugged. She couldn’t deny it. The legend had been in existence as long as she could remember. And only seconds before, she’d been wishing like a silly schoolgirl herself for her own kiss. Not that she was going to share that particular piece of information with Jules at that moment.
“I’m not going to tell you it’s a silly legend.” The girl looked at her, her mouth agape. Certainly she expected Sam, a reasonable adult, to tell her the whole thing was ridiculous. “When I was your age, I believed it, too. But you know what? I’ve never kissed anyone at the summer solstice.”
“Never?”
Sam shook her head. “Never.”
“Is that why you aren’t married?”
Sam laughed. Leave it to a kid to simplify things. “It’s possible. But my point is, that kiss doesn’t have to happen at twelve or twenty, or…any time really. Not before you’re ready. The person you’re meant to love, whether it’s for a season or for a lifetime, will show up when you’re ready.” As she spoke, her own words resonated in her head. “And there’s no reason to panic or make a big deal about it until then. In fact,” she stood and took Jules’s hand, hauling her up as well, “the best thing to do while you’re waiting for that moment is to live your life and have fun. And that’s exactly what you should be doing.”
Jules nodded. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Oh, I know I’m right.” Sam dusted off her dress. “You’re only eleven. You have lots of time for kisses. Now go and have some fun.”
She smiled and gave Sam a quick, hard hug. “Thank you.” She turned to skip away, back to the party but turned around before she left and asked, “Are you coming?”
“Not yet. I have something to do. But I’ll be there soon.”
“Make sure you’re in time for the toast to summer,” Jules called. “Even if you have no one to kiss.”
“Don’t worry. I can’t miss the toast,” she said almost ruefully. “I do the toast.”
Sam smiled after the girl. She really was a good kid and she’d be alright. What girl wasn’t full of angst and worry at that age? Hell, she still was. She almost laughed at herself as she picked up her shoes and hurried across the beach to the boathouse. It was way after nine by that point. And maybe Trent had decided not to wait. Or worse, what if he’d waited for her and when she hadn’t shown up, he’d decided she wasn’t interested? After all, the last time she’d seen him, she hadn’t really given him any reason to think she was.
Sam picked up the pace and as she reached the small house, she held her breath. Slowly, she walked around to the front. Nothing. “Trent?” Her voice was little more than a whisper, and the pit in the bottom of her stomach grew heavy with what she knew to be true. He wasn’t there.
Still, she moved around the outside of the boathouse, holding out the slightest hope he was just around the corner. And after she’d circled it twice and the realization hit, she let herself feel disappointed, but only for a minute. What had she just told Jules? If it wasn’t meant to be, it wasn’t. And no matter how she felt about Trent, if he wasn’t willing to wait for her, then it wasn’t right. Because dammit if she was going to let herself be a victim of some stupid mix-up. It was all way too old-school for her.
Despite the mental pep talk she gave herself, Sam couldn’t shut off the voice in her head that kept protesting that she actually did care.
~ ~
The fountains were fixed. Water was flowing through them and everything was set for opening day. That was the good news. The bad news was it was after eight when Trent finally finished up at the hotel, and drove as fast as he could, hoping his new buddy Officer Anderson was at the festival already and not lying in wait to give him another warning about speeding on the mountain roads.
He hadn’t bothered to change his clothes that were covered in grime. Even if he was trying to make a good impression and finally tell Samantha that he’d fallen completely in love with her, he’d have to do it in dirty clothes. It wouldn’t matter, though, if she thought he’d stood her up. Repeated calls to the pub had gone unanswered, not that he was surprised. The festival would be in full swing by now and he hadn’t really expected anyone to answer the phone, although it would have been nice.
Trent managed to find a parking spot down the street from the pub. The minute he got out of his car, the music of the Jacked Crackers hit him. They sounded great, as they always did, and he smiled as he jogged toward the sound. He skipped past the bar and headed for the field and the crush of people milling about. Everyone was singing, laughing, and dancing. By all accounts, it looked like the festival was a roaring success. But as far as Trent was concerned, the night would not be declared successful until he had Samantha in his arms again.
He didn’t bother going through the crowd, but ducked around the outside of the clearing, cutting through the trees until the boathouse came into view. What were the odds she’d waited for him for an entire hour? Especially on such a busy and important night. And that was
assuming she’d come at all. What if Samantha got his message and disregarded it? The thought slammed into him. Of course it was a possibility. But it was one he’d done his best to ignore. He jogged the rest of the way, but no one was there.
She hadn’t come.
He’d been wrong?
No. He knew in his heart she felt the same way. It was in the way her body responded to him, the way she’d looked up at him, her eyes so open, so full of…
“Samantha.”
A flash of movement caught his eyes. It was her. It had to be her. The dark night made it hard to be sure, but he caught a glimpse of a woman moving away from him, in the opposite direction he’d come.
“Samantha,” he called again as the figure stepped into the light of the party.
It was her. But she hadn’t heard him call after her.
He swore under his breath and jogged back toward the crowded party, determined not to let her get away, because she’d been there. Waiting. His heart soared with an unfamiliar flutter.
By the time he reached the edge of the party and stepped through the trees into the lit clearing, she’d disappeared again. He scanned the crowd, desperately searching for her among the mostly unfamiliar faces. There was one face that looked familiar, and he pushed his way through the throng of people to talk to Jules.
“Hey, squirt.”
She glared up at him and made a somewhat discreet gesture with her head to the group of kids she was standing with.
“Sorry,” he mouthed to her. “The place looks amazing. You did a great job.”
“Thanks.” The girl beamed with pride and Trent noted she looked a lot more confident than in the past few days, too. Happier even. Good. She deserved it.
“Have you seen Samantha?” He didn’t even try to sound cool and calm. “I need to talk to her about something.”
Jules pointed to the stage, where Jacked Crackers had just quit playing. There she was. Looking incredible and feminine in a red dress that hugged all of her beautiful curves, Samantha stepped out onto the stage. She smiled at the band, flipping her hair back behind her shoulder in a flirty way that made him unreasonably jealous.
“What’s she doing?” He didn’t realize he’d asked the question until Jules answered.
“It’s time for the toast to summer,” she said. “It’s the best part of the festival because after the toast is when the lanterns are released.”
“Lanterns?”
On stage, Samantha started speaking, thanking the band for playing and everyone for coming to the festival. Trent listened with one ear, while he tried to figure out what Jules was talking about.
“Yup.” She had a dreamy look on her face while she spoke. “And when the lanterns are all floating in the air, that’s when you can make your sweetheart yours.” Jules shook her head to clear her expression. “At least according to legend, that’s what’s supposed to happen.” She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.
“Wait.” Trent focused on the girl. “How do you make your sweetheart yours?”
She shrugged and rolled her eyes as if he was missing the entire point of the conversation. “You kiss her, of course. The legend goes that whoever you kiss at the summer solstice festival will be yours for the season.”
“Is that right?” He turned back to the stage, a smile wide across his face. “Well, that sounds like a very good legend indeed.”
~ ~
Sam hated speaking in front of large groups, but everyone who was watching her and listening to her every word was family. The town of Cedar Springs, and everyone in it, was her family and she’d do anything to protect them. Even though she realized now that the Springs and Trent Harrison were not the enemy. In fact, the resort could save the town. She saw that now.
She squeezed the microphone tight and spoke again, addressing the crowd. “This year marks a big change for our little town,” she said. “The Springs resort is set to open tomorrow and…” She paused, listening to some random cheers, a few boos, but mostly silence as the townspeople waited to see how she’d react. She took a breath. Even if things weren’t meant to be with Trent, the Springs was meant for the town of Cedar Springs. It was a good match. Sam exhaled and said, “I want to be the first to officially welcome the Harrison brothers and the Springs resort to town. You’ve provided jobs and opportunities for this town and the people I love most.” She caught Beth’s eye and smiled. “And for that we should all be thankful.” There were a few cheers and a smattering of applause, so Sam added, “Also, our wonderful band, Jacked Crackers, was brought to us by the Springs.” With that, the crowd broke out in a roar and Sam knew it would be okay. There would still be a few holdouts who objected to the tourists, but sometimes change was good and the people of Cedar Springs would see that.
The band played a quick chorus of their hit song, which amped up the crowd even more, winning everyone over to their side. Sam took the opportunity to signal to Kylie to hand out the remaining lanterns. She grabbed her own from Archer, who joined her onstage and waited until the roar of the people calmed down.
“It’s time for the toast to summer.” She tried to keep her voice from shaking. She’d been so sure she’d be standing in front of everyone with Trent, ready to finally have her chance at making the legend come true. “Please raise a glass in honor of the sun and may your days be hot…”
“And your nights be hotter,” the crowd chanted in unison in the traditional toast.
Sam laughed, and took a sip of the cocktail Archer had handed her. His eyes were full of questions, no doubt wanting to know how things went with Trent. She looked away to keep her heart from breaking, and took the lantern from him instead.
“Sam?” He whispered her name in question, but she simply shook her head. She couldn’t talk about it. Not now.
She waited a moment for everyone to get their lanterns lit. It was her favorite part. When the night sky filled with the paper lanterns, the entire effect was nothing short of magical. No wonder it had become the perfect time for true love to bloom.
“Sam?” Archer whispered her name again, but she ignored him. Biting her lip to keep from crying, she spoke into the microphone. “On the count of three, release your lantern and let summer begin.” She took a deep breath, and scanned the crowd, taking in her friends and fellow townspeople standing with their sweethearts, ready to seal the onset of summer with a kiss.
“One.” Her eyes landed on Jules. She stood with a group of kids; none of them looked as if they’d be doing any kissing. She winked at her, and Jules smiled.
“Two.” Preston was standing in the middle of the dance floor, chatting up a young woman Sam didn’t recognize. She tried not to laugh. Looked like he’d get his kiss after all. She shook her head and kept looking through the crowd but when she couldn’t see what her body and heart so desperately wanted to see, Sam knew she couldn’t put it off any longer.
She licked her lips, and swallowed hard, raising the microphone to her mouth.
“Three.”
But it wasn’t her that spoke the word. As the crowd released their lanterns into the air with a cheer, she turned to see the man who’d given the final signal.
“Trent.”
He stood so close to her, her senses filled with his familiar scent. Her body shook slightly; a chill, not caused by the night air, ran through her as he reached out, gently caressing her cheek with his touch.
“From what I understand, we’re supposed to let this go together.” His hand rested on hers that still held the lit lantern.
Sam looked into his eyes, unable to speak as she released her grip on the lantern. Together, they looked up and followed its path into the sea of paper lights set against the stars that were starting to appear. When she lost track of which lantern was theirs, she looked away but the tears in her eyes blurred his features.
His thumb smoothed away a stray tear that streaked down her cheek. His other arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her against his hard chest. When his mouth lowered to he
rs, she returned his kiss with all the pent-up feelings and emotions she’d been holding inside. Unaware or uncaring of who was watching them, there was no need for words.
Finally, Sam pulled away and bit her lip. “You know what this means?”
Trent’s smile reached his eyes. “According to legend, it means that you’re my sweetheart for the season.”
Sam nodded, unable to hide the happiness flowing through her.
“But I don’t believe in legends.” His voice turned serious, and Sam’s heart paused for a moment. “Because a season isn’t good enough.”
“What?”
“I love you, Samantha Burke. And a season just isn’t going to be long enough for me to show you just how much you’ve gotten under my skin and into my heart.”
She reached up and let her fingers slide through his hair. “I’ve never been a big believer in legends myself.”
“So, you…”
“I love you, too.” Her lips curled up into a smile. “Despite my best efforts to keep you out, you’ve somehow managed to push your way into my heart. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Trent laughed, and a whoop went up from the crowd when they once more sealed their declarations with a kiss. It wasn’t until the band started playing that they reluctantly broke apart.
Axel, the lead singer, sidled up them. “Glad you found your man, love. I’m happy to give you the stage, but these folks are looking for a show.”
Sam laughed. “Point taken.” She led Trent offstage, and out of the spotlight. But not ready to let go yet, she said, “About that message you left…”
He tilted his head and eyed her. “What about it?”
“Are you still looking to go for a sail?”
It was Trent’s turn to laugh, but there was nothing but lust in his eyes when he looked at her. “Aye aye, Captain.”
EPILOGUE
With the sun high in the sky, the weather was perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Made even more perfect by the fact that Sam had closed the Grizzly Paw, like she did every Sunday, and was enjoying the beautiful weather on the back deck surrounded by friends, catching up on the week.