Lost Summer: A Gripping Romantic Suspense

by M T Stone

  “Is everything okay?” He walked over and took a seat next to her on the bench. “What the hell happened?” he asked, giving her a puzzled look.

  “Oh, Carson had me so flustered that I drank two big glasses of chardonnay on an empty stomach,” she explained, suddenly feeling foolish. “I completely lost my appetite and ended up leaving before the food even arrived.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Dylan replied, deflating like a week-old helium balloon. “I don’t know why he has to be like that.”

  “I don’t either. It seems like he’s been honing his body to perfection, but at the same time, he gets more and more socially retarded,” she vented. “Has he ever been checked for psychological disorders?”

  “I have no idea,” Dylan replied with a chuckle. “That’s probably a good idea though. He was acting all weird and emotional while we were searching for Summer.”

  “In what way?” Olivia’s full attention immediately turned from her aching feet to Dylan’s pronouncement.

  “He’s afraid of dying alone,” Dylan informed her. “His partner was killed this spring, and it got him thinking about the lack of love in his life. He apparently pulled over and cried his eyes out after listening to some song that was playing on the radio.”

  “I don’t get it,” Olivia replied, feeling completely flabbergasted. “If he doesn’t want to die alone, maybe he shouldn’t act like an asshole!” She lowered her tone as two nurses giggled while passing by on the sidewalk. “He makes it hard for me or anyone else to even like him, much less love him.”

  “I know. I think he was really disappointed that you weren’t more grateful when he found Summer.” Dylan gave her a hesitant look, knowing that he was talking out of turn. Carson would kill him if he found out he was telling her these things.

  Olivia sighed and gave him a weak smile while formulating her response. “The moment I heard that you guys had found Summer was the single greatest moment of my entire life. The only thing that even comes close was the first time that I held her in my arms. She is absolutely precious to me, but that doesn’t change my history with Carson.”

  “I think he thought that finding her could make up for all the mistakes of the past,” Dylan speculated. “It was probably a little foolish on his part.”

  “She’s been so sick that I haven’t spent hardly a moment thinking about him or anyone else,” she confessed. “That’s why I agreed to have dinner with him tonight.”

  “Which resulted in you walking home by yourself?” Dylan chuckled and shook his head.

  “Exactly. I tried to tell him that I’m very thankful, but I honestly don’t know what else to say.” She sighed. “I told him that we are going to pay him the full reward. Not only out of gratitude, but because I don’t want to go forward owing him anything.”

  “I understand, but I’m not sure he even wants the money,” Dylan replied with a perplexed look on his face. “He certainly isn’t acting like someone who’s happy to have a million dollars coming his way.”

  “Did he tell you about the offer he made Ryan?” she asked, feeling the need to get it off her chest.

  “No.” Dylan cringed, seeming to brace himself for more disturbing behavior. “Now what?”

  “He told him that he would give up the reward money if Ryan agreed to divorce me,” she confided, still finding the words hard to believe. “Who does that?”

  “That totally doesn’t surprise me.”

  “It shouldn’t surprise me either, I guess.” She shook her head, once again feeling all the anger that had dissipated during her two-mile walk. “I kept thinking that maybe one day he would grow into a normal, caring person. Instead, he’s the same self-centered bastard he always was, with zero empathy for anyone else.”

  “I’ve realized the same thing. That morning when he showed up to post bail for me, I thought maybe it was because he actually cared,” Dylan said with a pained look in his eyes. “But I think he just wanted me to ride shotgun in case I knew anything that could help him find Summer.”

  Olivia sat in silence for a few seconds, truly understanding the pain that Dylan was feeling. Carson had a unique way of making people feel incredibly unimportant. “I want you to know that I honestly care about you,” she said, putting her arm around him. “Ryan’s coming around too. You don’t need a guy like Carson in your life. It will actually be a blessing if he goes back to Colorado for good.”

  “I know. I care about you guys, too,” Dylan said, returning the sentiment.

  “Also, it’s easy to see that you’ve been following in his footsteps by focusing all of your efforts on bodybuilding, and that’s good to a point.” Olivia leaned forward, looking him directly in the eyes. “But you need to grow up, be responsible, and have some compassion for others as well. It’s not all about physical strength.”

  “I know.” Dylan cast his eyes downward. “Lifting has made me feel better because I see the immediate results. It’s something real. But Carson is right. I’m still weak on the inside. He thinks I should join the military.”

  “I don’t think that’s the right answer for you,” she told him honestly. “You’ve got a pretty soft heart, and the military just amplified Carson’s personality flaws. Instead, you need to start thinking about others a little bit instead of always focusing on yourself. Get out of your head and live your life. That’s the biggest problem people have in this twenty-four, seven world. Everyone is always on their phone or in their head. People rarely talk to each other anymore.”

  “I know you’re right,” Dylan admits, raising his eyes to meet hers. “I don’t want to be like Carson. I want to be more like Summer. You’ve done a great job raising her.”

  When Dylan got home that evening, he walked into the den and found Carson angrily shoving his personal belongings back into his oversized duffle bag. He immediately suspected that his uncle was once again fleeing the scene after being shot down by Olivia. The scene unfolding in front of him was identical to the way he had abandoned them the last time. “Will I see you in another eight years?” he asked facetiously.

  “It’s possible. Or maybe I’ll crash your wedding whenever you and Summer get hitched,” he replied, continuing to thrust items into the bag. “I’ve got to get out of this shithole town.”

  “I know.” Dylan nodded, having already heard the story behind his actions. “Are you leaving tonight?”

  Carson sighed and stopped what he was doing. “No. I’m just blowing off some steam. I’ve got too much going on around here the next few days to leave. In fact, I’ve got a couple of interesting meetings in the morning.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Oh, I’ve just been doing a little research on the lake property that Leo lived on,” he replied with a glimmer suddenly returning to his eyes. “Turns out, no one has paid the taxes on it since way before the old man died.”

  “Meaning what?”

  “Meaning that I was able to buy the whole thing from the county by paying thirty-two hundred in back taxes and penalties.” The grin on his face was the biggest Dylan had seen since his arrival. “It’s worth a hundred times that.”

  “So are you going to develop it or just flip it?” Dylan asked, having watched his share of those types of shows on HGTV while sitting around the house.

  “I’m thinking I’ll do a quick flip, since it’s out in the middle of nowhere,” he replied, collapsing onto the couch and throwing his hands behind his head. “If things go well tomorrow, I’ll probably have it all wrapped up in one day. It should be some easy money.”

  “Really. Then what?”

  “Well, my mission in this area will come to a head Thursday. After that, I’m kicking around a few different ideas. I should maybe take a trip to Russia or the Ukraine . . . where women appreciate a real man.” Carson leaned back, staring at the ceiling and shaking his head from side to side.

  “Yeah, you’d probably seem sensitive compared to some of those Russian mobsters,” Dylan replied with a full belly laugh. “You
’re going to have to get rid of that little ponytail thing, though, and maybe dye your hair black.” He began laughing even harder.

  “I’m glad you’re so amused by my lack of finesse.” Carson glared at him, not finding the humor in his comedic rant. “As if you’ve got anything to gloat about.”

  “I know.” His words felt just like a punch to the gut. He didn’t need to be reminded that his car was running on fumes, his bank account was empty, and he had basically lived at the gym for the past twelve months since graduating from high school. It hadn’t been easy trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. He wasn’t a very good student, but at the same time, he didn’t want to be trapped in a labor intensive job with no opportunity for advancement. “Shit . . . I can’t even afford to fill my gas tank,” he added, hoping that his uncle would throw him a little cash since his prospects were looking so bright.

  “Well, I did say that I would share a little reward money with you, but I haven’t seen any of that yet,” he scoffed, rising from the couch and walking back to his duffle bag. He reached inside and pulled out an envelope. “I always keep plenty of cash on hand.” He handed him a couple of crisp hundred-dollar bills. “That should keep you in gas for now.” Dylan leaned in, trying to gauge the size of his stack, but Carson quickly closed the envelope and stuffed it back inside.

  “Thanks! I appreciate it.” Dylan slung an arm around him, trying to give him a one-arm hug. “So, how did you find out about the back taxes on that land?”

  “I have an app, but anyone can go to the county website and find that information on any property. It’s all there in black and white.”

  “So, that place has an actual address?” Dylan asked, feeling more than a little shocked. “Leo didn’t even have a driver’s license or social security card. I didn’t see a mailbox out there anywhere.”

  “The old man got a monthly check from the government, so there was definitely a mailbox while he was around. When the checks stopped coming and the bills didn’t, I’m sure Leo took it down. The county had several tax bills that were marked ‘no such address’ by the post office,” he said, grabbing the remote and clicking on the TV.

  “I can’t imagine living like that. No computer, no TV, no phone . . .” Dylan replied, turning to exit the room. “It’s totally crazy.”

  “That dude was the definition of crazy,” Carson replied, already distracted by something on the news. “One less psycho for law enforcement to deal with. Bullets are cheap. I just wish we could use more of them.”

  “Harsh!” Dylan gasped. “There go those social skills again.”

  “Fuck you, kid.” Carson scowled at him. “Didn’t I just give you two hundred bucks?”

  Dylan rolled his eyes and turned to head up the stairs to his room. He had to wonder how Carson had grown so cold and could have such little regard for human life. He was still haunted by the image of Leo sitting next to the van with the life draining out of him. Of course, he had also felt terrible after shooting a young rabbit that had been eating his mother’s flowers. That was the main reason he was hesitant about pursuing a career in law enforcement. He wasn’t sure if he had it in him. He would probably freeze up and get himself shot.

  He heard the front door slam. Mom was home. She immediately engaged in conversation with Carson, but he couldn’t quite hear what she was saying. He decided that it didn’t matter and closed the door to his room. It was only a little after nine, but it had been a really long day. He crashed on the bed and grabbed his laptop to do a Google search. He typed in Wilby County MT and clicked on the first result. He could tell by how long it took to load that it was going to be some shitty old website. After nearly half a minute, he looked through the menu and there was no link for real estate, much less real estate taxes. He clicked on the link that said County Treasurer and the page froze. Next, he clicked on County Assessor, not really knowing what that meant. After fumbling around for a minute or two, he ran across a link to the Montana Department Of Revenue. That sounded like someone who would be in charge of collecting taxes.

  He eventually found a Property Search button and it lead to a map where he could click on any piece of land in the entire state. He scrolled up to the area where they had found Summer and clicked on the lake. A tax record popped up along the side of the page saying that the property was owned by Darryl Sullivan, obviously the name of Leo’s father. The assessed value was one hundred and eighty-five thousand, with unpaid taxes of three thousand two hundred dollars. The fact that someone could buy the property just by paying those taxes seemed insane.

  He started to search for Montana tax laws and saw the words Montana Tax Lien Law in one of the search results. He clicked on it, and according to the law, anyone could purchase a tax lien and the owner had sixty days to redeem the property by paying those taxes. Since both Darryl and Leo were dead, the actual owners were out of the picture. Other interested parties could offer a higher price for the property if they wanted it. He chuckled, thinking about the fact that he had exactly two hundred dollars to his name. He wouldn’t be outbidding his uncle anytime soon. Hell, he would never want that particular property anyway. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the two bills, tossing them onto the bed next to him. His eyes were immediately drawn to the serial numbers. That can’t be a coincidence, he thought, closing his laptop and lying back on the bed. What the hell was going on?

  Chapter 25

  Olivia and Ryan spent another long night watching over their daughter, praying that the latest round of treatments would be successful. About ten o’clock, the doctor ordered her back on the ventilator. After a brief flurry of activity, they could both see that it was going to be another long exercise in patience. The room fell silent except for the eerie, rhythmic sound of the ventilator pushing and extracting air from her lungs.

  “Can we go to the family room and talk about something?” Olivia finally asked Ryan, unable to watch the machine any longer.

  “Sure,” he replied, getting up from his chair, taking her by the hand, and leading her out into the hospital corridor. They both remained silent as they made their way down the now familiar hallway. Only the sound of Olivia’s heels clicking against the cold, hard tiles broke the silence. He paused momentarily upon reaching the doorway of the family room, glancing inside to ensure it was vacant. “You look beautiful tonight,” he told her with a reminiscent smile.

  “Thanks for noticing,” she replied, feeling a pang of guilt. It had been a long time since she had worn high heels for him. She stepped into the empty room, glanced around, and walked over to the couch. She took a moment to examine a painting that hung on the wall, pretending to be interested. Now that they were alone, she was suddenly at a loss for words.

  “Come and sit down,” Ryan suggested, patting his hand on the couch next to him. He too seemed nervous, probably unsure of what Olivia wanted to talk about. “How was dinner tonight?” he asked while simultaneously picking at one of his fingernails. It was something he would do whenever he was nervous or bored.

  “It was a disaster,” she admitted. “I knew I had to oblige him out of gratitude, but honestly, it was just painful.”

  “Really? He’s never looked better. He must spend every free minute at the gym,” Ryan replied, expressing a bit of jealousy. “I’ve decided I need to get in shape this fall.” He rubbed his hand over his belly, giving it a pat.

  “I miss you,” Olivia whispered, suddenly turning serious. “I really miss you.” Tears immediately burst from the inside corners of her eyes. Ryan didn’t reply, but instead gave her a look of complete bewilderment. She smiled, knowing that he probably didn’t understand what she meant. “I miss the way we used to be. How you used to make me feel special. How you would take me in your arms and just hold me tight.”

  “Ahh,” he acknowledged with a nod. “I miss those days too. I wasn’t sure if you even wanted to be that close to me anymore. Sometimes, it seems like you can’t stand the sight of me.” He paused as if hesitant
to finish his thought. “After seeing how you were dressed tonight, I thought maybe you were about to give me some bad news.”

  “No.” She cleared her throat and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. “I think we’ve all had enough bad news for one year. I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry for what?” Ryan placed his hand on her leg and slowly began to caress her thigh.

  “For making you feel like you were my second choice,” she replied, immediately choking up again. “I mean . . . I’m sorry if I made you feel that way.”

  Ryan gave her a sad half-smile and continued to move his hand along the length of her thigh. “I was your second choice, and yes, it hasn’t always been easy to live with it . . . especially since he’s been coming around on a regular basis to rattle your cage.” Now, Ryan was the one who turned away, trying to keep his emotions under control. “I about shit when he found her,” he muttered, on the verge of tears.

  “I’m glad he found her, but it doesn’t change the way I feel about him.” Olivia hooked his chin with her fingers, turning him back toward her. She looked straight into his gentle brown eyes. “You’ve always been there for Summer and me. I know without a doubt that I made the right decision years ago.”

  Ryan slipped his arm around her and coaxed her to settle in against his chest. “This feels good.”

  It did feel good. Olivia also felt better now that there were no residual thoughts of Carson rolling around in the back of her mind. For years, she had avoided him out of necessity, unsure whether she could keep herself from making a devastating mistake. After all, he was her first love and those memories had always lingered. Maybe it was because those first intimate experiences seemed as if they had been so electric and life changing, especially in hindsight. Now, though, she was certain that her grandmother had been right and she had dodged a bullet. Carson was permanently out of the picture, allowing her to focus all of her attention on Ryan and Summer, in addition to helping Dylan figure out his future.