Lost Summer: A Gripping Romantic Suspense

by M T Stone

  “Whew . . .” She swallowed hard and cleared her throat. “I’ve been holding it all afternoon. I’ll be good now for a while. Let’s go show Jana my new car!” Summer turned the corner, seeing the Dairy Bar for the first time. A strange feeling immediately crept into her chest. Driving past, the feeling became more crushing as they approached the entrance to the park. There, sitting on the same park bench where she’d first talked to Leo, was a scruffy looking man. She literally froze at the stoplight, closing her eyes momentarily, trying to keep her emotions in check.

  “It’s okay,” Dylan said after seeing her reaction. He reached over and patted her thigh. “We can just go back home if you’re not ready for all of this.” He sat there looking at her with those big brown eyes filled with compassion. Summer wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. It definitely would’ve been easier to turn around and go back home, but she knew that hiding from the world was the absolute wrong thing to do. She pulled the car through the intersection and parked next to the curb.

  “It’s beautiful out . . . let’s go sit on the bench.” She made her best attempt at a smile. “As soon as this cast is off, I’m looking into Taekwondo lessons.”

  “Sure. I’ll take them with you,” Dylan replied, squeezing her leg and looking around the car. “We should have brought your crutches so you could get out and walk around.”

  She looked down at her cast, knowing full well that she couldn’t take more than a couple of steps on it. “Yeah, good thing I’ve lost weight.” She raised an eyebrow and waited for him to make the next move. It was time to find out if he was a real man. Her spirits lifted as he opened the door and hopped out. She watched silently as he walked around the front of the car. He was getting sexier with each step.

  He opened her door and gave her a smile. “Ready?” He reached down and lifted her cast-bound left leg over the threshold and held out his hand to assist her. Her heart fluttered as she lifted her other leg across and pulled against his strong grip to raise herself from the seat. “All right, here we go.” He swept her up into his arms and took a step back before using his hip to bump the door closed.

  Summer tightened her grip on his neck as he stepped up the curb and carried her toward the park bench. Unfortunately, she could feel the terror inside of her growing with each step he took. She wasn’t ready, but she was determined to face her fears instead of letting them grow. “Okay, set me down,” she instructed as they approached the back of the bench.

  “Is everything okay?” Dylan set her down, giving her a concerned look as she clutched onto the back of the bench.

  “I wasn’t thinking. I left my purse in the car, and the keys are still in the ignition.” She rolled her eyes, struggling to catch her breath. “Would you get them and lock the car for me?”

  “Sure.” He looked over at the middle-aged guy sitting at the other end of the bench. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’ll be fine,” she replied with a quiver in her voice. She nodded toward the car, impatient for him to get moving. As soon as he turned away, she looked over at the scruffy looking man who was sitting not more than a few feet away. “Even with this cast, I can still get around a little bit,” she said to the man while struggling to get around to the front of the bench.

  “How’d that happen?” he asked, looking at her with dead eyes.

  “Oh . . . I talked to a stranger sitting in that exact spot a week ago,” she confessed through an immediate burst of tears. “Later that night, he kidnapped me from my bed and hauled me in the back of a van out into the Montana wilderness.” She shook her head from side to side, not believing what she was doing.

  “Wow, and yet, here you are.” He gave her a puzzled look.

  “Yeah, I just got out of the hospital about four hours ago.” She looked up at the sky. “I’m a strong believer in getting right back on the horse. I don’t want to be afraid of people.”

  “That’s really brave.” The guy studied her face. “A little insane, but really brave. My name is John.”

  “I’m Summer.” She looked back over her shoulder at Dylan, who was leaning against the car with her purse in hand. He obviously understood that she needed a little space in order to do what she needed to do. There was no way she could’ve done it without him nearby though.

  “Your boyfriend?” he asked, looking back over his shoulder as well.

  “Yeah. I’m not sure he’s ever going to let me out of his sight again.” She sighed and looked off into the distance.

  “I wouldn’t if I were him,” he said with a solemn tone. “He’s a big son of a bitch, so I don’t think you have much to worry about.” The guy suddenly started to break down and tears filled his eyes. “There was a time when I was young and strong . . . now I’m just tired.”

  “What’s wrong?” Summer immediately felt better, turning the focus toward him.

  “Everything.” He wiped his hands down his face and cleared his throat. “Six years ago, I owned a house in southern Louisiana and made a great living working on an offshore drilling rig. At least until we drilled the Horizon. You’re probably too young to know anything about that.”

  “Is that the one that exploded and caused the huge oil spill?” She would’ve had to have lived under a rock to not have heard about it, especially living in an oil community.

  “That’s the one. We were working on the platform the day of the explosion.” He stared off into the distance without saying another word.

  “Were you hurt?” Her eyes scanned over him, looking for any obvious clues.

  “No. Not on the outside, anyway, but two of my friends were killed,” he added, glancing back at her. “A month later, we were all laid off, and I spent my days with Jack Daniels just trying to feel normal again,” he muttered.

  “That didn’t work so well?” she asked, giving him a knowing smile.

  “No. I finally went to rehab after my wife kicked me out. When I got out of there, I came up here and got a job on a land-based rig. They’re much safer.” He looked over at Summer, still shaking his head. “Things were just straightening out. I was all caught up on child support, and I had enough left over to buy a used truck.” He continued to shake his head with a dazed look on his face.

  “Then everything collapsed,” Summer finished the story for him, knowing all too well what had happened after watching the stress her father had gone through. “My dad lost almost everything too.”

  “I don’t know where to go or what to do. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been any good at, and there are no jobs . . . anywhere.” He pushed his face into his hands and slumped forward.

  “You’re not alone. This town is filled with people in the same position as you. But after almost dying this week, I can tell you one thing. Money isn’t nearly as important as it used to be,” she shared, hoping to strike a nerve.

  He lifted his head from his hands and looked over at her. “You’re an amazing young girl. I wish I had your spirit.” He paused for several more seconds. “Do you have any idea why I was sitting here?”

  “No, but you looked like you needed someone to talk to,” she replied, wanting him to tell her.

  He pulled a bottle of pills from his pocket and set them down on the bench between them. “After drinking for the last week straight, I was debating whether to take all of these and just go to sleep.”

  Tears immediately flooded Summer’s eyes as she picked up the bottle and looked at the label. “Hydros, huh? What would that solve?”

  “I still have a big life insurance policy from the old days, and I’ve always paid the premiums on it through thick and thin,” he told her, showing a small bit of pride. “Kind of a Plan B.”

  “Would you want your kids to grow up knowing you did that?” Summer asked, turning toward him and staring intently. “It’s not something I would ever want my dad to do for me. I would feel totally guilty.” Empathetic tears streamed down her face. “Don’t you care about your kids?” She had heard her mother ask similar pointed questions
during her therapy sessions. It was a way of shocking them out of self-pity and getting them to think about someone other than themselves.

  “Of course,” he scoffed. “But I haven’t even laid eyes on them in over two years.”

  “Then it’s definitely time for you to go home and see them.” Summer shifted the bottle of pills to her other hand and reached over to pat him on the knee. “Go home and work at whatever job you can find for now. Things will turn around.”

  “Are you keeping those?” he asked, nodding to the pill bottle.

  “I don’t want to leave them here with you.” She turned and motioned for Dylan to join them. “I’m going to make you a trade. Do you have enough money to make it back home?”

  The man thought for a moment as if he were calculating. “Yeah, I’ve got enough for gas, and I’m used to sleeping in my truck.”

  She reached out for her purse when Dylan approached the back of the bench. Without a word, she pulled out a pen and a card from her wallet. “My mom is a counselor, and this is her business card. Call her cellphone if you ever need any help working through things.” She handed him the card and immediately went back to digging through her wallet. “I’d be happy to talk to you too, so you can ask for me if you want. I don’t plan on giving my phone number to any strangers for a while.” She giggled nervously.

  “That’s understandable.” John cracked the first smile of the day. “Hell, it took a ton of guts for you to come over and sit down. Did you say you just got out of the hospital?”

  “A little over four hours ago,” Dylan scoffed, looking down at his phone.

  “Well, thank you for being so brave. I had myself pretty convinced that those pills were the best way out. I’m still not sure if the wife will be too happy to see me show up at home,” he said with a sigh. “But I do want to see my kids.”

  “Here, take this so you have money for a few meals along the way.” Summer cleaned out her wallet and gave it to him.

  “You are an angel,” he said with watery eyes. “I shouldn’t take this from you.”

  “I’ll give you a couple of twenties too,” Dylan offered, pulling out his wallet. “However, you need to wish this girl a happy eighteenth birthday.”

  “It’s your birthday?” John asked with shock in his voice. “Now I really feel shitty for burdening you with all of my problems and taking your money.”

  “Actually, you just did me the biggest favor anyone could’ve possibly done,” she told him, still misty-eyed. “I needed to trust humanity again. Thanks for helping to restore my faith.” She stood up and hobbled toward him. “Now, get home to your family.”

  “This world needs more people like you,” John replied, hesitantly reaching out to shake her hand.

  “Oh, come here,” Summer replied, pulling his arm and giving him a hug. She felt a surge of energy unlike anything she had felt in a long time. “Everything is going to work out fine. Just wait and see.”

  “Stop worrying about me and go enjoy your birthday, for God’s sake.” John turned and took a step away before looking back. “I’m going to call your mother one day to let you know how everything turned out . . . and to let her know she has an amazing daughter.” He gave her a genuine tear-filled smile before turning and walking away.

  “What do you want to do now?” Dylan asked with a smile as John faded out of earshot. “There are a lot more like him sitting on computers at the library.”

  “I needed to do that.” Summer took a backhanded swing at his arm. “I don’t expect you to get it, but talking to him really helped. That and finding out that it was actually your uncle who had me kidnapped.”

  “Ouch,” was his only reply. He gave her a look that made her instantly regret saying it. She just needed him to understand that she loved people, and she wanted to trust them and help them again. She didn’t like needing his protection. She didn’t want to be scared of her own shadow. In her mind, that was no way to live.

  “Can we go back to my house?” she asked, suppressing the urge to cough. “I’m getting tired.”

  “Sure.” Dylan slipped his arm around her, picked her up, and carried her back to the car.

  Turning the car around and passing by the Dairy Bar on the way back home, Summer couldn’t help reflecting on all that had happened in the past week. She had every reason to be bitter, anxious and afraid, but that wasn’t how she wanted to go through life. She had more desire than ever to reach out and help people who were struggling to make it in this world. She wondered if things could’ve turned out differently for Leo if he had been given a chance. As quickly as it had popped up, she forced the thought from her mind. It was her birthday, after all. It was time for a little fun. “Hey, I’m legal now,” she said, raising an eyebrow and running her fingers along his inner thigh.

  “Yeah, you don’t have to tell me. I’ve been waiting since the other night at the hospital when we set off that alarm,” he replied, giving her a look that sent a jolt of electricity through her. “Mom and the girls aren’t going to be home until about ten tonight. I just thought you might need a couple more days to recover.”

  “I’m sure I do, but as long as you don’t mind an occasional cough and a bum leg . . .” She returned the look that he had just given her.

  “It would take a lot more than that to stop me,” he replied with a bit of a growl.

  There was no hesitation when she came to the intersection. She turned toward his house and felt a series of goosebumps at the thought of being alone with him. Ever since she had started feeling better, she had been thinking about that first night together. That night in her hospital room had only made things worse. There was something about feeling his strong hands on her body that completely turned her on. Her heartbeat quickened as she pulled up to the house. One part anxiety and one part anticipation, she knew she was treading on thin ice by forging ahead so quickly, acting as if nothing had happened. She wanted to be strong, she wanted to move on, and most of all, she wanted him . . . now.

  Chapter 32

  Carrying the girl of his dreams into the house, Dylan couldn’t have felt more exhilarated. He had often thought about how the scene would play out if he had this opportunity. The house was silent upon entering, so he intentionally focused on the stairway that led to his room. He didn’t even glance toward the den, because doing so would only stir his anger. It was going to take quite awhile to come to terms with what had happened. It was bad enough that Carson had intentionally put Summer’s life at risk, but the sore ribs served as a constant reminder of the depth of his betrayal.

  Staring into Summer’s eyes on the way up the steps kept him in the moment. The hormones surging through him were powerful enough to displace any ill thoughts for the moment. Her eyes dilated, and he could tell her nerves were getting to her as they reached the top and turned toward his bedroom. “It’s okay, we can take things as slowly as you want,” he assured her, not wanting to trigger any traumatic memories.

  “I’m okay. I’m just a little nervous,” she replied breathlessly. “I don’t know what you’ve done to me, but this is all I’ve been thinking about. I honestly think you healed me the other night.” She snickered at the admission.

  “I’ll be your healer anytime,” he murmured as he set her down on the bed. He stood there momentarily, simply taking in her beautiful smile and wishing he would’ve had a few minutes to clean up his room and spray a little Febreze. “Sorry, my room is a mess. I haven’t been home much.”

  “Mine’s always a mess,” she replied with a giggle, grabbing the hem of his t-shirt and pulling him to her. He complied without hesitation, leaning down and kissing her while slipping onto the bed next to her. “I’m sorry this cast is so awkward.”

  “I’ll just move to the other side,” he whispered, seeing it as a minor inconvenience. “See, what cast?” he joked, running his hand along her leg until his fingers reached the bottom of her shorts. “You’re sexy as hell, even with one leg in a cast.”

  “Take off your s
hirt,” she replied, pulling at the bottom of it once again. It was obvious that she was focused, seeming anxious to get physical. He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the floor. “Oh my God, you really did get hurt,” she said, reaching out to touch his bruised chest.

  “Yeah, Dad’s vest isn’t exactly cutting edge, but it could’ve been a lot worse.” He immediately knew what she was thinking. His welt was just to the left of his sternum. If he hadn’t been wearing that vest, Carson would have killed him instantly with a bullet through the heart. He leaned in and kissed her passionately, wanting to avoid thinking about things just as desperately as her. “I can’t believe this is actually happening,” he whispered, lifting her top and sliding his hand over the top of her bra.

  “It’s a little too light in here,” she said sheepishly, looking over at the light streaming in through the window.

  “You’re beautiful,” he told her, not understanding why she would be concerned.

  “I have the boobs of a twelve-year-old,” she replied with a cute little scowl on her face. “They look better in the dark.”

  Dylan chuckled. “You are perfect.” He unhooked her bra, allowing it to fall away from her body. He slid it down her arms before leaning in and drawing an already excited nipple between his lips. “They’re perfect,” he reiterated while reaching over and rolling the other one between his fingertips.

  She reached down and tugged at the button on his jeans, persisting until he felt it release. She shifted beneath him, and then he felt her warm hand slip past his waistband. He was already rock hard, so she immediately found what she was in search of, squeezing his swollen head. “I love how it feels,” she moaned, reaching even further to gain better access.

  Dylan rolled onto his side, going up on an elbow and lowering his zipper to better accommodate her. He couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his lips as he looked into her beautiful blue eyes and leaned in for another kiss. He felt a surge of testosterone as he slid his hand down the length of her abdomen before slipping his fingers beneath her shorts and panties. “You feel amazing too,” he whispered against her lips as he began massaging her clit and the area just below it.