One Hot Summer

by Heidi McLaughlin

  “Oh hey, Donovan, what are you doing here?” She jogged over to his car with the dog in tow. “Did you forget something last night?”

  He stepped out, forgetting the flowers because he was too busy taking in how pretty she was for it being so early in the morning. Her hair was once again piled up on top of her head, but she looked like she was ready to tackle the day.

  “Umm, sort of,” he said, willing himself to go for it. “I wanted to talk to you for a minute before I went to work.”

  “Of course, what is it?” Her genuine interest in what he had to say sealed the deal. He needed her to stay.

  “Riley… there’s something about you I can’t get out of my head. I like you. I know we just met and it’s been kind of an odd set of circumstances, but I swear to you, I’m really not like Gavin, and I’d like the chance to see if there’s something between us.” He watched her body language change from concern to surprise, but now she had a smile on her face.

  “You should kiss me,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact.

  Donovan didn’t need to be told twice. He pulled her close and, with both hands cupping her face, brought his lips to hers. He’d been so worried she’d tell him to fuck off, he hadn’t even had time to imagine how amazing it would be to kiss her. He dropped one hand to pull her tighter to him, and she ran her hands up his back as she returned the kiss as passionately as he gave.

  “Please stay and spend the summer here, with me?” he asked softly when their lips broke apart. Searching her face, he prayed for the answer he was looking for.

  Riley looked up at him, her expression unreadable, before she turned her gaze in the direction of the ocean.

  "Donovan, I've never been one who really connected with many people, except maybe Jameson, I’ve never been terribly social." She looked back at him, a sparkle in her eye and a smile playing on her lips. "But with you, I've never felt more at ease with someone I literally just met. There's something about you that brings out this part of me I never thought I'd feel comfortable expressing."

  She brushed her fingertips across Donovan's cheek and he closed his eyes at the contact.

  "So, yes, Donovan. I'll stay. I can't promise you more than this summer, but I will stay and give you and Scrappy a chance." She giggled.

  He grinned as he leaned down to brush his lips across hers. "That's all I'm asking."

  His plan had been set in place.

  The End. Or...just the beginning.

  The Inheritance, a full-length novel with extended scenes, coming Winter 2019.

  Also By Amy Briggs

  The Brotherhood of District 23

  Fired Up (Book 1)

  Fully Involved (Book 2)

  Controlled Burn (Book 3)

  The Complete Brotherhood of District 23

  The Brotherhood of District 23 Coloring Book

  Standalone Novels & Novellas

  Hot & Cold

  (co-written with Mikey Lee;

  a Brotherhood of District 23/Sin Series Crossover)

  Saving Sarah

  Uncovering Davidson

  Kissing Kalliope

  Love in the Midwest (Novella Duet)

  Love & Donuts

  Fairy Tales Reimagined Series

  Dream State (Book 1)

  Little Queens Duet

  Royal Protection

  The Clutch Series

  Roman (co-written with Heidi McLaughlin)

  Christmas Novels

  Christmas With You (a Holiday Anthology)

  Anthologies

  Jordyn’s Army

  One Hot Summer

  About the Author

  Formerly a firefighter and EMT in New Jersey, Amy Briggs grew up next to a military base, which inspires many of her stories. Amy draws on her experiences in emergency services to show the depth and emotional side of the lifestyle. Her love of fairy tales carries through each of her novels and she hopes to inspire readers to fall in love with love. Amy lives in Texas with her family and more cats than she can handle.

  Amy loves to hear from readers and can be found on all the social media or email her at: amy@amybriggsauthor.com

  Find a full list of all of Amy Briggs books at www.amybriggsauthor.com

  Summer Seduction

  Caisey Quinn

  “In the game of seduction, there is only one rule: Never fall in love.”

  Cruel Intentions

  1

  Emersyn

  -SATURDAY NIGHT-

  The exact instant I plugged in the blow dryer, my phone buzzed for the third time in my back pocket, startling me half to death. I knew what the notification was. A reminder of the text from twenty minutes ago that I still hadn’t had a free second to respond to.

  I was running late as it was.

  After a few quick passes, I shut off the hair dryer and glanced in the mirror. Figuring my wavy blonde hair was as contained as it was going to get in the North Carolina late summer heat and humidity, I ran a brush through it and called it good.

  Retrieving my phone and unlocking it, I rolled my eyes at my best friend’s text message. Drew had sent another eggplant emoji with a reminder that he was scouting candidates at the carnival tonight. Candidates meaning guys he thought I should give my virginity to.

  Because surely Mr. Right was hanging out in the next town at a traveling carnival. Not likely.

  No carnies, I texted before clicking the eye roll emoji and telling him I’d see him soon.

  No promises, he texted back, and then, Let’s not set the bar too high.

  This time I sent the tongue out emoji and tucked my phone back into my pocket.

  After making my way to the kitchen, I plated my mom’s dinner and braced myself for her response to my evening plans.

  Pushing her bedroom door open with a quick knock, I sucked in a breath and inhaled the stench of stale sweat and medication.

  Her voice was venomous when she caught sight of me. “Just where do you think you’re going?”

  I sat the grilled chicken pasta salad from the coffee shop where I worked on her bedside table. It was her favorite—not that it was doing much to improve her mood at the moment.

  The fact that I’d washed and dried my hair and put on makeup must’ve tipped her off that I had plans.

  I scuffed the toe of my battered converse against the carpet. “To the carnival in Riverside with Camille and Drew. I’m taking Ethan.” I had already taken my little brother to his baseball workouts that morning, worked an eight-hour shift at High Octane—the coffee shop on the nearby college campus—picked Ethan up from his friend’s house, and cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom. “He went home with the Anderson’s after practice this morning. When I picked him up, he mentioned Caleb Anderson and several of his friends were going to the carnival tonight and asked if he could go.”

  Her face twisted into a mask of disgust. “He asked you for permission instead of me?”

  There was no correct answer to this question. I’d been more of a mother to Ethan than she had for as long as I could remember. But I didn’t have the time or energy for that discussion now.

  “You were resting. He didn’t want to disturb you. Let me grab you something to drink.” I moved swiftly to the kitchen and poured a glass of sweet tea. When I carried it back to her room, she still hadn’t touched her food.

  I moved the plate, along with a fork and a napkin, from the nightstand to the bed.

  “So, you’re just going to leave me here? Alone? What if I fall? What if something happens to me?” She narrowed her eyes on me. “How did I raise such selfish, ungrateful brats?”

  I should have been ready for the harsh words, but I winced anyway. Involuntary reflex.

  “It’ll only be a few hours and Drew’s mom said to call if you need anything. She’ll be home all night. She has the code to the keypad on the front door. If I can’t reach you for any reason, I’ll send her over to check on you.”

  Drew Echols was my best friend, had been since sixth grade when we b
oth moved to our neighborhood from out of state within a few months of one another. My dad’s job sent us here from Dallas, Texas. Drew was a military kid who’d lived all over. He was much more cultured than most of the residents in Elksboro, the small coastal town where we’d ended up. We’d been outsiders together throughout middle school. By freshmen year, we’d quit caring if anyone else included us or not.

  His mom was one of the few people who knew about my mom’s diagnosis. She and Drew had come into the coffee shop earlier that afternoon and convinced me I needed to get out of the house and do something fun for a change.

  I definitely didn’t tell my mother that part. She’d likely backhand Ms. Echols on sight if I did.

  I didn’t want to upset her. But I had to admit, cotton candy and carnival games sounded like fun. So far, my entire summer had been an endless exhausting cycle of taking care of my mom, running Ethan to and from baseball, working at the coffee shop, and the two classes I was taking at Southeastern University to increase my chances of landing an internship in the fall.

  Wash, rinse, repeat.

  “Anything could happen in a few hours, Emersyn. I could die.” She teared up instantly, causing a familiar ache in my chest. “I guess you’d be glad if I did. So, you could focus on your friends and your own life and not have to worry with me at all.”

  “Mom, for goodness sakes.” I lowered myself onto the edge of her bed. “Don’t talk like that.”

  “I mean it,” she sniffed. “Sometimes it feels like you and Ethan would be better off without me.”

  Sometimes it did feel like that, so I didn’t deny it. I didn’t want anything to happen to her. I just wished she wasn’t so angry and hateful all the time.

  Things were already bad when she first got diagnosed with Lupus last year. It was a million times worse when my dad admitted he’d been having an affair and moved to California three months ago. Now it was the end of July and my mother’s volatile temper seemed to be increasing with the heat.

  “You know we love you, Mom. Ethan was just saying he wished you felt well enough to come to some of his games.”

  Not that she ever really did. That was dad’s thing. She always said baseball bored her.

  “Great, now you’re trying to make me feel guilty.” She pushed the plate containing her pasta away and it spilled onto the comforter. I retrieved a hand towel from her bathroom and cleaned the mess. “You’ve ruined my appetite. Just go. I’m sick of looking at you.”

  I swallowed my hurt feelings and stood, placing what food I could salvage back onto the plate. “You need to eat, whether you’re mad at me or not. I’ll be home soon. I love you.”

  I nearly choked on the last words, knowing I wouldn’t hear them back.

  Try to put yourself in her position, my dad was always telling me. Give her time. She’s angry with God and with me. She’ll stop taking it out on you eventually.

  Yeah right. Easy for him to say. He ran for the Hollywood hills, literally. My mom wasn’t warm and fuzzy before he left for Los Angeles with his assistant turned fiancée. Now she was downright toxic.

  Once I was clear of her room, I closed her door just in time to hear the plate slam against it. I’d have to deal with that mess later because I also heard a horn honk outside.

  “Let’s go, E,” I said, knocking on my brother’s bedroom door. “Camille’s here.”

  Had to be Camille. Drew knew better than to honk and risk waking or upsetting my mother.

  My brother opened his door, looking handsome in khaki cargo shorts and a royal blue collared shirt he only wore to church. I blinked, making sure I wasn’t losing my eyesight at seventeen. Typically, his wardrobe consisted of stained T-shirts and basketball shorts and I had to beg him to bathe.

  “I’m ready.”

  “Is that gel in your hair?” I’d never seen him so put together. “Is there more to wanting to go to this carnival than you’re telling me? Like a certain girl named Hailee Michaels?”

  Ethan’s twelve-year-old face turned red. “No. It’s just a little mousse.”

  Apparently, mousse was lower on the effort hierarchy.

  “Ah, must not be for a girl then.”

  I kept up with him the best I could. Eavesdropping when I had the opportunity because he hardly told me anything anymore. I knew it wouldn’t be long before his friends started experimenting with girls and drugs and alcohol. I prayed my dad was still going to handle those talks—even if they were FaceTimed from long distance.

  “You look handsome, anyway. Eat your heart out, Hailee Michaels.” I ruffled his stiff moussed hair and locked up before we made our way to my friend’s maroon 4Runner.

  As we approached, Camille glanced up from her phone and waved excitedly.

  She squealed when we climbed in. “Hey, hey! Look at you in your cute shorts!”

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, closing my door then checking to make sure Ethan buckled his seat belt. I definitely didn’t feel cute. Mom’s anger had seeped into my skin like sewage.

  “Hey, hot stuff,” Camille greeted my brother before turning back me. “Seriously. You always look adorable at work, but those legs of yours are making me sexually confused.”

  “Oh yeah, I’m a regular runway model.” Rolling my eyes, I leaned in for a hug.

  Camille was older than me, having graduated from our small high school the previous year. Working toward her nursing degree, she took part-time classes at a community college and worked full-time at the coffee shop. She was really Drew’s friend, but we’d worked together all summer, so I had inherited her by association.

  She gave me a brief but tight squeeze. “I missed you! I’m so glad you’re coming out tonight!”

  It felt like overkill, but I appreciated her attempt. “You just saw me at work a few hours ago.”

  I glanced at the black long-sleeved off-the-shoulder crop top and white skirt she’d paired with black lace up ankle boots. Then at my faded plum oversized V-neck shirt, ratty dark wash cut offs, and converse. Camille had a raven pixie cut that was highlighted with whatever suited her mood typically. Blonde and maroon today. She was gorgeous—petite and curvy and knew how to contour with the best of them. Beside her, without Drew as a buffer between us, I felt frumpy.

  “I missed hanging out with you. Being at work is not the same thing,” she clarified.

  “I missed hanging out, too.” I pointed to her vape-thingy in the center console. She said she’d quit, but the inside of her SUV smelled like a little too much of the Victoria’s Secret perfume she used to cover it up. “I thought you were going to quit vaping, because, and I quote, ‘popcorn lung is not cute.’”

  She waved her hand while backing out of my driveway. “I did. Then me and Derek broke up again and I was so stressed, I was eating a ton, so I started vaping to lose the weight I put on.”

  She was a size four at most. I wore an eight on a skinny day. If she needed to lose weight, then I was doomed. But since she’d been dating Derek, she was constantly criticizing herself. Derek the Douche, Drew and I called him. He used Camille for everything from a piece of ass to gas money.

  “You know, there are plenty of ways to lose weight without getting cancer, right?”

  “Noted, Mom,” she said half-heartedly. She glanced in the back to make sure Ethan had his headphones plugged into his iPod as usual. Confirming that he did, she leaned over a little. “So speaking of sexual confusion, tell me about this vow to lose your virginity. Drew says he’s screening candidates. Any idea who’s going to be the lucky fellow to finally get some?”

  “I could kill Drew. I swear.”

  She turned around in the cul-de-sac, keeping her eyes on some kids riding their bicycles in the street. “Please don’t. He’s my best tipper.”

  He’d been giving me a hard time all summer. Since he’d finally gone all the way with some mystery guy he’d met at the camp where he was a counselor, he’d declared I needed to give up my V-card the summer before our senior year. I’d made the mistake of tell
ing him that I felt ready but didn’t have the time to go out and meet anyone. I’d known all of the boys in our small town since I was Ethan’s age. And they’d seen me go through my disproportionate body, braces, and acne stage—otherwise known as middle school. They weren’t exactly lining up.

  Freaking Drew. Now he’d drug Camille into his badgering. Jerk.

  “No one is getting any.” I paused to text Drew a quick death threat just as we passed his house. “Um, speaking of Drew, aren’t we picking him up?”

  Camille’s petite face scrunched. “He’s not coming.”

  “Why not? Where is he?”

  She sighed. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to say, but I think he has a date. He cancelled last minute. Like five minutes ago, actually.”

  “He was just texting me about the carnival. Think the mystery dude from camp finally showed up?” I frowned at my non-responsive phone. Last week he said that they’d made plans a few times since camp, but the guy kept making excuses and ditching him. “He didn’t mention anything to me.”

  She shrugged. “It was weird. Right when I pulled into the neighborhood, he called. I heard a guy’s voice in the background and then Drew said he was going to have to skip it tonight, that he had double booked himself.”

  “Double booked himself? What is he, a freaking Marriott?”

  Camille laughed. “Don’t shoot the messenger.”

  It didn’t make sense. He’d been complaining all summer that I never spent time with him and Camille anymore. Even coming to my job today and having his mom convince me that she’d keep an eye on my mom for me tonight. Now here I was, incurring my mom’s wrath to spend time with him, and he’d bailed.