For The Summer Read online

“I’m so happy you came!” Robin says, popping out of the bed of a truck.

  I jump slightly and she giggles, hopping down, grabbing my hand and leading me toward a group of people crowded around another truck.

  “Ya’ll this is Kat. She just moved here from New York,” Robin announces.

  “Ooh. New York? Like the city? With Broadway and stuff?” another girl asks.

  “No, I lived outside of the city, North West,” I explain.

  “That’s Lacey,” Robin says, pointing to the girl with the long blonde pigtails I was just speaking with. “That’s Cooper and James and Mia and Savannah.”

  I nod my head, trying to commit the names and faces to memory.

  I hear a rustling sound in the nearby cooler and the crack of an opening can before Robin hands me a Keystone light. She pats the empty seat beside her. I sit down and take a long sip of cold beer.

  “How are you liking southern living so far?” Robin asks, bumping my shoulder and flashing me a sidelong smile.

  “Well,” I begin, pausing to take a sip from the can. “I’ve been here less than twenty-four hours and my grandparents seem nice, my mom seems happy for the first time in years, I have a dog and I’m probably making more genuine friends than I ever had back in New York. I think I’ll like it here just fine.”

  “I don’t want to sound like a crazy stalker or anything. But, I’ve overheard Mr. and Mrs. Walker talking about you quite a bit the last few months. They said you’re moving to California at the end of the summer.”

  “That was the plan.” I sigh heavily and take a long sip of beer.

  “Was?” Robin asks, shifting to look at me head-on.

  I nod my head. “I’d planned to go with the guy I dated back home, Oliver. He had a football scholarship and I figured it didn’t really matter where I went as long as it was with him.”

  “Uh oh,” Robin says, interrupting my story.

  “Uh oh is right.” I smirk, dropping my eyes to my lap.

  “Last night, at my going away party I found out he’s been sleeping with my best friend. Needless to say, I’m single, have a vacancy in the friendship department, and no plans for the fall.”

  “Well, shit. How can a girl go about applying for that vacancy?” Robin jokes. Her pale blue eyes light up and she reaches into the cooler behind her, replacing my empty can with a new one.

  The sound of heavy footsteps on the grass grabs my attention. I look up and see the guy from my grandparent’s house walking past without so much as a word to the group. The surfer look from hours ago is gone. His board shorts and sandals have been replaced with jeans and black boots, but the gray t-shirt looks the same. And the handsome face is definitely the same.

  “What’s his story?” I whisper, nodding at his shadowy figure.

  “Fin? Hell if I know. Hell if anyone knows. He’s lived here as long as I can remember, but outside of school assignments and forced pleasantries we’ve exchanged about a dozen words,” Robin says. “He hangs around with Hunter and Liam mostly. James used to be a part of their pack, but when he and Lacey became a thing he sort of merged into our group. They’re still friends and all, but those guys mostly keep to themselves unless they run out of beer or someone fires up the grill.”

  “Huh,” I say, quirking my mouth to the side. “I saw him at my grandparent’s house today.”

  “Fin? Are you sure? What was he doing there?” she asks.

  “No clue. I was going to ask you.” I shrug.

  “Beats me. I spend all my time upstairs. In the laundry room, hanging clothes, or making beds. I don’t see much of anyone. That’s why I like it so much.”

  “I’m going to go ask him,” I say, standing up and cracking my beer open at the same time.

  Robin grabs my hand and looks up at me with serious eyes. “If you’re looking for a nice guy to take your mind off that boy back home, it’s not him,” she says shaking her head. “The one and only thing I can tell you for sure about Fin Bennet is that he’s not the happily-ever-after type.”

  I nod. “Don’t worry, I just want to ask him what he was doing with my grandfather today,” I explain. She nods and her hand falls away from my wrist.

  I cross the dark grass between Robin’s group of friends and the fire pit where Fin, Hunter, and Liam are standing. My stomach flutters and my heart quickens as my feet collide with the ground, bringing me closer with each step. It’s been years since I approached a guy, well unless you count last night when I made out with Connor. I shake my head, no. That doesn’t count. My feelings weren’t on the line, and I was plastered. I was sixteen when Oliver and I started dating and he was the one that came up to me at a party after the football team had won the first game of the season. I knew after that night we would get together and after a week of hanging out between classes and texting until midnight, we made it official. Now, everything is different. I know first hand how it feels to be betrayed, to have my heart broken in the worst way possible. But that’s not why I’m doing this. I’m not looking for a rebound or even a guy to waste the summer with. I’m just curious, that’s all.

  I stop beside him, staring at the glow from the fire and plucking up the nerve to break the ice. I don’t know why I bother. I’m well aware by now that I’ll end up saying something weird or embarrassing, I should really just embrace it.

  “I saw you today,” I say.

  He turns his head and creases his brow, looking at me with a mix of confusion and suspicion.

  “What?”

  I immediately realize that leading with literally anything else would have sounded less creepy. But there it is, my ice breaker and embarrassing word vomit all rolled into one. Now that that’s out of the way I have nothing to worry about.

  “Sorry,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m Kat. I saw you this afternoon at my grandparents’ house.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He turns his attention back toward his buddies.

  I stand there frozen, eyes wide with no clue what I should say next. I did not see this coming. I’m certain it was him. I saw his face, our eyes met. I know he saw me too. Why the hell would he act like he has no idea what I’m talking about?

  Another minute passes and he looks over his shoulder like he’s checking if I’m still standing there.

  “Is there something I can help you with?” he asks. His eyes are narrow and if I’m being honest he looks a little annoyed.

  “Yes. There is,” I snap, irritated by his smugness and the way he’s so quick to dismiss me.

  “Ok.” He turns, giving me his full attention. The two guys beside him walk toward the seats around the fire, grabbing beers from a cooler on their way and leaving us alone.

  I stare into his hazel eyes and take a long sip of cold beer.

  “How do you know my grandfather?” I ask, trying to sound level and unphased by his act.

  He raises his eyes for a second before dropping them back to my face. “I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  This is infuriating. I know he’s the guy I saw at my grandparent’s house this afternoon. His clothes are different, but his broad, muscular torso is definitely the same. His hair, and hazel eyes, also the same. What is he getting out of pretending he didn’t see me a few hours ago?

  I tilt my head to the side, studying his face. Curiosity brought me over here. The need to busy myself solving a mystery. But now I have more questions than I started with. Is this guy messing with me? Is he crazy? Does it even matter? Robin seems like a sweet girl, and she made it pretty clear that Fin is not the distraction I should pursue. I should probably head back over to her group and salvage what’s left of my night. I mean, what does this guy’s relationship with my grandfather really matter to me anyway?

  Unfortunately, pride has always been a big deal for me. And the way he’s smirking at me like a clueless cowboy is really starting to piss me off. He’s either hiding something or messing with me and If he wants to play games, I can play too. It just so happ
ens, I love games.

  I pat his chest with my free hand. “I must have been mistaken,” I say with a smile. “Sorry to bother you.” Then I head toward his friends and make myself comfortable in an empty camp chair.

  “Hey guys, I’m Kat,” I say, extending my hand. “I just moved here.”

  Hunter and Liam both shake my hand and introduce themselves. I look up at Fin. He’s still standing where I left him, hands crossed at his chest staring me down with narrow eyes.

  “Do you guys like games?” I ask. There aren’t any solo cups or card tables but I can improvise.

  “Sure,” Hunter says. “Whadya wanna play?” He gets up and grabs the white handle of the cooler, dragging it back toward the fire. He sits back down and cracks open a new beer.

  “How about never have I ever?” I ask.

  Liam looks around, spotting Fin in the shadows. “We’re going to play a game, come over here,” he calls.

  Fin’s eyes are still on me as he walks over and drops into the empty chair beside Hunter and directly across from me.

  “I’ll start,” I say. “Never have I ever lied to a woman.” I smile, and take a sip of my beer, staring into his eyes the whole time. Liam and Hunter both drink. No surprise there. Who can honestly say they’ve never lied to their mother or sister or girlfriend? No one, that’s who.

  Hunter looks at Fin. “Seriously, man?”

  “I’m going to sit this one out,” Fin says, relaxing into his chair with his arms crossed.

  “Suit yourself,” Liam says.

  “My turn. Never have I ever kissed a girl,” Liam says. He giggles and I can’t help but wonder if he’s high. I decide he’s not. He’s just a guy.

  I take a sip. Liam and Hunter both start hooting and cheering, for a minute I feel like I’m back home, at a party in someone’s basement while their parents are out of town. I smile and finish my beer, holding my hand out toward Hunter who has the cooler beside him.

  “How many have you had?” Fin asks.

  “How do you know my grandfather?” I return, opening the beer. He looks away. I can feel the two beers warming my body and relaxing my brain. I can feel all of my problems slipping further away with every frothy sip.

  Hunter clears his throat. “Never have I ever gone commando,” he snorts, erupting in a fit of laughter.

  I can’t help but laugh myself. Both at the lack of maturity of these guys and the memories of the times I forgot to take my laundry downstairs and my mother made good on her promise not to do my laundry if I didn’t carry it down. There were at least ten days I hadn’t worn underpants to school. I should have learned a valuable lesson or bought more underwear, but I didn’t. When the laughter settles I take a sip from my can which starts the laughter all over again.

  We play another two or three rounds, I’ve lost count, and then we just sit around the fire and I listen to Liam and Hunter tell embarrassing stories about each other. It turns out never have I ever is a great ice breaker. Robin comes over to let me know she’s leaving and asks if I’ll be alright. I tell her I will and she insists that I text her when I get home.

  “If anything happens to her I know where y’all live,” Robin says, wagging her finger between them. She stops at Fin. “I actually don’t know where you live, but I sure as hell can find out.”

  All three nod and she heads back across the field. A few minutes later two trucks and a sedan pull away, leaving most of the field dark.

  Fin gets up and walks toward the barn. I wait a minute, maybe two, and stand up, heading back toward my car. It’s time to head home. Liam and Hunter are asleep in their camp chairs and I definitely don’t want to sleep in this field tonight. There’s a brand new bed and an adorable puppy waiting for me at home. Unsure which pocket I tucked my keys into, I slide the phone in my hand between my teeth and search both back pockets at once.

  “What are you doing?” a gruff voice asks from behind me. I shriek and spin on my heels. My phone slips out of my mouth and I drop my keys on the grass. I slap my hand against my chest when I see Fin standing in front of me. I guess I don’t actually know him, so he could be some kind of psychopath, but my grandfather seems to know him and Robin has known him for a long time without turning up murdered. Right now that feels good enough.

  “Sheesh! Make some noise why don’t you!” I snap, bending down to retrieve my phone and keys.

  “You weren’t seriously going to drive yourself home were you?” he asks. His mouth is hanging open in shock.

  “Yeah. I’m totally fine,” I say, typing the address into the GPS app on my phone and fumbling with the FOB’s unlock button.

  “Uh, no.” He snatches the keys out of my hand and tucks them into his pocket. My reaction is slow, or he’s really fast, probably the first one.

  I pout at him, which is completely ridiculous for an adult woman to do, but he’s right, I am drunk. So I just stand there pouting.

  “Let’s go,” he says, walking toward a white sedan. He pulls his own keys out of his pocket and unlocks the car on the first try. This shouldn’t impress me, but it does, and now I know that I’m really drunk.

  “Why don’t you drive a truck?” I ask plainly. The words just sort of slip out. “Everyone around here has a truck.”

  “Not everyone,” he says, climbing into the driver seat and tossing my keys onto the passenger side

  I climb in, stuff my keys into my pocket, and buckle up. As soon as he starts the car I reach for the radio, seeking through the stations until the familiar sound of pop music fills the car.

  “I still can’t figure out why you won’t admit you saw me this afternoon,” I say, nodding my head along with the music.

  “You’re still stuck on that?” he asks, a hint of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

  “Yep. I have two theories.”

  “Go on,” he says, pulling onto a paved road.

  "You’re either a lunatic and you really don't remember this afternoon or you're mixed up in something shady and illegal."

  His brow creases and the ghost of a smile grows into a smirk as he shoots me a sideways glance.

  "Those are the two?" he asks.

  "Mmhmm." I nod.

  "I guess I'll take the shady and illegal business," he says, stopping at a red light.

  "Hah! Gotcha! I knew it!" I shout, dancing in my seat.

  He chuckles and I stop dancing, turning to face him as the car accelerates.

  "Why were you like that back there?" I ask. "Cold. Rude. Stand-offish."

  Fin takes a deep breath and exhales loudly. "Look, Amelia. My friends don't know that I work for your grandfather. I'd like to keep it that way."

  "It's Kat," I correct. "What's wrong with working for my grandfather? Why would you want to hide that?"

  He pulls up to the curb in front of my house and shifts the car into park. I can see his jaw tense as he rakes his hand through the top of his hair.

  "Around here the Walker name is synonymous with money and power. I keep a low profile, but if everyone knows I have ties to your family they'll start asking questions. I want to avoid that."

  "I see." But I don't. Not really. Nothing he just said makes any sense to me, but it does make one thing very clear. If keeping his distance from the Walker family means that much to him, then hanging around with me obviously isn't in the cards. I unbuckle my seatbelt and open the door, climbing out in one surprisingly smooth motion.

  "Thanks for the ride." I force a smile and shut the door, walking up to the porch without looking back. Once inside, I peek through the glass panel beside the front door. He sits there for another moment before driving off. The sound of paws on the hardwood makes me smile. I scoop Ginger up and take her out into the yard. She wanders around for way longer than necessary while I sit on the back steps leading down from the deck. I pull out my phone and send a quick text to Robin, letting her know I survived my first southern social experiment. By the time I lock up and climb the stairs to my room I’m beat and my head is throbbi
ng. I already regret the six beers I drank tonight and I’m sure I’ll feel worse in the morning.

  Knock

  Knock

  Knock

  “Amelia, where’s your car?” my mother asks, poking her head into my room.

  “A friend drove me home,” I grumble, pulling my comforter over my face.

  “Well, I’m going out. I have a few errands and appointments so if you want me to take you to pick it up, it’ll have to be now.”

  I groan. My head is throbbing, my mouth is dry and the smudges on my pillow tell me I forgot to take my makeup off before passing out last night.

  “Ok.” I sit up and throw the covers back. “Give me ten minutes.”

  “Let’s shoot for five, I’m in a hurry,” she says before I hear her descend the stairs.

  I change into jean shorts and a black crop top, scrub my face clean and run a comb through my tousled short blonde hair. Not perfect, but it’ll do. Tossing my crossbody bag over my shoulder and sliding my aviators onto my face, I decide this is as good as it’s going to get this morning.

  “Mom, I’m ready,” I call from the foyer.

  “Me too,” she says cheerfully, opening the door with one hand, and holding her coffee cup and keys in the other. She slides behind the wheel and I climb into the passenger seat.

  “How was the party?” she asks as she makes the turn onto the main road.

  “Different from back home. It was more of a tailgate. Truck beds, a fire pit, plastic camping coolers.” I shrug.

  “Doesn’t sound like much has changed from when I was your age. The summer before I went off to college my friends and I spent a lot of nights talking beside fires, under the stars.”

  “Really?” I ask, unable to picture my mom with her pencil skirts and pantsuits laying in a field off an old dirt road.

  “Mmhm.” She nods her head and smiles.

  I bring up the GPS directions from the night before and the rest of the drive is silent apart from the robotic instructions. Mom pulls up beside my Jeep and I hop out, unlocking the door with the press of a button.

  “Thanks for the lift.”

  She smiles. “I should be home by four if you want to grab dinner somewhere.”