Chapter 17
SUMMER
“You ready?” I park a block down from the store and look at Daniel before we get out. Sunglasses on, ball cap in place, identity not hidden in any way, but I understand him wanting to try.
“As I’ll ever be.” He didn’t want to come, not because he doesn’t want to visit downtown Mountain Laurel Cove or hang out with Roman and me. He doesn’t want Roman subjected to fans, or, worse, have photos of his son plastered all over the internet.
I can’t relate to what he’s experiencing. It’s unique for someone in his position. But also, at six-four and displaying those shoulders, he’s not exactly able to blend into a crowd. So I get his hesitation. But for us, he came charging out of the house ready to tackle fame head-on.
Popping out of the car, I open the back door for Roman to climb out.
We don’t make it onto the sidewalk before I’m waving at Joan from the coffee shop located up the road when she passes us.
She does a double take at Daniel but doesn’t stop to chat, thank goodness.
“See that store ahead? The Honey Hive?” I lean down to whisper to Roman, “That’s my sister’s shop. ”
“Is there honey?”
Standing back up, I reply, “Oh boy, is there honey. Honey in everything.”
Daniel keeps his head down and asks, “Which sister is this?”
Over my shoulder, I whisper, “Winter. She’s a mogul in the making. I swear she’ll have a honey empire one day.”
He laughs as he strips his sunglasses off and opens the door for us. “I have no doubt, if she’s related to you.”
Heading straight for the counter, Winter hands a bag to a customer and wishes her a good day when she lays eyes on me. “In the market for some honey?”
“Sure am,” I reply, tapping the counter and glancing around the store. “What’s new?”
“We got this nougat honey bar that I can’t stop eating.” Reaching around, she takes one from a wooden display rack. “It’s wicked good.”
“Wicked, huh?” I laugh. She graduated from Boston University last month and brought home some of the local vernacular.
“Want to take one?”
“Bring a few home tonight.”
Despite a few other customers browsing, her eyes land on Daniel and Roman with their hands pressed to the ice cream counter as they study the selection. I smirk, my gaze following her as my shoulders relax. Leaning closer, she whispers, “These are the tenants for the summer?”
It’s only been a few days, but calling Daniel a tenant feels like such a disservice for how involved we already are. “They stayed with us for the past two nights. The pipes are broken over there.”
“Spring filled me in. So he plays hockey, huh?”
“He does.” I look over at him just in time to catch him wink at me.
Resting her arms on the counter, she says, “In Boston, they call the groupie girls who chase hockey players puck bunnies.”
“No.” But I’m not sure either . . . My mood infects my hunger, so I grab a candy bar from the display and rip the top of the wrapper off.
“I need this, after all.” Taking a bite, she’s not wrong.
From the first taste, it’s delicious, but it doesn’t make me feel better like I hoped.
Does accepting Daniel’s offer make me a groupie?
Stealing another glimpse of Daniel, I’m frustrated we haven’t found time alone to work out the details.
It would be easy money for me. I don’t have to pretend to care about him.
I already do, he and Roman both. But I hadn’t been thinking about other women in his orbit, not really.
Wonder if I should. “It’s good,” I say, once I swallow.
I take another from the rack, feeling the need to stock up on comfort foods. and shove it into my pocket.
“Are you going to give me the details or what?”
No way would she know. I haven’t spent any real time with her in the past few days, and I haven’t told anyone about the arrangement.
I don’t plan to either. I can only imagine the lecturing I’d get if my family knew I was selling myself in exchange for money.
Wait . . . that sounds so much worse than the idea I came up with or the offer I’ve accepted.
“What details are you talking about?” I play coy.
“You and the hockey player, silly.”
“Oh.” I laugh like we’re sharing an inside joke to throw her off. “I’d need more time than I have to share those details.”
She clucks her tongue at me. “Give me the short version.”
I step aside when another customer comes to the checkout. “Trust me, you’ll get an earful soon enough.”
She rolls her eyes, then smiles at the customer. “You are going to love this honey. And you can order online when you run out. That will be $7.45.” Then she turns to me and mouths, “Tease.”
“Good girl” plays on repeat in my head, my body reacting as if he was still touching me.
I take a deep breath. Yeah, my sister has no idea of the teasing capabilities of that man.
He has it down. I was so close to asking if he wanted to mess around some more last night. Overthinking it got in the way.
I slide down to the far end of the counter, bumping my hip against Daniel. “What’s on the menu?”
He shoots me a look that tells me he sees a lot that is tempting. It takes so little for him to fuel the fire inside me and the flames to reach my cheeks. “I was thinking later we could—”
“Hi,” my sister says, bursting the bubble we had floating around us. Holding her hand over the counter, she smiles with her eyes wide on him. “I’m Winter. Summer’s sister.”
“Daniel,” he says, taking her hand, then patting Roman’s back. “This is my son, Roman.”
Winter hovers over the glass display. “What looks yummy?”
Roman doesn’t hesitate and taps the glass. “Honeycomb chocolate.”
“That’s my favorite. Cup or cone?”
“Cone.” She’s already reaching for a cone as if she knew the answer.
When she starts scooping, she peeks up at Daniel. “And what looks yummy to you this summer?”
“Excuse me?” His brows squeeze tight.
Winter’s laugh grips her as she bends to catch a breath.
“Sorry,” she says, a hand reaching over the top of the counter to signal she’s going to live.
I’m just here, mortified, while she finally gets a hold of herself and stands up.
“I didn’t mean my sister . . .” She starts laughing again.
“I meant what’s going to be your treat this summer, like the season. Oh God, I’m making this worse.”
“You are,” I deadpan, knowing she absolutely meant me with that loaded question. “I’m regretting visiting you today.”
She breezes her hand in the air like this joke is gonna go on forever. “No. No. I’m sorry.” Laughter still interrupts every word.
I glare at her, though I must admit it was a good play on words.
She gave it her full effort despite telling us it wasn’t planned.
I know Winter better than that. “I’m not sure how sorry you are,” I say, then plaster a fake smile on.
“But you’re going to be, little sis. Now get the man his ice cream. ” I laugh.
“I’m going to try the orange honey vanilla.” His eyes dart between us as he studies us. “Visually, you and Winter are opposites.”
“Like the seasons.” I walk to a new lotion I’ve not seen in here before and use the pump.
“Remarkable.”
“As if my mom knew before she met us.”
Winter hands him his cone. “Sorry to hear about your vacation being ruined.”
“It’s not ruined.” His little finger grazes the side of my hand just hidden from view from my sister. “We’re coming out ahead, if you ask me.”
Her eyes flick to mine, and we share all-knowing smiles. “I know Summer will take good care of you. She’s the best.”
The bell chimes above the door as a group of women from the local ladies’ club walks in. “Hello, girls,” Mara greets with her arm thrown in the air with flair. For twenty-five years, she’s voluntarily run the playhouse because of her love of the dramatics.
We’ve known her since the day we were born.
She’s always been a friend to the family and came to help Dolly with us when our parents died.
I give her a tight hug because it’s been too long.
“How are you?” Her signature scent of Shalimar still provides comfort in the memories of her spending time with me when I was little.
“Wonderful, darling. We’re here for the best ice cream in town.” She spots Winter at the back of the store helping another customer. Tourist season is in full swing. Our town needs the monetary injection. “You know what I like, dear.”
“One scoop Ube Honey and one scoop of orange honey vanilla coming right up.”
Mara strolls over while the rest of the group heads toward the ice cream display. “How’s your Dolly?”
Folding my hands in front of me, I reply, “She’s doing good. Keeps busy.”
“I’ve tried to get her to join the ladies’ club, but she always has something else going on. We need her moxie to liven things up. I bring them here to get a sugar rush, but it wears off before we can get into any trouble.” So much like Dolly.
I laugh and lean in conspiratorially. “I’ll talk to her.”
“Thanks, Summer.” Moving on past me, she looks Daniel up and down and then glances at me and whistles. With a completely non-covert nod toward him, she says, “If you’re looking for love, Summer, check him out.”
As if I don’t get this enough at home, now I’m subjected to it downtown. Sheesh.
Roman asks, “What does looking for love mean? I thought it just happened. Poof. Like you and Summer.”
My eyes fly to Daniel, a message of “oh shit” silently exchanged between the two of us.
While I stand there with my mouth wide open, he plants a knee to the floor, facing his son.
“Love can happen in an instant. Even without looking for it.” His eyes slide to mine before he looks at Roman again. “Summer and I aren’t in love.”
“But you kissed.”
Daniel stands and digs his wallet from his back pocket. Eyeing me, he says, “I can pay you back for the ice cream, but I think it’s best if I talk to him in private.”
“It’s on us,” I say, seeing the concern in his gaze.