20. Summer
Summer
The house smelled like new carpet and fresh paint. It was small—a cute bungalow with two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and a garage that was just large enough to hold Reese’s big SUV.
I sat at the little four-person dining table with a cup of coffee. It was late afternoon, and I’d probably regret the caffeine when I tried to go to bed later. But my shift had started early that morning and I wanted the pick-me-up before Nate came home from spending the day with Marlene.
All the practicalities were coming together.
What was left of our stuff from the old apartment had arrived.
Most of my things needed replacing, but Reese had already bought new furniture and stocked the kitchen.
His partner had taken care of my car, and I had an envelope full of cash to buy a new one.
Not new, obviously. But new to me.
We’d only been in Tilikum for a few weeks, but we had a safe—and adorable—place to live, I had a job, Nate would start school in the fall, and Reese’s family had stepped in as an amazing support system.
It was a level of stability, and community, I’d never had before.
If it hadn’t been for the lingering worry that Axel would find us, I might have said things were darn near perfect.
And then there was Reese Haven.
My feelings toward Reese were a tangled mess.
I was so grateful for everything he’d done.
There was no way I could ever make it up to him.
But finding out about his past had rattled me.
It wasn’t fair to hold it against him, but hearing he’d been a club member had poked at deep-seated fears.
Would I be haunted by that world forever?
Something had changed that day. He’d pulled away, keeping distance between us. And I didn’t know what to do about it—or whether I should do anything at all.
He slept on the couch. Which, of course, made sense. We didn’t need to pretend to be a couple at home, and no one was going to check the authenticity of our supposed marriage. But a little part of me ached each night when I went to bed alone.
It was so silly. We weren’t a real couple, so what did I expect?
And at some point, the ruse would be over. Reese wouldn’t stay in Tilikum. Once the danger had passed—Axel had to give up eventually—he’d go back to his life. I was the one starting over. Not him.
His SUV pulled up outside, and the garage door rumbled open. My stomach tingled, and I had to tamp down the rush of anticipation. He wasn’t my husband—or even my boyfriend—and I couldn’t act like a girl with a crush.
My heart still fluttered when he walked in. Traitor.
Pressing his lips together, he acknowledged me with an almost smile and a tip of his chin before disappearing into the bathroom.
I let out a breath and wrapped my hands around the warm mug. Everything was fine. Reese had already gone above and beyond to help us. There was nothing more he needed to do.
My phone buzzed against the kitchen counter, so I got up to check.
Marlene: I brought Nate to the farmers’ market downtown. Do you want to pick him up there?
Me: That’s great. Reese just got home, so we’ll be there soon.
Marlene: No rush. It’s small, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding us.
Reese came out and I set my phone down.
“Your mom just texted. She’s at the farmers’ market and suggested we pick up Nate there.”
“That works. Now?”
“She said no rush.”
He opened the refrigerator. My eyes lingered on his broad back and wide shoulders. At his muscular, tattooed arm holding the door open. The tingle in my stomach was back, coupled with a twinge of pressure.
The memory of the motel bathroom flashed through my mind. My body pressed against him, his big hand on my bare skin.
He grabbed a piece of leftover chicken and shut the door. I tore my eyes away.
“I’ll get a car soon.” I kept my gaze on the floor, as if it weren’t safe to look directly at him. “You won’t have to keep driving me everywhere.”
“I don’t mind.” He took a bite.
“How was your day?”
He shrugged and finished his bite. “Fine.”
“Were you still helping your brother?”
“Yeah. Just some maintenance on one of their rentals.”
I nodded, and an awkward silence descended. He leaned against the counter, eating his leftover chicken while I tried to ignore my inconvenient feelings.
“You know, if you need to get back to your regular job, it’s probably fine,” I said. “Take on a real client.”
“Not yet.” He didn’t elaborate. Just finished his last bite, grabbed a paper towel, and wiped his hands. “Ready?”
I glanced down at my Copper Kettle shirt. “I just need a minute to change.”
He tipped his chin again. And there was nothing wrong with it. He wasn’t being a jerk or unfriendly. But even in the close confines of the small kitchen, the distance between us felt like a chasm.
I went to the bedroom to change out of my work clothes, opting for a pink tank top and denim capris. Pulling my hair out of my workday ponytail, I let it fall and gave it a little fluff. Good enough.
When I came out, Reese waited near the door. I followed him into the garage and we got in his SUV and left.
The sky was brilliant blue, and even in the late afternoon, the sun had hours before it would set. It would take some time for me to get used to the long summer days now that I lived farther north.
A gravel lot provided parking for the weekly farmers market. The tires crunched as we entered and Reese found a spot. I didn’t miss the way he surveyed our surroundings. Regardless of the awkward distance between us, his vigilance made me feel safe.
I fell in step with him as we made our way to the stalls.
People wandered, many carrying canvas shopping bags filled with produce and other finds.
More than a few eyes flicked to Reese. He still garnered attention when we went out, and I wondered how long it would take for the town’s fascination with him to wane.
Glancing around, I looked for Nate and Marlene. Reese walked next to me, but the distance remained—literally. He kept a foot away from me, scanning the market as he went.
A woman with beautiful long red hair smiled at Reese as she passed us. There was no flirtation in her expression, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a twinge of jealousy.
“Roan,” she said with a nod.
“Cara,” Reese replied.
“Roan?” I asked after we’d gone by.
“It’s an alias I use sometimes.”
“And she knows you by your alias because…”
“She was a client.”
“Oh.”
I glanced back and saw a man in a Tilikum Fire Department T-shirt embrace her and bring her in for a kiss.
Two little boys with ice cream cones stood next to them.
They were a cute family. And obviously I had no reason to be jealous.
Even if she’d known Reese for other reasons, he wasn’t mine. Our marriage wasn’t real.
Another woman approached, but this one had silver hair and was dressed in a lavender velour tracksuit with an oversize handbag dangling from her arm. She stopped in her tracks and whipped off her large purple sunglasses.
He stopped. “Aunt Louise?”
I paused while Louise clapped her hands together and clutched them beneath her chin as she approached. She didn’t seem to notice me.
“Reese Haven. I stopped by your folks’ to visit the other day, but no one was home. What a treat it is to see you.”
“Thanks. Nice to see you, too.”
“Listen.” She stepped closer and her voice took on a conspiratorial tone. “I heard you brought a wife home with you, which is just lovely. But a bit of talk reached my ears that the honeymoon is already over. Or maybe there never was one to begin with.”
“What?” He sounded confused.
Louise waved a hand. “Oh, you know how it is. The gossip line and all that. Never can be sure. But if there’s trouble at home, or maybe there isn’t anyone else at home, no need to worry.
Your aunt Louise is something of an expert at finding the one for the eligible bachelors in town, if you catch my meaning. ”
Reese opened his mouth, but didn’t seem to know what to say. He glanced at me, then back at Louise.
“Aunt Louise, this is…” Hesitating, he sidestepped to get closer to me. “My wife, Summer.”
The words my wife sent a flurry of tingles through me. I moved my hand, thinking Reese would clasp it in his, but he didn’t reach for me.
“Oh my.” Louise pressed her hand to her chest. “I’m terribly sorry.
I didn’t realize you were together. I’m sorry, dear.
I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that my nephew has been gone for such a long time and one hardly knows what to believe.
I wasn’t sure if you actually existed or were just a story. ”
“You thought I made up the story about having a wife?” Reese asked.
“Well, Doris Tilburn said she saw your lovely wife at the Copper Kettle, so there’s that.
But Suzanne Montgomery had it on good authority that the new waitress—that’s you, I assume—isn’t your wife at all.
And perhaps the whole story of Reese returning with a family wasn’t true.
Then, Dottie McNess told me she heard you do have a wife, but things are, shall we say, a bit rocky.
She was quite convinced that you were only here to get her set up with a place to live and then you’d be off and who knows when we’d see you again. ”
Reese was about to say something, but Louise took a breath and kept talking.
“That was my concern. If this,” she said, pointing between the two of us, “wasn’t going to last, and you were planning to jet off again once you got her settled, what a tragedy!
You understand, don’t you dear? He’s a bit of a flight risk.
So I thought to myself, Louise, if we can find him a good match—if he needs one, that is—then that will give him a reason to stay. ”
“I’m…I don’t…” Reese fumbled his words. “No. Summer’s my wife, and everything is fine.”
With a smile, she tilted her head and sighed heavily. “That’s so good to hear. What a relief. Summer, you’ll have to excuse an old lady for wanting what’s best for her nephew. Aren’t you just lovely? I’m sure you two are very happy together.”
I shifted toward Reese, hoping he’d sell it by putting an arm around me, or at least clasping my hand.
He didn’t.
Louise looked back and forth between us. I had no idea if it mattered whether or not Reese’s aunt was convinced that we were a couple. But if it did, we were failing miserably.
Taking matters into my own hands—literally—I slipped my hand in his. Reflexively, his closed around mine. But his posture was stiff, and he didn’t make any effort to draw me closer to him.
Thankfully, Nate—approaching with Marlene—caught my eye. He had an ice cream cone and a big smile.
“Sorry for ruining his dinner,” Marlene said. “Sometimes that’s what grandmas do. Hi, Louise. I see you’ve met my daughter-in-law, Summer.”
“I did, and I wish you would have told me.”
“Told you what?”
Louise adjusted her sunglasses. “All the details. But no matter. We’ll catch up later. Reese, so good to have you home. And Summer, lovely to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” I said.
“Oh, look! There’s Dottie.” Louise waved and scurried away, calling her name.
Reese dropped my hand the moment she turned her back on us.
Ignoring the pointless dip of disappointment, I smiled at my son. “Hey, buddy. How was your day?”
“Good.” He licked around the edge of the cone. “Grandma bought me ice cream.”
My chest tightened. He’d called her Grandma.
A memory flashed through my mind. Meeting my mother at a truck stop diner so she could see Nate. She’d snapped at him, scolding him for calling her Grandma and insisting he call her by her first name. Nate had been upset, shutting down and refusing to talk much after that.
Marlene must have told him to call her Grandma, at least in public. And although it wasn’t real—she wasn’t his grandma—it still made my heart ache.
“Did you say thank you?” I asked.
“He did,” Marlene said. “He has very good manners.”
“Thanks again for taking him for the day,” I said.
Marlene smiled. “He’s no trouble at all. And if you notice some scrapes, don’t be alarmed. Zachary stopped by and took it upon himself to teach him how to climb trees.”
Nate lifted his arm and looked at his elbow. He had a few red scratches, but nothing that looked serious. “I’m fine. Didn’t even hurt.”
“Wow, tree climbing and ice cream,” I said. “You’ve had a big day.”
“You ready, chief?” Reese asked. “We should get going.”
“Can I finish this in the car?” He lifted his cone.
“Yeah, just don’t drip,” Reese cautioned him.
“I won’t.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Reese said, then turned and gestured for Nate to walk with him. He patted him on the back and started asking him for more details about his day.
I waved goodbye to Marlene and followed with my heart in my throat.
Nate was settling into life with the Haven family so easily. On the one hand, it was great. I didn’t have to worry about convincing him to play along. But what was going to happen when it was over? Would they be in our lives for a season, only to retreat when Reese was gone?
I didn’t know.
One thing I did know. Reese and I needed to do a better job of acting like a couple in public. With the way rumors spread, it wouldn’t take long before more than his aunt Louise were questioning whether I was really his wife.
It wasn’t that I thought word would somehow reach Mayhem if we didn’t play the part convincingly. But the last thing we needed was more gossip swirling around us.
I’d just have to figure out how to get Reese to stop turning into a brick wall whenever I was less than a foot from him.