Chapter 18
Spence Benedict hunkered down beside the bench Summer sat on.
“Really, I’m okay,” Summer told him. “He only shoved me.” She waved a hand at Jewel, having overheard the woman’s name. “But I thought he was going to break Jewel’s arm the way he was yanking on her wrist.”
Spence’s wife Zoe stood beside him, the month-old baby in her arms. “It was a very brave thing you did,” she said. “However, one of these big lugs—” She poked her husband. “—should have taken care of that bully.”
“But I was right next to them.” Now that the adrenaline had worn off, Summer felt a little shaky and grabbed for her soda can, missing it and knocking it over.
Cara righted it. “Here’s some water, Mom.” She handed Summer a bottle.
Then Jewel stepped around Spence. She appeared so delicate, her skin pale, with dark circles under her eyes. “Thank you. I really appreciate you stepping in.” Bruises were already forming on her wrist, the clear fingerprints of a bully.
“I hope you’ll be okay.” Summer didn’t say all the things she could have, the things she would have said to her daughters.
That Jewel needed to dump that asshole immediately, that if she didn’t, he’d do it again, that no man had a right to touch any woman that way.
But looking into Jewel’s eyes, she was sure the woman already knew that.
Jewel smiled tentatively. “I’m good. I’m more worried about you.”
Summer waved her hand as if it were nothing. “I’m good too.”
Then more of her coworkers came over to check on Summer, as if she’d been injured instead of just shoved. Although she had to admit her back was a little sore where she’d banged into the picnic table.
In all the well-wishing, the one thing she was grateful for was that no one mentioned Knox’s kiss.
She couldn’t believe he’d done that here, of all places.
Especially when he knew the rules, when he knew how she felt.
Maybe in all the hubbub of Court Stevens smashing his fist into Crushed Beer Can Guy’s nose, no one had actually noticed.
Fallon patted her back gently. “Do you want me to get you some ice cream?”
“Oh God, yes,” she said gratefully. “With every single topping they have, except coconut.”
Spence laughed. “But it’s toasted coconut and really good.”
Summer made a face, and Zoe laughed. “I’d be happy to get you ice cream. Without coconut.” Then she handed the baby off to Spence, and together they headed to the ice cream cart.
Her two girls hugged her in turn, and Summer tried not to wince.
“You were amazing, Mom,” Cara said.
“You took on that asshole,” Fallon marveled.
“You’re my hero,” they crowed in unison.
All Summer really wanted was to put distance between herself and Knox. Before he got away from the grill and came back.
Just as she finished the ice cream Zoe had given her, the police arrived, putting Jewel’s boyfriend in the back of the squad car.
They asked if Summer and Jewel needed the paramedics, and both of them refused.
Then they took statements, checked if either Jewel or Summer wanted to press charges, and again, both said no.
When all the hubbub had died down, Summer said, “How about that lazy river ride on inner tubes? I don’t think I can handle the bouncy house.”
Fallon said, “But, Mom, you were just injured.”
Summer waved them off. “I’m completely fine.”
She chanced a glance at Knox by the grill. Of course, he was looking at her, his gaze telegraphing something she didn’t want to hear.
Then she added, “Let’s grab an inner tube before they’re all taken.”
And hopefully lose Knox in the crowd.
Knox served up another hot dog.
“You okay?” he asked Court. The man’s knuckles were raw from the blows he’d landed on the dickhead’s nose.
“If Finn hadn’t pulled me off him,” Court growled, “I would have kept on hitting him.”
Court plopped a hamburger onto the plate of the last kid in line. There were still plenty of leftovers.
“He deserved it.” Knox kept seeing the guy’s hand on Summer’s chest as he shoved her. And Summer flying backward.
He watched now as the cop tugged a notepad from his pocket while he talked to Summer. He had the nearly unquenchable urge to rush to her side. But she was already standing up with her daughters.
She hadn’t looked at him, not even once.
Court brought him back, saying, “Looks like you could’ve thrown a few punches yourself. Could be you’re smitten, bro.”
Knox laughed. “Look who’s talking.”
The cops came over to get their stories while they were eating their own hamburgers. They didn’t seem bothered that Court had thrown a few punches.
“You should be aware he’s threatening to sue you,” the big cop said.
Court grinned. “Bring it on.”
When the cops were done with them, Court left to check on Jewel. But damn it, Summer managed to avoid Knox the rest of the afternoon.
Every time he approached her, she headed the other way. Or she floated down the lazy river. Or put her daughters between them.
Finally, Knox did what he did best. He called her. He saw her take her phone out of her pocket and look at the screen. Even though her back was to him the whole time, he knew she was well aware of him.
She hadn’t answered yet, and the ring was a trill against his ear. She said something to her daughters, stood up and walked away from the picnic table.
“You shouldn’t call me.” Her soft voice strummed along his cock.
“I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I told you.” Her voice was low and harsh. “I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” he pushed.
Her exasperated sigh came clearly across the phone line. “I was fine until you kissed me in front of everyone,” she hissed. “Are you crazy?”
“Yeah. I was crazy like a man who’d just seen his lover beaten up by some creep. So maybe I overreacted.”
She snapped her hand through the air. “He didn’t beat me up. And you kissed me after you found out I was okay. Your hands were all over me. Everyone saw.”
“I had to make sure he didn’t break any bones. I heard you say you were fine, but that was a hard hit you took against the table.”
She put a hand reflexively against her back, and he rushed on to say, “It’s hurting you, isn’t it?”
“I’m fine,” she said, obviously through gritted teeth. “I’m hanging up now. Don’t call me again until after my daughters have left. In fact, don’t call me until I call you.”
Dead air thrummed against his eardrums.
All right, he’d pissed her off. But he’d meant every word; he’d had to make sure she wasn’t injured. The kiss, though, had been spontaneous. He hadn’t thought it through.
Even if he had, he would have done it anyway. Because while she felt okay, he had to taste her, make sure he couldn’t taste pain on her tongue.
But he abided by her rule and didn’t call her. She didn’t call him on Saturday night. She didn’t call him on Sunday.
Not hearing from her was literally killing him.
He couldn’t help himself, he had to text her. Are you okay? I just need to know.
It felt like hours before she replied, but of course it was only a matter of minutes. Really, you don’t need to worry. I’m not in pain. I promise.
But he did worry. And he wanted, needed. You wouldn’t lie to me, would you, just to make sure I don’t come rushing over?
She sent him a laughing emoji. Then, I’m not lying. I’m perfectly fine. But I really need to be with my daughters. Okay?
His heart didn’t want his fingers to type the right answer. But he did. Okay. I just needed to make sure.
I’ll call you when I’m ready.
He had to believe she wouldn’t lie to him. And as hard as it was, he left her to her daughters.
Sunday was hot and sunny, a perfect day for lounging by the pool at her complex’s community center.
They were lined up in a row, the girls wearing skimpy bikinis, Summer in a black one-piece.
Her back was sore, and she’d iced it twice last night and once this morning.
She’d also taken a couple of ibuprofens.
Knox hadn’t called last night, but he’d texted to see how she was. The man was attentive, she’d say that for him. And the text hadn’t even been about sex, just asking how she felt. She’d told him she needed to be with her daughters and she’d call him when she was ready.
But she didn’t know what constituted ready.
On her left, Cara put down her e-reader. “So, Mom, tell us about the hunk.”
Fallon, on Summer’s right, set aside the textbook she’d been highlighting. “Yeah, Mom, you said he was just some VP you barely knew.”
Now she knew why they’d flanked her in their lounge chairs. This was an ambush. Summer played dumb. “Who are you talking about?”
Since they hadn’t mentioned Knox yesterday or last night, she’d thought she was free.
“The hot silver fox who kissed you at the picnic.” Cara said with a puff of exasperated air.
She tried to deflect. “He’s not a silver fox. He doesn’t have any gray hair at all.”
“Got ya,” Fallon burst out. “So you know exactly who he is.” She grinned wickedly.
Cara said, “And the way he felt you up was like he already knew exactly how you would feel.”
Their insight shocked her. But she denied, denied, denied. “He was just worried like all the VPs were.”
Fallon snorted. “None of the other VPs kissed you like that.”
“Or felt you up,” Cara added.
“He wasn’t feeling me up.”
“And that,” Fallon insisted, “wasn’t the kiss of a man who doesn’t know you well.”
Despite herself, Summer blushed, the heat rising to her face.
She couldn’t deny again, and she didn’t want to lie. But she couldn’t say nothing. “All right. We’ve had a couple of dates.”
The girls, both now sitting on the edge of their loungers, reached over Summer to high-five. Then Cara said, “That wasn’t just a couple-of-dates kind of kiss.”
“We won’t let up on this until you tell us everything,” Fallon vowed.
Summer knew they’d question her until she caved.
So she caved. “All right, so things are a little more involved than just a couple of dates.” But she was not giving them details of her sex life. “It’s not really all that serious. We’re little more than friends.”