by Violet Paige
Dirty Summer
Episode 8
Violet Paige
Copyright © 2020 by Violet Paige
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Also by Violet Paige
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Epilogue
Keep in touch with Violet
Also by Violet Paige
Cold Love Hockey Series
Cold As Puck
Cold As Hell
Cold As Ice
Football Romance
Turn Over
Sidelined
Dirty Play
Double Score
Royal Romance
Tempting the Crown
Risking the Crown
Loving the Crown
Billionaire Romance
Don’t Go
Not Husband Material
Not Daddy Material
The Dirtiest Deal
The Hottest Deal
Military Romance
Don’t Tell
Don’t Lie
Don’t Promise
Ranger’s Baby Surprise
Delta’s Baby Surprise
Sweet Satisfaction
Suspense
Resist
Surrender
Hart Pursuit Trilogy
Damaged Hart
Shattered Hart
Stolen Hart
One
Blair
Blair folded the last cardboard box in half and neatly stacked it in the corner of the living room in her tenth-story apartment. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It only took me a month to unpack all of my stuff.
She heard her phone vibrating from the kitchen counter. “Blair Emory,” she answered into the mouthpiece.
“Blair, get your ass into the station. There were two hit and runs today in the same neighborhood. DPD thinks it might be a serial case,” the anxious assignment editor barked on the other end.
Blair looked down at her running shorts and the tank top that was stuck to her from the sweat she broke unpacking the last few boxes. “Ray, it’s going to be at least an hour before I can make it in.”
“So, you want me to give this story to Leona? Fine. I’ll hand it over.”
“No. No. I can be there in thirty minutes. It’s just today is my day off and—” Blair looked down at her phone. Ray, her extremely bossy and always irritated editor, had hung up on her.
Great. So much for my workout and my call with Maggie. She peeled the tank top over her head and turned the shower on. She carefully stepped over the side of the tub and reached for the shampoo.
Ray wasn’t the only one at the station who barked orders. Ever since Blair had arrived in Dallas, it seemed like threats and insults were the only way people in the newsroom communicated with each other. A little professional competitiveness was important, she understood that, but she still hadn’t adjusted to the cutthroat environment she had walked into.
At least Maggie was loving her job in Charleston. She was made for public relations. If anyone could put a positive spin on a press release, it was Maggie. Blair dumped a handful of conditioner in her hand and lathered it into her hair.
They were planning a girls’ weekend in October. Maggie had suggested they meet in New Orleans for a little Bourbon Street getaway. Blair didn’t want to tell her yet that the producers were going to cut her vacation time. She was already at the bottom of the reporter barrel. If she took any time off, she would sink to the lowest level and give up any chance for an actual news story to Leona.
She picked up her razor and shook the shaving cream can in her hand before squeezing the foam along her leg. Her tan hadn’t completely faded, she thought as she ran the razor along her leg. A flash of Justyn’s thumb rubbing that spot along her calf flashed through her mind. Shit! A trickle of blood streamed down her leg. I don’t have time for this. She turned the water off and wrapped a towel around her leg, hoping the bleeding would stop.
She tried to tell herself that it was completely normal for Justyn to pop in her head from time to time. The bleeding along her calf stopped. What she knew wasn’t normal was that those flashbacks weren’t just every now and then. They were all the time.
She fastened the last button on her suit jacket and slid her heels into black sling-back pumps. In the elevator ride to the basement parking lot, she let out a steady breath. The flashbacks had to fade eventually. It was taking longer than she thought it would, but she knew if she put her mind to it, the loneliness of sleeping alone at night would subside. The gut reaction she felt every time she flipped past a baseball game on TV would fade. Just because her coworkers drank Bud Light didn’t mean she should think of him; everyone drank beer.
Blair pulled out her phone to call Maggie on her way to the station. She knew it was Tuesday, and Maggie said they couldn’t talk until after work, but she wanted to let her know she had been called in for an assignment. She flipped the Bluetooth switch on the steering wheel and waited for her best friend to answer the phone.
“Hey. I thought we were going to talk when I got off work?” Maggie sounded distracted, but sweet as ever.
“G, can you believe this shit? I have to go into work on my only day off,” Blair seethed as she pulled onto the interstate. Her high rise was one of the buildings along the downtown perimeter. It usually took at least twenty minutes to make it to the station.
“Oh, that sucks. I can talk for a few minutes. My boss just went to lunch.”
“Oh good. I kind of need to ask you something.” Blair was more nervous than she thought she should be.
“Of course. What’s going on? You ok?” Maggie asked.
They were there, right on the brim of her eyelids—heavy, salty tears. Hearing Maggie’s voice broke down the last resistance she had.
“I. Can’t. Talk. About. It.” Blair steered the car toward the nearest exit. Even in her emotional state, she knew she had to get off the interstate or she would be one of the serial wrecks that Ray told her about.
“Where are you? You sound terrible,” Maggie pressed.
Blair parked at the nearest gas station and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. Her eye makeup was completely ruined. “I just pulled over at a gas station. Oh my God, what’s wrong with me? I’m supposed to be headed in to cover a story.”
“Can you take a few deep breaths?” Maggie suggested.
Blair clutched the steering wheel. “Ok. I can talk again.” She had steadied her breathing.
“Can you tell me about it?”
“No matter what I do, it doesn’t matter what it is. I mean I try, and I don’t talk about it, and I don’t think about it and then—boom—it’s everywhere.”
Maggie sounded confused. “Girl, I am not following.”
Blair exhaled. “Justyn. It’s Justyn. He’s everywhere. And he’s not supposed to be. I’m in Texas, dammit. I’m as far away from the freakin’ water and his songs, cruises, and sparkly eyes as I can get. He should not be here in my head.” Blair’s chest tightened. “We had an agreement, right? Summer fling—that was it. No drama good-byes, no long distance crap—just a summer thing that ended the day I left the island.” The tears started again. “I mean, do you know how many white trucks there are
in Texas? They are everywhere!”
“Oh.” Maggie grew quiet. “You haven’t mentioned Justyn one time in the past month—not once. I don’t even know how you left things on your last day on the island.”
“Are you mad at me now? I should have told you, but I knew if I mentioned Justyn, then that would bring up Reid and I didn’t want to upset you.” Blair waited for Maggie’s response. “Why am I even talking about it now? See? He’s in my head. I’ve lost it.”
“Of course I’m not mad at you. I’m just surprised it took you this long to figure it out.” She giggled. “And I think you have this all wrong; he’s not just in your head.”
“G, this is not funny. I’m miserable.”
“I’m sorry. Oh, my boss is coming back. I have to go. Can we talk later? I’m going into a meeting, and then we have a press conference. I’ll call you when I’m done.”
“Right. Work. I understand.” Blair hated the reality of the responsibility in their lives. “But, you’re not mad?”
“No. To tell you the truth, I feel exactly the same way. I’m relieved you finally said something. Reid is on repeat in my brain. So, you, me, and a bottle of wine over the phone after my press conference, ok?”
Blair smiled. “Absolutely. Thanks, G. Bye.”
“No problem. Bye.”
Blair ended the call from her steering wheel, and adjusted her rearview mirror to get a better look at the damage the crying had done to her mascara. Dammit.
She still had ten minutes of road ahead of her before making it to the station. Plenty of time to pull myself together. It felt good to release the breath she had been holding for what seemed like a month.
Blair slowed the car in the KANG parking lot and pulled into the closest space to the back door. The satellite trucks were all gone. Must be a busy news day. She reached for her purse as the words of a country song belted out through the radio. Are you kidding me? Of all the country songs on all the country stations, the one I danced to in the cove has to play right now.
She jabbed at the radio button, silencing the song. I’m not dealing with this right now. Pinching her cheeks a few times, and brushing the wrinkles from her suit, she charged into the newsroom.
“Where have you been?” Ray roared over the rows of news desks. “If you don’t get to the scene of the accident now, there’s not going to be any B-roll for you to take and you might as well look like you’re doing any ole traffic story.”
Blair glared at Ray. “I got here as fast as I could. You called me in on my day off.”
“Whatever.” Ray waved her on. “Get down there before you miss the whole damn thing.”
Blair didn’t bother to check her email or grab the stack of notes in her inbox. She turned toward the exit doors and ran back out into the Texas heat.
She didn’t know what Ray was fussing about. There was plenty of evidence of the last hit and run on the side of the Texas service road. Blair pulled up behind the police car and put her car in park. She couldn’t see all of the vehicles from her vantage point, so she walked across the road to survey the damage. The tow trucks had just arrived.
“You with the station?” The officer stepped from the accident and tipped his cowboy hat at Blair.
“Hi, yes, I’m Blair Emory from KANG.”
“Officer Justin.” He smiled. “You ok?”
Blair’s ankle gave a little in her pumps. “Your name is Justin?” She straightened her stance.
“I can spell it out for you, so your people get it right on the screen. It’s J-U-S-T-I-N. Bob Justin. You think it’d be an easy name to spell, but they sure do like to get creative with it.”
Blair reached out to grab hold of the police car. She would blame it on the heat.
“Do you need to sit down or something?” Officer Justin stepped closer.
Embarrassed, Blair faked a smile. “No. No. I’m ok. Would you mind showing me the damage and the vehicles? I think my photographer is up ahead getting the footage.”
“Sure. Let’s stay on this side of the road so you don’t have to worry about the glass.” Office Justin pointed at the debris. “It started five cars ahead with that trailer.”
Blair looked around the side of the tow truck. Are you kidding me?
“Seems like whoever the suspect is hit that boat up there first, which lead to this chain reaction.” He whistled.
Blair looked at the wooden boat sitting on the back of the trailer. Her stomach lurched into the back of her throat.
“Hey, where are you going?” the officer called as Blair ran toward her car.
She didn’t bother to answer. The universe or her heart was talking to her. It didn’t matter which, because they both were saying the same thing.
Two
Blair
Blair’s hands were trembling as she parked the car in front of the boathouse. This has to be the single most insane thing I have ever done. She looked through the window of the workshop building and saw a figure walk past the glass. An instant swirl of butterflies descended on her stomach.
Of all the nights for Maggie to work late, this would be the one. It was nine o’clock, and her phone hadn’t rung once. After she fled the accident scene on the side of the road in Dallas, Blair headed back to the apartment to pack a bag. She had enough coherent thoughts strung together to remember October in North Carolina was chilly.
With her suitcase in hand, she rushed straight for the airport. Luckily, flights between Raleigh and Dallas were frequent. She was on the next flight to Raleigh three hours later, and touched down in her home state at five o’clock. She decided not to worry about the hefty credit card bill she had just incurred from her hasty ticket purchase.
It all happened so fast; she didn’t have a great plan. She watched the shadowy figure pass by the window again. Well, I didn’t just spend a fortune and fly across half the country to sit in my car. She pushed open the car door and walked toward the boathouse office door.
She bit down on her bottom lip. Justyn would be just as excited to see me; he had to be. She knocked on the door.
“Hold on.” She heard the friendly voice through the door.
“Blair?” Reid stepped back with a puzzled look on his face. “What are you doing here?”
“Can I come in?” She smiled, knowing the last time she had actually exchanged words with Justyn’s cousin she had sounded like a sailor.
“Yeah, come on in.” Reid pulled the door to the side, allowing Blair to step inside. “So, I’m just going to guess you’re here to see Justyn.”
Blair twirled on the heels of her boots. “Good guess. Is he here?” She was hoping he would appear from the office.
“No. He’s up at the Dock House. It’s Tuesday. You remember Tuesday nights around here, don’t you?” He had taken a seat on a nearby stool.
“Of course I do. I just didn’t know where I’d find him, so I thought I’d try here first.” The disappointment that Justyn wasn’t here washed over her.
“Don’t look so sad, girl. He’ll be back.”
Blair took a step toward the door. She hadn’t flown hours and then driven three more to sit around and wait for Justyn to show up.
“Thanks, I’m going to go see him.”
“I guess some things don’t change.” Reid exhaled.
“What does that mean?”
“You always going after what you want—same ol’ Blair.” Reid smiled.
“Some things do change. Like you and Maggie.” She hadn’t planned on getting into it with him, and honestly, she would rather hunt down the man she wanted to see, but there were some things she wanted to say that had been festering for the past month.
“Blair, I’m not going to discuss it with you. Justyn and I agreed that it was best for everybody if we kept all of this separate. Ok?”
“No, it’s totally not ok.” She stomped in his direction. “What you did to my friend was completely fucked up. She didn’t deserve that.”
“You can stand there and justify to me
that she lied to my face for an entire summer? She’s good. I’ll give her that. Faking that she didn’t know anything about the island or boats or the beach. She was just reeling me in one play at a time.”
Blair shoved him in the arm. “Are you a complete idiot? Maggie isn’t like that and she didn’t do anything to you except not tell you her last name.”
“Right. You’re her best friend. Of course you’d say that.”
Blair huffed in his direction. She loved Maggie and she wanted her to be happy, but trying to convince Reid of what really happened might be a lost cause.
“Reid, you believe what you want to believe. But, I just flew two thousand miles to see Justyn, because more than anything in this world, I want to be with him. Me—I did that. The girl who doesn’t do much for anybody. The girl who promised she could handle a summer fling and doesn’t cry at good-byes. I am here to be with him.”
“Uh, great. I’m happy for you two. I don’t see what that has to do with Maggie and her lies.”
“Because I’m not about to jeopardize all of this”—she threw her hands in the air—“for a lie. I don’t know what Justyn has been doing for the past month, but when I see him, I’m going to tell him all these feelings. And I’m not about to take the chance that for one second he would doubt me or think I would lie to him. I am not a liar. Maggie is not a liar. She should have told you her last name; I’ll give you that. But she was only trying to help you line up bigger capital investors that you didn’t have access to.”
Reid’s playful banter face transformed to shock.
Blair continued the lecture. “Mr. Zeal is a nice man. I know you hate his boats, but he can’t help who drives his boats. Maggie would never suggest he or anyone else in this world buy your business when she knows it’s the one thing you love most in your life.”
Blair withdrew her keys and marched toward the door. Reid was completely speechless. “Hey, Blair, wait.”
