The Summer of Us

by Moreland, Melanie

  Her answer was to pull my head down and kiss me. A kiss of love, promises, and the future. A kiss of yes.

  That was all I needed.

  * * *

  I walked through the house with the foreman. The house had been gutted down to the studs. He explained in great depth about the wires and charges attached to all the exposed beams. How the charge would be relayed and the structure would crumble. I stood in the vast space, knowing it was the last time I would be inside this building. The last time anyone would be. It would be locked down tonight and be gone tomorrow. Ned was beside me, frowning. “How do you know no one sneaks in before you, ah, hit the switch?”

  Ed, the foreman, chuckled. “We do a final sweep today, and we have heat signals we check before the last call. The house is guarded all night.”

  “Makes sense.”

  I tried not to laugh. Ned still felt this was over the top, but I didn’t care. I clapped him on the shoulder. “Thinking of stashing a troublesome client in before the big bang, Ned?”

  He eyed me with a frown. “I think your absence would not go unnoticed.”

  That made me chuckle. Ed did too before turning serious. “We take every precaution. The perimeter, the building, who is allowed on site. Our measurements for the explosives are precise. Our safety record is perfect.”

  “Good to know,” Ned mumbled.

  “You should be here for the show.” I winked.

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Ed turned to answer his radio, and I faced Ned. “Really? I didn’t think you supported this.”

  “When you first told me, no. But I’ve changed my mind.”

  “May I ask why?”

  “I know better than anyone what your father did to you. What he took from you. I was worried this would feed your hate—make it stronger. But I sense, I see, a change in you, Linc. I see the boy I met so long ago with your mother. I think you need to do this to close this chapter. This book. Start a new one.” He paused, lifting one eyebrow. “With a pretty girl who makes the best biscuits I’ve ever tasted. And who has given you back the one thing your father took from you that I feared you would never get back.”

  “What is that?” I asked quietly.

  He put his hand on my shoulder. “The ability to love, Linc. I feared in your quest, you would forget your heart. You would become him. But you didn’t. Instead, you found yourself.”

  “Sunny did that for me.”

  He met my gaze. He knew my plans, all of them, and he was on board with me.

  “Then let’s do this.”

  * * *

  It was a gloomy day. The skies overhead dark with rain, the air cooler than it had been. Sunny shivered beside me, and I tucked her closer. “This all feels very ominous,” she mumbled.

  I chuckled. I personally thought my father was writhing in hell, screaming in rage and shaking his fist at me as he saw what was about to happen.

  I hoped the devil gave him a front row seat.

  We were far from the house, the hill blocked off and no one allowed to be close. I knew the town was gathered below, watching in anticipation. To the younger generation, it was simply something cool happening—something they would probably never see again in Mission Cove. For others, today had a far more significant meaning.

  None more than me.

  Anticipation built within me, making my body shake. I hadn’t slept all night, up pacing—wanting, needing, this done. I had planned it for so long, and now that the day was here, I wanted it over. I wanted to move on with my life, my plans, and Sunny.

  Beside me, Ned and Abby spoke together. Sunny clung to me, her fingers digging into my waist. I knew she was concerned about my emotional reaction when it happened, but I wasn’t worried.

  I had waited too long for this moment.

  Sunny had been in the house with Ed earlier, and I knew the drives were somewhere inside. She came out looking resolved and smiling, so I had slipped my hand around hers and squeezed, silently thanking her. She squeezed back, then I tucked her into my side, needing her close.

  Ed approached, his entire crew with him. “All the checks are done, Linc. Cameras set up as you asked. Crew accounted for. No heat sources have suddenly appeared. We’re ready.”

  “Excellent.”

  “Ear protectors,” he yelled, and we all slipped them on our heads.

  “Come with me.”

  I held Sunny closer, needing her with me for this moment. We stood behind the huge electronic control unit, and Ed nodded. Horns blew, loudspeakers began the countdown. He flipped open the switch. He lifted one side of my ear covering. “When we hit one, you press this. Hard. Got it?”

  I swallowed thickly. “Yes.”

  Sunny’s breath stuttered, and I stepped forward but reached for her hand. “It’s fine,” I murmured knowing she probably couldn’t hear me, but having to say it anyway. I couldn’t hear the countdown due to the cans over my ears to protect against the sound of the implosion. I held my finger over the button, the digit hovering in midair, watching as Ed counted down the numbers on his fingers.

  At ten, my hand began to shake. By five, I was sweating. Adrenaline pumped through my body, making my head hum. Ed nodded in encouragement, and when the count hit one, I didn’t hesitate. I pressed down.

  For a second or two, nothing happened. I stared dumbfounded, then it started. Explosions, one after another. The house shook, groaned, fought back, and then with a long, low scream, gave a lengthy shudder and crumbled inward.

  Sunny jumped back, startled. I held her tight, watching as plumes of dust shot up as the building settled into the earth. It was exactly as I pictured. Looming one moment, gone the next.

  The skies opened, torrents of rain falling, dissipating the dust. It was as if the heavens had decided they, too, wanted no reminder of the house drifting up their way.

  That house that had caused me nothing but pain, held a lifetime of tears and sorrow within its walls, was gone.

  “Good riddance, old man,” I hissed.

  I looked down at Sunny. She gazed up at me with love. “Are you okay?” she mouthed.

  I bent down and kissed her. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

  “Good.”

  I pulled off the ear protectors. “Let’s go home, Sunny. I need a biscuit.”

  She pulled my arm close.

  “Okay.”

  25

  Sunny

  I looked in the mirror, eyeing my reflection critically. I had bought a new sundress, hoping Linc would like it. It was a soft yellow with bursts of gold, rust, pink, and white scattered around the fabric. It hung from my shoulders with two pretty bows and had a long lace flounce around my knees. I hadn’t bought a dress like this in a very long time, but tonight was a special occasion.

  Linc was taking me out on a date. A real, honest-to-goodness date. He was even getting ready next door at Abby’s so he could “pick me up properly.” He had called me yesterday, his voice unusually serious.

  “Sunny.”

  I grinned into the phone, peeking through the door to make sure he was still sitting in the corner of the bakery where I had left him. “Linc,” I replied, biting back my amusement—he must need more biscuits. “How lovely of you to call.”

  “I wanted to hear your voice.”

  My heart melted. I loved how he talked to me. “Well, now you have.”

  “I have a question, though. Do you have plans for tomorrow evening?”

  Other than getting naked with him as soon as possible, my schedule was pretty clear. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other.

  “No.”

  “Excellent. I would like to take you out on a date.”

  “A date?” I repeated.

  “Yes, a date. A real date. If you’re willing.” I heard his swift intake of air. “I am asking you, Sunny, to go out with me—tomorrow night.”

  Suddenly I understood. We’d never been able to date openly. Linc was trying to make up for it, and once again, my heart con
stricted at his sweet gesture.

  “I would love to go out with you, Linc.”

  “Excellent. I will pick you up at six.”

  “All right. I’ll, ah, see you then?”

  “Yes.” Then he paused. “Wait, Sunny?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m out of biscuits.”

  I burst out laughing. “I’ll make sure you get some.”

  “Great. Love you.”

  He hung up.

  He’d been gone all day, and I heard his steps on the stairwell about an hour ago. His toiletry bag was gone from my tiny bathroom and Abby told me his suit was at her place, so I knew he meant what he said about picking me up.

  Linc was different these days. In the month since his father’s house was demolished, he had changed. Gone were the shadows that constantly lurked in his eyes. The suspicious glint whenever anyone would approach him. It was as if he’d let his hate implode with the house, dispersing it into the air. He smiled more. Laughed loudly. I had forgotten how loud his laugh was. It boomed out and filled whatever room he was in. It happened frequently now. He no longer spoke of his father. It was as if he had never existed. As memories—good ones—surfaced of his mother, he talked to me about them. People in town talked to him about her, sharing their memories and he loved it, soaking up their words like a sponge. I hung his mother’s artwork in the apartment, and I often saw him staring at the pictures with a tender look. We visited the library, and he stood in front of the large framed watercolor.

  “I remember this now,” he said softly. “She hung it in the den. One day after a fight, it was gone.”

  I squeezed his arm. “It was here and safe.”

  “And here it stays,” he said firmly, tracing the small plaque under the painting. “I like knowing people see her talent.”

  He slept peacefully as long as he was beside me. We had tried to find a balance between Toronto and here, but the third night he was gone, he strode into my apartment in the early hours of dawn. I was sitting at the table, sipping water, unable to sleep. I heard him coming up the stairs, and our eyes met as he opened the door, dropping two large bags beside him.

  “No more, Sunny. I can’t sleep without you anymore.” Then he held out his arms, and I ran straight into them. They closed around me tightly, offering me safety, love, and comfort. He carried me to the bedroom, and we collapsed on the bed, both too exhausted to do anything but pull up the duvet and sleep. He didn’t even stir when I slipped out to go to the bakery. It was as if his body knew I’d be close, so I let him rest.

  He came and went as needed from Toronto but returned every night—even if it was well past midnight. He used the table in my place as a desk. He had a hundred and one projects on the go, it seemed. He was constantly on his phone, jumping into his car to head to a meeting, carrying mysterious plans rolled into cardboard containers. I had no idea what all he did, but it didn’t matter. He was here with me and that was all I cared about.

  And tonight was our date.

  I fluffed my hair and touched up my lip balm. There was no point in applying lipstick. Linc kissed it off all the time, so I gave up. I had no idea why I was so nervous, but I was. It was Linc, for heaven’s sake. We basically lived together now, sharing this cramped apartment. I was waiting for him to decide we needed more space—it made sense, but I was allowing him to make the decision. I knew that was one of our major hurdles to overcome. I was certain of our future—just not where our future resided.

  A firm knock on my door made me grin. He was serious about the entire date thing. I hoped he didn’t plan on playing hard to get at the end of the night. I would have to make sure I weakened his defenses.

  Before I opened the door, I tugged the bows a little looser on my shoulders, letting the dress drift lower on my breasts. Linc had a thing for them. He always had.

  I opened the door, my breath catching in my throat. Linc stood, tall and proud, dressed in a navy suit, fitted to his wide shoulders and trim waist perfectly. His hair had been brushed until it gleamed, and his chin held the day’s stubble—just the way I liked it. His blue eyes sparkled as he looked at me, his gaze lingering, as I knew it would, on my breasts. He held a bunch of wild flowers in his hand that he held out.

  “Sunny,” he murmured. “You take my words away. I can’t even think properly.”

  “You clean up pretty well yourself.” I took the flowers with a smile. “Thank you.”

  “I picked them for you.”

  He followed me into the kitchen as I put them in a vase. I glanced over my shoulder. “Am I dressed okay? You never said where we were going.”

  He rested his hand on the small of my back, bending over my shoulder so his lips were close to my ear. “You’re perfect. Absolutely perfect.” He kissed my neck, making me shiver. Before I could turn and get a real kiss, he stepped away. “You may need a shawl or something for later.”

  I picked up my purse and shawl. “Got it.”

  He plucked my purse from my hand. “You won’t need that.”

  I sighed. “It has my lip gloss in it.”

  With a smirk, he opened the purse, dug out the gloss and the mints I had inside and slipped them into his pocket. “Anything else?”

  “No. I’m ready.”

  He caught me off guard as he suddenly yanked me tight and kissed me. Hard. Wet. Deep. His tongue possessed my mouth, claiming me, and stealing my breath. Then with a wide grin, he stepped back, casually wiping my gloss off his lips with a handkerchief from his pocket. “Now you are. I like your lips ready for me, Sunny. I prefer the taste of them to this fruity stuff.”

  He opened the door. “Shall we?”

  I walked past him, shaking my head. He chuckled and followed me.

  Outside, I was surprised when we didn’t head to the car. Instead, he tucked my arm through his. “I want to show you something.”

  “Okay.”

  We crossed the street, and he used a key to open one of the doors. I followed him up the stairs, looking around in surprise when we entered a spacious, furnished room. A large desk sat in front of the window. In the middle of the room was a sizable conference table, monitors and notepads already on it. Across the room, another, smaller desk was set up—this one more feminine. A thick area rug was under my feet. A few pictures hung on the walls—one I recognized. It was a copy of the painting in the library. I turned, confused.

  “They let me borrow it. I had it copied, reframed, and returned to them. I wanted a copy for myself. I wanted part of my mother here.”

  “So, this is yours?”

  He nodded. “The second office of Webber Holdings Inc.” He winked. “Your dining room was getting a bit tight, Sunny.” He indicated the monitors. “I can hold meetings with anyone, anywhere, with the click of my mouse. I’ve leased out the office space in Toronto, keeping one small spot for when I need to go in. I can do everything I need to do from here, but I have a few clients that demand face-to-face.”

  “Linc, I don’t know what to say. I know you never wanted to come back here…” My voice trailed off.

  “Things have changed. I’ve changed. Besides—” he dropped a kiss on the end of my nose “—I don’t have this view in Toronto.”

  I peeked out the window and laughed. He looked right down into the bakery. He stepped behind me, a warm tower of strength at my back.

  “I can look across and see you anytime I want. Walk a few steps and touch you. Get the best coffee and biscuits all day long. Any client who comes here will get served items from your bakery. I guarantee they’ll be stopping there before they leave town. It’s a win-win for both of us, Sunny.”

  I didn’t know what to say. Turning, I stared up at him, tears forming in my eyes. “Thank you.”

  He wiped away the tears that spilled over my cheeks. He bent and kissed my face, whisper-soft kisses that left a trail of heat everywhere they touched. “This is only the beginning, Sunny.”

  He pulled back and cupped my face. “Are you ready?”


  “Ready.”

  * * *

  We pulled up to a set of gates about six minutes outside of town. I looked around in confusion. It looked like the entrance to Gerry and Cindy’s place, but it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. The gates were wrought iron and supported by tall brick walls. Linc punched in a code, and the gates opened smoothly. There was a smooth concrete driveway that branched into two directions. We headed to the left. I looked over my shoulder, certain the right driveway would lead to the house we had visited last month.

  But why had Gerry installed gates and a new driveway? And where were we going? I glanced over at Linc, but his eyes were on the road, although a wide smile played on his lips.

  A few seconds later, I gasped as we rounded a gentle bend in the road and I saw what the trees had been hiding. The other part of the old camp—or what used to be the old camp. The woods had been shaped and trimmed, leaving a wide-open area. The ground leveled. There was a clear view of the water, which was stunning. The sun was still high in the sky, shining on the water, causing hundreds of shimmering rays to bounce off the lazy rolling waves that broke along the sandy beach. I racked my brain, trying to remember if the beach had always been that sandy or if it, too, was new and spruced up.

  We parked beside a catering truck that was set up by a canopied tent. Beside it was a pretty SUV. I admired the rich copper color as Linc got out and opened my door, offering his hand. I let him pull me from the car, gazing around in wonder. He led me around the tent, and we stood looking over the water.

  “It’s so lovely.”

  “It is.”

  I looked over, blushing when I realized he wasn’t looking at the water, but at me. I swung my gaze back to the vista, getting excited when I realized exactly where we were.

  “Oh, Linc, look—those are our trees!”