by Taylor Hart
Silence, then she heard shuffling. “I’m coming.”
“What?” She wiped her face. “No.”
“Yes. I’ll be there in ten.”
Then the phone went dead.
When he pulled up, she was waiting on the porch swing by the back of the lake with a blanket wrapped around her. She stood and whispered to him as he walked toward the house.
Instantly, he was rushing to her, his arms open.
She fell into them.
“Jaycee,” he whispered, rubbing circles into her back.
She let herself be hugged by this man. Let herself be comforted by this person she’d barely known two weeks. This person she’d never imagined meeting. Never imagined she would be falling in love with this summer.
She pulled back, then put her hands back on his face, as she had done earlier in the truck. “Have I told you that I kinda love your face so much?” she whispered.
He smiled. “No, but I can’t say I don’t like hearing it.”
He tugged her closer, his hands holding the blanket, tugging the edges of it and pulling her flush against him.
Their breath mixed. “Can I kiss you,” she asked.
He leaned down, gently swiping a kiss. “I told you to quit asking, woman.”
Then she felt herself melt into his lips and everything else was forgotten. All time. All space. All pain.
It was just Shay Summerville. Shay Summerville. Shay Summerville.
He let go of her blanket and moved his hands to her hair, brushing his hands down it, taming it, then pulling it into a ponytail. He held it up, then kissed her neck. “I love your hair so much,” he whispered between kisses.
Her heart raced and she kissed the side of his jawline, her hands roaming down to his chest. She thought of how strong the man was and so much chemistry pulsed between them.
“Jaycee,” he whispered, again, still kissing her neck, then working his way back to her lips.
It was like her lips had always had muscle memory with his.
After a bit, he laughed and pulled back, putting his hands on her hips. “Whew, I guess we’d better slow it down a bit.”
Every part of her wanted more. “No,” she blurted.
He let out a light sigh and held her tighter. “You’re not easy on a man trying to protect your virtue, are you?”
A bit perplexed, she let out a light laugh and then lay her head on his chest. “Virtue. The guy I’m falling for only cares about my virtue.”
He froze.
She looked up at him, wondering if she said something wrong. “What?”
He brushed the hair out of her face and gazed into her eyes. “You’re falling for me?”
She leaned up and briefly kissed him. “Looks like it.”
He briefly kissed her back. “You okay?”
Suddenly, she was brought back to the real reason he’d come.
She took his hand and pulled him with her to the porch swing.
It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t warm, so he sat and she sat on his lap, putting the blanket behind his shoulders.
He wrapped the blanket around both of them, then kissed her again.
“I like this,” he said.
Dang, the man was too enticing. She fell into more kissing.
Finally, he pulled back. “Tell me about your mom. Tell me … everything.”
“You know about my father’s mistress.”
He nodded.
Her mind whirled. “It’s been occurring to me, lately, that maybe my mother had so many problems was because my father had another woman.”
Shay frowned and tinkered with a piece of her hair. “But what happened with the fire?”
She hesitated and felt confused. “I don’t know if they are connected, but no one ever found out who started the fire at the,” she cleared her throat and hated saying it, “at the mental facility that my mother was staying at.”
He pulled his hand back. “I don’t understand why your father never investigated harder to find out.”
She sighed. “No one knew about my mother and about her struggles. My father worked to cover it up.” She shuddered, thinking about how hard it had been at the end. “Honestly, my mother was really disconnected from reality at the end. She kept muttering about fires and when I would talk to her I would get afraid.” She leaned into Shay.
He stroked a hand down her back. “It’s okay.”
It felt like she was absorbing strength from Shay, like just being in his arms gave her some extra measure of bravery to deal with it. A tear ran down her cheek.
“What Jaycee? What’s wrong?”
She looked up at him. “I have the same dreams now, Shay. I dream of fire, I…sometimes I feel like I’m going to have my mother’s same fate, too.”
Shay held her tighter. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m here Jaycee, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
She closed her eyes and, for the first time since her mother passed … she believed she was safe.
Chapter 11
Shay anxiously awaited the arrival of Jaycee, staring out of the window of the ranch house. He actually hadn’t really meant to invite her to dinner the other day, the words had just tumbled out of him. Then, after going to her place last night, and kissing and talking and hearing her confession, he felt this fiercely protective thing inside of him growing in regards to her.
“I’m glad you invited her.” His mother walked into the room and patted his arm.
He took his mother’s hand and put his arm around her shoulders. “Me too.”
“I think what Liam has been telling me might be true.”
“And what is that?” he asked, frowning at his mother.
“She might be the one.”
It was crazy to hear his mother say that. In fact, it was way out of character for her. He stared into her blue eyes, the same eyes he looked at in the mirror every day. “Who are you?” In the past year, while he’d dated Kristie, his mother had insisted that he wasn’t ready yet, that he needed to wait.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this nervous for a girl to come over.” She flashed a grin. “You’ve never invited a girl over to meet the family so soon before.”
That was true. As he thought about Jaycee, he couldn’t help but smile. “She’s different, Mom. Except way too good for me.”
His mother scoffed. “Because she’s the Senator’s daughter?”
He turned to her. “What, do you agree?”
She burst out laughing. “No.”
“Then why didn’t you disagree?”
Her laughter faded, and she sighed. “I was really good friends with Jaycee’s mom when we were young.”
“What?” He had not expected to hear about her past.
She shrugged, her cheeks blushing. “We were best friends, me and Susan. But …”
He nudged her. “What?”
“Susan went away to Ivy League school, and she met the … Senator.”
“Okay.”
His mother went quiet.
“You’re kinda freaking me out, Mom.”
She met his eyes. “I married your father, and …”
Then Shay understood. It made sense why her father had asked if he was one of those Summerville boys. “Dad and Jaycee’s mom were a thing.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say a really serious thing, but they had dated a lot in high school. Of course, I always had a crush on your father, and when Susan left and married someone else, part of me was happy because …” She teared up. “I wanted your dad and I didn’t care if it hurt Susan or not.”
He hadn’t realized that all of this would affect her so much. His heart thumped. It always amazed him how crazy small towns were. How incestuous, in a way. But this … he’d never seen this coming. “Dad is so in love with you.” He thought of how his father would always grab her and dance with her.
She let out a light laugh. “Yes, we are in love, but everyone has a first love.”
“Mom.”
&
nbsp; “Nothing. It’s the past. I have to finish dinner.” She moved out of the room.
Just then, the crunch of gravel on the driveway alerted them that someone was pulling in. He looked out the window and saw Jaycee’s fancy red convertible.
“Mom, we’ll talk later,” he called after her.
She waved a hand in dismissal.
He was reeling from what she’d told him, but he had to focus on Jaycee. He walked out the front door, with their dog, Max barking at his heels. “Hush, Max,” he said, brushing his hand across the dog’s fur to settle him.
Jaycee got out of the car, and he had to pause. She wore heels, a white skirt, and a turquoise top that contrasted with her red hair. The curls were all gelled up and lay perfectly around her shoulders. He couldn’t believe she was here.
“Hey,” she said, moving toward him and drinking in her surroundings. “I love it. I love the picket fence, the grounds, the horses …”
He wanted to add, “And me?” but he didn’t yet. He just took her hand and smelled her strawberry jam scent. “I’m glad you’re here.”
They stared into each other’s eyes, and he could see everything: his future, his own house with a white picket fence, and their recording studio. Which reminded him that he wanted to get her in the studio with him after dinner.
She leaned in. “Aren’t you going to kiss me?”
He brushed his lips against hers, using his other hand to pull her into him. All he wanted was her.
“Get a room!” someone shouted out.
He turned and laughed as his brother James strolled toward them from the recording studio that was on the side of the house. James was looking pretty confident, wearing jeans and a white T-shirt.
“That’s enough out of you,” Shay said.
James had a grin on his face. He stuck his hand out, looking Jaycee up and down. “You’re pretty.”
Tentatively, she put her hand inside of his. “Okay.”
Shay frowned at his brother. “Well, do you know your name?”
James cocked an eyebrow, still holding her hand. “I’m James, Shay’s far better-looking brother. I wouldn’t even blame you if you ditched him for me.”
“You’re being creepy, dude,” Shay said, though he was slightly amused. “Plus, Liam’s already tried.”
“Of course he has.” James pulled his hand back, then raked it through his hair. James’s hair was surfer blond like Liam’s, and he wore a shark tooth around his neck. At twelve, he’d decided he wanted to do marine biology and live on the beach. Now, he’d revised his dreams to becoming a surfer and a songwriter.
Shay patted his brother’s shoulder. Even though James was intense, Shay loved him. “James is a killer songwriter. In fact, he and I do most of the writing for Summerville Enterprises.”
Jaycee smiled and nodded. “Nice.”
James winked at him and headed for the house. “I guess I’ll let the rest of the crew loose on you.”
As they followed James toward the front door, Jaycee gave Shay a worried look. “Should I be worried?”
“I don’t think so,” Shay said, mostly to convince himself.
His nerves ratcheted higher as they walked into the kitchen dining room area, a room that had huge floor-to-ceiling windows that opened up to the scenery of the rest of the ranch. His siblings were all gathered around the island, where his mom was cooking. Even his dad was there, chopping up some vegetables.
His dad glanced up and raised his eyebrows as they came in. The other Summervilles quieted, staring at them.
“Hey, guys,” Shay offered.
James snatched a stray vegetable piece and popped it into his mouth. “She’s hot, huh?”
“Stop it,” his sister Kira said, doing a little turn as she approached them. Kira was fifteen and into ballet. She put her hand out. “I agree with James: you are pretty.” She grinned. “I’m Kira.”
A look of pure delight washed over Jaycee’s face. She shook Kira’s hand. “I loved your ballet move.”
Kira cocked an eyebrow, looking her up and down. “I bet you’ve done ballet.”
Jaycee’s smile widened. “I have, but I quit at fifteen. Not as talented as you.”
Shay opened his arms and hugged Kira, feeling protective of this little ballerina. Kira was the typical baby sister, and Shay loved her so much.
Kira glanced up at him. “Okay, you can still date her.”
Shay laughed, and Jaycee’s face turned bright red. With Kira still at his side, Shay took Jaycee’s hand as they walked over to meet up with all of his siblings.
Liam was setting the table. He held up a hand. “What’s up, Jaycee?’
She nodded. “Hey.”
Noah and Shar glanced at her but didn’t move to say anything. That was their way.
“This is Jaycee,” Shay told them. “Jaycee, Noah and Shar.”
“I loved the drumbeat the other night,” Jaycee said. “And you were amazing on the keyboard.”
That was the ticket. “I was doing something different,” Shar said, standing and pretending to play a drum. “It was like boom and da da da da. I thought it worked with the song.”
Noah stood, still looking skeptical, but Shay caught the way he gave her the once-over, too. “Shay says you have some pipes. Want to prove it and hit the studio after dinner?”
“Hey,” his mother said, “she doesn’t have to prove anything.”
Noah looked unrepentant. “Sorry.”
Jaycee turned to Shay in shock, like he’d told a state secret. “Why did you tell them I sing?”
“Sorry,” Shay said. “You’re good. Really good.”
“I … don’t really sing with anyone.”
Leah stood and sized Jaycee up. Her analysis was a little concerning, since she was the one who was trying to market them on YouTube and anywhere else she could. “Well, we didn’t say you’d be on a video or anything. It would just be … for fun.”
Though it clearly wasn’t just for fun in Leah’s eyes.
Leah flashed a grin. “We’ll see if Shay is just so in love with you already that he’s blinded by it all.”
Shay grimaced, wanting to kill her.
Leah flashed him a grin to let him know that annoying him wasn’t an accident. “I’m Leah, by the way,” she told Jaycee.
Jaycee nodded. “Nice to meet you.”
“Leah,” his mother said sternly. “You don’t get to be rude, either.”
Leah glanced back at Jaycee. “Sorry.” But it wasn’t sincere.
His mother and father took a break from the chopping. His mother wiped her hands on her apron and put out her hand, her eyes shimmering. “Jaycee. So nice to meet you.”
Jaycee shook his parents’ hands. “Thank you for having me over.”
His mother gave her a sincere smile. “It is our pleasure.”
“Yes, it is,” his father said. “Nice to finally meet the girl who faced down the tow truck.”
Shay wasn’t sure how Jaycee would respond, but she let out a light laugh. “Uh, sorry about that.”
His father chuckled. “Why? It kept us busy for a week.”
It was stupid, but Shay was internally freaking out at having everyone meet her. He hadn’t thought it would feel like this big of a deal.
“Shall we sit?” his mother asked, turning and scooping up one of the trays of vegetables.
His father got the other tray. “I think so.”
Chapter 12
Jaycee had fun getting to know the three sets of twins, Kira, and Shay’s parents.
Shay and Liam were fraternal twins, so they looked nothing alike. They did have a lot of the same mannerisms, and they had a lot of inside jokes. It was interesting that Jaycee could just see them look at each other and want to laugh.
Noah and Shar, she discovered, pretty much only had music in common. Everything else they liked was completely opposite. Noah loved horses; Shar loved astronomy. They studied at the community college—something they hadn’t been able to conv
ince Shay to do, as Shar had pointed out.
James and Leah had just graduated from high school—not old enough for bar gigs at The Bird. Even though Leah had had a bad attitude at first, she wouldn’t stop talking to Jaycee about the Senator’s politics, going into details that Jaycee couldn’t have guessed. Leah stated that she wanted to be an attorney, and she might want an internship with the Senator if he changed his politics. James told Leah to lay off, and then he asked if Jaycee had ever been to Hawaii, because he had visited it once and now planned on living there. That led to another discussion about how they would do the music together if they all lived in different places.
Shay’s parents were quiet for the most part, but they were amused by all the kids. His mother would ask her questions, little things about how she liked college, what her major was, and if she liked being at the manor in the summer. His mother seemed really nice.
The whole scene felt so homey, and Jaycee found herself wishing she could go home to something like this. She didn’t have time to think about it for long, because James whisked them all out to the studio right after dinner.
Everyone’s enthusiasm faltered when they found a surprise—a pan of cinnamon rolls by the door to the studio.
“Oh man, the crazy baking ex strikes again.” Shar picked up the pan and carried it back to the house, shaking her head. “Don’t worry, Shay. I’ll put these in the kitchen and be back.”
It dawned on Jaycee, and she turned to Shay. “Kristie?”
He looked embarrassed. “Yep.”
James grunted. “The truth is, she’s not that great of a baker. I don’t know why she thinks she’ll win him back by giving him baked goods.”
“She’s messed up,” Leah said, moving past them and into the studio. They all followed her.
The studio wasn’t professional by any means. There were couches to lounge on, and a table faced a whiteboard that had different lyrics scribbled on it. The equipment, though, was amazing.
Jaycee was very impressed. When Leah and James hit the production board and started playing some of their songs, she could only say, “Wow.”
