by Elle Viviani
“You got mad at her for not telling her parents, right?”
I shrug. “Basically, but it’s more complicated than that.”
“Isn’t that what she said when you told her to call her parents?”
Dammit.
“Maybe, but it really is more complicated than that.”
“I’m sure, but I’m trying to make it simple so you see my point. Maybe Summer doesn’t see the need to make you two official if you’re not doing the same with your family.”
“But I haven’t got any—” I grip the porch railing as it hits me. “Oh.”
“Yup. She’s got to meet your dad.”
“Why would anyone want to do that?”
“Come on, Rendell.”
“What? It’s not like I even have a relationship with him in the first place. Why would Summer want to meet someone I haven’t spoken to in years?”
“Just give him a chance to meet the girl you love.”
I frown. “How did you know I love her?”
“Please. I know shit.”
“I’m serious. I didn’t even know until four days ago.”
“I knew the moment I saw you two together.”
I almost drop the phone.
“Scratch that,” he says. “I knew when you talked about her on the phone.”
“How…how could you…?”
“Because it wasn’t what you said, it was how you said it.”
I scoff. “Are you Dr. Phil now?”
“No, just a friend who's never heard his buddy talk about a girl like you talked about Summer.”
“Even though we fought constantly. Still do,” I add.
“Yup. You never let people get to you, so what was different about Summer?”
Everything. “I dunno.”
“Exactly. She caught your eye and now she’s caught your heart, too.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “That’s poetic shit, man.”
“I try, I try.”
“Okay, well, I have no problem introducing her to my dad, but it’s not going to do anything if she doesn’t tell her parents.”
Bryce sighs. “True. I’m not sure, then.”
I dig in my pocket for my keys with a heavy heart. “Yeah, I know. Look, I’ve got to go. I’m heading over to meet this new guy lined up to replace Summer as my first mate.”
“Oh, right. September is right around the corner.”
“Don’t remind me. Anyway, I’ll need this guy if I’m going to stay on as captain.”
“Whoa, what?”
“Sorry. I just found out that Captain’s retiring. One guess who he’s picked to replace him full-time…” The line goes quiet. “Bryce?”
“I’m here. Just wondering how this fits in with your plans.”
My hand pauses as I draw it out of my pocket. “Plans?”
“You know, to travel the world?”
“Right,” I say with a frown. My plans hadn’t even crossed my mind when Captain told me his good news. All I could think about was Summer. She’s still all I can think about.
“Does this mean you’re putting that on hold?”
“I…I’ll get back to you on that,” I say carefully, not knowing the answer myself. “But I really gotta go, I’m already late.”
“Yeah, yeah. Let me know what happens. I know you’ll sweep her off her feet, Rendell.”
“Thanks, Hill, I needed that. And stick with it, man. Maybe Autumn will wake up one of these days.”
Bryce grunts. “Yeah. Maybe in a perfect world.”
I throw up my hood as I step out from the covered shelter of the porch, shielding my face from the rain. The grass is slick and dark from the incessant drizzle of the last few days. The sky’s been gray and gloomy since Summer left, almost like it’s trying to tell me something.
Well I get it, loud and clear. Life sucks. Let’s move on.
I’m firing up the engine when Grandma Jane steps out onto the front porch. She gives a little wave and starts down the front steps. “Koa? Do you have a moment?” she calls.
I cut the engine and hop out, trotting up the path and pulling her back under the protection of the porch. “I’m heading to the harbor to meet the new…” I trail off as I catch sight of her face. “Everything alright?”
“I’m not really sure, actually.” She gives me a worried look. “I wanted to ask you about Summer.”
The breath catches in my throat. “Summer?”
“I’m worried about her. She was acting strangely before she left this weekend.”
“Oh, uh…” I rub the back of my neck. “I’m sure she’s alright.”
“I wish I could believe that, but I caught her crying a few times.”
I flinch like I’ve been hit.
“She tried to hide it, but you can’t hide red eyes.”
No. But you can hide a wounded heart like the one bleeding out in my chest.
She wrings her hands together. “Do you know what’s wrong?”
Me. I’m what’s wrong.
“I don’t.”
She nods. “I figured. Well—”
We both jump as my phone dings loudly in my back pocket. “Sorry,” I mutter, pulling it out. “I’ll turn it…”
The words die in my throat as I glance down at the screen. It’s Summer.
SUMMER: I told my parents. I’m sorry, Koa. I hope you can forgive me…some day. Maybe we can start again if you do.
Eventually Jane’s voice reaches me over the roaring in my ears. “…I’ll see her tomorrow and then figure out—”
“Can I pick Summer up?” I interrupt.
She looks at me in surprise. “You want to?”
Only desperately.
“Yes. We’ve, uh, grown close over the past few weeks. Maybe I can help.”
Or maybe I can right a terrible wrong.
Gran’s lips break out into a big smile. “Why sure, I think that’s a great idea. Just a second while I grab her itinerary.” She opens the front door and marches down the hall to the kitchen, returning a second later with a printout clutched in her hands. “She has a ten-fifteen flight tomorrow morning.”
Good. That gives me time to figure out what I’m going to say when I see her…if words will be enough. I know what I have to do, even if it means breaking a long-standing rule between my dad and me: don't get involved in each other’s lives. It’s worked well for us these past few years, but Bryce is right. I need to put myself out there just like Summer has. It couldn’t have been easy telling her parents about us, and it won’t be easy seeing my dad after five years.
But I’ll give it my all, throw my line deep, and try to reel Summer back into my arms…
Where she’ll stay, if I have anything to say about it.
29
Summer
“Hey, Summer!”
I look around as my name is called across baggage claim. I expect to see Gran’s smiling face, but instead I see Koa barreling down the terminal. “Koa? What are you doing here?”
He stops in front of me, clutching his side as he catches his breath. The sweet smell of pine washes over me as my eyes drink him in, sending my bruised heart hammering against my chest. How could I forget how beautiful he is in four days?
“I’m here to pick you up.”
“But why?”
“Because, um, I got your text and…” He stops and rubs his jaw. “Dammit! Because I’m sorry for walking away. I’d rather die than live without you.”
We stare at each other for a moment before my bag goes clattering to the floor. I fling myself in his arms, snaking my arms around his neck and burying my face in his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Koa. I’m so, so sorry.”
“Oh, Summer,” he murmurs in my ear, clutching my body tight against him. “I missed you so badly.”
Relief and joy sweep through me as I press my soft curves into his hard chest, leaving my limbs weak and wobbly. “Let’s never fight again. Ever.”
He gives a soft chuckle. “I’ll try, but you drive me
crazy, woman.”
“Then I’ll try not to.”
“Don’t. It’s what I love about you.”
His scruffy chin grazes my cheek as he leans back, leaving a trail of kisses all the way to my lips. My mouth opens to meet his, our hot tongues twisting together as we quench our thirst for each other’s touch. It feels like a lifetime since I’ve held Koa in my arms.
A little gasp escapes me as I pull back a few moments later. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
He smiles. “You always say that.”
“Only because I believe it.”
His fingertips brush my cheek as he tucks a stray tendril of hair behind my ear. “Then I’ll keep reminding you that you’re a drug I can’t quit. You’re under my skin and in my blood. I…” He trails off as his eyes roam lovingly over my face. “I love you.”
I catch my breath. “You do?”
He nods. “I do.”
I thread my fingers through his rich brown hair, my thumb tracing the sweet curve of his ear before coming to rest on his cheek. “I love you, too. So much.”
He closes his eyes and presses his forehead against mine. “I’m never walking away again,” he whispers. “I’m never letting you go.”
“Right back at ya, Captain.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and sweeps me off my feet. I squeal as he twirls me around and around.
“Put me down!”
“Never!” he shouts, gaining the attention of more than a few weary travelers. They smile and point at us as he slows to a stop.
“Alright,” he mutters as my feet touch the ground, “but I reserve the right to do that anytime I want.”
“Okay, hot stuff.” My smile slips as I take in his flushed cheeks and bright eyes. I can’t believe I let him think I was ashamed of him. He’s a king among men.
“Koa?”
“Yes?”
“I’m not ashamed of you.”
He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I know, baby.”
“I thought about it all weekend, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m a spineless wimp when it comes to my parents.”
“I think we all are.”
“No,” I say firmly. “I really am and I’m going to change because I love you and you’re everything to me.”
His eyes dance with happiness. “Right back at ya, Rae.”
My laugh peters out as I grapple with this lingering sense of guilt. I still can’t believe I left him for New York after that fight.
“What’s the matter, baby?” he asks softly, tracing my cheekbone with his fingertips.
“My parents…”
“How’d they take it?”
I give a halfhearted smile. “Other than her disappointment in canceling all the dates she threw together? Disbelief.”
“I still feel horrible about what I caused.”
“Don’t. It’s behind us.”
“Well, I’ll still make it up to you.”
“You will?”
“Absolutely. I’ll find a way.”
His lips curl into a smile. “I have a few in mind…”
“Koa,” I hiss as his hands snake down to my ass. He cups my butt and gives it a squeeze. “We’re in public!”
He leans forward and kisses my forehead with his soft lips. “We don’t have to be.”
I giggle. “Sounds attractive to me.”
He swipes my bag off the floor and grabs my hand. “But first, I’ve got someone I want you to meet.”
“Who?” I ask as we start for the doors.
“Someone I should’ve introduced you to a long time ago.” He glances back at me. “My dad.”
“Is this a good idea?” I ask as we roll to a stop in front of the rambling Victorian at the top of the gravel road. The old house may have frightened me in the dead of night, but with the sun bearing down on its warped roof, it looks more pathetic than ominous.
Koa cuts the engine and turns to me. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“Nope, but why don’t we find out?”
I give myself a mental shake and take his hand. He needs the strength here, not me. “Let’s do this.”
We climb out and head up the flagstone path toward the weathered blue door. What might have started as a beautifully kept garden was now an assortment of motley weeds and crabgrasses. The porch isn’t in much better shape. The spots that still have paint are peeling and flaking off from the years of harsh snowstorms and rain.
“Does he know we’re coming over?” I ask in a low voice. I need to get these jitters under control, if not for Koa’s sake, then for the sake of my nerves.
“Yes. He was surprised when I told him last night, but happy. There was even a maid service here this morning when I drove past.”
I glance at him. “Is that surprising?”
Koa slows us to a stop. “My dad hasn’t let anyone inside these walls for over five years.”
“Oh.” Okay. No pressure here. Only the first visitor Koa’s estranged father has had in years, apparently. “Well, I’m ready.”
Koa’s barely pulled his hand away from the doorbell before the door swings open. A wizened, weathered man stands on the other side, thin and tall like Koa, but without his strength.
“Hi, Dad,” Koa says, breaking the silence. “Can we come in?”
He opens the screen door with a nod. “Thanks for coming, son. It…it means a lot.” He glances at me with a tight, awkward smile, like his lips aren’t used to the movement. “And you must be Summer.” He reaches out a sun-spotted hand. “Pleased to meet you, darlin’.”
I take his hand and hold it tight. “Pleasure is all mine, Mr. Rendell.”
“Kenny.”
I smile. “Kenny, then.”
He ushers us inside the dark foyer before leading us back toward the kitchen. I can tell a maid service has been through, but it’s too little too late. Everything has a general feeling of neglect, noticeable especially in the wallpaper and paint work, though tidy. Kenny may be a shut-in, but he was a Navy man all his life. That orderliness is hard to forget.
Kenny grabs a pitcher of lemonade from the fridge and motions us to the kitchen table. Three glasses and a plate of oatmeal raisin cookies are waiting in the center of the scratched tabletop.
Koa takes this all in with wide eyes. “Lemonade and cookies?”
Kenny clears his throat. “Well, er, this is a special occasion and…”
“What happened to your old pals Schlitz and Jack Daniels?”
I freeze as Kenny walks up to his son, expecting the blow-up of the century after a jab like that. Instead, he takes a deep breath and meets Koa’s eyes. “Been sober for two years now, son.”
Koa blinks a few times. “Wow, Dad. That’s…great.”
“Thanks. It wasn’t easy, but I know it’s for the best.”
“Mind if I dig in?” I say after a few awkward moments. I take a seat and grab a cookie. “Delicious, thank you.”
I throw Koa a look and nod to the chair next to me. He gives himself a shake and joins me at the table. I grab the pitcher and start filling glasses. “I hope you didn’t go through too much trouble, Kenny.”
“Not at all, not at all. In fact, it was overdue to get the house in order. I’ve…” He glances at his son as he settles in at the head of the table. “I’ve let it fall behind.”
“You’re getting older, Dad. Maybe it’s time to ask for help.”
Kenny shrugs. “I didn’t know who to ask.”
“I’d help,” Koa answers, frowning. “I have a workshop right down the hill.”
“You’d do that for me?”
Koa shifts in his chair. “I can help if my schedule allows it.”
I grab his hand under the table and give it a squeeze. “And I’ll help, too.”
That earns me a look from the Rendell men. “You will, dear?” Kenny asks with a heavy dose of skepticism.
“Sure! I think it’ll be fun. If I can handle lo
bsters, I can handle anything.”
“But what about this September?” Koa murmurs.
I give his hand another squeeze before reaching for my lemonade. “We’ll figure it out.”
A silence descends over the table, and I’m too distracted by the thought of saying goodbye to Koa to do anything about it.
“So,” Kenny says slowly, “Koa tells me you’re a teacher?”
I smile. “Not yet, but hopefully soon. I go back to New York in a few weeks to take my exams.”
“That’s an admirable profession. Difficult, I should think.”
“That’s what your son said—” Koa bats my hand away as I poke him in the ribs “—but then I got to experience lobster fishing. I bet the Navy was just as hard.”
Kenny nods. “It had its ups and down, but I liked it. Even in combat.”
“I can’t imagine…”
He glances over his shoulder toward the living room. “Would you, um, like to see some pictures? I got to travel all over the world.”
“Of course! But only if there are a few naked baby photos of Koa, too.”
Koa sighs. “Dad, come on…”
“What?” He gives his son a look and stands up. “Summer wants to see them.”
“Come on, Koa,” I say, pulling him up with me. “It’ll be fun!”
Ten minutes later, the coffee table is covered with photos, photo albums, and childhood memorabilia.
“Oh my goodness, look at those butt dimples!” I snatch up the technicolor photo of a fat, sausage-legged baby Koa and laugh. “They’re adorable.”
Kenny grins at the photo. “That was Koa’s first trip to the beach. He took one look at the water, stripped down to what God gave him, and made a run for it.”
I ignore Koa’s pout from the sofa. “And what about this one?” I ask, reaching for a black and white photo.
“That’s my mother and father. Father was an Army infantryman in World World II, mother was a seamstress. Married sixty-two years.”
I graze my finger over their proud, stern faces. “That’s beautiful. Hard to believe anyone can be with someone for that long.”
Koa chuckles softly. “Worried about our future, Rae?”
I stick my tongue out at him. “Keep that up, and we’ll see.”
I shuffle through the myriad of photos of Kenny in uniform or exploring a distant land for more baby photos of Koa. I pause as a woman’s face flashes across my vision—dark brown hair and wide blue eyes, like Koa’s.
