Sisters of Summer’s End

by Lori Foster

  As the summer ends, friendship begins...

  When single mom Joy Lee abandoned her old life to take a job at a lakeside resort, she found something that her family’s wealth and influence could never buy: peace of mind. Not easy to come by for the once-burned divorcée who keeps everyone at a distance. But when her new friend, Maris, dares her to take a chance with the drive-in’s charismatic new owner, everything changes for Joy and her young son.

  A difficult childhood has left Maris Kennedy with definite priorities. Her job running Summer’s End, the camp store and café, comes first. Always. Nothing could ever make her risk that hard-won security—especially not her free-spirited colleague. But the more she encourages Joy to open herself up to new experiences, the more Maris begins to wonder what she, too, might be missing.

  Learning how to trust will bring Joy and Maris together. And soon they form a friendship that leaves them as close as sisters—and open to love where they least expect it...in Summer’s End.

  Praise for New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster

  “A bubbly summer escape, and beyond that, a heartwarming look at the healing power of family.”

  —Entertainment Weekly on Cooper’s Charm

  “Brimming with heart, heat and humor.”

  —Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author on Worth the Wait

  “A beautifully matched pair find each other despite their misgivings (and their baggage) in a steamy romance laced with mystery and suspense that is a pure delight.”

  —Library Journal on Cooper’s Charm

  “Foster fills her scenes with plenty of banter and sizzling chemistry, ensuring longtime fans will feel right at home in this new series.”

  —Publishers Weekly on Driven to Distraction

  “Full of healing, hope and, most importantly, love... An absolute delight.”

  —Maisey Yates, New York Times bestselling author on Cooper’s Charm

  “Storytelling at its best! Lori Foster should be on everyone’s auto-buy list.”

  —#1 New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon on No Limits

  “Foster brings her signature blend of heat and sweet to her addictive third Ultimate martial arts contemporary.”

  —Publishers Weekly on Tough Love (starred review)

  “Count on Lori Foster for sexy, edgy romance.”

  —Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling author on No Limits

  “Calling all romance readers!... This one checks all the sizzling, sultry boxes.”

  —Coastal Living on Cooper’s Charm

  Also available from Lori Foster

  and HQN Books

  Road to Love

  Driven to Distraction

  Slow Ride

  The Summer Resort

  Cooper’s Charm

  Body Armor

  Under Pressure

  Hard Justice

  Close Contact

  Fast Burn

  The Guthrie Brothers

  Don’t Tempt Me

  Worth the Wait

  The Ultimate series

  Hard Knocks (prequel ebook novella)

  No Limits

  Holding Strong

  Tough Love

  Fighting Dirty

  Love Undercover

  Run the Risk

  Bare It All

  Getting Rowdy

  Dash of Peril

  Edge of Honor

  “Ready, Set, Jett”

  in The Guy Next Door anthology

  When You Dare

  Trace of Fever

  Savor the Danger

  A Perfect Storm

  What Chris Wants (ebook novella)

  Other must-reads

  Boone (ebook novella)

  Tucker (ebook novella)

  A Buckhorn Baby

  Built for Love (ebook novella)

  A Buckhorn Bachelor (ebook novella)

  A Buckhorn Summer (ebook novella)

  All for You

  Back to Buckhorn (ebook novella)

  Heartbreakers

  Charade

  Up in Flames

  Turn Up the Heat

  Hot in Here

  Animal Attraction (ebook anthology)

  Love Bites

  All Riled Up

  The Buckhorn Legacy

  Forever Buckhorn

  Buckhorn Beginnings

  Bewitched

  Unbelievable

  Tempted

  Bodyguard

  Caught!

  Fallen Angels

  Enticing

  Lori Foster

  Sisters of Summer’s End

  To all my readers,

  Thank you for everything—for the positive reviews you’ve posted, for visiting my Facebook page with comments and most especially for purchasing my books.

  I’m convinced I have the nicest, smartest and most considerate readers in the world. :-)

  I hope my stories never disappoint you!

  Lori Foster

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoy the vacation setting, first with Cooper’s Charm and now in Sisters of Summer’s End. I certainly enjoyed writing the stories of friendship, family and romance with the ambience of nature in the unique setting of an RV resort.

  Many of you have asked me about the basis for the resort. Because I needed certain things for my characters and the plot, the setting is largely fictional, but it is influenced by an RV resort I visited for many years. In fact, I wrote a few books in my own RV, parked near a beautiful creek with mature trees making it feel like I was all alone in the woods, even though an entire campground surrounded me.

  It’s a lovely, quaint, welcoming place...and if you want to know more, look up naturalspringsresorts.com.

  Just like in my books, they have scuba diving, a lake formed from an old stone quarry, an amazing camp store and grill, and so much more.

  My characters are 100 percent made-up, not even remotely drawn from any living person at the resort, but there are strong similarities to the layout. Have fun finding them.

  My “happy place” is anywhere in nature, most especially near water. I haven’t been back to the resort since we bought our lake property. Now when I want my fix of sunshine and fresh air, I head to our lake house and take a boat ride, swim or occasionally water-ski.

  My husband and I also love Hocking Hills, Cumberland Falls and the Great Smoky Mountains. Of course, anywhere we go, I take a book!

  Here’s wishing you lots of happy reading—in your own happy place.

  Lori Foster

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter One

  After dropping her son off at school, Joy Lee returned to Cooper’s Charm, the RV resort where she worked and lived. It was backtracking since she had an appointment near the school later this morning, but it wouldn’t do to show up a half hour early.

  Actually, nothing in the small town of Woodbine, Ohio, was too far away.
In fifteen minutes she could drive to the school, the park, the grocery...or visit the new owner of the drive-in, who she’d be meeting today.

  Hopefully Mr. Nakirk would continue to work with her. As the recreation director of the park, she and the past owner had put together various events with a lot of success. Halloween was coming up and she didn’t want to have to completely restructure a tried-and-true camper favorite.

  Coming through the grand entry of the resort, Joy couldn’t help but admire the beauty of it. She’d been seeing the same gorgeous scenery for six years now, yet it never failed to soothe her.

  She’d found peace here, a kind of peace she hadn’t known existed. Now she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

  Large trees, currently wearing their fall colors, lined the property and served to add privacy to the costlier campsites.

  A wooden walk bridge divided a pond from the large lake. Wooden cabins were scattered about, with plenty of lots for RVs and level, grassy areas for campers who preferred a tent. Even the playgrounds were well maintained, colorful and attractive.

  Deciding a cup of coffee wouldn’t hurt, Joy headed for Summer’s End, the camp store. Maris Kennedy, a woman close to her own age, always had coffee ready. She also worked nonstop and treated everyone like a friend.

  When Joy came into the camp store, Maris was busy wiping down the tops of the dining booths. She glanced up and said, “Hey.”

  In so many ways, Joy admired Maris. For one thing, the woman never seemed to tire. She opened early, kept it open late and rarely slowed down throughout the day. During the busiest season, Maris employed part-time help, but she handled the bulk of the responsibility herself.

  Maris apparently preferred it that way.

  Another admirable thing? Maris always managed to look fantastic with her dark blond hair in a high ponytail and a shirt at least a size too large over her jeans.

  Unfair, but Maris was so incredibly nice, and she took such great care of all the employees, Joy forgave her the perfection. “Good morning.”

  “Is it?” Maris turned her gaze to the window. “Ah, sunshine. Better than rain and clouds, right? Coffee?”

  Joy hated to pull her away from her task. “Yes, but I could—”

  “I’ll get it.” Toting her little carrier of cleaning supplies, Maris headed to the kitchen. Joy heard her wash her hands, and then a moment later she reappeared with two cups. “I just made a fresh pot.”

  Of course she had. Smiling, Joy shook her head.

  The café in Summer’s End offered a menu of sandwiches, soups and daily specials. Positioned on the walls behind the seating area, packed shelves held basic grocery necessities and emergency items, as well as things like pool floats, sunscreen and fishing tackle. Campers didn’t have to leave the park once they arrived, and if they didn’t want to make use of the grills, Maris always had something to eat.

  Joy took a sip of the coffee, fixed just the way she liked it, and sighed.

  Instead of moving on to another chore, Maris stood there with her own coffee. “I’m wondering something.”

  “Oh?” She and Maris were friendly; Maris was too nice for anyone not to be friendly with her. But Joy wouldn’t say they were close.

  Sadly, it had become Joy’s habit to keep some measure of distance from everyone.

  “How the hell do you always look so put together?”

  Surprised by the question, Joy looked down at her cotton skirt and button-up sweater. “It’s a casual skirt.” At least five years old, like the majority of her wardrobe. She’d updated only a few pieces since moving to the park.

  “Yeah, but everything you wear looks like it came from a fashion magazine. Always, no matter what, you’re styled head to toe. There are days I can barely get my hair into a ponytail, and yet you never have a wrinkle.”

  Feeling suddenly self-conscious, as well as amused by the irony, Joy laughed.

  “Why’s that funny?” Maris asked, looking genuinely curious.

  It wasn’t like Maris to linger, so Joy hastily explained, “I was literally just thinking how great you always look. Especially your ponytail! No matter what’s going on, you...glow.”

  “Me?” Maris snorted. “Glow?”

  Even more embarrassed and feeling completely out of her element, Joy continued. “You don’t need makeup or anything. You always look fresh, even when you’ve been working all day. There’s an energy about you.” A wholesomeness that few other women could pull off. It was probably attitude as much as appearance that was responsible for that vibe. Maris personified friendliness, but she owned the space around her in a way Joy could never manage. “Believe me, the natural look works for you.”

  When Maris laughed, it made her even prettier, but before Joy could say so, she asked, “So what are you up to today?”

  Hmm. Had Maris just deflected? Maybe she was as uncomfortable with compliments as Joy. “Meeting the new owner of the drive-in.”

  “That’s right. I heard it changed hands.”

  “Very recently,” Joy confirmed.

  “Heard the new guy was a gorgeous hunk, too.”

  “You...what?” Joy sputtered. A gorgeous hunk? Definitely not what she’d hoped for, although it absolutely wouldn’t matter. A man’s appeal meant nothing to her—and good thing, since the guys at the park were all very handsome in varying ways. “Who told you that?”

  “I’m like a bartender, you know?” Maris bobbed her eyebrows. “Everyone talks to me. You should try it sometime.”

  Generally the small town shared everything about everything. If a squirrel dropped a nut, someone announced it and the gossip spread like wildfire—though Joy was usually the last to hear it since she didn’t cultivate those close relationships. Maybe she should chat with Maris more, if for no other reason than to keep up on current affairs in Woodbine. “I don’t know about the hunk part since I haven’t met him yet, but it’s not an issue. My only interest is—”

  “In recreation for the park, I know.” Maris rolled her eyes in a playful way. “But there are all kinds of recreation, and I’m thinking you should try the kind that involves a man.”

  A nervous laugh trickled out. Since when was Maris Kennedy interested in her lack of a love life? Joy’s next thought was whether or not the lack was that obvious.

  Did she seem...lonely? Or, oh God, needy?

  No, Maris more than anyone else at the park understood that a woman didn’t need a man to complete her. Joy’s life was already full, thank you very much.

  To keep things friendly, Joy said with a smile, “Jack gets all my free time. I don’t even know when I’d fit in a date.” Just to clarify, she added, “Not that anyone is asking.”

  “Hello,” Maris said. “You realize you have a big old blinking not available sign on you, right? Guys would—” she pinched the air “—if you’d give them just a teeny tiny bit of encouragement.”

  “But I don’t want to encourage anyone. I mean, not for that reason.”

  “Why not? Jack’s in school now, so don’t tell me you can’t eke out an hour or two.”

  “Hmm. Well, I guess technically I could...” Joy sat at the counter and finished with, “But I won’t.”

  “Spoilsport.” Maris joined her, taking the stool to her left.

  Well, that was new. Sure, Maris conversed with Joy, but usually while she worked. She didn’t sit down and join her.

  She didn’t focus on her.

  Unsure what was going on, Joy said, “I don’t mean to hold you up...”

  “Already got through my routine, so I was ready for a break.”

  Curious, she asked, “What type of routine?”

  “Coffee first—that’s as much for me as it is for anyone who might drop in. Then I turn on the oven so I can make cookies from the dough I prepared the night before.”

  “Wow.”


  “I dust again, make sure all the chrome shines. Face up the shelves so they look orderly.” Maris looked around her store with obvious pride. “There’s always food stuff to prep, too. Soup to get in the pot, tea to make. Oh, and I have to put money back in the cash register. I like to take inventory each evening before I head home, so I know what I need to replace the next day. That means sometimes I have to restock the hot dogs or condiments.”

  Joy shook her head. “I have no idea how you do it all.”

  “Listen to who’s talking, Super Mom.”

  “I’m not—”

  “Yup, you are. I see plenty of moms here at the park, but you make it look effortless.”

  “Oh. Well, thank you.” What else did someone say in this situation? Joy had no idea. Before moving to Woodbine, she hadn’t had any friends like Maris. Her social group had been superficial, not down-to-earth. They talked about the latest high-end fashions and the next important social function. None of her so-called friends would have ever owned a wonderful little camp store like Summer’s End—and none of them would have ever ended up as a single mom. Losing them hadn’t been a hardship.

  Other things had been hard. So very, very hard.

  Like finding herself alone.

  Over the years she’d adjusted, but now she shied away from getting too personal with anyone. Life felt safer that way.

  “So.” As if she’d been privy to her innermost thoughts, Maris gave her a direct smile—one filled with warmth and sincerity. “I’m just saying if you ever want to go out, or even if you just want some time to yourself, let me know. I’d be happy to help.”

  Touched by the offer, Joy laid a hand to her heart. After all her effort to keep real friendship at bay, Maris still reached out to her. It meant a lot and made Joy rethink some of her choices.

  Honestly, since turning thirty, it had played on her mind, anyway. Perhaps she should begin to open up a little.

  Jack certainly had. Then again, her son was one of the most personable, engaging, adorable people...and maybe she was just a tiny bit influenced by the incredible love she had for him.

  Jack liked Maris a lot, and vice versa.