The Summer House: A gorgeous feel good romance that will have you hooked

by Jenny Hale

Callie squinted from the sunlight as she looked up at the bright blue sky, still light in the endless days of summer, trying not to feel the heaviness of the situation with The Beachcomber. She wished she could have her grandmother here to talk to. She needed someone to give her the answers that she just didn’t have on her own. But Gladys had been with them, which was good, yet she didn’t have any way to fix this either.

  As she looked around at the vacationers, all sunburned, laughing, eating their yearly dose of local seafood, and enjoying drinks in their souvenir cups, she felt the exhaustion finally wash over her. She was spent—emotionally and physically—unable to enjoy the paradise around her.

  “What’s going on?” Callie said as they pulled up behind a team of cars in the drive.

  “I don’t know.” Olivia frowned and got out.

  There was a racket going on around the back of the house and they looked at each other in confusion. They walked around to see where all the pounding was coming from and Callie gasped in surprise. Enormous floodlights had been set up to combat the darkness that would be arriving soon. There was an entire crew pounding away on the porches, lifting timber, holding levels, hammers, and saws… She gazed from face to face until she found Frederick, smiling hugely as he looked at her.

  “You ladies get your painting done,” he called down to them. “We’ve got this!”

  Callie wanted to run and hug him, but he’d gone back to hammering.

  “Let’s get changed!” Olivia said with excitement as she bounced on her toes. “We’ve got an opening to get ready for!”

  After a quick text to Gladys asking her to keep Wyatt over there for the night, Olivia and Callie threw on some old clothes and got to work. They barely spoke as they painted the new drywall, both of them focused wholeheartedly on the task at hand. This was a blessing that had come out of nowhere and Callie couldn’t wait to thank Frederick and Aiden for it, but right now, they had to get the rest finished. Her guess was that with a crew that large, the porches and the rest of the walkway could be done in no time at all. If Callie and Olivia could paint that one wall in the kitchen and get the landscaping laid out and planted, this opening was going to happen!

  They painted almost breathlessly, excitement buzzing around them. When they’d finished, both of them went straight outside to start on the walkway. Once they got outside, they decided to find Frederick and Aiden first to thank them. Olivia looked for Aiden and Callie found Frederick.

  Callie grabbed him and pulled him aside as she looked up at the porches that were now coming along so nicely, tears of happiness surfacing. She wiped them away. This gesture was more than she could have imagined, and she had many questions about who would foot the bill, and how they’d rounded up a crew of this size. “I just wanted to say thank you,” she said, her gratitude showing in the form of more tears.

  Frederick smiled.

  “We couldn’t have opened if this hadn’t happened. You and Aiden literally saved us. I don’t know what I’ll ever do to repay you. Where did you find all these people?”

  “They’re from the nonprofit I’ve been working with. But Callie,” he said, pulling her attention back to his face, his eyes now serious. “I didn’t do this.” He turned and pointed to a far area of the porch.

  Callie searched the large group of workers, trying to figure out what he was showing her when suddenly a couple of people moved and her heart began racing. There, in the far corner, hidden before by the large crowd, was Luke. He wiped his brow and set a piece of wood in place, hammering it down.

  “Luke did this,” he said. “He offered to donate double the normal rate for a job of this size to their organization if they’d help him.”

  She felt her jaw slacken in surprise and had to consciously close her mouth. “Why?” she asked Frederick.

  “Perhaps you should ask him.”

  With a dazed nod, she left Frederick and started to make her way down the new porch, forcing herself to acknowledge people along her path as they smiled and greeted her. Her hands tingled with anticipation, her heart feeling like it would burst as she watched him, just waiting for his eyes to fall on her. Then, there it was: He looked up and smiled that smile. She had to will herself to breathe. He set down his hammer and stood up.

  “Hi,” he said, a slight apprehension in his face.

  “Hello.” She wanted to throw her arms around him and bury her head in his chest but she stood still. “Frederick told me that you’re responsible for all this,” she said over the hammering.

  “Take a walk with me?”

  She caught her breath as he placed his hand lightly on her back, leading her through the workers as they headed for the stairs down to the beach. The breeze blew around them, the pounding fading into quiet as the sound of the waves took over. Tonight they were lapping softly, slapping the shore in a rhythmic motion. Callie tried to tune in to the rhythm of the sound to slow her beating heart.

  When they reached the sand, Luke faced her. “I tried to help sooner, but Aiden said you didn’t want me here,” he said.

  Callie frantically shook her head, ready to explain, but Luke kept going.

  “I didn’t want to push you. I felt terrible for what I said to you at the Berkeley. I was angry and confused, and I didn’t know whom to blame. It took me a while to realize that there wasn’t anyone to blame really. Not now. And things with my father might never be the same—I’ll have to live with that. But what didn’t take me long to realize was that I missed you. I missed you so much that it hurt. I couldn’t spend another minute without you. I kept asking Frederick how you were, what you were up to, if you were okay.”

  He reached up and brushed a tear off her cheek and she noticed that she was shaking. He took her hands in his.

  “Today, while we were surfing, he told me about how you were shorthanded. I thought, even if you didn’t want me there, I wanted to show you that I care about you. I told him I was going to get the porches built whether you liked it or not,” he said, that grin finally emerging. Then he looked into her eyes, the most sincere expression on his face, and said, “Will you forgive me?”

  “There’s nothing to forgive, Luke. I learned something from you,” she said, dropping his hands and wrapping her arms around his neck. “That we have to be open and honest with each other, tell each other how we feel. That’s what you do when you care about someone. So I have something to say.” She pushed herself up on her tiptoes, putting her face right across from his. “I missed you so much when we were apart, and I don’t want to spend another minute without you either. I’ve never met anyone like you and I can’t see my future without you in it.”

  Luke put his hands on her back, pulling her into him, his spicy smell overwhelming her. He touched his lips to hers, his breath tickling her, causing an electric current down her spine, as he said, “Glad to hear it.” He broke out into that smile of his, but this time, she didn’t want to see it. She wanted his lips on hers, his arms holding her tightly. She reached up and tried to kiss him.

  He pulled back before she could. With a crooked grin he said, “How do you know I’ll kiss you on demand?”

  She threw her head back with a laugh and replied, “I suppose I don’t. I just went for what I wanted.” Right then, she knew exactly what she wanted and it was right in front of her. “But I can always buy you a caramel macchiato to prove it.”

  Without warning, he scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder. “Oh, you think you’re funny, eh?” he said, running toward the surf.

  “Put me down!” She giggled uncontrollably, banging on his back with her fists.

  “Nevah!” he called, splashing into the water.

  Then all of a sudden, whoosh! They were under water, the waves bubbling over her skin, Luke’s strong arms around her, lifting her up to the surface. The air shocked her wet skin as they bobbed behind a wave that crawled to shore. Her thin shirt was soaking and she could feel every muscle in his body against her. His lips found her neck and then moved up under
her ear. She grabbed his shirt in her fists to keep herself from going under, nearly gasping for breath. Then, before she could even open her eyes, his mouth was on hers, his salty lips moving all over her, his fingers tangling in her hair. She put her hands under his shirt, against his wet skin and kissed him back, wondering how she’d ever lived without this.

  As they slowed down, Callie was aware of a noise and she looked at Luke but then followed his line of sight to the porch at The Beachcomber, full of people cheering and waving.

  “Oh my God,” she said, laughing.

  “Meh,” he teased. “I’m used to being under a watchful eye.” Then he put his hands on her face and kissed her again in front of everyone.

  Twenty-Six

  “I got you a housewarming present,” Luke said as he stood beside an enormous furniture truck the next morning, Poppy and Callie coming out to greet him. He’d stayed last night until they could hardly keep their eyes open. It was so late that she’d worried about him getting home safely until he’d texted her that he’d gotten there.

  While he’d been affectionate and they’d had a great time together, she still wondered when the topic of Edward would come up again—they’d have to face it sooner or later. And when they did, would Luke come to the realization that his relationship with Edward was ruined because of her? Had Callie not intervened, Luke and Mr. Sullivan wouldn’t have had to face this reality right now. Perhaps telling Luke and Edward should’ve happened at another time, when they could both process it better, when there wasn’t so much on the line. Would it always be a sticking point for Luke?

  The deliveryman hopped out, went to the end of the truck, and threw up the door, which rattled as it cranked to the top.

  “What did you buy?” She walked around to the back of the truck and peered inside. It was full to the brim with white rocking chairs.

  “Enough for all the porches, back and front,” he said, putting his arms around her and lifting her up then setting her back down.

  She put her hands on her cheeks in surprise. They’d arranged potted plants on the porches, having run out of time and funds to fully furnish them. Given the circumstances, they’d been very lucky to be able to open The Beachcomber at all, so neither Callie nor Olivia had worried too much about it, but Callie had wished she could have places to sit outside for the guests because it was that million dollar view that sold this place. “Oh my goodness, Luke! You didn’t have to do this!”

  “I know. That’s why I called it a present.” He rubbed Poppy’s head and she walked away slowly, favoring her good leg, back up toward the house to see Wyatt, who was taking his fishing gear out to the beach.

  “Thank you,” she said, touched by his enormous gesture. She’d become so close with him that it didn’t even occur to her that putting her arms around someone and kissing his lips wasn’t typical behavior for her. It came as naturally as breathing and she never wanted to be without that feeling.

  He pulled back just enough to focus on her face. “I figured we’re going to need somewhere to sit when we drink all those morning caramel macchiatos.”

  “And what will you be doing over here in the mornings if the renovation is complete?” The workmen had put the finishing touches on the porches out back, and the remaining end tables and side chairs that had been delayed due to the hurricane were coming first thing this morning.

  “I thought maybe I could stay over sometimes.”

  “I’m hoping that business here will be booming and all the rooms will be full.”

  He stared at her, chewing on a smile, waiting for her to realize what she was suggesting.

  With a gasp, she shook her head, sucking in her smile. She’d meant that he couldn’t stay because the rooms were full, not that she’d hoped he’d be in her room, even though that wouldn’t be out of the question. “I meant…”

  “Mm hmm,” he said, pulling her close to him. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Then he said, “I brought you something else.”

  “You’ve done enough,” she said, following him over to his SUV as the deliverymen finished taking the rocking chairs up to the porches.

  “I took the nearly empty paint can from the kitchen last night. I got it right past you!”

  “I was looking for that! I thought someone had thrown it away.”

  “No. I took it home.” He opened the back hatch of the SUV and pulled out the most stunning painting of a gaillardia on a bright white background with yellows and the most perfect pink to match the kitchen. “Try not to touch it; it’s still tacky. I painted it this morning. I thought it could go on that big wall by the window.”

  “It’s gorgeous!” She covered her mouth in surprise, unable to verbalize how beautiful it was. “It’ll tie in the paint so perfectly!” Her heart couldn’t be fuller. “Do you think you could help me hang it?”

  “Absolutely.” He turned to her, raising his eyebrows. “Today’s the day! Everyone’s coming! Are you excited?”

  She giggled. Her phone went off in her pocket. When she pulled it out, she almost lost her balance. “It’s my mom…” She read the text, and then smiled up at Luke, giving him another kiss.

  The atmosphere was as lively as Callie’s emotions. “Your bags are in your room,” she said, delighted to show her mother all they’d done. She and Olivia had tied a powder-blue ribbon in a perfect bow across the porch that morning and strung silver and blue helium balloons from the railings with more ribbon bobbing in the wind. Once the local crowd had gathered, they had ceremoniously cut the ribbon. It lay now on the table next to the guestbook and pen for visitors to sign and share a few words about their stay.

  She showed her mother around the downstairs, passing the small staff she’d hired with trays of drinks for the guests. The French doors were all ajar, and it was as if the entire back of the house was open to the sea. They meandered through the buzzing crowds, the beautiful breeze coming off the ocean, beach music sailing upward from the band playing on the patio below. Her mother was holding a celebratory glass of champagne. She had swept her wispy hair into an up-do, clearly having spent more effort on her appearance than Callie had seen before. She stopped to admire a painting that Lillian had brought for them as a housewarming present. It was Frederick’s painting of the horses that he’d done so many years ago. Lillian had said it belonged here.

  Yesterday, Callie’s mother had texted to say she was coming. Callie had sent her an invitation for the opening, to let her know that Callie was thinking of her, but not expecting anything from it. She’d been delighted to get her mother’s text telling her that she was thrilled to be invited and she couldn’t wait to come.

  “They’ve really done well, haven’t they?” Gladys said with a wide smile as she joined them. She’d been there to greet Callie’s mother when she’d arrived.

  “Everything’s just lovely,” her mother said, looking around, wonder on her face. “Callie, I’m so proud of you.

  Callie reached out and embraced her mother, her familiar citrusy scent taking Callie back to those nights of laughter and bedtime stories. She breathed it in, realizing how much she’d missed it.

  The house was brimming with people. Olivia’s whole family was there as well—her parents and her sister. They’d brought a gorgeous sand-colored mirror as a gift, all of them chipping in together to buy it. Olivia had placed it on the mantle, leaning against the wall. The sparkle of candles shimmered off the surface of it—it was perfect.

  “Hey,” Luke said with a grin as he ducked away from a few of the reporters, throwing a hand up to signal that he’d return. “How’s my girl?” He gave Callie a squeeze around the shoulders.

  “Fantastic.”

  Luke took a deep breath and grabbed a glass of champagne from one of the staff. “I’ll be back. I have a few more reporters who want to know about my father’s plans for the company,” he said, with slight apprehension on his face. Callie was keenly aware that he was keeping his worries at bay so as not to spoil the day. She didn’t w
ant to think about what would happen after today. Pushing it out of her mind, she offered an encouraging smile. Then he darted off into the crowd.

  “He is an absolute delight,” Gladys said. “He’s been here through everything.”

  Callie twisted the new bracelet on her arm nervously, hoping to channel her grandmother’s calm. To her surprise, her mother had also brought something for them. She had brought a bottle of wine for everyone, and offered her another gift privately. Before everyone had arrived, she’d asked Callie to join her in the formal living room, that was now full of white linen-covered sofas and chairs with denim and burlap throw pillows, gauzy white curtains at the windows and a soft, driftwood-colored rug in the center of the room, Frederick’s mural providing all the color the room needed.

  “I haven’t been there for you like I should have,” she said, concern causing her to frown. She’d told Callie that same thing once when she was in high school, but until now, Callie hadn’t been ready to believe her. “Time has passed so quickly,” she said, shaking her head, the lines of worry over the years etched into her face. But then, she offered a cheerful expression, her thin lips pressed into a bright smile. “I’m so happy for you. You deserve all of this.” She waved a hand in the air, taking in a few breaths as if she were putting in order what she was going to say. “Anyway, I wanted you to have this.” She dug around in a small sack she’d brought in with her, pulling out a tiny gift bag and handing it to Callie. Callie reached into the bag and pulled out a gift box, opening it gently.

  She gasped quietly as she pulled from the cotton batting a delicate silver bracelet with a single charm. She held it up and inspected it, admiring its beauty. “Is that a diamond?”

  “It’s the diamond from your grandmother’s wedding ring. She wanted you to have it. I made it into a bracelet for you. She told me to wait for the perfect occasion—you know how she was. She liked to make a statement.”

  Callie smiled. “I do remember. I love it.” She slipped it on and hugged her mother, closing her eyes and squeezing her tightly.