Blazing Summer (Darling Investigations Book 2)

by Denise Grover Swank

  “Then you’ve got yourself a deal.”

  A smile spread across my face, and I felt happier about this than I had any right to. “Great! We’ll be in touch about your interview. Probably in the next day or two, if that’s all right,” I said. I had no idea what we would interview him about since I’d agreed to stay away from the fire investigation, but he’d mentioned something about Trent being pissed over a poker game. I could ask him for more details. “We might want to interview you in front of your house.” It would definitely be a better backdrop than an office wall.

  “There’s not much left of it,” he said.

  All the better, but I wasn’t crass enough to say it. Still, I felt like a vulture circling a wounded animal and waiting for his dying breath. Maybe Lauren’s comment about our supposed similarities had pissed me off so much because I worried she was right. “That’s okay,” I said, trying to hide my guilt. “We’ll figure out the location later.”

  “Okay.” He headed over to the insurance agent.

  “What did you think of Garrett?” Teddy asked, shuffling his feet.

  I half shrugged. “He seems nice.”

  He tried to play nonchalant. “He’s a good-looking guy, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah. I think you two would make a lovely couple.”

  His eyes flew wide. “Not for me.”

  “Then why bring up his looks?” But I knew exactly what he was doing; we both did.

  Teddy leaned down and whispered into my ear. “Garrett’s a stand-up guy. Let me set you up with him.”

  I glared up at him. “I cannot believe you.”

  “I’m looking out for you, Summy. Luke’s gonna hurt you, just like he did ten years ago.”

  “Things are different this time.”

  A sad look filled his eyes. “Not all that different. You’re still workin’ on a show that takes up a lot of your time, and Luke Montgomery is a man who’s used to getting what he wants when he wants it. Sure, he’s tolerating your travel and your crazy schedule for now, but the novelty’s gonna wear off, and where’s that gonna leave you? Heartbroken all over again.”

  “Teddy,” I said in warning. He wasn’t saying anything I hadn’t already considered. My career had broken up Luke and me before. We were all grown up now, but part of the reason we’d agreed to try again was that we still felt like the two people who had fallen in love the summer before my senior year. What if we were too much like those people? What if we were doomed to repeat the same pattern again and again?

  “I worry about you, Summy. Just like I worry about Dixie.”

  While I loved the idea that he cared about me so much, I’d seen how obsessive he could be about protecting the people he loved. He’d gone undercover for the sheriff to take down Dixie’s no-good drug-dealer ex and “catch” Luke, whom he’d suspected of selling drugs.

  “I’m a big girl used and to taking care of myself.” I shot a glance at Connor and his crew, who were shooting footage of him talking to bystanders.

  I only hoped I could save myself on my own show.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “That no-good, slimy toad,” Dixie said. I’d only been an hour late returning to the office, and I hadn’t wasted any time before telling my team about Connor getting the jump on us at the house fire.

  “Look,” I said, “it’s not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, Luke and Willy are on it, so they’ll probably find the arsonist, and Connor will be left with a whole lot of nothing.” I gave them a sly look. “Especially since I coerced the homeowner into not talking to them. Which reminds me, I promised Bruce we’d interview him.”

  “Does this mean you’re breaking the rules?” Tony asked. “We’re going to cover the house fire anyway?”

  I wasn’t ready to tell them about my plan to ask Bruce about Trent. “No. I want to win this fair and square. We can beat Lauren without being conniving.”

  “Then why are we interviewing him?” Dixie asked.

  I especially didn’t want to tell her my idea about investigating Trent in front of everyone else if she was really planning to meet him tonight. “We’ll come up with something.”

  I could see by the look in her eyes that she suspected I had a plan.

  “So aside from interviewing a guy for a case we can’t use, where do to we stand?” Tony asked. “What did you get from Luke?”

  “A whole lot of nothing.”

  They all groaned.

  “We’ll figure it out, okay? I have an idea, but I’m not ready to share it yet.”

  Dixie didn’t look surprised, but the three guys protested. “We should be brainstorming ideas together,” Bill said. “I thought we were a team.”

  “We are,” I said. “But it’s a sensitive matter, and I need to talk to the people it directly involves before I share it with the group.”

  “Then, what are we going to do?” Tony asked.

  “We still have our smaller cases. We should focus on those and get them out of the way first.”

  “We have three weeks, Summer,” Chuck said. “Three weeks, and we’re already at a disadvantage because Lauren controls the final edits. Sure, there’s going to be a Season Three, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be on it.”

  “We’ll get a big case. I promise,” I said. If the Trent idea fell through, I’d figure out something else.

  “What are we going to do about interviewing clients on camera?” Tony asked. “We’re supposed to be operating out of the train station.”

  I groaned. I’d forgotten about that part. “Maybe we can call this a satellite office.”

  By five o’clock, we’d set up several appointments and put together a tentative game plan for the next couple of days. I sent the guys on their way, and as soon as they walked out the door, I dragged one of the client chairs over to Dixie’s desk.

  “Dix, I need to talk to you about something.”

  “Okay . . . ,” she said, her voice rising an octave.

  “When I was with Luke, I found out a few things that were . . . concerning.”

  Her back tensed. I suspected she knew where this was going.

  “First, Luke told me that Trent Dunbar is in town and that he’s supposedly back for good.”

  “He’s said that before,” she said, looking down at her lap and tugging on a loose thread at the hem of her shirt.

  My mouth dropped open, and I blinked. “You’ve been in contact with him?”

  She squirmed in her seat. “It’s a small town, Summer.”

  “Does Teddy know?” I doubted that he did, or he’d probably lock Dixie in her room.

  “Teddy doesn’t know every aspect of my life,” she said in a sharp tone.

  That was a no. “I saw Trent this morning.”

  Her gaze snapped up to mine. “When? How?”

  I studied her closely, not liking the hopeful tone in her voice.

  Crap. Whatever she might feel for Bill, it was clear Dixie was still interested in that slimeball Trent Dunbar.

  “Well, that brings me to issue number two. Did you know that Mayor Sterling’s son was just hired by the Sweet Briar Police Department?”

  Surprise filled her eyes.

  “Luke said he had no choice in the decision. That Mayor Sterling and the board ramrodded it through. He said Elijah Sterling and Trent are friends. I think Roger Dunbar convinced Mayor Sterling to hire his son to help cover for Trent’s bad behavior.”

  “Trent’s turning over a new leaf,” she said at once. “He’s trying to make things right.”

  “What does that mean? Make what right?”

  She remained silent.

  I hated to hurt Dixie, but she deserved to know the truth. I needed to protect her from this jerk who obviously didn’t give two figs about her. It wasn’t lost on me that Teddy had the same goal. “April Jean brought Trent home with her last night from the Jackhammer; then he stole her car.”

  Shock filled her eyes. “Who told you that?”

  “April Jean herself. But she didn’t
want to press charges, so Luke and I went to Dunbar Lumber to see if Trent was there.”

  She kept her gaze on her desk.

  “He was, and her car was in the parking lot. I have to say he didn’t act like a guy who was trying to make things right.” When she remained silent, I said, “He implied you two were meeting up tonight.”

  I was met with silence. So she was planning to meet him. My disappointment in her was surprising.

  “He also said I should come along because he loves threesomes.”

  Her face lifted. “He was joking, Summer.”

  “He didn’t seem like he was joking to me.”

  A defiant look crossed her face. “So what is this? An intervention? Are you planning on telling Teddy?”

  “No, but I’m worried about you, Dixie.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “And where were you when I was sitting in juvie for two years?”

  A lump burned in my throat, and I resisted the urge to defend myself. She was right. “I was a terrible cousin. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself after Momma stole all my money. It’s not a good excuse . . . in fact, it’s no excuse at all. But I can’t change the past. The only thing I know to do is try to be a good cousin now.” I leaned forward and said emphatically, “Trent Dunbar isn’t good for you, Dixie. He’s only going to hurt you.”

  “And you know this after talking to him for a minute or two?” she asked in an accusatory tone.

  “You didn’t see him, Dix. He was an arrogant asshole.”

  “Only because Luke was there. He hates Luke.” A shadow crossed over her face, and I could see that it bothered her. Even though Luke had been the one to arrest her, he’d stuck with her through the whole ordeal, getting her an attorney and convincing the judge to try her as a juvenile and not an adult. He’d even been there for her after her release. She felt a loyalty to him that Teddy didn’t understand, and I was sure she got tired of constantly having to defend it to him. And now she had to defend this thing she had with Trent—whatever it was—to all of us. It had to be exhausting.

  “Three people came to see me, Summer: Teddy, Luke, and Trent. And not only that, Trent wrote me letters. I was lonely, and he made it more bearable.”

  I wanted to say that he owed her that and so much more, but I bit my tongue. “I’m so sorry I let you down, and I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you. But I need you to see the person I saw today, Dixie.”

  “No,” she said, choking on her tears. “I need you to see the man I see.”

  She’d made up her mind, so I had two choices: continue to push her away or love her no matter what. Loving her was easy—staying quiet was the harder part of the equation, especially since I could see she was destined for heartbreak.

  But then again, didn’t Teddy think the same about me?

  “I love you, Dix, and I only want you to be happy. I’ll stand behind whatever you do.”

  She gave me a wary look.

  “It’s not a trick,” I said. “I swear. And if he hurts you, I’ll be here to help you pick up the pieces without a single ‘I told you so.’” I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but my voice cracked. “Just like I hope you’re there if Luke hurts me.”

  So where did that leave my idea to investigate the fire? Dixie came first, so was I hurting or helping by digging into the past? And if we didn’t investigate Trent, where did that leave my show? I couldn’t worry about any of that right now. Dixie needed her cousin, not her boss.

  She got up and walked around her desk as I stood. She threw her arms around me, and I pulled her close, her tears wetting my cheek. “I love you, Summer.”

  “I love you too.” And I realized this was what unconditional love looked like, something I’d never gotten from my mother or even my grandmother. Our pawpaw had showed it to both of us, and I’d give it to Dixie now. She needed me, and I’d never let her down again.

  “Let’s go home and get ready for our family dinner.”

  “Oh . . . ,” I said, realizing I’d forgotten to tell her about our dinner guest. “I invited Luke to dinner.”

  She pulled free and wiped her tears. “Meemaw will be thrilled. She loves Luke.”

  “And Teddy not so much.”

  She grinned. “So dinner should be entertaining.”

  Understatement of the year.

  An hour later, Dixie and I were setting the table even though it was only six thirty. I was nervous about Luke coming, especially since I hadn’t warned Teddy. We’d spent the whole drive back to the office talking about Connor Blake and Lauren’s efforts to push me out of my own show.

  I had started setting out five plates when the front door opened. It was too early for Luke, and Teddy usually came in through the kitchen. I looked up in shock as Lauren walked through the door, followed by the new crew members and Karen. “Hello!” Lauren called out in a cheery voice. “Is everyone ready for a family dinner?”

  I nearly dropped the plate in my hand. “How did you know we were having a family dinner?”

  “Who do you think planned this little shindig?”

  I turned to Dixie, about to ask if she’d known Lauren and the crew would be showing up, but she looked as shell-shocked as I felt.

  “However, unlike last time,” Lauren said, “the cameras will be rolling before and after dinner, so we’re just going to get set up and start rolling. Summer and Dixie? Brad needs to hook up your mikes.”

  “Where’s my crew?” I asked. “Why are you using Connor’s crew?” I leaned to the side to see if he’d come with them. Thankfully, he was nowhere in sight.

  Lauren gave a lazy shrug.

  The crew began unpacking their equipment, and I pulled my phone out of my pocket and texted Bill.

  Did you know Lauren was filming our family dinner tonight?

  His response was immediate: Lauren just told us about five minutes ago. Tony, Chuck, and I are packing up our truck right now. We’ll be there soon.

  Lauren must have hidden it from my crew to keep me on my toes, but at least they were coming. I trusted them more than the new people. What troubled me most was that Meemaw had insisted on this dinner, which meant she’d arranged it with Lauren without warning us. That was totally unlike her.

  I set the fifth plate on the table and nearly gasped. Luke had made it clear back in April that he wanted nothing to do with being on camera. I had to warn him, so I typed out a quick text, turning away from the crew as I did so.

  Our family dinner is being filmed by Lauren and the crew. We can just plan something for tomorrow night . . . if you’re free.

  The disappointment was stronger than it should have been over a measly dinner, but I hadn’t seen him in weeks. What little time we’d spent alone together this morning had been eclipsed by Trent Dunbar and the fire. I reminded myself that we’d only be filming the show for three weeks, and then the crew would be gone. We could try to find a normal life . . . well, as normal as I was capable of.

  After I sent the text, I brought Luke’s plate back into the kitchen and found my grandmother mashing potatoes with her ancient hand masher.

  “Why didn’t you tell me they’d be filming dinner?” I asked after I put it away.

  “Why would I tell you how you’re running your own TV show?” she asked, putting even more force into her smashing.

  “I can’t figure out what convinced you to let the camera crew back into your house in the first place. After the last family dinner, you said never again.”

  She poured milk into the potatoes before continuing her task. “Turns out cleaning out septic tanks is expensive business.”

  I put a hand on my hip. “I’m not falling for that. You announced the family dinner before I clogged the toilet.”

  Meemaw shrugged, still not looking at me. “Money’s tight, and that fool boy is still talkin’ about raisin’ organic chickens.”

  This had been an ongoing argument for a while. At least since April. The farm had been losing money, and some of the other
farms in the county had set aside tracts of land to raise organic chickens. But Meemaw had thrown a fit when Teddy suggested it at the last family dinner. “Raising chickens makes sense, Meemaw. Teddy’s done his research. He knows what he’s doin’.”

  She looked up with a glare, pointing her masher at me. A thick glob of potatoes fell on the floor. “This is a cotton farm, Summer Lynn Baumgartner, and a cotton farm it will stay.”

  “And it will still be a cotton farm. Just one that also raises organic chickens.”

  “Over my dead body.”

  I hoped it wouldn’t come to that, because I was pretty sure that Teddy had already purchased the lumber to start building chicken coops. The county had paid him a $10,000 reward for his part in the sting operation that had taken down Cale Malone, and he’d earned a small stipend from appearing in the first season of Darling Investigations. He’d pooled the money together to fund the project.

  But now didn’t seem like the best time to bring it up. I had a more immediate concern. “Are Momma and Burt comin’ tonight?” I asked.

  “I didn’t invite them.”

  “That didn’t answer my question.”

  She shrugged again. “I can’t stop that woman from doin’ what she wants. The only way I get the money she promised is if I let her go hog wild. So that’s what I’m doin’.”

  Great.

  I pulled out my phone. Luke hadn’t texted back, so I sent him a second message.

  In case my last text was too subtle—stay away from dinner. Not only is Lauren filming, but I’m pretty sure Momma’s coming with Burt.

  My mother’s appearance would bring plenty of conflict to the table. I didn’t need to add Luke to the mix. She hated Luke, the only thing she and Teddy agreed upon.

  “Meemaw.”

  She stopped mashing and started scooping the potatoes into a bowl.

  “Meemaw,” I said, softer this time, “I’m sorry I brought this mess to your door. I’ll try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

  Her face lifted, and I was surprised to see tears swimming in her eyes. “This show was what brought you back to us and made me swallow my stubborn pride . . . well, some of it anyway. I can’t begrudge it that much.”