My Kinda Forever (Summer Sisters Book 6)

by Black, Lacey

  “Ready?” I ask, taking her hand in my own.

  “Yep.” A blush creeps up her neck, and I’m not sure if it’s from the hand holding or the fact that we’re going on a date – even though this isn’t exactly top five date night activities.

  The parking lot is well lit as we make our way to my car. We both set our bags in the back seat before climbing in and heading toward the street. I ask about class, what she learned, but never ask what she’s in the mood to eat. That’s a surprise.

  “You and Rhenn work well together. I can see why your classes are well attended.”

  “Thank you. Rhenn really is a great teacher. I just follow his lead.”

  “Well, you guys make a good team. Tonight’s class was very informative. I think even the boob-sisters all came away with something, other than Rhenn’s phone number.”

  “I’m pretty sure they already have that,” I say, heading up the road to the Bay. “They’ve all taken the beginners’ class about five times.”

  “Five times? Why not just ask him for a date?” she asks.

  “Oh, they have. He doesn’t date students or moms of students. I don’t think they’re smart enough to realize that. Plus, he’s an attention whore just as much as a regular whore, so he eats up their fawning like he hasn’t eaten in a week.”

  “Do you think he’ll ever settle down?” she asks as we pull into one of the beach parking lots.

  “Oh, I definitely think he will. When the right woman comes along and knocks him on his ass, he’ll give up his bed-hopping ways. Underneath the playboy is a good man who will make a great husband and father. He just won’t know it until it slaps him upside the head.”

  Parking in the pretty vacant lot, I jump out and meet her at the passenger door. She’s all smiles as she gets out, her hair high on her head in a messy bun and the strap of her navy blue tank top falling off her shoulder. My eyes follow the material until I’m sure she realizes I’m checking her out.

  “Hungry?” I ask, placing my hand on the small of her back and leading her in the direction of my favorite food vendor.

  “Starving. I’m surprised by how much of an appetite I worked up by kicking and punching you for a half hour.”

  Her comment makes me smile. She kicked and punched at me maybe for five minutes, but who am I to argue? Rhenn used us as props for the class, demonstrating the moves he was talking about. It was really just an excuse to have my arms around her or her hands on me – even if they were used in more of an aggressive manner. But hey, I’m not picky. I’ll take what I can get.

  We walk down the road until I find the vendor with fair food. “Seriously? How did I not know this was here?” she asks, completely shocked when she reads the menu.

  “You have to be in the secret fair food society.”

  “I want in!” she proclaims with a laugh.

  “Well, there’s only one way to get in the club, Meghan. First, you have to order one of everything on the menu.”

  “Done!”

  “Then, you have to eat as much grease and fattening food as you can consume in the next thirty minutes.”

  “I’m on it.”

  “Finally, you have to wash it down with a lemon shake-up and proclaim ‘Nick is a date God!’” I tell her seriously.

  She giggles, her cute little button nose wrinkling up in a way I never thought would be sexy. But it is. Totally sexy. “So, taking me to a food truck and ordering a bunch of greasy, overpriced food makes this a great date, huh?”

  “You forgot the God part.”

  Again, she laughs. “You’re right, I’m sorry. Well, Date God, let’s get some food so I can continue to rain compliments and accolades down on you for the next thirty minutes.”

  “Deal.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Meghan

  A knock sounds at the door. He’s early. Thirty minutes early. Holy crap, I’m not ready! I slip on my pink and white dress and run to the front door. I have yet to do my makeup, but that won’t take me very long.

  When I reach the door and glance through the peephole, I’m surprised to see the person on the other side of the door. “Hey,” I say as I open the door and let my sister AJ in.

  “Hey, sorry to just drop by. I was going to text, but I was already in the car driving.” She seems to take in my dress. “Oh, are you going out?”

  I swallow over the lump in my throat. “Umm, yeah. Actually, I am. I have…a date.”

  “You do?” she asks, smiling widely and practically vibrating with excitement.

  “Yeah. Is that weird?” I ask, glancing down at my dress. Is it too much? Do people even wear dresses anymore on dates?

  “Weird? Hell no! It’s great, actually. I’m so excited for you. Who’s the lucky guy?”

  “Promise you won’t get all weird on me?”

  “I make no such promises,” she teases.

  “Fine. It’s Nick.”

  AJ blinks once. Twice. “Nick? Your sexy boss who showed you how to take down an assailant with a few thrusted hand moves?”

  “Yes, but…wait. Did you say sexy?”

  “Hell yes, I did. Nick is totally gorgeous, Meg. He’s also sweet and kind, and I’m not really surprised you’re going out with him.”

  “You’re not?” I ask my older-by-one-year sister. We’ve always been the closest of all of my sisters, and I always associated that to our close age. We were only a year apart in school. We were in the same clubs and sports in school, and even had some of the same friends.

  “No way,” she says gently. “You should have seen the way he was looking at you last night. He totally had googly eyes. I’m surprised Grandma didn’t pick up on it.”

  “She was too busy staring at his ass,” I mumble, recalling the embarrassing conversation last night.

  “True,” AJ laughs. “But back to my original point, I’m very excited for you. You deserve a bit of happiness in your life. Maybe Nick is that happiness and maybe not. I’m just glad you’re putting yourself out there again.”

  “Thanks,” I say, quietly, the word hard to find over the golf ball that I swallowed and stuck in my throat.

  “Before you start to overthink this, it’s important for you to know that we all support you one hundred percent. I think it’s great that you’re going on a date with Nick. You guys will have a good time.”

  “We, uh, kinda went out last night after class.”

  AJ whoops and pulls me into a hug. “I’m proud of you, really. Just go and enjoy. Smile again, but if there’s one thing all of us miss it’s a real Meghan smile.” The look she gives me is warm and gentle, and lets me know that she supports me.

  “Thank you.” I choke on the words.

  She waves her hand, blinking back tears. “So, this is what you’re wearing? It’s super cute. Why didn’t I know about this dress?”

  I laugh and know full well that if AJ had seen this dress in my closet, she would have taken it at some point. Like always. “I just bought it a couple weeks ago. At the time, I didn’t really have a reason, but now I’m glad I did.”

  “Super cute. But your makeup isn’t done. What time is he going to be here?”

  Glancing at my watch, I’m surprised to find that I’ve been visiting with my sister longer than I thought. “Shit, in ten minutes.”

  “Hurry! I’ll go so you can finish getting ready,” AJ says, pulling me into a big hug. “I really am happy for you.”

  “Thanks,” I say when she pulls away and opens the front door. “Oh, and AJ? Could you keep this to yourself? I’m not quite ready to tell everyone else about the date.”

  She gives me a knowing glance and nods. “Sure.”

  “Love you,” I holler as she heads down my steps and toward her car.

  “Love you too,” she calls back.

  “Wait!” I holler, stopping her before she can slip inside her vehicle. “You didn’t say why you stopped by.”

  My sister just gives me a smile. “Doesn’t matter. Enjoy your night,” she repl
ies with a big smile before getting in and driving away.

  When the door closes behind me, I take a deep breath. I have eight minutes before Nick gets here. I better hurry.

  * * *

  Nick arrives just a few minutes after I step into the bathroom. Fortunately, most of my makeup is on, but I don’t have a chance to slip on my sandals or spritz myself with perfume before the doorbell rings.

  “Hey,” I say, an immediate smile on my face when I take in the man standing at my door. He’s wearing a pair of khaki shorts with a blue and gray polo. He’s wearing brown leather sandals and a big smile. He also smells amazing. Like I want to climb up his body, stuff my nose in his neck, and just inhale for the next three hours.

  He’s also carrying flowers.

  I smile, glancing down at the gorgeous yellow and pink bouquet in his hands. It’s been a long time since I’ve received flowers. More than two years, to be exact. Josh was a big one for surprise flower deliveries to the office, but now isn’t the time to think about that. Now is the time to focus on the man in front of me, who just so happens to be holding a pretty bouquet for our date.

  “These are for you,” he says when I step aside and let him in. “Wow, you look amazing,” he adds, giving me an appreciative once-over that warms my entire body. The way he looks at me makes things tingle that haven’t tingled in quite a while.

  “Thank you,” I reply, reaching for the bouquet. “For the flowers and the compliment. Come in. I’ll put these in water real quick and then finish up. I’ll only be another minute,” I tell him, glancing over my shoulder. When I do, I find his eyes firmly locked on my backside.

  Again, things are tingly and I start to get concerned about the state of my panties by the end of the evening.

  “No rush. Take your time,” he says as his eyes meet mine. If he notices that I busted him watching my ass, he doesn’t show it. Instead, he offers me a smile that makes my heart skip a beat and dance around in my chest.

  When the flowers are sitting in a crystal vase that was my mom’s, I slip out of the room to finish getting ready. It only takes me a couple of minutes to finish up my makeup, slip on a pair of nude wedge sandals, and spritz my neck with my favorite perfume. After I set the bottle down, a thought crosses my mind. Josh bought me this perfume because it was his favorite. He said it drove him wild.

  As I look at my reflection in the mirror, I can’t help but wonder if the same will hold true for Nick. Will he like the scent or will I need to switch it up? Maybe try something new. It’s definitely not something that has to be decided now, but it makes me pause, even for just a moment.

  God, I miss him.

  The woman staring back at me is so much different than the one she used to be. Little lines are appearing around her eyes that weren’t there before. She looks tired, and maybe even a little scared, but that’s to be expected, right? She’s pretty, but not a supermodel. She’s confident, but nervous.

  Actually, she’s petrified.

  But, she’s also determined.

  A woman who is ready to live her life, not merely to exist.

  I nod my head and dig deep for that determination I know is there, and then turn to meet my date. Nick. If it were anyone else, I’m not so sure I’d feel as resolute, but there’s something about him that helps return the confidence I once had. Maybe it’s the fact that I consider him my friend, too. Friendship and lovers seemed to work well for Abby and Levi, correct? Not that I’m thinking about the lovers aspect with Nick, but…

  You never know.

  I’m not ruling it out just yet, but it’s also not in the plan for tonight.

  Or is it?

  It’s been a long time since I’ve dated, even casually. Maybe it’s expected? My heart starts to pound and I start to feel a little sweaty in the pits. Nick wouldn’t expect sex tonight, would he? Not that it would be a bad thing, but I’m just not sure I’m there yet.

  As I round the corner and see him standing there by the door, I answer my own question. No. Nick wouldn’t expect any more than I’m ready to give. He’s a true gentleman like that.

  “Hi,” I say lamely as I approach my date.

  “Hi.” He offers me another great smile, with perfectly straight, white teeth. He truly has an amazing mouth. Completely kissable.

  Warmth creeps up my neck and settles in my cheeks as thoughts of kissing Nick pepper my mind repeatedly. He reaches down and takes my hand. “Come on,” he says huskily, giving me a wink as he leads me out the door. I’m pretty sure he knows I was just thinking about his mouth and all of the things I wouldn’t mind doing to it.

  Or him doing to me. With that mouth.

  “So where are we going?” I ask after making sure the door was secured and pushing all thoughts of Nick’s lips and the possibility of kisses out of my mind.

  “We’re headed to Cooper, but I’m not telling you where we’re going when we get there,” he says as he holds open the passenger door for me. Cooper is a small coastal town, thirty minutes south of Jupiter Bay. It boasts small, quaint shops and cute bed and breakfasts, and is just as popular of a summer tourist trap as our town.

  Small talk is easy when Nick is sitting beside me, and even though we start off talking about work, it turns to more personal conversations. Before I know it, we’re reaching the city limits of Cooper, those thirty minutes eaten up quickly. He drives us to the center of town and turns off at the grocery store. As soon as we make the turn, I know where we’re going.

  “Roller skating?” I ask, suddenly really excited.

  “I hope that’s okay,” he says warily.

  “Okay? I haven’t been since I was like eleven. I used to love coming here with my sisters.” Memories of family outings with my mom, dad, and sisters flash through my mind. Some of them are painful, but mostly they bring happy recollections of a time where the eight of us would take a Sunday drive and skate the day away. “I can’t believe it’s still open.”

  Nick parks in the first available spot, which is closer to the back. I’m pleasantly surprised by the amount of cars in the lot. “Well, it closed down for a few years, but not long ago, a young couple bought it and brought it back to life. They’re only open on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons now, but it’s still a popular hangout.”

  With way too much enthusiasm, I give my seat belt a little toss and climb out of the car. My eyes light up when I see the neon marquee that reads “The Rink.” A sign in the window promises the best pizza in Virginia, and to be honest, I really hope we get to test that proclamation.

  “Is this okay? I wasn’t even thinking about you wearing a dress,” Nick admits, glancing down at my knee-length dress.

  “It’s perfect. Actually, I was the best skater in the family, so me being in a dress shouldn’t matter at all.”

  His laughter fills the evening and makes me smile. “Well, that’s good. Maybe your expertise will rub off on me. I’m only a so-so skater, and haven’t been in a few years.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be fine. Come on,” I say, grabbing his hand and practically pulling him toward the entrance.

  Best. Date. Ever.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Nick

  She’s all smiles as we enter the skating rink. At the counter, I pay for our admittance and give the teenager our shoe sizes. Two pairs of skates are placed on the counter, and for the third – or maybe tenth time today – I question my decision for tonight’s date. Nothing about roller skates says romantic night out, but when I look over at Meghan’s bright, happy face, I decide any amount of embarrassment I’m about to endure tonight will very well be worth it.

  “Can we order pizza too?” she asks when we find an open bench to change from our shoes into the skates.

  “Definitely. What kinda date do you think this is?”

  “Well, I didn’t want to assume,” she replies, again that wide smile on her lips, as she grabs her skates. “Crap. I don’t have socks.”

  “Shit. Me either. Oh, wait. They have
disposable socks at the counter,” I say, mentally slapping myself upside the head for forgetting to think of that part. I run up to the counter and grab two pairs of the cheap unisex, thin socks for a dollar, and bring them back to our bench. “They aren’t the best, but they should keep us from getting blisters.”

  We both don our sexy brown and blue roller skates and head toward the rink. “This was easier when I was younger,” she says, laughing as we both gingerly try to walk.

  “Right? I’m starting to think this was a horrible idea. My injury recoup time is much greater now than it was back in the day,” I reply as we grab the ledge of the rink and step through the doorway.

  “Here goes nothing,” she says, pushing off and slowly moving out into where traffic is. “You coming?”

  Is that a loaded question? I’m not, but I would like to be. But that’s probably not the right answer to her question when we’re thirty minutes into our first official date. “Yep.” I push off the side and glide to where she’s standing.

  “We got this,” she says, offering me another award-winning grin, as she reaches for my hand. My entire body fires to life as my bigger one wraps around hers. Together, we push off with one foot and join the crowd of skaters, though at a slightly slower pace.

  It all starts to come back to me as we both begin to feel more comfortable on our skates. We both pick up speed, yet we never let go of our hands. We start to keep pace with the faster skaters, though neither of us attempts any of the fancy footwork or moves of the experienced ones.

  “I used to be able to do that,” she says, pointing to a girl who lifts one leg in the air and weaves through the crowd on one leg.

  “Maybe after pizza?”

  “Definitely. All of my best moves come out after dinner,” she says, making my cock twitch in my shorts. Nope, he definitely wouldn’t mind seeing her moves.

  We skate to about a half-dozen songs, both of us red-cheeked from exertion and a bit on the sweaty side. “Ready for food?” I ask, not ready to admit aloud that my feet are screaming in the skates.