by Pepper Paris
Summers of
Love: Jay
Seasons of Love Series Book 4
Pepper Paris
Summers of Love: Jay
Seasons of Love
Book #4
Copyright © 2019 Pepper Paris
Summers of Love: Jay
This is a work of fiction and in no way is meant to portray actual people, names, places, events, or situations. The ideas were from the author’s own imagination, and any resemblance to people living or dead is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission, except in the case of quotations for articles and reviews.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
A Note from the Author
Dedication
To my:
Editing by: Dana Hook
Cover Design by http://www.StunningBookCovers.com
More from Pepper Paris
The Seasons of Love Series:
Summers of Love: Carter
Summers of Love: Kelly
Summers of Love: Wade
Summers of Love: Jay
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Jay’s story
Jay
When the phone rang, I wasn’t expecting it to be a life-changing phone call.
“Jay, you’ve got to come home. Dad’s had a heart attack.” Noah announced without a greeting.
“Is he okay?” I held the phone closer hoping that I’d heard wrong.
“Yes. Mom was standing next to him when it happened and they got him to the hospital immediately. They’re doing tests to see if he needs surgery or what the next step is going to be.”
“There’s no way I can be there quickly, but I’ll make some arrangements and see how fast I can get a flight.” I found myself sitting on the couch holding the phone in a shaking hand.
“Try Jay. Mom needs you to make sure they’re telling her the truth about Dad’s condition.” Noah urged, not understanding the pressure he was adding onto me.
“When they get done with the tests call me. I’ll let you know before I get on the plane, but I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
“Great. Thanks, Jay.”
He hung up and left me staring at the wall wondering what I needed to do next.
Flights. I would need the one leaving the soonest and could call work on my way to the airport.
The next plane leaving Portland was in two hours, which was cutting it really close. If I didn’t take more than a carry on, I might could make it.
I hadn’t really unpacked from when I’d gone to Kelly’s graduation. The bag held all of my toiletries for the flight and I would just need clean clothes.
Ugh! The bag reeked after being closed up, but I didn’t have time to deal with that. I grabbed the dirty stuff and threw it on the floor, causing my ocd to protest, but I pushed it aside. I sprayed my deodorant in the bag to offset the lingering smell. Hangers flew as I pulled clothes out of the closet and stuffed the bag with enough clothes to last me two weeks.
If I ran out of something, I was certain that I could steal something from my brothers when they weren’t looking.
Other than my wallet and phone I was ready, until I passed the mirror and realized I was still wearing scrubs. Quickly, peeling out of my top, I replaced it with a shirt and took the last pair of clean jeans from the back of my closet.
My phone dinged alerting me that the ride I’d called had arrived and grabbed the last few things as I tried to zip my bag shut.
In my hurry to get dressed, I hadn’t even tied my shoes again. I bent down as the driver took off for the airport making me bump my head against the seat.
I didn’t have a chance to say anything because I had to call my boss so he’d know why I wasn’t going to show up in the next twenty minutes for my shift.
“Jay, why are you calling me? We’ve got three emergencies that just came and in. How soon are you going to be here?”
“Um,” I really hated to disappoint people, but this time I had no choice. “I’m on my way to the airport.”
“What! You just had a vacation three, no four months ago and now you’re leaving again. I’m going to have to write you up and your spot in the program may not be here when you come back.” His boss threatened.
“My dad had a heart attack. I have to go home.” I felt like whispering, but knew he wouldn’t hear me if I did.
“No, man. I’m sorry. Um, forget what I just said. We’ll figure out how to work without you, but let me know if you’re going to be more than a few days. I’ll hold it for a week, but after that I’ll have to make other arrangements.”
“I understand. I’ll call once we know what’s going on and if he’s going to make it.”
“Right. Okay, I’ve got to deal with these emergencies. Safe flight, Jay.”
The driver glanced in the mirror, “Sorry about your dad. Hope it all works out.”
“Thanks.” I muttered as he pulled up and I grabbed my bag.
There was a few lines, but since I’d already checked in online, I only had to print out the ticket and race to the security line.
When one of the guards noticed, I only had a small bag, they motioned me to the fast-pass lane.
What could have taken me an hour, took minutes and I found myself with extra time to actually breath.
I ordered a coffee and a bagel, but I wasn’t really hungry. Worry had my stomach knotted up.
The phone range and I pressed the button quickly, “Noah?”
“Jay, they’re going to do by-pass surgery on him. It’s happening now, so you’ll have to find someone to give you a ride from the airport. When are you getting here?” He gave a rapid fire report without taking a breath.
“I’m at the airport and my flight leaves in the next thirty minutes or so, but it’s a two hour flight. I should be there about the time they get him out of surgery unless there are complications. This is a routine procedure so tell mom not to worry. He’s going to be fine.” I tried to sound reassuring, but I was aware of all the things that could go wrong.
“Whew! I’ll let mom know what you said. It will make her feel a little better. Gotta go.”
It worked out well because they started calling my flight to board. I shuffled along and was relieved that no one was sitting next to me.
Unable to sleep, I sat there for most of the flight hoping that my dad was okay. I went through all of the possible problems and what kind of chances he had for each different situation.
The plane landed and I stood there wondering how I was going to get to the hospital. My brothers were already there and the only person I felt comfortable calling was Roxie.
While I still didn’t want to bother her, she would understand and might be able to give me a ride.
It rang and I suddenly hoped she wouldn’t answer. It always embarrassed me to have her around and I wasn’t sure how to act. She was so pretty and as we’d gotten older, I’d found it harder to look at her as just a friend.
Then that night when we’d all done it together, her and the four of us guys, things had changed. Every t
ime since then that we’d had sex was amazing, but I still felt self-conscious. It was too good to be true that she could actually love me.
Now, my insecurities would just have to wait until I’d gotten to the hospital.
“Jay, how’s it going? Is it snowing up there already?” Roxie’s voice sounded happy to hear from me.
“Um, it’s my dad. He’s in the hospital with a heart attack and I need a ride from the airport. Is there any way you could pick me up?” While I knew she couldn’t see my face, I could feel a blush creeping up. This was no time to let other things take over.
“Of course, I’ll be right there. Have you called the guys?” Keys jangled in the background as she headed toward the door.
“No, I can call Kelly and Carter.” It would give me something to do while I waited instead of worrying about my dad and how the surgery was going.
“Great, I’ll call Wade and let him know that I won’t be heading over to Denver right now. We’ll see how things go and then readjust our plans.”
“Thanks, Roxie. You’re amazing.” I hung up and dialed Carter.
“Dude, are you freezing your ass off yet?” Carter’s greeting was typical of the relationship between all of us guys.
“Nah, there’s no snow right now so the temperature isn’t too bad yet. It may be another week before the winter storms hit. I’m not going to be there though because I just fly into town and Roxie is headed to pick me up.”
“Good for you. You deserve some time off. All you do is work all the time.” He congratulated me.
“Well, it’s not for fun. My dad’s in the hospital having surgery. He collapsed and they got him to the hospital in time. They’ve been doing surgery for several hours now.” I tried not to think about the personal side because then I would break down in tears.
I could hear my dad’s voice from when we were kids, “Real men don’t cry. It’s a sign of weakness.”
Over the years, I’d learned to hold back any real signs of emotions, but now I did all of the weeping inside my head.
Carter was still speaking even though I hadn’t heard him.
“Can’t wait until we get out and try these new guns out. I’ve never gone hunting before, but since we enjoy fishing so much, I’m hoping it will be the same. Kelly’s got quite the advantage over me because of his army training.”
“Yeah, I’d make him shoot with one arm behind his back or something and see if that give you an extra edge.” A grin crept onto my face at the image of Kelly trying to hunt a deer one-handed.
“Perfect. I’ll just bet him that he can’t do it and that’ll make him want to try. Jeeze, you always have great ideas. I can’t wait until we’re all back in the same city and spend weekends together again.”
“Me too. I’m probably going to be the last one to move in because I’ve still got at least three years of school left and a residency to go.”
There was a good and bad part to all of us moving in together. I felt closer to Carter, Kelly and Wade then I did my own brothers, but then there was Roxie and all of my insecurities came rushing back.
“Hey, why are you talking to me? Are you at the hospital already? I can’t believe I’ve been rambling on about all the stuff we’re doing on break and you’re there waiting to find out about life and death stuff.” Carter spewed everything out he was thinking. It was one of the great things about him. I never had to worry about what he or the others were thinking.
“I’m waiting for Roxie to pick me up. You’ve been great helping me keep my mind off of all the possibilities of what might happen.” I stood in a little corner outside huddled against the chill in the wind.
“Oh, good. I’m glad Rox is going to pick you up. She’s been through a lot and will know just what you need. I wish I could make it up there for you man.” Carter apologized.
“It’s okay. My mom and brothers are with him right now. Once, Roxie gets here then I’ll be with them for however long it takes to get him back on his feet.”
I watched as a young woman came out of the baggage claim and looked around hesitantly. A guy with flowers came running across from the parking area dodging cars to sweep her into his arms. I wished I could be that confident that someone wanted me enough to do that for them.
“Dude, surgery and medical stuff isn’t anything to mess with. I know we’re not there, but make sure to text us what’s going on and how he’s doing. I’m going to let my dad and Sophia know too.” Carter promised.
“You don’t need to do that. I’d hate for them to be put out.”
“Jay, when are you going to realize that you’re not putting anyone out? We’re your family. When something happens to you, it affects all of us. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back, bro.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it. I’ll keep you posted about what’s going on.”
“We’ll be keeping him in our thoughts.” Carter added.
“Hey, I’ve got to go, but have fun and wear those orange vests please. I can only handle family in one hospital at a time.”
“Warning appreciated. Let’s just hope I don’t piss Kelly off or he’ll ignore the orange and shoot at me anyway.”
I laughed out loud, “Don’t do any pranks until after you’re back from hunting. It’ll help with keeping Kelly happy.”
“True.” Carter mused, “Take care and I’ll pass everything along to Kelly.”
“Laters.” I hung up and took a deep breath. While I missed them, it was nice to not have them around all the time either.
They always included me and never put me down the way my older brothers did. I could relax around them, but I still preferred to keep to myself. When I was alone, then there wasn’t anyone to tell me I was doing something wrong.
Roxie should be here soon, but I still wasn’t sure how to respond to her. Did I rush to give her a hug? Or act like it hadn’t been weeks since I’d had someone touch me?
The longer it went and I was away from her and the guys, the more my mind played tricks and convinced me that they were just using me. Those first couple of years, it had been easy to text with the group and ignore the step we’d all taken together. After, Roxie had come up for that Thanksgiving, I’d been on top of the world when she left. It wasn’t long before I was back to my shell of insecurities and all the doubts about why she’d really come up for the holiday.
Each time I’d flown out to be there for her and them, it wasn’t really because I wanted to, but because I knew it was expected of me. I was never left out or ignored when we were all together, but I still didn’t feel comfortable instigating things between the two of us.
I saw her car that Carter’s dad, Mr. P had helped her pick out. It was nice to know that there were others looking out for her. Maybe having a second family wasn’t such a bad idea.
She pulled up and was out of the car before I could even walk over there.
Jumping in to my arms, she held me without saying anything.
If only this could be real and she wasn’t just being sympathetic to the situation.
Her head leaned back, eyeing me carefully. “What’s wrong, Jay?”
“I mean besides the reason that you’re here?”
There wasn’t a way to express everything running through my head.
“Um, I guess I just missed being hugged.” It was true, but just not all of it.
“Well, I plan to recharge your hug meter and get you back up to full again. Let’s get you to the hospital first and take care of that afterward.” Roxie released me, but managed to grab my hand as she pulled me toward the car.
My one bag fit easily into the back seat and I’d just buckled my seat belt when she leaned over and took possession of my mouth.
While unexpected, I responded to her unrestrained enthusiasm and threaded my hand through her hair.
A honk brought us both back to the present, but I could feel a smile on my face.
“Well, obviously they’ve never been away from someone they loved for any length of time.” Rox
ie huffed as she waved nicely at the older man making her way into traffic.
My heart latched onto her words, she loves me? She said, ‘she loves me.’
“So I called Wade and he’ll be headed our way tomorrow depending on how your dad’s surgery goes. He was a final to take at eight in the morning, but after that he’s free to run errands and bring food for us. Did you call Carter and Kelly?” She glanced at me, but continued to focus on the traffic zipping around us.
“Yeah, they’re going hunting first thing in the morning. I warned Carter not to do any pranks until after they were finished, but you know he won’t be able to resist.” I tried not to be obvious, but I couldn’t help looking at her. I’d forgotten how absolutely gorgeous, Roxie was.
She’d gotten it cut short again in a cute little pixie style emphasizing the freckles that spotted her face. She was the perfect picture of a fairy with her shorter frame and perfect curves. Some girls were super skinny and looked like a slight wind would blow them away, but Roxie’s ass would anchor her to the ground through any kind of storm.
While I had moments of feeling unworthy, I couldn’t help but admire the entire package sitting next to me. She was the real deal.
Her forehead crinkled with a frown, “What? You’re looking at me all funny?”
“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking how cute that hair cut was on you. It suits you.”
Her cheeks grew pink with the complement. “Nobody else has seen it either. I was thinking of dying it blonde, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
“Blonde? Why would you want to do that?” I was surprised at the idea.
“Well, I’ve heard that blonde always have more fun and I’d love to find out.” She gave me a suggestive wink that had me readjusting the front of my pants. “It wouldn’t be a permanent thing, I’d just like to see what I look like. Plus, once it’s bleached then I could always dye it a fun color if I didn’t like the blonde.”
“Sounds like something you’ve given a lot of thought to it. I don’t see why you can’t do what you want. It’s hair, not a life-long commitment.”
