“What the he—?” The curse died on her lips.
Jemma Leigh stood there, smile on her face. “Ready for that muffin?”
Dumbstruck, Summer stared.
“You thought I forgot, didn’t you?” Jemma Leigh asked, but she wasn’t looking for an answer. “I have been looking forward to this all week. Janie Leigh is at Momma’s and Jeremy’s on the boat, so I don’t have to be in a hurry. Isn’t that great?”
Summer had two choices.
One, she could slam the door in Jemma Leigh’s face and ruin any chance of a potential friendship, a friendship that Jemma Leigh seemed determined to start. Or two, she could go eat a muffin and catch up on all the town’s gossip, especially on one resident of Holland Springs in particular.
Though it wasn’t the best reason to befriend Jemma Leigh, it was an honest one—for Summer at least.
“Let me get my purse,” Summer heard herself say.
Jemma Leigh did a little jumpy clap and wrapped her arms around Summer’s neck.
Summer grunted, her hands fluttering in the air, uncertain where to land. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had hugged her.
Letting go, Jemma Leigh stepped back. “We’re going to be such great friends, Summer Holland. I know it. The Hollands aren’t the only ones with the sight.” She winked at her, looking pleased as anything with herself.
And just like that, Summer would never let Jemma Leigh know the only reason she agreed to have coffee was so that she could pump the town’s sweetest gossip for information.
It wasn’t easy to sit in full public view of everyone in town, but Jemma Leigh had insisted on being seated outside. A large, yellow umbrella kept them nicely shaded, and the poppy seed muffin Summer ordered was delicious.
“My momma always said, A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips,” Jemma Leigh sighed, and then ate another bite. “But she’s not here, and I don’t even care.”
Summer glanced at her. “Why should you? You look great.”
Jemma Leigh blinked, and Summer wanted to snatch the words back. She never willingly complimented anyone. If she wasn’t a hardass, then who would she be—sweet, kind, and loving? Ha. Fat chance of that ever happening again.
“I do work out every day,” Jemma Leigh said. “And Jeremy is very happy with how I look, too.”
Summer nodded and kept her mouth fully occupied with eating instead of being complimentary.
“So much has changed since you’ve been gone. Daisy Barnes landed herself an honest-to-goodness earl. She’s a countess now—have you ever?”
No, Summer hadn’t ever, but she could bet Rose had seen that one coming a mile away.
“She’s moved to England, and then Zoe Ambrose is expecting. Those Romanovs are something else, but I think our local boys are good enough for us, don’t you?”
Summer thought she should nod, so she did, and that encouraged Jemma Leigh to keep talking. She talked about everything and anything. About her daughter, her dog who wouldn’t listen, and how the real estate market had picked up a titch—what kind of measurement a titch was, Summer had no idea, but up was good. The only person Jemma Leigh didn’t talk about was Gabriel, but that spoke volumes in Summer’s opinion.
“I met Elise Dumas,” Summer finally blurted, unable to take it any longer.
“Oh?” Jemma Leigh glanced away, taking a deep sip of coffee. “She’s nice.”
Nice wouldn’t be how Summer would describe her. “She’s dating Gabriel. Seriously dating him, and warned me to stay away.” For the second time in a matter of minutes, Summer wished she could snatch her words back. Why was she telling this to Jemma Leigh of all people?
Because you once actually liked the thought of friends.
When she’d been with Darius, the other soldiers’ wives had been friendly to her, none of them thought the worst about her, or if they had, they’d never said it. So, it wasn’t as though Summer didn’t know how to make friends. She was just really rusty at it. And wary.
Completely, absolutely wary, because in this town, everyone knew her by reputation only, and the women here let her know it by shunning her and her family.
A frown marred Jemma Leigh’s forehead. “That’s pretty direct, and a little presumptuous, but she’s a Yankee, so she’s a little different, and we have to take that into account. Bless her heart. And far as I know, none of you Holland girls, with the exception of your momma, have ever been involved with men who were married or otherwise engaged.” Her brow smoothed. “I’d be happy to have a talk with Elise and—”
“Thank you, but no.” Tears pricked at Summer’s eyes, and she couldn’t claim not to know why. Jemma Leigh wanted to defend her. Her throat grew thick. She needed to leave before she did something dumb, like promise to have coffee again or trade phone numbers.
“I have to go let Blackbeard out,” Summer said, jumping to her feet. She grabbed her purse and sunglasses, shielding her eyes with the latter.
Jemma Leigh tipped back her head. “It was really nice having coffee with you. Most people think I’m nothing but boobs and blond hair—which I am, but you listened to me. Well, Jeremy does too, but he also likes boobs and blond hair so he might be a little biased.”
Could this day get any worse?
Summer didn’t want to be thanked. She’d been purposefully quiet to keep their one-sided conversation going. She’d been a user, like Gabriel had always accused her of being, when they’d get into a particularly nasty fight. So she did what any Holland woman would have done in the same situation.
“Let’s have coffee again tomorrow.”
Jemma Leigh smile was brighter than the sun when she accepted.
Chapter Three
Gabriel scrubbed his hand across his face, stood up, walked to the door of his office, and then made himself go sit down behind his desk.
He wouldn’t go down there. No way, no how. There was no way he’d walk the two blocks to Carolina Dreams and confront Summer, mostly because he wanted to confront her.
It was best he didn’t concern himself with her at all. He’d made a promise to Elise, and he was determined to keep it. He owed it to her.
“Yeah, because only doing something because you think you owe them has always worked out so well for you, Edwards,” he muttered.
Noah Sawyer walked in Gabriel’s office, sitting in the nearest chair. “You look amazingly happy right now.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Thanks.”
“Care to go out with Carlos and me tonight? Sort of a pre-bachelor party before the bachelor party.”
“You can’t wait two more days?”
“Might make hump day better.” Noah rubbed his chin. “This morning, Stacey decided to break things off to go find herself.”
“Oh, man.”
“With the pool guy.”
Gabriel sucked in air through his teeth. “Ouch.”
“Better to find out now, then years down the road, I guess,” Noah said. “Rose Holland warned me.”
“Everyone warned you,” Gabriel pointed out. Noah’s ex had never wanted an exclusive relationship, but she’d tried. And failed, apparently. “Who did Rose recommend?”
Noah grunted. “You first.”
“I don’t need Rose’s advice.”
“Says the guy who used to date her sister and then tried to date Rose herself,” Noah reminded him.
“I never dated Rose. I just didn’t like Romanov sniffing around her,” Gabriel snapped.
Noah held up his hands, palms facing out. “Sorry for bringing up a sore point. But yeah, I get you on the Romanovs. First your ex, and then your other ex’s sister. Don’t suppose you ever dated Daisy Barnes?”
Gabriel laughed. He couldn’t help it. “No. Even if I had wanted to, I think Bella would have kicked my butt.”
“Speaking of little sisters, would you be upset if I asked her out?”
Gabriel leveled Noah with a look. He’d known his buddy since freshman year of college, and Noah had moved to Holland Springs from Charlotte to help start up their software company. Originally, Noah had been the money behind their company, Gabriel the people person, and Carlos the main brain.
“If your intentions are good, then no, I wouldn’t mind. But if you’re looking for a rebound, I’d appreciate it if you’d stay away and find someone whose fiancé didn’t run off to marry another woman the day before he and Bella were supposed to secretly elope.” There were very few times Gabriel had been driven to the brink of violence since he’d been adopted by the Edwards’ family. Peter leaving Gabriel’s sister to marry his own father’s widow was one of them.
Noah’s eyes widened. “Thanks for the warning. I’ll think of a different way to get over Stacey.”
“Serving others always makes me forget about my problems,” Gabriel said.
Noah grinned, green eyes gleaming with humor. “I have something really dirty to say to that, but since it would be wasted on you, I’ll keep it to myself.”
Wait, he couldn’t take a racy joke now? “Since when?”
“Since I’ve known you. Dude, you’re slightly uptight.”
Gabriel made a face. “And you’re slightly too old to call anyone dude.”
That only made Noah laugh. “Damn, I’d hoped Elise would loosen you up, but I guess my fantasy of uptight librarian/wildcat in the bedroom is just that—a fantasy.”
“You’ve been fantasizing about Elise?” The thought made him a little jealous.
“Nah, not your librarian. More of a general librarian fantasy,” Noah clarified. He ran a hand through his short, dark hair. “I think I’m going to knock off early. Did I tell you I’m building my first house?”
“Only three times yesterday, twice this morning, and now, but I’m not keeping count.”
Noah grabbed a piece of paper from Gabriel’s desk, balled it up, and threw it at him. With a laugh, Gabriel ducked and caught it, tossing it back at him.
“All right, I’m done.” Noah stood, made to leave, and then paused. “Look, I know Summer’s back in town, and if you—”
“I can handle Summer.” Famous last words. Gabriel grimaced.
Noah eyed him for a moment, before saying, “Are you sure, because if she needs anything, I can take care of it, in a totally responsible, non-creepy manner.”
“Thanks, but I’m good.”
“You know where to find me, if you change your mind.” Noah finally walked away.
Gabriel stayed seated at his desk, staring at nothing outside the window, until she appeared. A lone butterfly seemed to follow her as she walked. He strode to the window, opening the blinds a little wider.
Summer wore a simple dress with short sleeves. Her pale hair was caught up in a long ponytail, and she looked to be deep in thought.
Probably wondering how to best use him.
He banished the dark thought. It wasn’t her fault that she came to him for things. It was a pattern they’d repeated for so long that it had become second nature.
Pushing her sunglasses up to the top of her head, she lifted her face to the sky and smiled. He sucked in a breath at her beauty, at the vulnerability he knew still existed inside, but that she refused to let anyone see.
Out of nowhere, dozens of butterflies enveloped Summer, their delicate wings transporting him back to the day he’d fallen in love with her. Real love, not the crush he’d been harboring since he was ten.
“Aren’t they beautiful, Gabriel?” she whispered, her eyes dark and rich. Sweet, just like her. “Have you ever seen anything so pretty in your life?”
“No,” he whispered and wrapped his arms around her body. Her dark gaze grew shy even as he grew bold. She was only thirteen to his fifteen. He had to remember that.
She licked her lips. It was all the encouragement he needed.
He kissed her and kissed her again, until his heart felt like it would fly away with the butterflies.
Summer’s gaze caught his. She smiled. No, she smirked at him, and then blew a kiss his way, like she knew exactly what he’d been reliving.
His jaw clenched.
Not again. This time he wouldn’t be weak. He would remain strong.
Chapter Four
The humid morning had turned into perfect North Carolina summer weather with blue skies, fluffy clouds, and the occasional gentle breeze. Couples strolled along Broad Street, while downtown employees exited the local eateries with take-out bags. American Flags waved, in honor of the soldiers still serving in a war on a foreign land.
Ladybugs flittered by, almost too quick to catch. Her hand shot out, closing around one. A mother pushing a double stroller gave her a strange look as she passed by. Slowly opening her hand, she found the red and black insect on the corner of her palm. The perfect companion for killing time while waiting for Harrison Collins to get back from lunch.
It wasn’t easy walking along the streets of a town that hated the very thought of her, but it was her own fault. Perpetuating the every-Holland-woman-was-after-your-man legend seemed to have that effect on people.
Not to mention the times she’d padded her pockets in the General Store with cans of fruit, toothbrushes and toothpaste, or slipped a pair of shoes for Skye in her purse, without paying. But her sisters had been hungry, she had been in charge, and none of them had money.
There had been a big part of her that demanded she take from the people of Holland Springs. People so high and mighty that they couldn’t help three little girls who went to bed hungry every time their mother didn’t bother to come home from her ‘dates’, but let them have a relationship problem? They practically beat down the front door of Strawberry Grove.