The Summer Deal (Wildstone #5)(20)

“Where’s the rest of your stuff?”

She hesitated, not wanting to admit it was still in Long Beach. She didn’t want to tell him any of that story for lots of reasons. “In my trunk,” she finally said.

“Need help unloading it?”

“No, but thanks.” Even if her things had been in her trunk, she’d want to leave them there for now. No sense rushing into something that might not work out.

Especially when nothing else ever had.

That was what happened when one fell for a con artist; you lost your perspective and self-trust. Because everything felt like a mirage now. Her relationships, her sense of home, her sense of security and well-being. Everything.

Eli looked like maybe he wanted to say more, but he didn’t. He just gave her a nod and headed out of her room, stopping to look back. “Want dinner?”

“Oh. Um, I don’t want to intrude . . .”

“You’re not. Max does most of the cooking. He’s got the barbeque going. Burgers or hot dogs?”

Her stomach rumbled. A burger. No, a hot dog. Wait. Maybe both? But that would mean she was mooching too much food. God, look at her. Such an easy decision, and she couldn’t even make it. “I don’t know.”

“We’ve also got vegan burgers in the freezer, left over from someone Max was dating, but fair warning, they suck.”

“No, it’s not that.”

He studied her for a moment. “Maybe choosing between a burger and a hot dog is one of those . . . life-altering decisions you need your committee for.”

She let out the breath she’d been holding, because she didn’t know how he possibly could, but he seemed to understand. “Maybe.”

“I get low blood sugar when I don’t eat,” he said. “And once that happens, hanger sets in and it’s hard to recover.”

“Hanger?”

“Hunger plus anger.”

She laughed.

Smiling, he said, “Just give me a little hint and your committee will take it from here.”

“I like both burgers and hot dogs.”

He nodded. “Both it is, then.”

That got another smile out of her. He’d made it easy. But she had no such illusions about any of the rest of this being so easy.





Chapter 7


From eleven-year-old Brynn’s summer camp journal:

Dear Moms (it’s really just you, dear journal, because this can’t go to my moms, they’ll worry about me),

This year’s veggie of choice is creamed spinach. Yeah, it’s as disgusting as it sounds. I tried to tell the counselors that you like me to eat only fresh vegetables, but they didn’t care. I tried to tell them how much sodium we were consuming, and that it canceled out the goodness, but deaf ears . . .

I still get picked last for teams, in case you were wondering. It was Eli who picked me this time, and he apologized, but I’m still mad.

Oh, and don’t you worry, Kinsey is still mean. She didn’t hide my glasses this time, but she still can’t do any of the night activities, so we’re the only two stuck in the cabin.

She pretends I don’t exist.

Works for me.

Eli sneaked me a candy bar. I think he really is sorry, but I’m not going to forgive him until tomorrow so I can have another candy bar.

Oh, and I still want to come home.

Love,

Brynn

BRYNN FOLLOWED THE scent of barbeque through the warm, cozy house, loving the feel of the creaking wood floors beneath her feet. She ended up in the kitchen, where Eli introduced her to his brother.

Max took one look at her and smiled at her the same way Eli had when they’d first seen each other again. Like it was incredibly amazing and touching to see her, and she realized he knew about her, while she knew nothing about him.

“Nice to have you,” Max said genuinely.

Mini was sitting on a dog bed in the corner, chewing on a bone, but stopped chewing to greet Brynn with wild enthusiasm, including a chin-to-forehead lick, even though she’d just seen her five minutes ago.

“Sign of approval,” Eli said.

She sensed the brothers staring at each other over her head, but when she pulled back, she couldn’t tell what was going on.

Mini was head-butting Brynn’s hand, trying to get more pets, and Brynn laughed. “I’m getting the feeling she loves everyone.”

Max touched his finger to his nose in confirmation. “Grab a plate, darlin’.”

The master of pretending everything was fine and normal, she did. They ate on the porch. She consumed both a burger and a hot dog, and found herself laughing and relaxing with the brothers in a way she hadn’t let herself in . . . well, forever.

After, she insisted on helping clean up. “I like a woman who can eat,” Max said appreciatively, drying the dishes she washed while Eli cleaned the grill.

Max looked a lot like his brother. Matching searing gray eyes, sun-kissed brown hair that seemed to have no interest in anything other than doing its own thing in a sexily mussed kind of way, a fit body that said he spent a lot of time doing physical things, and a smile that could stop hearts. He was also very young, though that mischief in his eyes said he could compensate for his age with plenty of experience.

Eli came back into the kitchen and pointed at his younger brother. “Stop that.”