Catching Summer (Second Chances, #6)(24)

Jaxon didn’t even attempt to get up, but lay there with a bloody face. A couple of my knuckles were ripped open, but I didn’t care. Luke hopped back in the truck, laughing, but I was too worked up. I needed to see Summer.

“Dude, you f*cking murdered him,” he boasted. “Did you see his face? I don’t think he believed you’d go after him like that.”

“Yeah, well, Jaxon’s an idiot. He’s lucky I don’t turn his sorry ass in for breaking and entering.” As much as I wanted to f*ck him up, our team needed him. He was the best kicker we’d ever had. Luke spent the rest of the time it took to get to Summer’s house on his phone, no doubt texting his motocross friends about what had happened.

“When’s your next event?” I asked him.

He finally looked up from his phone. “Next weekend. Try not to miss me at your next game.” Only one more turn and we’d be on Summer’s street. I probably should’ve called, but I didn’t want to waste time. Luke glanced around, his eyes wide. “Uh, what are we doing out here? Aren’t we on the wrong street?”

“I want to see Summer.” I pulled into her driveway at the same time Lara backed out of the garage in her red and black Mini Cooper. When she saw us in the rearview mirror, she stopped and got out of the car. Though she looked exactly like Summer, there were some differences in the way they walked and talked. From the way she was dressed in a pair of black slacks and a button-down top, she had to be going to the restaurant. I could always distinguish between her and Summer from the very beginning. There was something about Summer that had always attracted me to her.

“Fuck me,” Luke groaned, running his hands over his face. “I should’ve told you sooner. Summer wanted me to tell you to give her some space. She said she would see you tomorrow.”

Lara started toward us, but I quickly turned and glared at him. “So she is pissed at me for last night. What the f*ck? Are you sure you’re not making excuses so you don’t have to see Lara?”

He sighed. “It’s more like she doesn’t want to see me. If you would’ve told me we were coming here, I could’ve told you sooner.”

“Shit,” I hissed.

Lara finally made it to my truck and looked up at me. I rolled down my window and smiled. “Lara.”

“Evan,” she replied. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see Summer. Last night didn’t go as planned, and I wanted to make sure she’s all right.”

“She’s fine, Evan. I already heard what happened. But unfortunately, she’s not at home.”

“Is she at the restaurant?”

Shaking her head, she looked up at me with weary eyes. “Not yet. She’ll be there later.”

“Then where is she?” I asked.

Sighing, her gaze quickly shifted to Luke before returning to me. “She’s with Austin, at his grave. She’ll probably kill me for telling you this, but she likes to put fresh flowers out there and talk to him. I guess it makes her feel better.”

“I see,” I said, averting my gaze. “That must be why she didn’t want to see me today.”

Lara put her hand on the door, grabbing my attention. “Don’t take it personally, Evan. She’s still coping with her loss. But I can tell you that I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time. Especially after the news she found out this morning.”

“What are you talking about?”

Her smile grew wide. “I’m sure she’ll want to tell you herself. But be prepared to celebrate sometime this week.”

“Thanks, Lara. I appreciate you confiding in me. Hopefully, she’ll tell me tomorrow.”

She nodded and stepped back, keeping her gaze on mine and avoiding Luke’s. “You’re welcome. I’m sure she’ll tell you as soon as she sees you. Oh, and just for the record, if I see Lindsey anywhere near my sister, I’m going to kick her ass. Summer has a reputation to uphold, but I don’t. If I was her, I would’ve beat the shit out of your cumdumpster of an ex.” With the biggest grin on her face, she waved and hurried back to her car. “Toodles.”

I backed out of the driveway with a smile on my face. “How could you f*ck someone like her over? You’re seriously stupid, you know that?”

“Rub it in, dickhead,” he griped.

“Oh, I will. I think you lost the only person that could honestly put up with you.”

Clenching his jaw, he turned to look out the window and said no more. He knew I was right.

If Summer wanted her space for the day, I’d give it to her. I didn’t like it, but the last thing I wanted to do was force my way into her life.





Chapter 11


Summer


The cemetery was a lonely yet beautiful place. There were rows of flowers in every color, lined all the way up the field and around a pond in the center. Austin’s plot was on a hill overlooking the pond. If it wasn’t for the support of his MMA friends, I couldn’t have afforded this elaborate of a resting place. They’d funded the entire service to help me out financially. There was a monument that stood about eight feet tall of an angel warrior, depicting how they all saw Austin in their minds. He was loved by his friends, and especially by me.

The flowers I’d left a week ago were wilted, so I took them off his grave and replaced them with the season’s first set of fall-colored flowers. I sat down on the grass and stared at his name, tracing my finger along the warm marble stone. “I have so much to tell you,” I whispered. “First, I’ll give you the good news.” In my back pocket there was a letter from Southern Trends, a well-known magazine about the top places to visit in the South. I opened the letter and set it on the ground in front of me. “I received a letter saying that our restaurant is going to be featured as one of the favorite local restaurants in North Carolina. Do you know what this means? It means your dream is finally coming true. People will make a point to visit if they’re in the area. It’ll be just what you wanted. Your brother will be ecstatic when he finds out.”