Page 24 of No Place Like Home (Orlinda Valley #3)

Summer

O n Saturday, I parked in Kora and Kai’s driveway next to Darlene’s Nissan. We were helping to prepare for their housewarming party that evening.

“Hey, Summer,” Darlene greeted me as I walked into the backyard.

“Hey, Dar,” I hugged her and looked around. “I thought Kora asked us to get here at noon to help set up. It looks like you’re about finished.” The yard and patio were lined with lights and torches. The trees, which bordered the back of the yard and hid the Red River, were decorated also.

“You know how Kora is. She and Kai did a lot of this last night. I’m just touching things up. Help me get the tables and chairs around.”

“Where’s the happy couple, anyway?” I asked. It wasn’t like Kora to not be bossing us around, making sure we did exactly as she expected.

“They went to the airport to pick up Kai’s sister. They should be on their way back. Her plane got in at eleven. ”

We put up tables and chairs in different areas of the yard.

“Looks like you two have everything under control,” Tonya’s voice made me turn. The book club had arrived.

“Yeah it does. I guess we can go break into the wine and relax until the food gets here,” Kaye said as she walked into the house.

Tonya hugged Darlene. “How’s my favorite daughter-in-law?” she asked.

“She’s amazing, Tonya,” Darlene said.

“Taking care of my newest grandbaby, I hope.”

“Of course. You have nothing to worry about.”

“You and Bryson having another baby,” Tonya said and turned to Diane. “Adler and Leila are adding to their family, Jamison has Lilly, Kora has Kai. Just about everyone is happy. Now, if my Rowan would settle down . . .”

“And Lance,” Kaye added as she joined everyone with wine in one hand and a stack of clear plastic cups in another, “Of course, he needs to grow up a bit first.” She poured everyone a cup and passed them around.

“Kaye,” said Diane after she took a sip of her wine, “one day at a time. He’s been seeing that girl for a while now. What’s her name?”

“Jayla,” Ruth said as she unfolded a table cover. “She seems sweet.”

“That’s right,” Diane said as she snapped her fingers.

I blocked out the women as they continued to talk about Lance and Jayla.

My mind went back to what Tonya said about Rowan settling down.

I wish I could say that he was with me, but after how I treated him, I couldn’t be sure.

Forcing him out the window naked, right into the path of Big Red, then me acting like nothing happened .

. . What was I thinking? I acted like an immature teenager, not a grown woman.

He’s made it clear what he wants. But me? What did I want? Or the better question, what could I really give him?

“Summer, those are a little fragile,” Tonya said.

I was plopping vases on the center of the tables harder than necessary, and Tonya took one from my hand. “What’s up with you?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Nothing. Was just thinking.”

Tonya fixed the flower arrangement that I messed up when I placed the vase on the table and looked at me through narrowed eyes. “What’s going on, Summer?”

Kaye looked at me and raised her brow.

I shrugged.

“I feel like I’m missing something here,” Kaye said as she pointed between Tonya and me.

“Oh, yeah, you’re missing something,” Tonya answered her. “We’re all missing something.”

“Why, what did you witness?” Kaye asked.

“I’m not sure,” Tonya said as she stepped back and eyed me suspiciously. “But there was something weird going on between Rowan and Summer yesterday, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think they were having a post-coital temper tantrum.”

“T!” Kaye said with a gasp of shock, as Diane about spit out her wine.

“Wouldn’t be a surprise,” Ruth said as she continued her straightening of tablecloths on the last few tables. “Honestly, I’d say it’s about time. ”

I stood there and stared at the women. Tonya and Kaye spoke wordlessly through their gaze like they seemed to always do, Ruth continued to straighten things and fix tables like she didn’t just make an announcement that embarrassed me, and Diane and Darlene’s shoulders shook with laughter.

“Who’s having a temper tantrum?” Kora asked as she, Kai, and a pretty girl with dark hair like Kai’s entered the back yard. “What’s going on?”

I sent a glare in Kora’s direction. “Nothing.” I said to her, then shot daggers at the women laughing. “They’re all being bitches.”

“Okay, let’s not go there,” Darlene said as she tried to rein in her laughter. “I didn’t say a word.”

“Me either,” said Diane. “It was all Ruth.”

“Me?” Ruth said. “Tonya made a comment, and I agreed.” She brushed her hands together, grabbed her wine, and sat down. “That’s it.”

“And from what I witnessed Friday, it’s the truth,” Tonya said as she walked toward Kora and the dark-haired girl, a smile on her face. “But it doesn’t matter. You must be Susie.”

“I am.”

Tonya wrapped her arms around her. “Welcome to Orlinda Valley. Was your flight okay?”

“It was, thank you. A little long, but fine.”

“Well, good. Come and meet everyone. These two are Darlene and Summer, Kora’s best friends.”

Darlene hugged her and I gave her a small, slightly awkward hug also. “Nice to meet you,” I said.

Susie’s eyes were as silver as Kai’s, her skin a perfect ivory. She was adorable .

“Well,” Kaye chimed in, “aren’t you a spitting image of your brother. Are you sure you two aren’t twins?”

“We hear that all the time,” Susie said with a shy smile. “Honestly, my twin, Sebastian, looks more like Kai than I do.”

“It’s too bad he wasn’t able to make it to the wedding,” Ruth said as she gave Susie a hug and introduced herself.

“We would have loved to have met him,” Diane agreed.

“Yeah, but he’ll hopefully be able to visit soon,” Kai replied. “Come on, Susie. Let’s get you settled and leave these women to finish up.”

Susie gestured to the yard. “Maybe I should help.”

“No,” Darlene said as she shooed them toward the house. “Go get settled and we’ll let you help later.”

Kora straightened a tablecloth and looked around the yard. “Looks great, everyone. Thank you so much for doing all this.” She put her hands on her hips. “Now, what did I miss?” Her eyes landed on me, and she lifted her brow in question.

I shook my head. No way in hell was I going to bring this up.

“Kora, dear, it was nothing,” Tonya replied, waving her hands in the air dismissively.

Of course I don’t have to say a thing , I thought as I rolled my eyes toward the sky. Not with all these nosy-ass women around.

“I just voiced my observation that something weird was going on between Rowan and Summer yesterday, and if I didn’t know better, I’d’ve thought they were having a post-coital temper tantrum.”

“What?” Kora’s eyes were wide, and she tried to hide a laugh, but failed miserably.

My heart slammed against my chest. “Y’all,” I said, my voice rising with irritation. I didn’t want to have this discussion .

“Summer, relax,” Tonya said.

“Relax?” I asked her, my composure cracking.

“Just so you know, I haven’t seen your son since he dropped us off at the house yesterday.

” I turned toward Kora with venom dripping from my words.

“So, unless he starts talking to me again, nothing matters.” I spun back toward Tonya.

“ And , we weren’t having a ‘post-coital temper tantrum’,” I shouted as I stomped my foot.

“Who the hell says that anymore, anyway?”

“Ummm, what did we miss?” Rowan’s voice cut through air

Fuck I said under my breath as my heart did this annoying leap thing. I turned around. Rowan, Bryson, and Lance were standing in the yard with boxes and metal containers.

He glanced at me, then his mom, then the rest of the women. My stomach flipped at the sight of him in jeans and a T-shirt, looking fine.

“We come bearing food?” Bryson said, his tone raising in question.

“Thank God.” Darlene hurried forward. “Something to do.”

“Yeah, let us help you,” Kaye answered as she took the containers from Lance’s arms. “I’m sure y’all have more in the truck.”

Darlene, and Kaye hurried into the house with their arms full, and Diane and Ruth rushed after them.

Bryson and Lance said nothing, but got more food containers from the truck as Rowan watched me. I avoided his gaze and followed the women inside.

Once everything was unloaded, the book club got to work with the food, and I had a chance to sneak away. I needed air and space.

I walked out of the house and followed the gravel path down to the bank of the river.

As soon as I got there, I picked up some rocks and hurled them into the water.

The light splash they made was not satisfying.

I needed something to make a sound. A loud crash would be much better.

I threw a rock against a nearby tree. There. Better.

What was I doing? Why did I let Tonya’s words get to me? She wasn’t being mean, just posing the obvious. Then Ruth. What she said hit me in the gut. Did everyone think the same thing in this god-forsaken town?

Hell. It wasn’t like I hadn’t thought it.

I mean, sure Rowan said he’d always had feelings for me, but if that was true why had he always dated girls so different than me?

Girly girls, cheerleaders, bubbly annoying bitches who I couldn’t stand and were no more like me than that squirrel climbing the tree across the river.

“You okay?”

Rowan. My shoulders slumped. Of course he followed me.

He could always tell when I was irritated, and could never leave me alone with my thoughts.

My irritation deflated a bit at the sound of his voice, just as much as my stomach fluttered.

“I’m good,” I said as I let another rock fly through the air.

I felt immense satisfaction when it, again, smacked against a trunk of a tree.

“What did we walk in on back there?” His voice was soft and laced with concern.

I let out a chuckle. “Nothing. Nothing that matters, anyway, not as long as you and I don’t talk.”

Splash. A rock hit the water.

I could feel Rowan’s presence, but he didn’t say anything.

I needed to apologize or we would never be able to move on.

I sighed and turned toward him. My eyes raked over his body.

Every bit of him handsome and perfect. I finally met his eyes, and my heart cracked.

I was selfish and immature. I let out a light sigh and said, “I’m sorry, Rowan.

I’ve messed this up.” I gestured between us.

“I shouldn’t have forced you out a window.

” The realization of what I did hit me. “What the hell was I thinking? Fuck.”

I spun back toward the river. Splash. Another rock

He grabbed my arm as I was ready to let another one fly and turned me around.

I stared at him and chewed on my bottom lip. His brown eyes were wide and questioning.

My vision blurred.

I blinked rapidly and looked away from him and his perfect features—his sweet, handsome face. He could have anyone. So why was he choosing me? Why now? What if I wasn’t enough? “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’ve been acting so stupid. Immature. Irrational.”

His gaze softened as he lowered his head, and a smile crept up the corners of his mouth. Damn he was handsome.

His grip on my arm became tender and he pulled me toward him slightly.

His voice gentle. “You have been a bit of all those things, but I would expect nothing less.” He lifted my face until my eyes met his.

“I accept your apology,” he said as he closed the space between us. “But promise me one thing.”

I raised my brow. “Anything.”

“No more windows.”

I released my breath and laughed gently. “Of course. I promise.” I gently licked my lips, as his lips closed on mine. The kiss was soft and so sweet, and I got lost in it. I forgot where we were and what I had been thinking. I placed my hand on his cheek as our tongues met .

Maybe this was real. Maybe we could be good for each other. Maybe I had to trust that everything would work out. That I was enough.

“Hey, y’all—” Kai’s voice stopped mid-sentence, and I broke the kiss.

Rowan whispered. “Really, Kai?”