“Summer—” Nick says in a low voice.
“I’ve got this.”
He gives me a hard look but doesn’t push. Brent laughs hysterically. “Damn son, she’s got you wrapped tight with that pussy, doesn’t she? I can see why, pretty little thing like that. I bet she’s not as innocent as she looks.”
I’m acutely aware of everyone watching. Of Shay and Avery and the few other people I’m vaguely familiar with in the bar. Everyone assesses me, wondering if his words are true. Hell, I wonder for a moment, what do I look like with all these guys? However I look, whatever this seems like, it’s none of his goddamn business.
Rage surpasses all other emotions.
“Fuck you, asshole,” I say, putting my hands on my hips. “How dare you suggest I’m some kind of whore just because I’m here with my friends, minding my own damn business. I thought Ocean Beach was a placed filled with old-school southerners with manners, but you sure as hell missed the lesson about it. I guess that’s on your mama, though, for not teaching you right.”
His eyebrow raises. “What did you say?”
“You heard me.” My heart is pounding a mile a minute and I glance over and see Anita with a wide smile on her face. “There’s one thing standing between these boys and you getting the biggest ass-kicking of your life. I suggest you back off before I let them loose.”
Brent’s eyes flick over me, mean and bitter. He’s not the type to walk away without saying something, so I turn on him and scan my boys. They’re all watching me with a mixture of pride and surprise. I try to get myself under control and I train my eyes on Whit and ask, “Is there a reason you haven’t danced with me yet?”
“Just waiting my turn.”
My three protectors push Brent out of the building, telling the bully’s friends to take his wounded pride home. Whit pulls me into his arms and without skipping a beat, we’re swaying with the music. The motion calms my nerves and distracts me completely. I’m shocked at his dancing skills. He didn’t grow up with a mother, so Sugar and Nick’s must have drilled the lessons into him on their own. We’d danced a little at his formal but nothing like this, and with every passing moment he loosens up and we both forget the insanity from moments before.
The song shifts, moving to something slower. Whit pulls me close. I link my arms around his neck and play with the fringe of hair at his collar. I tilt my head to look at him. “I heard you planned this. The music. The dancing.”
“Just doing my part to show you the real coastal Carolina.” He glances toward the door where the others left with Brent. “Unfortunately, there are assholes everywhere.”
“And eyes,” I say, knowing Avery and Shay are still here. Shay had witnessed the whole scene and god knows if she’ll find a way to add it to her interview.
“It’s something you’ve got to get used to, Summer. You’re beautiful and sexy. The guys down here aren’t used to someone like you—at least not staying longer than a few weeks.”
“It doesn’t hurt who I’m hanging out with.” I place my cheek on his chest and hear the thrum of his heart over the music. “I’m just not sure I’ll ever fit in here.”
“Babe, you just told off a six-foot-four linebacker, who’s never had a woman put him in his place. You showed southern spirit and pride. You fit in just fine.”
His compliment makes me blush and I feel the slow burn of heat easing through my limbs. We dance slow with one another until the song ends and the temp picks back up. Whit glides easily from one song to the other, picking up the pace and swinging me in his arms. Slowly the tension from the argument fades and despite what I’ve just said, I’ve tasted a glimmer of what it’s like to be a local. Bar fights and defending myself, dancing and hanging out with friends. I feel the ties from the past circling with the present, the odd mixture that keeps Ocean Beach unique. I can’t help but wonder if it’s not the town that won’t accept me or if I’m the one hesitating—afraid to commit to this place. These people.
Whit spins me around and pulls me close before starting to release me. I stop hard, barreling into his chest. He looks down at me, confused as to if I’m just a klutz on my feet or if I stopped on purpose. He doesn’t have to wait long for an answer, I push up on my toes in the middle of the bar and kiss him amidst the other dancers, the bar-goers and yeah, Shay and Avery. When we part, he looks at me—only me, and it’s like the world around us vanishes, even though we’re right in the middle of it and for once, I just don’t care.
19
Summer
The paleness of my skin nearly blinds me as I catch sight of it in the mirror. It’s still mid-May and although the afternoons are warm, I’m not sure a bikini is a good idea.
Still, I like the way this one looks. The fabric is green and white stripes, the sides and neck tied with string. A year ago, I would have died to show this much skin, but I’ve become more comfortable in my body and the idea of sun and sand. Living here all summer means I’ll probably need a few more suits.
I’m zipping a long, gray hoodie over my suit when I hear a rap against the metal door. I peek out the little window and see a handsome, eager face.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, lunging into Nick’s broad chest.
“I couldn’t wait,” he says into my hair. He wraps his muscular, football-playing arms around me and holds me tight. “God, I missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.” So much. Nick’s first year was completely consumed by the military academy. First football, then training and academics. When he releases me from his grasp, I take him in. Short, cropped dark hair. He seems taller, maybe leaner since I saw him last, but no less big. He’s physically impressive. Piercing eyes. He’s wearing a tight, gray, Citadel T-shirt and black board shorts.
“You get down here okay?” he asks, hands skimming my hair.
“Yep. No problem at all.”
“And you’re all settled in?”