Summer's Fun (The Boys of Ocean Beach 2)

That was hours ago, before a man strode into the hospital and said her name at the desk. Her husband, I guess, who vanishes behind the door we’re not allowed to enter.

“How could we have missed this?” Whit asks, stopping suddenly in the middle of the room.

“Avery?” Justin shrugs. “We couldn’t have known.”

Whit doesn’t like this answer and grits his teeth and storms off.

The doors open a bit later and Julia walks out. Everyone looks her direction.

“She’s okay,” she says with a sigh of relief. “She had to get stitches and she’s banged up from fighting him off, but she’s okay.”

“There was a lot of blood,” I say. “So much.”

“The cuts weren’t deep.” Her hand is balled at her chest. “He didn’t have time. She fought back and won.”

“Of course, she did.” Justin walks over and gives her a hug. Julia squeezes tight.

Julia exhales and says, “You can see her soon. Let her rest. The doctors gave her something to help her sleep.”

“Is Shay all right?” Nick asks. He knew her the best.

“Yes, her husband got here a few hours ago. I think she’s just relieved to see him.” She inhales. “She saved Summer’s life.”

“We should have been there sooner,” Whit replies.

Julia shakes her head. “Don’t blame yourself. Trust me on that one. This is Avery’s fault. No one else’s. Evil people do evil things. All we can do is survive and move on with our lives.” She gives us all a hard look. “The trick will be not letting her run away like I did. We can’t let her do that, understand?”

“Yes ma’am,” Justin says. “There’s no chance in hell we’re letting her go. Not now, not ever.”

He speaks for all of us, there’s no doubt in his tone, but I hope we can be enough for her and I hope, unlike her mother, she’s not lost to us for good.

35

Summer

They didn’t keep me long in the hospital. They gave me enough time to sleep and to check on my stitches, an itchy mess across my chest. I spoke with the police, describing what I remembered. I cried with Shay before she left town, bruised, battered, but whole. I thanked her. She saved me.

When I’m released, my mother takes me to Richard’s—her home—and I let her dote on me. Two days later, I’m bored out of my mind and feel slightly uneasy; this may be her home now but it’s not mine, although I’m in no rush to return to the camper. Not yet. If ever.

The boys visit, aware that my mother is always nearby—hovering like she’s afraid to let me out of her sight. I want to be alone with them but I’m also afraid. The things Avery said to me about them—about myself—rang true enough to get under my skin. I know I shouldn’t let it, but is he right? Do they hate that I won’t choose? When we started this relationship, it was about fun—a summer fling—but here we are a year later and things have intensified. Is it fair, and how long will they want this kind of relationship? The kind of relationship that makes me want to leave Vanderbilt and create an entire life here?

I feel foolish. Lost. Tired.

All of that vanishes, for a moment at least, when Anita comes over with Juliana bundled against her chest. Mom needed to get some work done at the shop and Sugar has taken over Anita’s duties while she takes a few weeks off. I doubt she’ll stay away long though, I can alrea

dy see her getting anxious.

“My boobs are killing me,” she says, holding her breasts like two melons against her chest. “Especially the right one. I’m like a cow or something—my milk won’t stop. I think I’m drowning this baby when I feed her.”

“Is that normal?” It doesn’t sound normal, but what do I know.

“God knows.” She settles into a chair and shoves up her shirt, unlatching her bra and shoving the baby’s mouth on her nipple. “Oh yeah, that feels amazing. I thought I was going to burst.”

I try to keep my expression neutral but all of this is new to me and a little weird.

“Oh, you won’t believe what Sibley said the day we brought the baby home.”

“What’s that?”