Fake Summer Wife

Somehow I managed to maintain my focus just long enough to submit my final paper on Friday afternoon. I should have gone out to celebrate. But I couldn’t. I felt lost.

By early Saturday evening, things were not improving. I’d nearly worn a groove in my living room carpet from pacing back and forth, my light blue sundress wrinkled from being balled up in my fists. I couldn’t bring myself to go outside to enjoy the late sunshine. Everything that made me think of summer also made me think of Vaughan.

I didn’t know what was worse, the possibility that I had embarrassed him, or that I might have hurt his business in some way. He acted casual most of the time, but I knew that the construction company was his baby. The most important thing in his life.

Although I’d barely been able to eat for days, I forced myself to nibble a granola bar before flopping onto the couch. Maybe I could find some old movie that would at least turn my mind off for a couple of hours.

Just as I picked up the remote, there was a tap at the door.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair as I went to answer it. Either Mrs. Rivero’s niece was selling cookies again, or Sam from down the hall was going away for the weekend and wanted me to feed his cat.

I honestly never expected Vaughan to be on the other side of the door.

“Go away. You don’t want to talk to me,” I said, backing up.

He jammed his foot in the door, and carefully pushed it open. “Grab your purse and a sweater.”

“What?”

“I’m taking you somewhere. Grab your stuff.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I tried to wipe the smudges away from under my eyes, but Vaughan just smiled, taking my hand.

“If you refuse to talk to me, fine. I’m taking you somewhere where we can sit in silence.”

He was being strangely pushy, which was so unlike him. But those dancing green eyes were extremely amused, making me want to smile along with him.

“And if I refuse?”

“Then this becomes a kidnapping,” he shrugged. “I’m serious. I can easily throw you over my shoulder, Missy. Let’s go.”

I tied a sweater around my waist and grabbed my purse, locking the door behind me. Vaughan’s hand gravitated to the center of my back to caress me gently, draining some of the tension from my shoulders. By the time we were in the truck, I had actually unclenched a bit.

“Why don’t you put on some music,” he suggested as he pulled out into the street. “Something mellow.”

“What kind of lousy kidnapper lets the victim choose the music?” I giggled.

“I thought we weren’t talking,” he said, glancing with a raised eyebrow in a futile attempt to look sinister.

“Oh. Right.” It was hard to keep a straight face when he was being so adorable.

I felt like I should be annoyed that he was forcing us to be together, but was secretly relieved that he was taking the lead. Yet I knew that things ultimately couldn’t change between us. I wasn’t good for him, and I was going to have to stay away. There had to be a clean break.

Maybe once he’d said his piece he would let me go.

We drove down toward the beach, and for a moment I thought he was going to take us to that lovely restaurant again. Instead, he turned and headed straight for the unfinished condo tower.

“What are we doing here?” I asked.

“We’re being quiet.”

I loved how his eyes sparkled with mirth. In a strange way, I loved how he was bringing us together without speaking. On top of his sweetness, why did he have to be so darn clever?

Vaughan led me into the lobby, which was finished, but unpainted. It was strange to see a building at this partial level of completion.

As we went into the elevator, I noticed that he pressed eighteen, even though the numbers went up to twenty-two.

“Anything higher than eighteen is still a hard hat area,” he explained. “I don’t want to take you anywhere that has open windows and equipment lying around.”