Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
I come here often because this house holds a lot of memories for me. It belonged to my late grandparents before it was willed to me. The deed may be in my name, but I’ve made it clear to my brother and his wife, Sinclair, that they’re welcome any time they please. The same is true for my best friends. Declan Wells and Rook Thorsen know they will always have a place they can call home in East Hampton. Since Declan and his wife are expecting their first baby, they’ve taken a couple of weekend ‘babymoons’ here. Rook, his fiancée, Carrie, and their daughter have only made one trip so far this year, but they have more planned.
I didn’t make the trip this weekend just to catch some sun and enjoy the view. I have an ulterior motive, but I’ll share that with my brother in due time.
“I’ve met a few people,” I tell him. “None as memorable as the one I met an hour ago.”
“That’s the woman you said couldn’t take her eyes off of you?” He chuckles. “She needs glasses, doesn’t she?”
Smiling, I shake my head. “Go to hell.”
“What’s so memorable about her?”
Where do I start?
Long curly red hair, curves in all the right places, and a fearlessness that set me on fire are what come to mind first when I think about the woman next door.
Suddenly, my nephew’s cries fill the air. It’s loud enough that I know Jameson is holding his son.
“It’s okay, Morgan,” he whispers. “Daddy’s got you.”
My heart swells with that because I’m damn proud of my brother. He has grown into a remarkable man over the past few years. I’m honored to call him not only my sibling, but also my friend.
It hasn’t always been easy between us, but we’ve repaired the fractures in our relationship. We went from not speaking to one another to him asking me to be his best man when he got married a few weeks ago.
It was one of the greatest honors of my life to stand beside him as he vowed to love his wife forever while she cradled their son in her arms.
“I have to go, Holden,” he says. “Enjoy the time away, but don’t stay gone too long. I need you at the office.”
I may be the CEO of our grandparents’ candy company, but Jameson is right there with me in his role as COO. I never worry when I leave Carden Confectionaries in his very capable hands.
“I’ll be back on Sunday,” I remind him. “You can handle anything that pops up before that.”
“You know it,” he says. “Later.”
He ends the call, leaving me to think about my next move. I glance at the expansive kitchen where I’ve cooked many meals. I haven’t baked anything, though, but there’s no time like the present.
I stalk toward the kitchen to see what I can whip together to take over to my temporary neighbor as a peace offering since I plunged into her pool without her permission.
Mrs. Frye told me I could use the pool whenever I please, but still, I should make amends with the beautiful redhead.
I stop just short of the kitchen island because I know exactly what I need to do to get in front of the umbrella-wielding woman again as soon as possible.
I sprint toward the main bedroom to get dressed since I’m fresh out of the shower and only wearing black boxer briefs.
She got an eyeful of me already today, so I’ll cover up since I plan on heading over to see her now.
CHAPTER FOUR
Holden
The pink tank top and denim cutoffs my temporary neighbor was wearing earlier have been replaced with white shorts and a matching T-shirt with the word ‘Summer’ printed across the front of it in a rainbow of colors.
Her fiery red hair is now tied up in a messy top knot. Freckles dot her nose, but it’s her eyes that I can’t stop staring at. They’re cobalt blue and bordered with long lashes.
She’s so fucking enchanting that I lose my ability to speak.
“Can I help you?” she asks as if I interrupted the most important meeting of her life.
I nod like a bobble head doll as I try to keep my gaze locked on her face, but with her toned, tanned legs on display, that’s not an easy task.
“Summer,” I read her shirt. “Is that your name or an homage to the season?”
The corners of her lips quirk up a touch, but I don’t quite get a smile. “My name?”
“Is that a question?” I push. “Or a confirmation?”
She studies me carefully, her eyes drifting from my face down to the light blue T-shirt I’m wearing and beyond to the faded jeans I put on before I left my house to come here. “Are you asking if my name is Summer?”
“Is it?” I push, expecting her to offer her actual name to me.