Stacey Joy Netzel Boxed Set (12 page)

One deep breath fortified me to face the
temptation in my truck. Once behind the wheel, I started the engine
and reached to shift into first. It hit me how surreal my current
situation was and I paused to cast a bemused, sideways look at my
passenger.

“Summer Clark.”

She lifted her eyebrows and smiled. “Josh
Nelsen.”

Smiled
. Why hadn’t she told me to go to hell the moment she saw me?
Now or the day after the Snowball dance? The coward in me stuffed
those questions down my throat as I checked my mirrors before
pulling out onto the highway. It was only a few miles to my house,
so when she asked what I’d been doing since graduation, I told her
about my management position at my uncle’s trucking company. You
know, real scintillating conversation.

“I run into Jenna from time to time if I
fill in on a delivery to where she works,” I said. “She told me
you’re doing well for yourself with your own business as a
copywriter?”

“Yes, and I’m the best boss I’ve ever had,”
she told me with a laugh. “I never get mad when I’m late to work
and I get vacation whenever I ask.”

“Sound’s ideal.”

I pulled into the garage, but before I could
get around the front of the truck to help her, she’d already
stepped down off the running board. So I unlocked the inside house
door and stood aside for her to go first. Nerves got me all of a
sudden. What would she think of the home I’d designed and built
myself? Would she notice it was just me? That there was no ring on
my left hand?

Because I’d definitely noticed there wasn’t
one on hers. Once again, thank you, Meg.

I pointed past the open kitchen. “Living
room’s through there. Can I get you anything? A drink or
something?”

“No, thanks.”

Her heels clicked across the ceramic kitchen
tile and I took one step inside before Meg’s threats broke through
the spell Summer had cast. A glance down at the mud caking my boots
confirmed I’d better not chance it. I side-stepped to remove them
in the mudroom right off the kitchen and I hung up my jacket on a
hook instead of tossing it across the kitchen counter.

Was that where Meg and Tony—

Nope.
Refocus
.

Summer was standing near the couch when I
hurried past the island counter in the kitchen and crossed into the
living room.

“I just need about fifteen minutes to shower
and change, so make yourself at home,” I told her.

At the entrance to the hallway, I caught the
corner of the wall with one hand and paused. She faced me without
her jacket on and I got a good look at her short black dress, with
its clingy, curve-hugging material, those long legs and the black
sandals I’d saved from the mud.

Hell,
yeah
, Summer looked great.

Realizing how blatant my appraisal had
become, I swept my gaze up. “Sure I can’t get you anything?” I
repeated like an idiot.

Despite heightened color in her cheeks, she
gave me a cool smile. “I’m good.”

Move your ass
man
. I gave an abrupt nod and quick-tapped
the wall. “Right. I’ll be back.”

I hurried through my shower, trying not to
think of her in the other room or my sister’s comments about the
unused condoms in my bedside drawer. After toweling my hair, a
quick inspection confirmed I could get away without shaving and I
headed into my room to dress. I grabbed a dark pair of jeans, belt
and a white button-up shirt as I wondered again about Summer’s bare
left hand.

If I were to believe Jenna’s information
from awhile back, Summer should’ve been sporting a big rock on her
finger. Either Jenna had lied, which wouldn’t surprise me, or
Summer was no longer planning a wedding. Easy deductions, because
Jenna still hated me, and even I knew engaged women took every
opportunity to show off their diamond rings. No way she’d leave
that puppy in the jewelry box for our class reunion when the rest
of her was dressed to impress.

I finished tying the laces on my black boots
and returned to the living room with a suit jacket in hand. From
behind the couch, I peeked over her shoulder to see the TV Guide
listing for Friday night. “Anything good on?”

She jumped and swiveled to face me with a
small embarrassed laugh.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Quite the carpet you’ve got.”

She set the magazine back
on the table and stood. I had to consciously keep my gaze from
shifting downward. Only in doing so, I caught her giving
me
the once-over. I felt
a definite up-tick in my pulse at the possibility she might be
interested.

“Hope I wasn’t too long.”

She waved her hand, silver bracelets
clinking together on her wrist. “Barely noticed you were gone. So,
is it just you here?”

The moment she asked that, she spun on her
heel and headed for the kitchen. I ignored the insult about barely
noticing my absence and focused on the question. Because it sounded
to me she’d asked outright if I was available.

“Yep, just me.”

I followed her toward the garage. Hope
flickered when she gave me a smile over her shoulder. “Cleaner
around here than I’d expect for a bachelor.”

My flicker of hope took root and grew with
my smile as I locked the door. To think I’d almost ditched the
entire evening.

“My older sister Meg cleans houses for a
living.”

“Lucky you.”

“Not really. She’s not cheap and she’s bossy
about me picking up after myself.”

I hurried past her and opened the passenger
side door of my truck. I helped her inside with a slight feeling of
déjàvu. I’d driven my dad’s truck to the Snowball dance all those
years ago. So strange that we hadn’t spoken after that night—not
the rest of our junior year or all of senior year, and then she’d
left right after graduation. I’d obviously hurt her and to go from
that to joking with her now…

I pushed the guilty thoughts aside to
concentrate on making the most of my unexpected second chance.

At the supper club, Jenna spotted us the
instant we walked in. While her cousin bee-lined in our direction,
I took Summer’s coat. “I’ll hang these up.”

“Thanks.”

I escaped so I wouldn’t have to face Jenna’s
glare. Then I stood there wondering what the heck they were
whispering to each other. Actually, I could probably guess, but
didn’t really want to.

“Gosh, Summer, I’m so glad you came!” Jenna
exclaimed the moment I stepped back out of the coat room. “You look
amazing in that dress!”

Jenna’s lack of subtly
confirmed the subject of their hushed exchange.
Me.

“How’s Brad?” she continued. “You two set a
date for the wedding yet?”

That hope that’d been gaining ground? It
died.

“Considering I gave him the ring back six
months ago, no, we didn’t set a date,” Summer said.

And flared back twice as strong.

“I’d hoped the two of you would patch things
up,” Jenna said with a pout. “I was looking forward to heading to
Florida for your wedding.”

“You’re always welcome to visit.” Summer
linked her arm with Jenna’s and led her back to the bar where our
other classmates were gathered. In between hellos and hugs with
friends, I touched Summer on the shoulder and asked what she’d like
to drink.

After I’d placed an order at the bar for her
soda and my beer, Dave joined me with a slap on the back.
“Joshua.”

“Hey, man. How come you’re not out towing
cars?” I asked.

“Heather wasn’t missing this for anything.
She’s got a whole network on Facebook to update in the morning.
Plus she’ll probably tweet all about it tonight,” Dave said.

I shook my head about
Dave’s wife’s social media obsession and tossed a twenty on the bar
for the drinks. Heather had been one year behind us in school, but
involved in everything and knew everyone. I knew all about
Facebook, but only vaguely knew what a
tweet
was. I didn’t want to know
more.

Dave leaned one elbow onto the bar and
grinned at me. “But I have to say it’s totally worth it just to see
you show up with Summer Clark.”

“Summer’s the one with the car in the
ditch,” I explained to Dave. “I just gave her a ride.”

“Ah.” Dave glanced over his shoulder.
“So…you two are friends again?”

“It appears so.” I shrugged, left a tip, and
pocketed my change from the bartender. “I mean, she’s talking to me
anyway. That’s progress after ten years.”

“Eleven if you count senior year.”

“I was rounding off, but you’re right,
eleven sounds better.”

Dave laughed as we joined Summer’s group
with Jenna and her husband, Doug, Randy Knutson and a couple others
who’d remained local. Dave’s reminder was forgotten with Summer’s
smile of thanks when I handed over her glass. She and Dave said
hello, and then Heather joined us.

Putting an arm around his wife, Dave said,
“You remember, Heather, right?”

“Of course.” Summer smiled and the two
hugged. “When did you two get together?”

“Dave and I married a couple years after
high school. We’ve got four kids now.”

That kick-started a round of everyone
talking about if they were married or not, and if they had any
kids. I did my best to keep a smile on my face as pictures were
passed, and was very relieved when my buddy Randy shifted the
subject by announcing he’d just gotten engaged the night
before.

His fiancé, a cute little blond named Beth,
extended her left hand and all the women oohed and aahed over her
ring. Had I called that one, or what?

My attention switched to the fact that
Summer was definitely not engaged—her decision, by the sound of it.
In fact, I heard her tell more than one person she wasn’t in a
relationship at all at the moment. Just her and her dog, Jenga,
down there in Florida.

Florida
. Pretty damn far away from Wisconsin, so why should it
matter to me if she was engaged or not? I tried to keep that fact
in the forefront of my thoughts.

Over dinner, conversation ebbed and flowed
from where we all worked these days to places we’d travelled since
graduation. Heather provided a wealth of information from her
Facebook page about anyone who wasn’t at the reunion. It was
interesting to hear what others had gone on to do and after having
almost stayed home, I was really glad things had worked out the way
they had.

Sitting next to Summer, I admit she was more
than half the draw. Never part of the popular crowd even though
she’d always gotten along with people at school, the past ten years
had really brought her out of her shell. Self confidence replaced
her shyness in a way that set her miles above the couple of cliquey
girls at the opposite end of the table who’d obviously only
attended to show everyone they were still pretty and skinny.

Dinner was great and hell at the same time.
I had a hard time keeping my eyes off Summer, and more than once
she caught my gaze. I did my best to smile and be cool, but still
felt my neck grow warm. Then again, the rest of me warmed whenever
she laughed, or her knee brushed mine under the close confines of
the table. Occasionally she’d lean forward to say something to
Randy’s fiancé on my other side and I’d catch a whiff of the scent
from when I’d carried her out of the ditch. Every time I had to
stop myself from sucking in a long, deep breath of sugar and
spice.

Shortly after the waitress removed our
plates, I heard Jenna tell Summer she’d be back in a little bit.
Considering I’d seen Doug head toward the door minutes earlier, and
the two hadn’t been able to keep their hands to themselves all
night, my curious gaze followed her departure. Sure enough, she
slipped out the door with her coat seconds later.

Hmm…bet Doug was getting
some tonight.
Lucky
bastard
.

With the next round of drinks, Summer
ordered another soda and I switched as well. I wasn’t sure how long
people would hang around, and drinking and driving had never been
my thing, snow or no snow. And even though a few more beers might
make it easier, I had another reason for staying sober…at some
point before the end of the night I needed to apologize to
Summer.

Just the thought of dredging up the past in
the wake of our new friendship made my stomach bottom out.

Across the table, Dave’s cell phone beeped
from a text message.

“Do you really need that on?” Heather
asked.

“Um, yeah,” Dave said as he read the
message. Then he looked at Summer. “Your front right tire is flat
and the alignment is all out of whack. You want my guy to tow it to
M & M’s?”

“Aaron’s still running the shop,” I told
her.

“I guess that’ll work,” she said. “My rental
insurance should cover it and tonight I’ll catch a ride with Jenna
and Doug.”

Summer’s gaze searched the supper club
before I saw her pull out her cell phone. She sent a text message
and put back in her purse. It was nearing ten when I saw her check
the phone for the umpteenth time. We’d all moved to the bar and
separated into smaller groups by this time, so I watched from the
corner of my eye.

This time, instead of frowning at the phone,
she sent another text. After a few exchanges, she cast a quick
glance around the bar and slipped off the stool. I turned to watch
her go, hoping she wasn’t leaving before I had a chance to talk to
her…though Jenna and Doug were still MIA.

A sharp dig in the ribs turned out to be
Dave’s elbow. “You ask her out yet?”

“I haven’t even apologized yet.”

“Are you kidding? Don’t bring that up. I say
let bygones be bygones—sure seems like she has.”

“She hasn’t, and she shouldn’t either.”