The Summer of No Attachments (The Summer Friends #2) - Lori Foster Page 0,34

gave me this long, curious look that kept me frozen to the spot, and then he just acted like nothing had happened, but he kept his distance.” She covered her face. “He might think I don’t like him.”

Imagining how that had played out, Ivey nearly winced. She was fairly certain it had taken Lang off guard. As much as she loved Hope, she wanted to be fair to him, too. Catching Hope’s wrists, Ivey gently lowered her hands. “But you do like him?”

“I barely know him.”

“Doesn’t matter. Go with your instincts. I knew I was into Corbin right off. And from what I could see, you seemed to like Lang?”

“I really do. Don’t you? Don’t you think he’s funny? And he’s already so determined to be a great uncle, and...”

Ivey laughed. “I’m convinced, yes, and I’m thrilled that you’re seeing things as they are.”

Hope bit her lip. “Because I see him as a nice man who probably wouldn’t hurt a woman?”

Oh now, see, that shattered her heart. “Only disgusting creeps would. I can almost guarantee that if Corbin would have been around, he’d have taken your side.” He might have even shown the bastard the error of his ways. A girl could hope. “And since Lang is his brother, I’m betting he’s the same.”

Hope laced her fingers together. “What do you think he’ll make of it?”

There was no way for her to know for sure. She had a guess, based on what she knew of Lang so far, but you couldn’t always trust assumptions. Plus, as was evident from Hope’s family, siblings were sometimes very different. Where one might be honest and caring, another could be selfish and mean.

Ivey pasted on an encouraging smile. “I’ll talk to Corbin and we’ll go from there. Okay?”

Looking both excited and concerned, Hope agreed. “Please make it clear that I’m not expecting anything, not even interest.”

“Of course.”

“And if he laughs it off, that’s that. Promise you won’t press.”

“I wouldn’t.” It was so refreshing to see Hope’s anticipation. “Look at it this way. If he isn’t interested, then he’ll stop flirting, and you’ll be able to be around him without worrying.”

Hope let out a big breath. “Thank you, Ivey. You’re the absolute best.”

Such a shame that kindness from a friend earned so much gratitude. In so many ways, Hope still judged others by a four-year distant incident. “I’ll secure the garage door when I leave, then text you so you can rest easy. Enjoy your first night here, and remember, if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to contact me.”

* * *

As promised, Ivey locked the garage’s side door, tugged on it twice to be sure and then texted Hope. Already her friend had turned on the outside lights so that the entire area glowed like midday. The only sign of nightfall was the deep shadows beyond the reach of the floodlights and the stars twinkling to life overhead on a deep indigo sky.

Once she got confirmation from Hope, Ivey rounded the garage and found Corbin leaning against a post, long legs crossed at the ankles, his expression thoughtful. Very quietly, she stood there gazing at him. He hadn’t yet noticed her as he stared off in the distance, likely pondering the million and one things he had on his mind now that he was a father.

She’d never thought too much about children, other than how they acted with their pets. Some kids disturbed her, those who were allowed to use their cats and dogs like dolls, stuffing them into baby clothes whether the animal liked it or not. Kids who ignored their pets, or worse, took enjoyment in annoying them. It was times like that where she didn’t care if she talked too much or if she overstepped. Kids needed to respect animals, period.

Then there were the children like Justin, who instinctively empathized with animals. Some kids were that way. Others had parents who supervised them and taught them how to properly care for pets. She was sure Corbin was that type of parent.

Was there anything at all not to like about him? If so, she hadn’t found it yet.

Before meeting him, she would have said her preferences leaned more toward messy blond hair, bleached by time in the lake, tanned muscles and blue eyes. Yup, she’d seen a few guys like that playing volleyball on the beach, using their paddleboards or kayaks, some of them fishing off docks—tourists, she had assumed, since she didn’t recognize them. She’d even considered them when deciding