parents would jump at any chance to have the property taken off their hands. He wasn’t far off the truth. They did want to be rid of the camp and the memory, but they still had their retirement to think about.
“We didn’t have to. Another offer came in. A respectable one.”
For a second, Summer’s world came to a halt. Her knees wobbled, forcing her to sit. “Who from?”
“Chance Brennan.”
“Rick’s friend?” The news sent Summer’s heart in two directions. One half leaped for joy. Chance and Kyndal Brennan were good people...heroes in their own way, deserving of the property.
The other half splattered at her feet. A subdivision was probably in the property’s future.
“He came to see Rick a couple of days ago while we were there,” her mom continued. “Rick introduced us and told him about the property. He called the next day and said he was interested and had some investors.”
So Rick was directly responsible. Was he still trying to save the camp, or was this his way of getting the last word?
It didn’t matter. This was the news she’d been waiting for.
The end of the story.
“I’m so happy for you, Mom.” Tears were coming fast now. “I really am.” She marveled at the words. She really meant them.
“Are you crying?”
“Happy tears.” Cry enough of them and maybe they’ll fill up the hole that bullet left in my heart. “I do need to go now, though.” It wasn’t a lie this time. Too much emotion clogged her throat to allow her to talk any longer.
“Okay, Nubbin.” Her mom’s tone modulated back to its normal sweetness. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Summer laid the phone down, grabbed a fistful of napkins from the basket on the table and sobbed loud and long until she had no tears left.
Eventually, the weight in her heart would lighten...wouldn’t it?
Doing the same thing she’d done for the past week and a half to combat the grueling wait for nothing in particular, she pushed up from the table and moved. Keeping her body moving kept her mind at least partially occupied, and that kept the despair from consuming her. Her apartment had never been so clean, and she fell into bed every night, too exhausted to think...or dream.
She set to ironing the new fairy princess costume, a replacement for the one she had to throw away. It had arrived a couple of days ago, but she hadn’t had the courage to put it on yet.
Go with the symbolism. Off with the old, on with the new.
Taking a deep breath of resolve, she slipped out of her shorts and top and into the dress. The zipper went up easily...too easily. She glanced at the mirror, grimacing at the woman reflected back. Dark circles shaded red, swollen eyes. Toothpick arms dangled from the sleeves. The dress hung slack on her, barely touching anywhere but the shoulders. The neckline gaped. The waistline needed cinching. She looked more like a zombie than a fairy princess. No child was going to believe this creature held the secret to a pretty heart.
A knock at the door jerked her attention away from the frightening image. Kate was early. Summer gathered up the dress and hurried to let her in.
She swung the door open. “Rick.” She should’ve checked the peephole first.
“Hello, Summer.”
His voice palpitated her heart, making it come alive for the first time since...
“I haven’t seen you in over a week.”
Since over a week. She sidestepped his comment. “You look good.” He was obviously trying to stand in his normal, marine posture, but the slump of his shoulders hinted at the deep scar hidden beneath the blue dress shirt. He’d lost weight—his clothes fit baggy like her dress—and his hair was longer than she’d ever seen it, almost touching his ears on the side, the front combed off his forehead from a part that had never appeared before.
He was the most beautiful sight her eyes had beheld since...since the last time she saw him.
“Can I come in?”
No! her mind screamed. She wasn’t ready to talk with him yet. Her emotions were still too close to the surface. But her mouth opened and “Sure” dropped out. She stepped back to let him in, motioning to the wingback where she thought he would be most comfortable.
He carried a box of candy, which he placed on the table by the chair, and waited for her to sit. She chose the couch, as far away from him as the small room allowed. As he eased into the seat,