Finding Summer - Suzanne Halliday Page 0,212

in an empty bucket out here in the middle of a desert. He’s had some luck and hooked me up. Found out too late he’s newly single, ready to fuck-mingle, and not at all caring of quality (if you catch my drift).

And this right here was the problem, she thought with a heavy sigh. He missed the whole point by taking dating cues from a military source. It wasn’t about a checklist. Someone needed to shake sense into her brother. No, it wasn’t easy to find a relationship, but if he didn’t put himself out there and let the extraordinary find him, he’d never be happy.

She considered how to reply.

It takes a certain type of girl—the kind you should be looking for. You know, they say a man with a baby is a chick magnet. Think about it. Maybe you should take your niece to the store or push her stroller around the park playground. How bad could it be??

Unless you need to talk, I’m signing off. #beat The baby and I are napping. xxoo

He texted right away with a series of happy and kissy face emojis.

Maybe her suggestion was a little off-center, but it didn’t mean her opinion held no merit. He was never going to meet the right girl unless he broke out of the mold.

Summer wanted nieces and nephews. She wanted family celebrations, turkey feasts, and Christmas lists. If those wants made her selfish, she was okay with it. There wasn’t a damn thing wrong with aspiring to be normal, have a family, and live a happy, meaningful life.

Abruptly muttering, “Shit,” she remembered the bag of avocados Mrs. Pak gave her, looked across the room to make sure the baby was asleep, and then headed for the door. The bag was still in the car along with a takeout box of cannoli.

Scurrying into the vestibule, she spied a stack of mail her eyes hadn’t noticed earlier. Being dog-ass tired, she must have walked right past it.

Dashing to her car, she rounded the vehicle to the passenger side. Sounds of manly laughter drew her eyes to the house across the driveway. A work truck sat in the driveway, and every light in the place seemed to be on. Plantation shutters made it impossible to see inside without brazenly peeking through the large front window. She was curious and not just about the renovation.

Stan McGee was an interesting guy. There was something intriguing about him, but she hadn’t given him enough thought to figure out what was up. She wondered who he was yukking it up with and remembered him saying he worked with his brother.

Another peal of laughter rang out, but this one gave her goose bumps. She frowned and focused on the unusual reaction. Nothing came except confusion and more goose bumps. The worry she was losing her marbles came back around and bit her on the ass.

With a frustrated yank, she opened the passenger door, slid her hand into the handle of an avocado-filled plastic bag, and picked up the container of Italian dessert.

Whatever. If a breakdown was headed her way, she planned to be stuffed with calorie-laden foods when it took her.

Back in the house, she slammed the door more forcefully than necessary and winced. Holding still and barely breathing, she waited to see if the baby reacted, and when she didn’t, Summer went straight into the kitchen, took care of the avocados, and grabbed a fork.

“No need for a plate,” she mumbled aloud and went to the sofa where she plopped down, put her feet on the coffee table, and dug into the sweet, creamy treat.

It took a great deal of mental bargaining and negotiating to keep from eating the second cannoli, but she managed to stop stuffing her face before things got dicey.

Her belly full, the baby snoozing, and a long night ahead, she stretched out on the sofa, turned on QVC for background ambience, and promptly fell asleep.

29

Stuffing an enormous bag of McDonald’s breakfast meals on the floor between his feet, Arnie withdrew two sausage burritos and unwrapped them. One he gave to Stan, and the other he shoved in his mouth practically whole.

Stan gobbled his in three neat bites, washed it down with a trough of Coke Zero, and wiped his mouth on a napkin. After inhaling, he put a hand on his gut and filled the interior of the truck with an ear-splitting belch.

“Ah, there we go. Now I’m ready for the day.”

Arnie shot him a dose of side-eye and