Summer Catch (Four Seasons of Romance Book 1) Read online

  I brush aside Summer’s blonde hair, the strands so fine and soft in my fingers, and lean down close to her ear. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

  Summer twists her head around. “Something with you.”

  I chuckle, my chest sending Summer rocking up and down. “You said that earlier.”

  “And I’ll say it every time you ask me.”

  “You will?”

  “This may come as a surprise, big guy, but I actually like you now.”

  I press my lips into her soft temple. “Oh really?”

  She quivers under my touch. “Mhmm.”

  “How much?” I kiss her ear this time.

  “A lot…”

  “This much?” I brush my lips across her cheek.

  She swallows as her eyes flutter close. The fireworks are all but forgotten. “Maybe.”

  “Or this much?” I pull her around and kiss her neck softly, then her collarbone.

  She nods. “That much sounds about right.”

  “Really?” I leave a trail of kisses up her neck to her chin, across her cheek, and finally to her nose.

  “Yes,” she pants. “Definitely yes.”

  “Good. I was worried I’d have to bring out the big guns.”

  “The big guns?”

  I raise my left arm and start flexing my bicep. I make sure to give Summer my most charming smirk.

  She erupts in giggles. “You look ridiculous!”

  I raise an eyebrow, channeling my inner Hasselhoff.

  “Like…a rugged Fabio! That pout?”

  I frown. “Fabio? I was totally going for Hasselhoff.”

  She gasps with laughter. “That face. Oh my God. Stop.”

  “Alright.” I grab her and press her to my chest. “Looks like I need to teach you a lesson, after all.”

  “Koa!”

  I plant my lips on hers, taking her in a hard, hot kiss. She melts instantly in my arms. I pull away and smirk down at her—this one’s for real.

  “Lesson learned?” she asks.

  “I don’t think so.”

  Her eyes go wide. “You don’t?”

  “Not yet…”

  Summer wiggles out of my grasp, sliding away to the edge of the pillows. “Down, boy.”

  I groan. “You’re killing me.”

  “Well, you needed to be taught a lesson,” she says wickedly.

  I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and open them. “Summer?”

  “Koa?”

  “Come here.”

  She arches an eyebrow.

  “Please,” I add through grit teeth.

  “Well, since you asked nicely…” She starts inching toward me at a glacial pace.

  “I’m a patient man—” I lunge for her, throwing my arms wide and pulling her in to my chest. I find her soft stomach and start tickling the hell out of it. “But not a saint.”

  “Ah! Stop it!”

  “I can’t stop. This is payback.”

  “You didn’t learn anything!”

  “And I never will. Now…” I stop tickling her, wrap my hands around her waist, and gaze down at her. “Give me your lips, woman.”

  Summer winks at me. “Aye aye, Captain.”

  23

  Summer

  “Koa!” I slap his hand as it goes for my waist. “I’m trying to steer.”

  “I’m just playing around.”

  “I know, and we have no lobsters because of it.”

  He looks around at the half-empty tanks and shrugs. “It was worth it. Now, how about I…”

  I shake my head as he inches forward. “You’re not fooling anyone, mister. But let me get this boat in the slip, and I’ll consider it.”

  Koa throws me a look and shuffles down the stairs, probably to sulk. Well, he can sulk all he wants. I need to get us back to harbor in one piece. I cut the engine as we pass the harbor entrance, relying on momentum to inch us the rest of the way. Technically, I shouldn’t even be behind the wheel, seeing as how I lack a boating license and all. But when you beg and beg (and add a few well-placed kisses on certain areas behind the ear that you know your captain particularly likes), you tend to get what you want.

  What’s the worst that can happen? I haven’t killed anyone yet.

  “Koa!” I call out as the boat floats toward the slip. “Stop pouting and come out to tie us off.”

  Koa bounds up the stairs, takes one look at the dock, and whirls around. “You weren’t supposed to take us in.”

  “And yet I did.”

  “You don’t have a license! I could get in real tr—what are you doing?”

  I motion to the wheel as I step away. “Giving you the wheel.”

  He takes the controls. “Why?”

  “Um, because you asked me to?”

  “Yeah, so?”

  I pat him on the back. “Come on. I follow your orders…”

  He frowns.

  “…every now and then,” I add with a smile.

  “That’s the truth,” he mutters under his breath, but I catch it. I laugh and head off to the bow, getting ready to leap onto the dock as the boat comes broadside against the dock. I may have put up a calm exterior back there, but I’m glad Koa’s taken over. It’s tricky maneuvering a boat this size.

  Of course, he makes it look easy. He glides the boat into the slip effortlessly, throwing the bumpers at just at the right time. I toss the line over the side and start tying off the boat. Koa comes up next to me and starts hauling the lobsters out of the tanks into crates for market.

  I bite back a giggle as he leans over to button down a crate. I love the curve of his cute little butt. In fact, maybe I’ll just…

  “Summer!” Koa whirls around as his ears go bright red. “Did you just grab my ass?”

  “Nope! It was a lobster.”

  He stares at me. “A lobster?”

  “Mhmm.”

  “A lobster climbed out of the tank, flew across the deck, and grabbed my ass?”

  I nod, biting my lip to stave off the giggles rising in my throat. “I believe the correct term is ‘pinched’…” I squeal as Koa reaches for me. I know what that glint in his eye means. We’ll never get anything done if I let him pull me into his arms and press me against his hard chest.

  “Now who’s being distracting?” Koa growls. “Don’t I get a chance to retaliate?”

  My skin erupts in goosebumps at the thought of what “retaliation” could mean. I actually think I’d like to find out. “I told you that I can’t keep my hands to myself around you.”

  “Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”

  “Yeah, well—” I blow a strand of hair out of my face. “I’m not your average girl.”

  “No,” he says in a husky voice that sends shivers up and down my giant red waders. “You’re definitely not.”

  I’m just about to reach around and land another lobster pinch on his butt when Rusty pulls up in the truck.

  He calls out a hello and gives me a wave. “Glad to see you’re back, Summer.”

  “You’re early,” I say, sliding out from next to Koa. My hormones need a breather.

  “Yeah, thought I’d help you with your haul…” His voice dies out as he surveys our measly catch.

  Koa frowns. “What’s the matter?” he asks, like he doesn’t know this is the most pathetic catch all season. We were pulling in better hauls when I was throwing myself and our equipment off the side.

  “This all you got?”

  My foot starts tapping the deck as Koa thinks of a response. We could be here all week until he comes up with something.

  “The waters weren’t giving,” I blurt out. Rusty turns and stares at the haul he’s already collected.

  Crap.

  They’re light years better than ours.

  “I can explain,” Koa says, before falling silent.

  I shake my head and wing it. “It was colder where we were today. The waters were deeper, too, because of the, uh, beds shifting from the nor’easter. So the lobsters mu
st have gone somewhere else to hunt.”

  I meet Koa’s incredulous stare as he mouths “what?!” But Rusty seems to buy it. He purses his lips and nods. “Makes sense. Maybe you’ll have better luck tomorrow.”

  “Yup!” I say brightly, avoiding Koa’s blank look. Yeah, that’s right. Take that, Mr. I Know Everything About Lobsters.

  “I’ll grab your catch if you two want to get going,” Rusty adds. “You must be tired or something…”

  “Thanks, Rusty,” Koa says, finishing up locking down the controls. “We’ll get some, uh, rest. Yeah. Wanna lock up when you’re done?”

  “No prob.”

  “And wash up?”

  “Yup.”

  Koa cocks an eyebrow, then shrugs. “Wow, thanks. We owe you one.”

  We practically run to the parking lot. We haven’t had a night off from cleaning the deck and stacking lobster pots in weeks.

  “How did we get out of that?” I burst out as we close in on Koa’s truck. Gone are my days of riding my bike to and from the harbor now that I have a very attentive, very attractive chauffeur.

  “Rusty must think we’re dead on our feet or something. Or…”

  “What?”

  Koa prods my shoulder. “Or he just likes you.”

  “You may be onto something there. I did get Rusty to smile.”

  “I know. That’s a first.” Koa fires up his engine and turns to me. “I think we should celebrate our afternoon off.”

  I perk up. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Happy hour at Rusty’s namesake. The Rusty Bucket.”

  I scrunch up my face.

  “It’s better than it sounds.”

  “Right. Because it sounds delightful.”

  “Aw, come on, Rae. Quit being such a city slicker.”

  “City slicker?” I bristle at the term. “The Rusty Bucket it is! Not like I’m dressed for anything else,” I add, glancing down at my grimy clothes.

  As a matter of fact, we were overdressed for the Rusty Bucket. Most of the clientele here have about thirty years on us and did have to clean the deck after a long day at sea. The place smelled like fried food and fish. Mostly fish.

  “Not bad,” Koa says behind me, pulling shut the door after us. I give him a skeptical look. “You’ll change your mind about this place after you’ve tried the oysters.”

  I take the seat Koa’s pulled out for me. It’s little things like this, heartfelt, genuine things like opening doors, pulling out chairs, and helping me up into his massive truck that make me thank my lucky stars gentlemen still exist. “I bet I will…”

  And bloody hell, he was right. I moan as the first salty oyster meets my lips. I lick an icy droplet of water off my lip. “This is better than any oyster in New York.”

  Koa smiles. “Knew you’d love it. Wanna try the clams?”

  “Please,” I say, reaching for another. I’m not waiting for Koa. He’s either going to need to hurry up and eat or lose his place in line. “In fact, order anything you want.”

  He heads to the bar and puts in the order as I polish off another oyster… Okay, two, but who’s really counting?

  Koa returns a moment later with two beers and frowns. “Maybe I should’ve put in another order of oysters.”

  I lean back and pat my stomach. “You snooze, you lose.”

  His laugh peters out as he motions to the bartender for another plate. As the silence stretches on, I know something’s on his mind. But I wait. You can’t rush a guy like Koa. He’ll say what’s on his mind when he’s ready.

  He’s ready about halfway through his beer. “Glad to be back out with me?”

  “So happy. A week without water was too long.”

  “How’s studying going?”

  Ah. There it is.

  “It’s good,” I say slowly, not wanting to talk about such a loaded subject. If I don’t think about how little time we have left together, then I don’t have to deal with it. “It’s still tough, though. I’m not giving it the time it needs.”

  He nods. “Fishing is demanding.”

  “And there’s you. All the free time I used for studying I’m now, um, reallocating.”

  Koa rubs his scruffy jaw. He trimmed his beard down since I mentioned it was itchy, bless the man. “Can’t say I’m sorry about that.” He strokes the side of my face softy with the back of his fingers. “Not when I can’t get enough of you.”

  Sigh.

  “You’re spoiling me, you know.”

  His fingers move to my other cheek. “Maybe you deserve to be spoiled.”

  DOUBLE sigh.

  I take a sip of my beer and force it down my throat. “Yeah. Maybe.”

  “You alright?”

  “Fine,” I lie. I’m definitely not thinking about about how heart-wrenching it’s going to be when I leave in a few weeks.

  Right. Definitely not thinking about that.

  I’m saved by the food. Koa ordered us a seafood menagerie: crunchy fried clams, a steaming bucket of dark gray mussels (the bucket was not rusty, just in case you’re wondering), and a split lobster, flaming red shell and all. And the smell… How can I do justice to the buttery, salty, fried aromas wafting out from our feast?

  “This is amazing,” I breathe. “Where should I start?”

  “I’ll make you a plate.” He gets to work, forking a few pieces of each onto a tiny white plate. I watch him work with a wistful smile on my lips. So diligent, so focused, and all mine.

  I wait for him to finish before asking about his sailboat. His face lights up instantly.

  “It’s good. Really making progress on the forward starboard, though the hull’s still peaky in a few places.” He leans forward. “I think I need to replace the bowsprit. The spar that’s in there doesn’t extend completely to the foredeck. I think I can get a lightweight carbon to attach the luff of the lightweight downwind sails and not hold anything up.”

  I stare at him for a few moments and try to decide if I’m supposed to have understood a single word of what he said. “Boy. That sounds grand.”

  “It really is.” He grabs a forkful of lobster and plunks it in his mouth. “What do you think about the bowsprit, though? Should I go carbon or—”

  I throw up a hand. “Okay, stop. I can listen, but don’t ask me for advice.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I have no idea what you’re talking about and I don’t want to sink your boat.”

  “Oh. Did I, uh, do that thing where—”

  “You go all nautical genesis on me? Yes. Yes, you did. But I’m glad,” I add, seeing his crestfallen look. “You’re so passionate about it. I love hearing you talk about something you love.”

  “I’d say it’s more of a love-hate relationship.”

  I finish off my plate and push it to Koa for more. “Why?”

  “Because I haven’t got a clue as to where I’m going once the thing’s built.”

  My mind catches fire with possible routes. “Why not head down the east coast first to the Virgin Islands?”

  Koa shrugs. “Sounds like a solid plan.”

  “Or you could tackle the Atlantic. Just jump into the deep end right out of the gate.”

  “Yup. Could try that, though I’d have to time it to avoid hurricanes.”

  I nod. “I guess it is more complicated than I thought.” I pick at a fried clam that Koa added to my plate. “There are a lot of variables to weigh, aren’t there?”

  “Yes,” Koa says glumly, staring at his beer.

  I lay a hand on his arm. “We’ll figure it out.”

  He looks up and meets my eyes. “We’ll?”

  I pull my hand back. “Sure. Before I—” I stop, unsure of how to get myself out of this corner. Leaving is the one thing I didn’t want to bring up.

  “Thanks, Summer,” Koa says, brushing past my blunder. “There’s a lot to consider.”

  “I know. Like where do you start? What are your priorities? What’s the most important thing?”

&
nbsp; My fork goes clattering onto my plate as I meet Koa’s eyes. They’re burning and bursting with a myriad of emotions. Hope, longing, want, pain. It’s all there, naked and raw on his face.

  “Koa?” I whisper.

  “I know what my priorities are,” he says gruffly. “It’s just realizing that they're not within reach.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He wrenches his eyes away and stares at the platter between us. “She’s not meant for my world. Not meant for my life.” He glances back up at me. “But that doesn’t stop me from dreaming.”

  Before I can even process this crazy, beautiful, confusing-as-hell statement, he shoves back from the table. “I’ll grab us another round.”

  I watch him go, silently thankful for a moment’s peace to myself. I get exactly one minute. I pull out my buzzing phone, check the screen, and curse.

  “What?”

  I whip around as Koa materializes next to me with drinks. “That was fast.”

  “Meryl saw me coming.” He frowns. “What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  I groan. “You could say that, though it’s much worse.”

  “How so?”

  “My parents have decided to drop in for a visit.”

  “Oh.” Koa’s eyes flick over my face as he tries to interpret my expression. “This is bad because…you don’t get along?”

  “It’s more complicated than that. But yes. Sometimes.”

  Koa takes a deep breath. “Well, that doesn’t change the fact that I’m glad they’re coming up.”

  “You are?”

  “Because I want to meet them.”

  “You do?”

  Koa shakes his head. “You sound crazy, Summer.”

  “I am crazy! My parents are coming to visit.”

  “It won’t be that bad.”

  “You don’t know my mother.”

  “True, but that’s something I’m hoping to fix.”

  I roll my eyes. “Leave it to you to make lemonade out of lemons.”

  He comes around and slides his hand down my back, rubbing and massaging the tight knots gathering there. “I’ll be right there beside you the whole time.”

  I glance up at him, taking in his scruffy beard, windswept hair, and tanned face with unbridled happiness. Happiness and dread. Koa Rendell is the complete opposite of the type of guy my mother is trying to set me up with.