Summer's Desire by Kathleen Ball Read Free Book Online Page A

behind him, fuming. If there had been one shred of
proof, he had no doubt that Summer would have been arrested and charged.
    Following the sheriff into the police station, he
frowned. The jail was tiny with two holding cells. Summer's arms were crossed across
her chest and she appeared gloriously defiant sitting on the bench in one of
the cells.
    Sheriff Brown opened the cell and waved her out.
“You don’t want to get mixed up with the likes of her, Doc. It’ll only bring
you misery in the end. Oh and don’t get too attached to her either. She’ll end
up behind bars where she belongs soon enough.”
    Holden grabbed Summer’s hand as soon as she opened
her mouth. “Let’s get out of here,” he murmured.
    She closed her mouth and held on to his hand as he
led them out of the police station. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
    He stopped outside the door and gazed at her hardened
face. “Did you have doubts?”
      “No one ever
came to get me before.”
    He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her to him. No
matter what life threw at him he always had his brothers but she had no one, it
seemed. Her softness against him stirred him and his heart began to beat
faster. The scent of vanilla filled him. It was a scent he was beginning to
crave.
    Summer pulled away. “Please, not here. People
already have the wrong idea of me. I don’t want them to think badly of you.”
    “I don’t care what they think.”
    Her sad smile melted his heart. “You will
eventually. I wasn’t able to get the groceries by the way. I had them all in
the cart and when I tried to pay all hell broke loose.”
    He took his phone out of his pocket and called Mindy
Sue, asking her to pick up the groceries if they were still in the cart and
giving her a short list to grab if they weren’t. Hanging up, he took Summer’s
hand. “Let’s go home.”
    “I’ll meet you there.”
    “Oh no, I’m not letting you go.” He stood firm.
    “What about the truck? Surely you don’t want to
leave it in town.”
    He gave her hand a light squeeze. “I’ll have Mark
get it next time I come to town, which by the way is too often. I’m thinking
about getting another receptionist and having Mindy Sue as my tech full time. I
want to pay for her to go back to school. She’s a natural with animals and we
need more than one vet around here.”
    “You have been busy.”
    “We’ll see what I can work out.” He opened her door
for her and it amused him when her lips parted forming an “o”.
    Sliding into his seat he tried to give her a
reassuring grin. Her eyes teared up, but she didn’t
cry. She was tough and fragile both, in her own way. He liked that about her.
    The drive home was silent. He figured she needed to
gather her thoughts. He’d been mulling over the whole scene himself. He needed
to talk to her about it, to know the whole story so he could help.
    Soon enough they were home. While they walked to the
house side by side, he wished he had some words that would make her feel
better.
    He reached for the doorknob and felt her gentle hand
on his arm. Turning he gazed into her sad blue eyes.
    “Thank you again for coming to get me.” She took a
deep breath, let it out, and put a slight smile on her face. “I hope Matt is
still on the couch resting.” Her shoulders straightened as she preceded him
into the house.

 
    *
* * *

 
    The boys were confused about why she didn’t come
home with groceries and were a bit put out when they didn’t get any answers.
They were even more confused when Mindy Sue showed up with the food later. Summer
almost didn’t recognize her with pink hair and plaid nails. Envy washed over
her as she watched Mindy Sue’s easy way with people. She had all the boys
eating out of her hand.
    Gazing at Holden, Summer noticed that he was
entranced by her too. Maybe Holden was the type that liked pink hair. She
really didn’t know him enough to say. Hadn’t he mentioned something about
paying for Mindy Sue to go to