The Courage To Love (Love On The North Shore) by Christina Tetreault Read Free Book Online

blood.
    “I’d forgotten how good this is.” Once seated, she tore off another piece and popped it in her mouth. When she darted her tongue out to lick the sugar from her fingers, his eyes followed, unable to look away.
    “So who’s the man in the tank over there? A lot of kids seemed excited about dunking him.” Mia’s voice invaded the wayward thought he’d started having, which involved her long slender fingers and his naked body.
    Sean glanced down and tore a piece off his own fried treat. “Mr. Rizzo is the high school principal. He lost a bet with one of his classes his first year teaching here, and he’s gone into the dunk tank once a year ever since. He always does it at the first block party of the year.”
    Mia leaned her forearms on the table, her eyes bright with curiosity. “Really. What was the bet?”
    “He taught math, and his first year here he had one class where more than half the students were failing. He said if everyone passed for the year, he’d get in the tank for the night. If even one student failed, they all had to take a turn in the tank before the end of the summer.”
    “And everyone passed?”
    With a mouthful of food, Sean nodded. “After that he made the same bet with one class each year at the start of the school year. And every year he ended up in the tank. When he became principal about five years ago, he just kept volunteering. By then it had become a tradition.”
    “You seem to know everyone,” she said when Sean waved to Lee Beverly as he walked by them.
    “That’s what happens when you live in a small town all your life.”
    “I think it’s nice.” She tore off another piece of dough, but this time he maintained eye contact. He couldn’t watch her tongue licking sugar off her fingers again. His body could only take so much torture at one time.
    Before he offered his opinion, Brendan Michaels plopped down next to Mia, and the whole picnic table shook. Immediately the stench of stale beer reached him from across the table. Two years younger than Sean, they’d played sports together in high school and even back then the guy had been an ass. Age had not improved him. If anything it had made him more of a jerk.
    “Hey there, darlin’,” Brendan drawled. Despite living in Massachusetts for over twenty years now, he still spoke with a southern accent, especially when drunk. “How about we have a drink together?”
    Mia inched away. “No, thanks.”
    “Then what do you say we ditch O’Brien here and go have some fun? I promise you won’t be disappointed, babe.” Brendan threw an arm around Mia’s shoulders and pulled her close.
    “She already said no, Brendan. Beat it.”
    Brendan looked over at him, his arm still across Mia’s shoulders. “Get lost, O’Brien. This is between me and the lady,” he said before he looked back over at Mia. “Come on. Say yes. We’ll have fun, I promise.”
    Mia removed Brendan’s arm and stood. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not interested.” Her voice remained remarkably polite considering the ass next to her.
    Over the years he’d seen this particular scene play out and had been forced to intervene on more than one occasion. So it came as no surprise when Brendan stood and reached for Mia’s hand, unwilling to take no for an answer.
    “Come on, darlin’, is that any way to be?”
    Sean shot up and inserted himself between Brendan and Mia. “She said no.”
    Narrowing his eyes, Brendan took a step closer. “I don’t remember asking you,” he said, the stench of beer on his breath enough to get someone drunk.
    “Let’s just go, Sean,” Mia said from behind him, her voice containing a hint of unease.
    Prepared to tell her not to worry, he began to turn, when Brendan’s fist connected with his jaw. Pain shot up through his face, and he spun back around as Brendan swung at him again. Prepared this time, he stepped to the right all the while keeping Mia behind him, safe from Brendan’s swing.
    When