The Healing by Frances Pergamo Read Free Book Online Page B

another glorious summer day stretched out before her like teen heaven.

    It took Karen less than five minutes to get to the beach. Her cousin Anya and a few other friends were already congregated on the wharf steps when she arrived, and Karen jumped off her bike and let it drop to the ground with a metallic crash. A chorus of squeals and laughter rose up as the circle of teenage girls closed in on Karen to welcome her. Most of her friends were summer residents, as she was, but her cousin Anya lived in Southold year-round. Yet that wasn’t all that set Anya apart from the rest of the cackling mob. She happened to be nearly six feet tall and looked like she belonged in a Renaissance painting. She had a wild mane of auburn hair and flashing green eyes that dazzled everyone who met their gaze.
    â€œLook at you! You look great!” Anya told Karen, gripping her arms and whirling her around.
    â€œYou got started on your tan already,” another friend commented.
    Karen hadn’t purposely started on her tan. She just loved being outdoors.
    Someone else whirled her around. “Did you grow your hair? Let’s see!”
    She let her hair loose, shook it out, and then twisted it to clip it up again.
    â€œYou’ve got the greatest hair!”
    Her cousin Anya whirled her back. “I hope you’re here for the whole summer. Southold is so boring when you guys aren’t here.”
    Karen nodded, and the summer coterie of lifelong friends flew into a group hug.
    It wasn’t long before the cacophony of their reunion ebbed to whispers and giggles because Anya brought up the juicy topic of a new summer interest. “Hey,” she said, nudging her cousin. “Don’t look now, but you’ve got to check out the new lifeguard. He’s an absolute fox !”
    Karen waited a few seconds before casually turning around.
    â€œNot yet.” Anya yanked her arm. “He’s looking over here.”
    â€œYou’re making it so obvious, An,” one of their other friends said. “He already knows you’re eyeing him.”
    Anya ignored the rebuke. “Okay,” she said to her cousin. “Look now.”
    By the time Karen was allowed to take her first peek, she only saw the new lifeguard from the back. He sat on his white watchtower like a dark-haired demigod, his arms extended across the back of the chair.
    â€œWhat happened to Alan?” Karen asked, figuring her cousin had to know the fate of the previous hunk who had graced the chair for three summers in a row.
    But Anya shrugged her shoulders apathetically. “He finished college and got a real job.”
    â€œAnd did you find out this one’s name yet?”
    â€œNot yet. Let’s put down our towels near him and see what he does,” Anya suggested, leading the way to claim their section of the beach.
    Karen followed along with the rest of the girls and watched in amazement as her cousin paraded in front of their new prospect with all wiles in motion. The Top 40 hit “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” was crackling out of the small radio the lifeguard kept beside him, and Anya danced to the funky rhythm.
    On her way past the lifeguard’s chair, Karen glanced up and saw Mike Donnelly for the first time. He was silhouetted against the bright midday sun, his hair hanging in damp ringlets after a dip in the bay. If his face weren’t so boyishly Irish and his eyes weren’t so intensely blue, he would’ve resembled some Roman god of the sea perched on his pedestal. Expecting that his gaze would be riveted on Anya’s tall hourglass figure and melon-sized breasts bumping along in her shocking green bikini, Karen was embarrassed to find him looking down at her. Her . Why was he eyeing the boiled chicken wings when a gourmet feast was right in front of him?
    â€œHi,” he said, moving nothing but his straight dark eyebrows.
    Karen felt an immediate rush of heat to her cheeks.