The Summer's End by Mary Alice Monroe Read Free Book Online Page B

were friends at the Dolphin Research Center. I was learning to train dolphins and she was there with Nate. Hey, is that little guy here, too?”
    â€œYes, they’re both here.” Now that she was satisfied that he knew Carson, years of breeding kicked in. “Won’t you come in?” She ushered him into the foyer.
    He dwarfed her as he stood beside her in the foyer. He held his hands behind his back in a military stance while his gaze scanned the hall and living room with such intensity she thought it was as if he were sweeping the house for mines.
    The intensity was a bit intimidating, and again her guard went up. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch your name.”
    â€œOh, sorry. My name is Taylor. Taylor McClellan. From Florida.”
    â€œWell, if you’ll wait here a moment, Taylor McClellan from Florida, I’ll go get Carson.” She turned to walk away.
    â€œWait,” he called after her.
    Harper stopped and looked over her shoulder, their eyes meeting for a second time.
    The man exuded confidence as a teasing half smile eased across his face. “And who are you?”
    Was that flirtation she saw in his eyes? she wondered. Or was he merely offering tit for tat? “I’m Harper.” She did her best impression of her mother’s haughty, self-assured tone. “Harper Muir-James. From New York.”
    Taylor put out his hand. His smile bloomed, softening the harsh edges of his face. She took her rubber glove off, wiped her sudsy palm on her jeans, and reached out to take his hand, returning the smile. His skin was rough and callused, accustomed to physical work. She felt her neurons tingle when his big hand tightened around hers. He held it longer than politeness required.
    â€œNice to meet you, Harper Muir-James from New York.”
    Harper felt her face flush and tried to hide it by taking her hand back and turning her head. “Be right back.” She walked away down the hall in as ladylike a fashion as she could while dripping soapy water with her shoes squeaking. She could feel those green eyes on her back. Her head felt as if it were spinning as she hurried to Carson’s room. This man had unnerved her, shaken her to the core. She felt an undeniable attraction to him, as though, in some crazy, unexplainable way, he was supposed to be here to meet her.
    But instead, he was here for Carson.
    She knocked briskly on Carson’s bedroom door, then pushed it open. The room was shuttered and dim.
    â€œCarson?”
    No answer.
    â€œCarson?” she called louder, closing the door behind her.
    Carson jerked her head up from the pillow as one interrupted from a deep sleep. “What?”
    â€œThere’s someone here to see you.”
    â€œBlake?” she asked with alacrity.
    â€œNo, not Blake.”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œIt’s some guy. Taylor McClellan from Florida.”
    After a pause, Carson sat up and mopped her face with her hands. “Taylor? Are you sure?”
    â€œYes, I’m sure. Big guy. Good-looking. Military haircut.”
    She sighed heavily. “Yeah, that sounds like Taylor.”
    â€œYou met him in Florida?”
    â€œYeah.” Carson groaned. “Shit. What’s he doing here? I told him I had a boyfriend.”
    Just hearing those words made Harper’s spirits sink further. So he was interested in Carson and had come to see if there could be anything between them. Of course.
    Harper made her tone neutral. “Only one way to find out. He’s waiting in the foyer.”
    â€œDo me a solid. Can you stall him? Talk to him. Something.” Carson flopped back on her pillows with a sigh of resignation. “I need time to get dressed.” She shook her head in her hand. “Ugh. I feel sick. The last thing I want to do is entertain.”
    â€œI could tell him to come back.”
    â€œNo.” She sighed again. “Be nice to him. He’s pretty closed, but once he lets