Page 34 of Stealing Summer

“Right, how could I forget?” Willow said with a smirk.

“I know he’s trouble, and I shouldn’t do it, but there’s just this connection between us, you know? I think I need to see where it goes.”

Willow nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, I get it. Just follow your heart and it’ll all work out how it’s supposed to. I mean, both are hot, and baseball studs—you can’t go wrong with either.”

I smiled at her gratefully, feeling a bit better. “You always know just what to say.”

My phone buzzed with a new text message. I picked it up from Willow’s nightstand to see who it was.

Reese: Boat day? Best way to watch the fireworks. And yes, you can bring Willow.

“Reese just invited us on his boat,” I said, trying to force a smile.

Willow sat up, intrigued. “Perfect timing… let’s do it!”

I didn’t hate the idea of Reese’s arm around me as we watched the fireworks. A welcome distraction from everything swirling in my head about Boston.

“This is just what I need,” I said with a contented sigh as I hit send on the text to Reese, letting him know we’d be there.

Willow gave me an approving nod. “I have just the swimsuit for this little soiree.”

The sun sparkled off the calm gray water as I stepped from the dock onto Reese’s sleek white boat. He held his hand out to steady me, a dimple flashed in his cheek as he smiled and said, “Welcome aboard, Hartford.”

Willow followed behind me and Reese helped her on the boat. Some of his friends were already lounging on the seats at the bow, with drinks in their hands.

Reese grabbed two bottles from the cooler and handed me one. “Cheers,” he said, clinking his bottle against mine. I took a sip, enjoying the fizzy sweetness.

“Thanks for inviting us today,” I told him.

“Anytime,” he replied. “I thought we could all use a little sunshine and relaxation.”

Willow cranked up the music and I found myself enjoying the melody, swept up in the playful mood. With the sun on my face and the peaceful water all around, I felt lighter than I had in a while. Maybe this day out on the boat was exactly what I needed.

After we tied up to a row of other boats in a nearby cove, Reese set his drink down and took my hand, pulling me toward the back of the boat.

“Let’s get away for a sec,” he said, offering me his hand with a daring smile.

“Lead the way,” I said, my voice slightly shaky as I steadied myself. Reese flashed his annoyingly handsome smile, guiding me to sit at the stern of the boat. We sat with our feet dangling in the warm water.

Despite the others on the boat, it felt as though they were worlds away as I sat there with Reese. The ease with which we connected, the effortless conversation that flowed between us, made it seem like time stood still.

“Can I ask you something?” I wondered, suddenly curious to know more about him.

“I guess,” he responded, genuine interest flickering through his eyes.

“Tell me more about you, about your family,” I said, searching for his expression.

Reese’s eyes darted away from mine as soon as the words left my mouth, and then he scratched the back of his neck.

“Why do you want to know about my family?” he asked, dodging the question.

I wasn’t going to let him get away with being vague. “I want to know where you come from. Tell me about your parents. What are they like?”

Reese hesitated, the smile fading from his face. “My dad is always working. And…I don’t really like talking about it, but my mom left when I was a baby. My dad said she couldn’t handle how much their life changed from expensive restaurants and parties to staying in and taking care of a baby.”

I felt sadness and guilt tightening around my heart as I absorbed the weight of his words. It had been easy to think his life was perfect, because nothing seemed to bother him, but I knew he must have been hurting. Every boy needed his mother, and I couldn’t imagine how a mother could ever leave their child. I squeezed his hand understandingly as he shared his pain over his broken family.

"And this pendant necklace I always wear," He looked down, his voice softening. "My dad says it belonged to her." His thumb caressed the pendant. "I don't even remember her, really. But wearing this... it's like a connection to her or something. Maybe the only one."

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