Page 69 of No Summer Hotter than You

We all sat in tense silence for a while as we made our way up to the mountains. Businesses and homes were soon replaced by forestry and cottages dotting alongside the road. We were passing by a small shopping center, when Kelvin suddenly spoke up.

“I wasn’t sure how I was going to say this, but I wanted to apologize for the way my cousin has been behaving towards you all,” he said with a phony gentleness that left no impression on me whatsoever. “You have shown us nothing but kindness. Instead of her being demanding and selfish, she should be thanking you instead. I’m sorry about that.”

I rolled my eyes, knowing he couldn’t see my reaction. “That’s not an apology for you to say,” I said. “She should be apologizing if she felt bad. Not you.”

Shoua’s hand squeezed mine, indicating I had gone too far, but I didn’t budge. I stood by my words. He shouldn’t have to apologize for Evelyn’s doings. If she felt bad, then she should apologize.

“Thank you, Kelvin. That’s very sweet of you,” she said. “Have you been enjoying California so far? I’m sorry you didn’t get to see the beaches here. Aunt Sue mentioned how you wanted to see a Californian beach, right?”

“It’s fine. I’m sure the beaches here aren’t all that different from the ones in Florida. My family loves to go there every summer anyways, so I’m good,” he said. “If anything, I’m excited to fish on the lake. Uncle Gary mentioned how good it’ll be.”

“Oh? You like fishing?” Shoua seemed shocked. “Jonathan and Anthony hate it, and I don’t blame them. It’s boring.”

Kelvin let out a deep, amused chuckle. “It’s not boring at all. It’s fun. You can kick back with your crew and relax. Shoot the shit over a few beers, you know? I’m surprised these two chatterboxes don’t enjoy it much.”

His statement drew out a laugh from Shoua as I glared at him through the rearview mirror. His beady, black eyes watched her closely.

“Being talkative isn’t a requirement to enjoy a hobby like fishing,” Jonathan countered a bit childishly.

“I’m not saying anything. I’m just implying you don’t know how to appreciate an adult’s sport is all,” Kelvin said almost innocently. “Hey, Shoua. Why don’t you come along with Uncle Gary and me on a fishing expedition? Three people is always better than two.”

What the hell?

“Sorry, Kelvin. I’ll have to pass. Uncle Gary used to take the boys, Julie, and me out to fish all the time at another lake in this area and we all hated it,” she said with a laugh. Her voice was a light jingle, gentle and far too sweet for the likes of this guy. “The only one who seemed to have patience for it was Andy. He’ll probably be the third person who tags along with you to make it merrier. Sai also might tag along.”

Before the guy could retort, I jerked the truck onto the long driveway leading to the lake house, shutting him up.

“We’re here!” I announced when I came to a stop at the end of the driveway.

“We’re staying here?” Shoua asked, amazed at what she saw when she looked out the window.

We all got out of the car and gathered in front of it to stare at the behemoth of a home. Everyone was in awe of the gorgeous house.

I turned when I saw Andy pull up behind my car.

“How the hell did you book this place?” Jonathan muttered as he came to my side.

I snickered. “Remember that huge renovation we did up here two years ago? The owner and me got close and we’ve kept in touch. He mentioned a few months ago that he was putting up this place up for short- and long-term rentals over this summer for some extra cash and I jumped on the opportunity,” I explained with a grin.

“How much is it?” Jonathan asked.

“Tim was nice and was generous with the discount,” I mumbled shyly.

“Really?” Jonathan and Shoua said in unison, shocked.

I chuckled, feeling my face heat up. Shoua glanced back at the house, smiling.

“Like it?” I asked her.

“I love it,” she beamed as she came to my other side and looked at me with glimmering eyes. “Thank you, Anthony.”

Warmth spread across my chest as I smiled back, elated. “Was the surprise worth it?” I asked, wrapping my arms around her.

She laughed sweetly. “I’d say so.”

“Are you going to room with me then?” My voice was thick with anticipation.

“Anthony Hughes, you childish prick! Why did you lie to me and say we were going camping?” Julie called out, interrupting us. She flashed me a tight smile as she came over. She didn’t hesitate to throw a smack with extra oomph into my arm. Clearly the joke Andy and I pulled on her didn’t land well. “You and your brother couldn’t just tell me where we were actually staying like adults?”

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