Angel Beach (Summer Romance Collection) Read Online Free PDF Page A

high from somewhere near the houses and landed next to them. A dog came bounding after it. It was the same shepherd from earlier. That was when I saw the girl. She stopped to talk to the two guys. I sat up on dry sand. As much as I wanted to walk up to her, I knew that I was the last person she wanted to see. She laughed about something one of the guys said and her smile lit up the beach.
    She reached back and tied her shiny hair in a loose knot exposing the kind of long, smooth neck that could drive any guy crazy. One of the guys handed her his skimboard. She studied the water, tossed it onto the surface, and jumped on with her incredibly long legs. She rode the thing like a pro.
    Her dog got bored of waiting for someone to throw the Frisbee. He spotted me, loped over with the disc in his mouth, and dropped it in front of me. I stood up and threw it. The girl saw the toy fly up over the sand and turned around to see where it had come from. Her smile faded when she saw it was me, and it felt like someone had just punched me in the chest.
    She handed the board back to the guy and walked over to me. Her long, smooth stride had me mesmerized. By the time she’d reached me, her hair had come loose from its knot. It floated around her tanned shoulders. If I’d been mesmerized by her walk, I was in a full trance once her face was near enough for me to see clearly. She was nothing short of beautiful. And from the look in her eyes, it was obvious she hated my guts.
    “Is that blond ape your brother?” Her bottom lip jutted out angrily.
    “Unfortunately.”
    “You guys think you’re going to break us and drive us from this town, but it’s never going to happen.” Her harsh tone was edged with anguish and it hurt to hear.
    We’d been here less than a day, and she’d already figured out Dad’s plan. “Just for the record, I’m not anything like my brother.” Before she could speak I stepped forward and put out my hand. “I’m Jamison.”
    My overture seemed to render her speechless for a moment. She eyed my hand suspiciously then reached out and took hold of it. “I’m Echo.” She released her hand, but it was not as easy for me. I held it for a second longer before reluctantly letting go.
    “How long are you guys staying?” she asked.
    I smiled. “Well, we just got here so I think it might be awhile.”
    “Stay off my waves and tell your brother to go to hell for me.” She spun around and walked away.
    “You should keep clear of him,” I called to her.
    She stopped and turned back to face me. Even angry, her face was stunning. “I’m not afraid of him.”
    “I know,” I said. “That’s what worries me.”
    She turned on her heels. Long, sunbleached strands of hair danced in the breeze as she marched away.
    “You know,” I called to her, “you don’t know anything about me.”
    “And I plan to keep it that way,” she said with a wave of her hand.
    I watched her walk away then turned to head back. Being stuck here with my brothers was bad enough but being stuck here so near that girl and knowing that I would never be able to get close to her made everything that much worse.

Chapter 5
    Echo
    The giant ovens warmed the kitchen, and the soothing fragrance of baking yeast rolls swirled through the house.
    Mimi placed a bowl of steaming oatmeal in front of me. “I think we’ll avoid eggs for awhile,” she said with a smile.
    “That’s probably wise. Although I think the trouble has already arrived. And from the looks of it, it’s not going anywhere soon.” I got up to pour myself a second cup of coffee. I would probably feel jittery the rest of the morning, but I needed it to clear my bleary head.
    It was still the middle of the night for most of the town’s inhabitants, but for Mimi and me it was the start of the day. I stared out the window as I poured the coffee. It was a fogless night, unusual for this time of year. Moonlight cast an incandescent glow on the white sand and the frothy edges of