Summer Love Read Online Free PDF Page A

full head of dark curly hair, blue eyes, and the cute—”
    “A child?” He tugged on his shoes. “You and me?” He grabbed hold of the blanket and shook it angrily, then folded it.
    She sighed, feeling the awkward tension. There weren’t a lot of men in the world who would be excited to hear such news, that a summer fling had given him a child. But he’d said he loved her just now. So why was he mad? “I-I just thought you’d like to know, but if you aren’t interested, I’m not asking for anything.” She picked up the wine bottle and the glasses and clung to them.
    Sam set the blanket down and went to work putting out the fire. After it was out and smoking, he turned to her, his eyes blazing. “I can’t believe it. I never would’ve thought you were that kind of girl. I just told you I loved you. I just made love to you. Why would you lie? What’s the point? You had me.”
    He kicked sand over the smoldering wood, picked up the blanket and left the cave.
    Simone stood frozen, unable to comprehend what was happening. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. She tried to shake off the feeling of dread in her stomach and followed him out.
    Water had reached the entrance and her feet got wet. Dammit. He was walking quickly and had already reached the stairs. She jogged to catch up. When she reached him she put a hand on his lower back. “Sam. I’m not lying.”
    He paused and turned, his features even more angry. Simone noticed the way his jaws were clenched and the flash of rage in the way he was breathing. “Bull.” He went back to stomping up the stairs.
    Simone trailed after him, wrath building within her. What the hell? She had no reason to lie.
    Sam stopped. “I can’t have children, Simone. My wife and I tried for years. Years,” he shouted and continued up the steps.
    She was dumbfounded. She hadn’t been with another man, ever. He was it for her. “Well, I’m sorry, but it happened. She’s yours. She looks just like you.”
    At her words he turned and came back down. Sam towered over her like a wild ox. He was breathing hard. His hair had fallen into his eyes.
    “I swear she’s yours. I’ve never been—”
    He growled and started back up the steps.
    She let him go. Just stood there and watched. “You’re a stupid, stupid man, Samuel Dean Merrick,” she whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks.
    When he reached the top, he turned back and paused. For the briefest second she thought he’d realized what an jerk he was being and would come back and apologize.
    He didn’t.
    He left her. Again.
     
    ***
     
    Simone reached her front door and paused, not quite ready to go in and face her mom. The night had started out so well and ended…
    “Jerk.” Simone went in, quietly locked the door, and went to the freezer. At the back, behind the mint chip ice cream and the chocolate chip waffles, was a bottle of vodka. Her mom had brought it over the day she found out about her cancer. She’d been pregnant with Sabrina at the time so she hadn’t had any. Her mom had a shot for her and they’d cried. Simone had put the rest in the freezer, telling herself she would save it for a rainy day. Tonight was that rainy day. The perfect opportunity to get stumbling drunk—incredibly, stupidly drunk—and pass out on the couch. That would be a present to herself. She’d earned it.
    Simone got a glass from the cupboard and carefully filled it with ice. From the refrigerator she took a lime, cut it in half, and squeezed the juices over the ice.  Then she filled the glass with vodka and sat at the table.
    The first swallow burned and she gasped, but immediately took another. There was no more time for tears. She would drink and feel sorry for herself tonight—one night. Tomorrow she would push all the feelings she had for Sam away, lock them in a vault deep, deep down, and focus on Sabrina and getting better. Tomorrow.
    About halfway through the bottle she decided she wasn’t done with