Summer People Read Online Free PDF Page A

room?”
    “Why are you so worried about Marcus?” Garrett asked.
    “Because he’s our
guest,
” Beth said.
    “He’s not my guest,” Garrett said.
    “He’s your father’s guest,” Beth said. “And we have to respect that.” The subject of Marcus made Beth anxious. As if, she thought, as if we didn’t have enough to deal with. Now there was Marcus, a casualty of a complicated and excruciating murder case. But Arch adored the kid, and Beth suspected that he used Marcus’s merits to justify taking Connie Tyler’s case at all. Certainly a woman with such a fine son was worth spending months of unpaid time saving. Arch bragged about the kid—how he won second place in the All-Queens Invitational in the two hundred meter butterfly, how his grades hadn’t faltered since the murders and he hadn’t missed a day of school except to attend Connie’s important court dates. This was all leading up to the big announcement—only a week before the plane crash—that Arch had invited Marcus to Nantucket for the summer. Arch was glowing when he told Beth, so happy was he to be able to give yet more to this poor family. Beth, however, was not happy. First of all, Arch hadn’t asked her. Not only had they agreed long ago to confer about all important family decisions, but the house on Nantucket was
her house.
Furthermore, she was the one who spent the summer there while Arch worked; she wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea of a third teenager to keep track of—fine young man or not. But Beth bit her tongue and said nothing, which was how she’d handled the Constance Tyler matter since the beginning. She let Arch fight Connie’s fight since it inspired him the way his regular work did not. Then, after Arch died, Beth felt obligated to re-extend the invitation to Marcus for the summer since it definitely fell under the category of “What Arch Would Have Wanted.”
    The twins knew this as well as she did.
Marcus is here out of
respect to your father.
She hoped she didn’t have to repeat this phrase too many more times.
    “Now, are you okay with lunch?” Beth asked Garrett. “The bagels and stuff?”
    “Yes.”
    “Okay,” she said. “I’m off to the store.”

    At the Stop & Shop, Beth was so caught up in her thoughts— Arch, the twins, Marcus, would this summer be okay?—that she didn’t even see David until he touched her shoulder.
    “Beth?”
    Her nipples hardened. Because it was chilly; they were standing in the produce section in front of the hydroponic lettuce.
    “Oh, God. David.” Beth put her hands to her face in such a way that her elbows shielded her chest. She felt like she was going to cry, but no, she was just overwhelmed. Why him? Why now? She’d been in the store, what? thirty seconds, only long enough to chastise herself for not making a list, and here was David Ronan, her first love. Her first love and more. David fucking Ronan.
    She peeked through her fingers. Yes, he was still standing there. Staring at her like she was from outer space. Of course— who acted this way upon bumping into an old friend at the store? Who hid like this? Well, he was still as handsome as ever—dark blond hair, a great tan. Wearing a red button-down shirt turned back at the cuffs, khaki shorts, and black flip-flops. Holding a head of lettuce. David Ronan, owner of Island Painting, year-round resident of Nantucket, father of two daughters, husband of Rosie Ronan who was a gourmet cook and threw notorious cocktail parties (Beth and Arch went to one, years ago). He had every right to be here at the Stop & Shop, and yet Beth felt taken by surprise. Affronted, even. Like he planned this somehow, to fuck her up.
    “I heard about Arch,” David said softly. “I read about it in the
New York Times.
I wanted to call, or write, or something to let you know how incredibly sorry I am for your loss.”
    “I can’t talk about it,” Beth said. She still hadn’t moved her hands. David reached out, circled her wrist and