Catching Summer (11 page)

“You have got to be kidding me. What does he want?”

“To talk to me. I can’t do it, Sum. I…I just can’t.”

“Do you need me to go out there?” Philip offered, getting to his feet.

“No, I can handle Luke. Just stay here and I’ll be right back.” I left Lara with Philip and rushed quickly to the back door. Even though he deserved it, the last thing I wanted to do was break Luke’s heart.

After having a couple of drinks with Summer’s parents and Jerry and Donna, I figured it was time to find Summer. I introduced them all to Derek and Cooper so I could sneak away. But I hadn’t even gotten out of my seat when I was bumped in the arm by a man who sat down beside me.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized.

I grabbed my beer and stood. “Don’t mention it.”

“Wait, you’re Evan Townsend, right? I’m Philip Parker, a friend of Summer’s.”

“Her doctor,” I corrected.

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Used to be until she cut me loose. It’s nice to finally meet you. She seems happy now.”

“I’d like to think so. I’m sure she has you to thank for helping her through the past couple of years.”

“That I did. At first, I thought it was going to be impossible to bring her back. She was so broken.”

“Yes, I know.”

His mood completely changed, his gaze hardening. I stiffened. “Do you? Because I don’t think you do. I watched the game on Sunday. It looks like you have some enemies out there, Mr. Townsend. Did you for one second think about what that could mean for Summer? What if she ends up a victim again?”

Clenching my teeth, I moved closer, lowering my voice to a growl. “She won’t. I appreciate your concern for her safety, but your opinion isn’t wanted. I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”

He ordered a beer and took a long, hard gulp. “I sure hope not. Because if something does, it won’t be easy to bring her back. I was there in the beginning. You weren’t.” Getting up from his seat, he glared at me one more time before disappearing into the crowd.

“I see you met Summer’s hot-ass doctor,” Lara teased.

I guzzled down the rest of my beer and slammed the bottle on the bar. “Has she ever mentioned that he has a thing for her?”

She shook her head. “No. She’s never talked about him like that. Before you came along, I always joked around with her about going out with him. Why? Did he say something?”

“A lot, actually. And I don’t fucking like it. Where’s Summer?”

Biting her lip, she sheepishly backed away and said, “I don’t know,” before darting through the crowd.

I followed close behind her. “You’re lying. Where is she?”

Releasing a heavy sigh, Lara let her shoulders slump. Taking my hand, she led me to a secluded corner, her face pained. “She’s outside with Luke. I asked her to get rid of him.”

“What the hell is he doing here? He knew he wasn’t invited.”

“I don’t know. He’s been texting me today saying that he needs to talk to me.” A tear fell down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away. “It’s too late, Evan. There’s nothing he can say that’ll make me forgive him.”

Sighing, I pulled her into me and hugged her. “He’s an idiot, Lara. He fucked up and now he has to live with it. Honestly, you’re doing the right thing. As much as I love him like a brother, he needs to learn that you can’t screw around with people.”

“Thanks, Evan. I’m glad you’re not like him.”

“And what if I was?” I asked, letting her go.

She wiped away more tears and smiled sadly. “I’d kick your ass. Because there’s no way in hell I’d let you anywhere near my sister.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I’m not. I’m going out there to talk to Luke. Is there anything you want me to tell him? I don’t want to leave Summer out there with him alone.”

Her lip trembled. “No. He wouldn’t listen anyway.”

“Lara, you okay?” Grayson asked, coming up behind her.

She sucked in a breath and stood up straighter before turning around. “Of course. I was just telling Evan how happy I am that Summer has him. Why don’t we get a drink and we can talk to your parents. I don’t think I can avoid them for the whole night, right?”

Grayson smiled and put his arm around her. “No, which is why I was looking for you. Let’s go.”

They sauntered off and I rushed straight out the back door to the parking lot. I expected to see Summer yelling at Luke, but that wasn’t what I saw at all.

“Will she ever talk to me again?” Luke asked.

I looked over at him, and my heart hurt. Before facing him, I’d prepared myself for a fight, but he wasn’t confrontational at all. Instead, we sat on the tailgate of his truck and just talked. I was afraid to tell him about Lara and Grayson for fear that he’d blow up, but he needed to know the truth.

“I don’t know, Luke. You’re just going to have to live with the consequences.”

“Please let me go in there. I won’t cause a scene. I just want to tell her I’m sorry.”

“You can’t,” Evan answered.

I gasped and turned to see him waltzing toward us. “I didn’t know you were coming out here.”

“Lara told me where you were. I thought you might need some help.”

Luke slid off the tailgate and faced him. “Why can’t I go in there and tell her I’m sorry? She needs to hear it from me.”

“No, she doesn’t, because she won’t believe it. You need to do a lot more than tell her you’re sorry. And until you can do that, it’s best you stay away from her. It’ll only make things worse.”

“What if I go in there anyway?”

Evan huffed and closed his eyes. “You’ll have to go through me first. Lara doesn’t want to see you. She’s with someone else now.”

Groaning, I lowered my head to avoid Luke’s angry glare. “Is that true?” he growled at me.

I looked up at him and nodded. “I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to see the look that’s now in your eyes.”

“Fuck that,” he shouted. “I’m going inside.” He tried to push past Evan, but Evan blocked him. They faced off with each other, the tension rising. I didn’t want them to fight; they were best friends.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped between them and lowered my voice. “Guys, this is stupid. You’re friends.”

Luke scoffed, backing away. “That’s where I beg to differ,” he said, glaring at Evan. “If our situations were reversed and it was Summer inside, I’d let you go to her. I would give you the benefit of the doubt and accept that you’ve changed. But you’re not going to do that, are you?”

Evan’s face softened and he sighed. “I would, brother, but this night is special for Summer and Lara. The last thing they need is you and Grayson battling it out. I have no doubt he’ll come after you if you go in there.”

Luke faltered. “So it’s Grayson? That’s who she’s with?”

“I’m sorry, Luke. After you left her, it just happened,” I whispered.

Luke peered down at me, determination in his smoldering green eyes. “You tell her it’s not over. I’m not going to give up.” With those words, he opened the door to his truck, got in, and slammed it shut. Evan and I watched as he sped out of the parking lot, his tires screeching.

“Why do men always realize what they want when it’s too late?” I asked.

Evan put his arm around me and sighed. “Because we can be stupid sometimes. I’m just lucky enough that I knew what I wanted long before you did.”

“Do you think Luke’s just talking shit, or do you think he’ll cause problems?”

“Knowing him, he’ll come back with a vengeance. Just make sure Lara and Grayson are fully prepared. Luke’s not only aggressive, but determined. He always gets what he wants.”

“But at what cost?”

Evan squeezed me and kissed the top of my head. “Let’s not worry about that tonight. Lara, Luke, and Grayson will have to figure all of that out on their own.” That thought scared the shit out of me, but he was right. Only they could figure it out.

We walked back inside, where the party had started to die down. It was getting late and everyone was ready to call it a night. I wasn’t looking forward to the cleaning-up part. Luckily, the football players stayed to help, along with Austin’s parents and Philip. When all was said and done, I said my goodbyes to Donna and Jerry, knowing I probably wouldn’t see them for another several months. I hated that I didn’t see them much, but our lives were different now. It had been a bittersweet reunion.

“It looks like the place is clearing out except for Dr. Hottie McHotpants over there. I think he and Evan had some words earlier tonight,” Lara confessed.

“What?” I gasped.

“Yeah, Evan was pissed. Has he not said anything to you about it?”

Evan looked over at me and his eyes narrowed at something over my shoulder. “I think I’m going to head out,” Philip announced behind me.

I quickly turned around and lost sight of Evan, but I could feel his hard stare. “Thank you for helping clean up,” I said, hugging him fast.

“Anytime. Maybe one day next week you can eat dinner with me?”

“Of course. Just come by and I’ll sit with you.” The tension in the room skyrocketed when Philip caught Evan’s stare. I was afraid to even attempt to look back. “What happened between you and Evan? It’s obvious something was said.”

Philip sighed and met my gaze. “I just told him that you’ve come a long way and I don’t want to see you get hurt again. It wasn’t easy bringing you back from where you were.”

“I see. So that’s why he’s upset.”

“I’m sorry if I’ve caused any problems, but I felt like it needed to be said. He can be mad all he wants. My concern is for you.”

“That means a lot, Philip. I appreciate you looking out for me.”

“Always.” He glanced around the room one more time and then exited through the door. I knew Evan was behind me without even having to turn around. “Don’t worry. He told me what he said.”

“Do you understand now that he has feelings for you? And I’m not talking about a professional relationship a doctor has with a patient.” Lara walked by at just the right time, and her eyes grew large. She mumbled “Yikes” under her breath before rushing away.

I jerked around and grabbed his hand. “Don’t talk so loud,” I hissed, pulling him toward the back. We got to my office and I shut the door, locking it. Evan was fuming. “Calm down.”

“How can I when he basically said I was going to fuck up your life? Is that the kind of bullshit he feeds you?”

Sighing, I placed my hands on his face and looked into his eyes. “I don’t think he meant it like that. He’s just looking out for me. I’ve been his patient for two years. We grew kind of close to one another; he’s my friend.”

“You may consider him a friend, but he wants more. I don’t like the way he looked at you.” He averted his gaze, but I pulled his face back.

“Hey, look at me.” When he did, I continued, “There is nothing like that going on between me and Philip. He’s my friend, that’s it.”

“What if he tries to make a move on you?”

“He won’t. He knows I’m happy right where I am. Do I need to show you?”

A small grin emerged on his face. “You mean here, right now?”

I looked around my office, biting my lip seductively. “The door is locked, so why not?” Strutting over to my desk, I pushed my paperwork to the side and sat on top, spreading my legs. It helped that I was wearing a sundress.

Evan’s eyes grew darker as he approached, unbuttoning his jeans. “You are going to drive me crazy, sunshine.”

Grabbing the waistband of his jeans, I pulled him closer and slid them down. They fell to the floor with a clank. “I aim to please,” I murmured, wrapping my hand around his length. He groaned deep in his chest and pushed my dress up.

His lips found mine, all hot and possessive as he tasted me. I could still feel his anger about Philip, but I wanted him to know that I was his, and nothing was going to change that. Taking my lip between his teeth, he bit down and sucked. “I want you so fucking bad,” he growled.

“You have me, Evan.”

It was almost as if something snapped inside of him. Ripping off my underwear, he laid me back and plunged inside, cutting off my screams with his mouth. The harder he pushed, the louder I wanted to cry out. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I held on to him tightly, rocking my hips against his.

“I’m so close,” I whispered.

He lifted his hands to my face and kept his gaze on mine. “So am I. You’re so fucking tight around me.” All it took were just a few more thrusts and I was done. My body trembled around his and we both let go, his cock pulsating inside me as he released. I could feel his heart pounding in time with my own.

A knock sounded at the door, and my heart beat faster as Lara spoke. “Summer?”

Gasping, I knocked over my cup of pens and cringed. “Yeah?”

“Are you guys okay in there? I wanted to let you know that Grayson and I are leaving.”

“Oh, okay. We’re about to leave, too.”

Lara giggled. “Sure you are. I’m going to lock up the front door while you two…well, finish whatever it is you’re doing.”

Her footsteps clanked down the hall, and then all grew quiet. Once we knew they were gone, Evan burst out in laughter and I groaned. “She is never going to let me live this down. I just got on to her and Grayson the other day about having sex in the restaurant.”

Evan smiled down at me and gently pulled out. “Well, it looks like you just broke one of your rules. It felt good, didn’t it?”

“Maybe, but I think we should try it again one day to find out for sure,” I teased.

After pulling up his pants, he helped me off the desk. “I’m down for that, but next time I don’t want you to hold back your screams. I wanted to hear them so fucking bad.”

“Well, then take us home. I’ll scream all you want.”

“You coming to the party tonight?”

I glanced over my shoulder at Derek, who cocked a brow, waiting on my answer. “Where’s it at?” I asked. We had just gotten done with practice and most of the guys were already gone. Tomorrow was our game against Chicago and we were pumped, ready to kick their ass.

Derek tossed his gym bag over his shoulder and grinned. “It’s at the Second Street Bar downtown.”

“You know that’s where all the cops hang out. The last thing we need is for one of our players to get a DUI.”

“And who do you think set up the party? I’m friends with those bastards. They wanted to celebrate with us. Why don’t you call Summer and have her come?”

“She’s working, shithead. I won’t see her until later tonight.”

His eyes lit up. “Well, there ya go. You can join us for a little bit, and then Bri and I will get you home in time to have fun with your girl.”

Rolling my eyes, I pulled out my phone. “I don’t plan on getting soused. I can drive myself.”

“Yeah, but Bri offered to drive us. Now you can have a couple of drinks and have a good time. Stop being a pussy.”

I flipped him off. “You’re such a dick, you know that?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, but you love me. We’ll pick you up in an hour.” He slapped me on the shoulder and exited the locker room. Sitting on the bench, I dialed Summer’s number.

“Miss me already?” she murmured seductively.

My dick twitched and I groaned. “Always, sunshine. How’s it going at the restaurant?”

“It’s been busy as hell. I’m going to have to hire more help,” she said, laughing.

“Yeah, but that’s a good thing. What time do you think you’ll get out of there tonight?”

“Uh, let me see…probably around midnight. Is there something wrong?”

“No, it’s just there’s a party tonight at Second Street and Derek wants me to go. He and Bri were going to let me ride with them.”

“That sounds like fun. I wish I could go, but I have too much shit to do here tonight. I trust you to have fun, but not too much, okay?”

I chuckled. “Agreed. I’ll be home around midnight as well. I think I’m going to call Luke and see if he wants to meet me there. I haven’t talked to him since your party.”

“Good idea. You two need to work things out. I don’t want you guys mad at each other.”

I didn’t, either. He was my best friend, but I was torn between wanting to help him and respecting Lara’s wishes. “I don’t, either,” I sighed. “But I’ll see you later. I love you.”

“Love you, too. Be safe.”

We hung up and I immediately called Luke. I half expected him to ignore me, but he didn’t. “What the fuck do you want?” he grumbled.

“I guess I deserve that. What are you doing tonight?”

“Going to a party. I heard you and the players were invited.”

“Did Avery tell you about it?”

“Yep.”

Jason Avery was an undercover detective and one of Luke’s good friends. When Luke wasn’t hanging out with me, he was with his cop buddies. I guess I should’ve known they would invite him. “Look, I’m sorry for not letting you in to see Lara. If Grayson wasn’t in there, I would’ve. You know that, right?”

He sighed. “I know. It just sucks that I couldn’t talk to her. She won’t return my calls.”

“Again, if you really want her back, you need to step it up. Calling her isn’t going to do shit.”

“Then what will? Got any good ideas up your sleeve?”

“I don’t know, but we’ll talk about it tonight. Drinks on me?”

“You’re damn right, asshole. I’ll see ya there.”

Derek and Brianna picked me up right on time and we headed to the bar. Most of my teammates were already there, including Jaxon and his friends, who gave me a wide berth. He hadn’t spoken a word to me since I punched the shit out of him. Glancing around the bar, I spotted Luke sitting at a table talking to Jason. When he saw me, he waved me over.

Jason stood and extended his hand. He wasn’t exactly what I would envision a cop looking like, but I guess that was why he was so good at working undercover. He was a tad shorter than me, with dark, spiky hair and a full-sleeve tattoo down his right arm. Luke told me he was a sneaky and dangerous bastard, fast on his feet. In his line of work, he needed to be. “Townsend, it’s good to see you again. Thanks for coming.”

I shook his hand. “My pleasure,” I said, taking a seat. We ordered some drinks and bullshitted for a while until Jason excused himself.

Luke tossed back a shot. “All right, so tell me what I can do to get Lara back.”

About that time, Derek and Brianna sat down with us. “What’s up, guys?” Derek asked, slamming his beer on the table. Luke’s eyes brightened when they settled on Brianna; he moved closer.

“Actually, Townsend, I think I have a better idea.” Luke held his hand out to Brianna, who looked at him like he’d completely lost his mind. “I don’t think we’ve officially met. I’m Luke.”

She looked at his hand and then over to Derek before shaking it. “Brianna.”

“Don’t worry, Bri,” I said, shaking my head. “I think he wants to ask you some questions.”

Brianna nodded her head at Luke. “I’m ready when you are.”

Luke preferred talking to her in private, so Derek and I left to take a seat at the bar. “He better not be trying to fuck her, Townsend. He may be your friend, but nothing will stop me from kicking his ass.”

I slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, big guy. Luke has a hard-on for Summer’s sister. He fucked her over a few months ago, and now he wants her back.”

Derek bellowed. “Holy shit, he’s delusional. Lara’s not going to take his ass back.”

“He’s determined, so anything’s possible. Hopefully, Bri can help.”

He snorted. “You and I both know how stubborn Lara is.”

I glanced back at Luke, who was listening intently to what Bri was telling him. “I know.” If Luke didn’t change his ways, there was no way in hell Lara would even consider taking him back.

About an hour passed before Bri and Luke finished conversing and joined Derek and me at the bar. “You good now?” I asked him.

He shrugged and looked over at Bri, who smiled and squeezed his arm. “He’s got this,” she said. “It might take a while, but he knows he fucked up.”

Luke elbowed me in the side. “You wanna know the first thing Brianna said when I told her what I did?”

Derek raised his hand. “Let me guess. She called you a no-good sack of shit and said she hopes your dick rots off.”

Brianna burst out laughing. “You know me so well.”

“Actually she did,” Luke confessed.

Brianna smiled. “And then he told me things I never thought I’d hear come from any man. That’s why I figured I should help him.”

“What did you tell him?” Derek asked curiously.

She winked at Luke. “That’s our little secret. I hope it works out for you.”

“I hope so, too. If not, then I don’t know what I’ll do.”

I looked down at my phone. It was closing in on twelve o’clock. “I hate to cut the party short, but I told Summer I’d be back around midnight.”

“Dude, you are so pussy-whipped,” Derek teased, enduring the wrath of Brianna when she smacked him upside the head.

“Don’t even go there,” she said. “You know you would do the same thing for me. Besides, I’m getting kind of tired anyway.”

Derek finished his beer and chuckled. “Let’s go then.”

Before leaving, I turned to Luke. “Do you have a way back home or do you need to come with us?”

He shook his head. “I came with Jason and some of the other guys. I’m good.”

“All right, brother. Good luck with Lara.”

“Thanks. I’m gonna need it.”

After we said our goodbyes to the rest of the team, Derek, Brianna, and I started for her little convertible. It was smaller than Derek’s SUV, but he refused to let her drive his car to the bar. We were cramped; I couldn’t sit straight since my legs were so long, so I sat sideways. When we got inside, I pulled out my phone and texted Summer.

I’ll be home in twenty.

She responded right away.

OK! See ya there. Almost done with the bookkeeping.

Once we got out of the city, Brianna lowered the convertible top. The city lights were far behind us, and the air felt amazing as it blew by us. “So what all did you say to Luke? You didn’t tell him to buy her chocolates, did you?” I asked teasingly.

She laughed and looked at me through the rearview mirror. “I told you, it’s mine and Luke’s secret. I just told him what I would want if I was in Lara’s place. Just whatever happens, don’t tell her it was my idea.”

I bellowed out a laugh. “Oh, hell.”

She glanced at me over her shoulder. “Exactly.” But then her wide-eyed gaze caught something behind us. “That’s weird.”

“What the hell is this guy doing?” Derek shouted, looking over his shoulder. Car lights glared at us from behind. When I turned to look, I saw a truck approaching much too fast.

“Brianna, speed up,” I yelled. She slammed on the gas, but the person behind us kept pursuing.

“What the fuck?” Derek hissed, flipping the person off.

Brianna grabbed his hand and yanked it down. “Derek,
stop!
It’ll just piss them off more.”

“I don’t give a shit. They’re riding our ass.”

Brianna’s car was no match for the truck, which could easily run us right over. The guy was probably drunk. “When we get up close to the high school, pull over and let the fucker by,” I suggested. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen, and there was no one around to help us. Out of nowhere, the truck slammed into us from behind and we jerked forward. “Holy shit!”

Brianna’s cries were all I could hear as everything moved in slow motion. Derek shouted at the person behind us while I pushed Bri to keep going. She was scared, and there was nothing I could do to save us. The truck proceeded to speed up and pull alongside us. I tried to look at the driver, but the window was dark. All I could tell was that it was a lifted metallic blue truck before it slammed into the side of us and we went barreling off the road. The impact tossed me out of the car. It was like I was out of my body watching as Derek and Bri met a different fate as the car rolled over and over. I held my breath as I hit the ground and the air was knocked out of my lungs. Every inch of my body was on fire, exploding with pain. For a split second, I lost all track of time and succumbed to the sound of my heartbeat thundering away in my ears.

The screeching of tires and the roaring of the truck pulled me out of my stupor. I wanted to chase after whoever it was and bash their heads into the cement. That was what my head felt like.

“Derek?” I called out, my voice raspy and weak. I could barely hear myself. After carefully turning on my side, I got a good look at the wreckage. Bri’s car was turned upside down and I could see her lifeless, crumpled body hanging by her seatbelt. “No, no, no.
Brianna!
”

As fast as I could, I clambered to my feet, and the world spun beneath me. I fell to the ground and tumbled the rest of the way to the mangled car. Brianna’s neck was turned awkwardly to the side, and by the look of her vacant eyes I knew she wasn’t in there. Blood oozed out of her ears and nose, dripping down onto the green grass below. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and sat there, preparing myself for what lay on the other side of the twisted vehicle. I knew without a doubt that Derek would be dead as well. Stumbling around the car, I found him on the ground with his eyes closed. Blood flowed from a gash on his forehead, but none seemed to be coming from anywhere else.

“Derek,” I shouted, searching for a pulse. Nothing. There was no breath nor any shred of life. “
Goddammit, no!
I won’t let you fucking die this way!” Getting into position, I sat on my knees and concentrated on every step of the CPR training I had just gone through a few weeks ago. “Don’t you die on me, fucker,” I growled. I went through the motions of breaths and compressions, waiting for a tiny spark of life. “
Come on, D!
You can do this!”

Cars drove by on the road above, but no one could see us down in the ravine. I had no clue where the fuck my phone was to call for help. All I knew was that I couldn’t leave Derek, not while there was still a chance. There had to be a chance. Over and over I compressed his chest, refusing to give up. Tears blurred my vision, and I was never one to fucking cry. Brianna was gone, and all I could see was the terror in her face as we were run off the road. I wanted to erase the memory, but it was etched in my mind. What if it had been Summer and not Brianna? I would’ve wished I was fucking dead, too.

“Wake the fuck up!”
I shouted. Finally, I heard the one sound I’d been dying to hear. Derek gasped for air and opened his eyes for a second before closing them again. “Thank fucking God,” I exclaimed, holding his face in my hands. “You’re gonna be all right, brother. Just hang on tight. I need to get us help.”

He was breathing on his own and his pulse was growing stronger. As quickly as I could, I rushed up the hill toward the road, intentionally keeping my gaze from straying down to Brianna still stuck in her car. Whoever was responsible for this was going to pay, and I wasn’t going to stop until I found them. A set of car lights shone in the distance, so I stumbled to the middle of the road, waving my hands in the air. A man and a woman got out of the car and rushed over to me, and all I could remember was falling to my knees and saying we needed help before everything turned black.