“Hey, Summer!”

I look around as my name is called across baggage claim. I expect to see Gran’s smiling face, but instead I see Koa barreling down the terminal. “Koa? What are you doing here?”

He stops in front of me, clutching his side as he catches his breath. The sweet smell of pine washes over me as my eyes drink him in, sending my bruised heart hammering against my chest. How could I forget how beautiful he is in four days?

“I’m here to pick you up.”

“But why?”

“Because, um, I got your text and…” He stops and rubs his jaw. “Dammit! Because I’m sorry for walking away. I’d rather die than live without you.”

We stare at each other for a moment before my bag goes clattering to the floor. I fling myself in his arms, snaking my arms around his neck and burying my face in his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Koa. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Oh, Summer,” he murmurs in my ear, clutching my body tight against him. “I missed you so badly.”

Relief and joy sweep through me as I press my soft curves into his hard chest, leaving my limbs weak and wobbly. “Let’s never fight again. Ever.”

He gives a soft chuckle. “I’ll try, but you drive me crazy, woman.”

“Then I’ll try not to.”

“Don’t. It’s what I love about you.”

His scruffy chin grazes my cheek as he leans back, leaving a trail of kisses all the way to my lips. My mouth opens to meet his, our hot tongues twisting together as we quench our thirst for each other’s touch. It feels like a lifetime since I’ve held Koa in my arms.

A little gasp escapes me as I pull back a few moments later. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

He smiles. “You always say that.”

“Only because I believe it.”

His fingertips brush my cheek as he tucks a stray tendril of hair behind my ear. “Then I’ll keep reminding you that you’re a drug I can’t quit. You’re under my skin and in my blood. I…” He trails off as his eyes roam lovingly over my face. “I love you.”

I catch my breath. “You do?”

He nods. “I do.”

I thread my fingers through his rich brown hair, my thumb tracing the sweet curve of his ear before coming to rest on his cheek. “I love you, too. So much.”

He closes his eyes and presses his forehead against mine. “I’m never walking away again,” he whispers. “I’m never letting you go.”

“Right back at ya, Captain.”

He wraps his arms around my waist and sweeps me off my feet. I squeal as he twirls me around and around.

“Put me down!”

“Never!” he shouts, gaining the attention of more than a few weary travelers. They smile and point at us as he slows to a stop.

“Alright,” he mutters as my feet touch the ground, “but I reserve the right to do that anytime I want.”

“Okay, hot stuff.” My smile slips as I take in his flushed cheeks and bright eyes. I can’t believe I let him think I was ashamed of him. He’s a king among men.

“Koa?”

“Yes?”

“I’m not ashamed of you.”

He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I know, baby.”

“I thought about it all weekend, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m a spineless wimp when it comes to my parents.”

“I think we all are.”

“No,” I say firmly. “I really am and I’m going to change because I love you and you’re everything to me.”

His eyes dance with happiness. “Right back at ya, Rae.”

My laugh peters out as I grapple with this lingering sense of guilt. I still can’t believe I left him for New York after that fight.

“What’s the matter, baby?” he asks softly, tracing my cheekbone with his fingertips.

“My parents…”

“How’d they take it?”

I give a halfhearted smile. “Other than her disappointment in canceling all the dates she threw together? Disbelief.”

“I still feel horrible about what I caused.”

“Don’t. It’s behind us.”

“Well, I’ll still make it up to you.”

“You will?”

“Absolutely. I’ll find a way.”

His lips curl into a smile. “I have a few in mind…”

“Koa,” I hiss as his hands snake down to my ass. He cups my butt and gives it a squeeze. “We’re in public!”

He leans forward and kisses my forehead with his soft lips. “We don’t have to be.”

I giggle. “Sounds attractive to me.”

He swipes my bag off the floor and grabs my hand. “But first, I’ve got someone I want you to meet.”

“Who?” I ask as we start for the doors.

“Someone I should’ve introduced you to a long time ago.” He glances back at me. “My dad.”

* * *

“Is this a good idea?” I ask as we roll to a stop in front of the rambling Victorian at the top of the gravel road. The old house may have frightened me in the dead of night, but with the sun bearing down on its warped roof, it looks more pathetic than ominous.

Koa cuts the engine and turns to me. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“Nope, but why don’t we find out?”

I give myself a mental shake and take his hand. He needs the strength here, not me. “Let’s do this.”

We climb out and head up the flagstone path toward the weathered blue door. What might have started as a beautifully kept garden was now an assortment of motley weeds and crabgrasses. The porch isn’t in much better shape. The spots that still have paint are peeling and flaking off from the years of harsh snowstorms and rain.

“Does he know we’re coming over?” I ask in a low voice. I need to get these jitters under control, if not for Koa’s sake, then for the sake of my nerves.

“Yes. He was surprised when I told him last night, but happy. There was even a maid service here this morning when I drove past.”

I glance at him. “Is that surprising?”

Koa slows us to a stop. “My dad hasn’t let anyone inside these walls for over five years.”

“Oh.” Okay. No pressure here. Only the first visitor Koa’s estranged father has had in years, apparently. “Well, I’m ready.”

Koa’s barely pulled his hand away from the doorbell before the door swings open. A wizened, weathered man stands on the other side, thin and tall like Koa, but without his strength.

“Hi, Dad,” Koa says, breaking the silence. “Can we come in?”

He opens the screen door with a nod. “Thanks for coming, son. It…it means a lot.” He glances at me with a tight, awkward smile, like his lips aren’t used to the movement. “And you must be Summer.” He reaches out a sun-spotted hand. “Pleased to meet you, darlin’.”

I take his hand and hold it tight. “Pleasure is all mine, Mr. Rendell.”

“Kenny.”

I smile. “Kenny, then.”

He ushers us inside the dark foyer before leading us back toward the kitchen. I can tell a maid service has been through, but it’s too little too late. Everything has a general feeling of neglect, noticeable especially in the wallpaper and paint work, though tidy. Kenny may be a shut-in, but he was a Navy man all his life. That orderliness is hard to forget.

Kenny grabs a pitcher of lemonade from the fridge and motions us to the kitchen table. Three glasses and a plate of oatmeal raisin cookies are waiting in the center of the scratched tabletop.

Koa takes this all in with wide eyes. “Lemonade and cookies?”

Kenny clears his throat. “Well, er, this is a special occasion and…”

“What happened to your old pals Schlitz and Jack Daniels?”

I freeze as Kenny walks up to his son, expecting the blow-up of the century after a jab like that. Instead, he takes a deep breath and meets Koa’s eyes. “Been sober for two years now, son.”

Koa blinks a few times. “Wow, Dad. That’s…great.”

“Thanks. It wasn’t easy, but I know it’s for the best.”

“Mind if I dig in?” I say after a few awkward moments. I take a seat and grab a cookie. “Delicious, thank you.”

I throw Koa a look and nod to the chair next to me. He gives himself a shake and joins me at the table. I grab the pitcher and start filling glasses. “I hope you didn’t go through too much trouble, Kenny.”

“Not at all, not at all. In fact, it was overdue to get the house in order. I’ve…” He glances at his son as he settles in at the head of the table. “I’ve let it fall behind.”

“You’re getting older, Dad. Maybe it’s time to ask for help.”

Kenny shrugs. “I didn’t know who to ask.”

“I’d help,” Koa answers, frowning. “I have a workshop right down the hill.”

“You’d do that for me?”

Koa shifts in his chair. “I can help if my schedule allows it.”

I grab his hand under the table and give it a squeeze. “And I’ll help, too.”

That earns me a look from the Rendell men. “You will, dear?” Kenny asks with a heavy dose of skepticism.

“Sure! I think it’ll be fun. If I can handle lobsters, I can handle anything.”

“But what about this September?” Koa murmurs.

I give his hand another squeeze before reaching for my lemonade. “We’ll figure it out.”

A silence descends over the table, and I’m too distracted by the thought of saying goodbye to Koa to do anything about it.

“So,” Kenny says slowly, “Koa tells me you’re a teacher?”

I smile. “Not yet, but hopefully soon. I go back to New York in a few weeks to take my exams.”

“That’s an admirable profession. Difficult, I should think.”

“That’s what your son said—” Koa bats my hand away as I poke him in the ribs “—but then I got to experience lobster fishing. I bet the Navy was just as hard.”

Kenny nods. “It had its ups and down, but I liked it. Even in combat.”

“I can’t imagine…”

He glances over his shoulder toward the living room. “Would you, um, like to see some pictures? I got to travel all over the world.”

“Of course! But only if there are a few naked baby photos of Koa, too.”

Koa sighs. “Dad, come on…”

“What?” He gives his son a look and stands up. “Summer wants to see them.”

“Come on, Koa,” I say, pulling him up with me. “It’ll be fun!”

Ten minutes later, the coffee table is covered with photos, photo albums, and childhood memorabilia.

“Oh my goodness, look at those butt dimples!” I snatch up the technicolor photo of a fat, sausage-legged baby Koa and laugh. “They’re adorable.”

Kenny grins at the photo. “That was Koa’s first trip to the beach. He took one look at the water, stripped down to what God gave him, and made a run for it.”

I ignore Koa’s pout from the sofa. “And what about this one?” I ask, reaching for a black and white photo.

“That’s my mother and father. Father was an Army infantryman in World World II, mother was a seamstress. Married sixty-two years.”

I graze my finger over their proud, stern faces. “That’s beautiful. Hard to believe anyone can be with someone for that long.”

Koa chuckles softly. “Worried about our future, Rae?”

I stick my tongue out at him. “Keep that up, and we’ll see.”

I shuffle through the myriad of photos of Kenny in uniform or exploring a distant land for more baby photos of Koa. I pause as a woman’s face flashes across my vision—dark brown hair and wide blue eyes, like Koa’s.

“Who’s this?” I ask, pulling the grainy photo out from under the pile. It was buried deep.

Kenny leans over and frowns. “Oh. That’s Maureen.”

Koa straightens in his seat. “Mom?”

“Sure is.” Kenny takes the photo from my hands and holds it carefully. “Was a free spirit, that one. Nobody could tie her down.”

Koa joins us at the coffee table. He holds out his hand toward his dad. “Can I?”

Kenny hands it over with a deep sigh. “You probably don’t remember her.”

Koa’s eyes go distant as he studies the photo. “I do. Glimpses of her, at least.”

“I’m not surprised. She wasn’t around that much.”

Koa drops the photo on the table and stalks back to the sofa. He settles into it and stares at the rug in front of his feet. I turn back to Kenny. “What happened?”

“About what, dear?”

“What happened to Maureen?”

Kenny frowns over at Koa. “You didn’t tell her?”

Koa jerks his head up. “Tell her what? That my mother didn’t want me?”

“Koa…” Kenny struggles to his feet and walks toward him. “That’s not what happened. Would you like to hear about your mom?”

Koa shrugs and glances away. I stand up and join them by the couch. “I would.”

Kenny nods. “Well, it’s not the happiest story. Maureen was always wild, but while most people leave their wild years behind them when they get married and start a family, Mo didn’t.”

I reach out and pat his arm. “I’m sorry.”

“Nothing you can do,” he says kindly. “I tried everything, but nothing helped. She leaned into drinking, then prescription drugs…”

Koa shifts in his chair but stays quiet.

“She was good for a while after you were born, Koa. But then, around your fifth birthday, something just snapped. She—” Kenny’s voice gets tight “—got really bad. So I put her in rehab. Then again a year later. And then one more time ten months after that.” He shakes his head. “She never came back.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“I mean she checked herself out and never came home. Never called, never contacted us again.”

I move to the sofa and perch on the armrest, threading an arm around Koa’s tense shoulders and giving them a squeeze.

“That’s why I pushed you so hard into the military,” Kenny says wearily. “I wanted to give you some structure, some grounding. You’re my child, but you’re also hers, and I knew her wild blood coursed through your veins.” He laughs sadly. “You’re not one to let the grass grow under your feet, are you?”

Koa shakes his head.

Kenny takes a long look at his son. “I didn’t know you blamed yourself all these years. I would’ve told you, but I wanted to protect you. And I guess a small part of me was ashamed.”

“Ashamed?”

“I couldn’t help my own wife. That’s a heavy cross to bear.”

Koa’s shoulders relax as he rises out of his chair. “I’m sorry, Dad. I know I’ve been keeping my distance these past few years.”

“Well, I haven’t been a very good father, now have I?”

“Still. I’d like to help out more, if that’s okay.” Koa turns and takes my hand, drawing me to my feet and into his arms. “Both of us would.”

Kenny smiles. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”

An hour or so later we say our goodbyes—Kenny plying us with cookies and thank you’s for coming over, and us promising to start work on his house when we’re free. Kenny stands on his porch and watches us drive away, waving until the truck taillights disappear around the curve.

Koa parks the truck in front of the barn and kills the engine. He reaches for my hand, lacing his fingers with mine as he lets out a long sigh. “Thank you, Summer.”

“For what?”

“For everything.”

I tilt my head to the side. “You’re going to have to be more specific than that.”

He pulls my hand toward his chest and cups it in both his palms. “For meeting my dad, for being kind, and for helping me calm deep, dark waters I’ve avoided for too long.”

“Of course.”

He ducks his head and kisses my fingertips. “Baby, you were great in there.”

“But I didn’t do anything.”

“You’re wrong. You did everything.” He holds my eyes in a loving gaze before opening his door. “Are you really going to help me renovate that pile of rotting wood up there?”

I roll my eyes and let go of his hand, throwing open my own door and climbing out. “Absolutely! I wasn’t kidding when I said it’d be fun.”

“It won’t be fun.”

“Yes, it will.”

Koa walks with me to the barn doors. He unlocks them and pulls one door to the side. “Do you always have to disagree with everything I say?”

I purse my lips. “Maybe.”

He turns and leans in to nibble on my ear. My pulse soars. I moan as his lips dip to my neck, sucking and pulling on the tender skin, before moving to my collarbone. “What are you doing?”

“Proving my point.”

“Which is?”

“That you won’t disagree with everything I say.”

I bite my lip as his hands graze my hips on their way to my ass. “I-I can’t think when you’re doing this.”

“Good.” He moves back to my ear, his hot breath sending shivers through my body. “So if I said I want you in my bed right now, you’d say…?”

I lean back and plant a hand on his chest. “Are you propositioning me, mister?”

“Definitely.”

“Alright—” I dart around him and through the barn doors. I’m halfway to the back stairs before he knows what happening.

“Summer!”

I shriek with laughter as Koa runs after me, trying to beat me to the stairs. I tug off my shirt and toss it in the air. “Last one with their clothes off has to buy dinner!”