Prologue
Molly
(16 years old - Five Years Earlier)
“To surviving another year of high school.” Molly raised the can of Fanta in her favorite ‘Zero Shits Given’ koozie she’d stolen from her mom, and crashed it against her best friend, Savannah’s, hand.
“We survived? I feel like an extra on the Walking Dead right now.” Savannah smothered a yawn with her free hand. “But don’t ask me to do any walking. ‘Cause, no.”
The two girls were sprawled out on sun loungers in Molly’s backyard next to the pool. It was the first day of summer, and their plans consisted of doing the bare minimum, working on their tans, and consuming candy faster than their parents could provide it.
Savannah slurped from her can, burped, giggled, and leaned back against the semi-reclined chair. Her waist-long blonde hair was twisted into a messy bun on top of her head. Reaching into the picnic-sized cooler next to her, Molly grabbed a handful of ice and ran it over her bare chest and neck. A sigh escaped her at the cool relief from the fierce, overhead sun.
“You kids have sun screen on?” Molly’s mom peeked around the back door of the house, always the mother hen.
“Yes, Mrs. Morrison.”
“Good. I’d rather not start summer vacation with sun blisters and sunstroke. Will’s on his way home, Mol. We’ll start lunch when he gets back.”
“Sounds good, Mom.”
“Wanna swim before lunch?” Savannah was already shucking her Daisy Dukes to the ground and pulling off her tank top to reveal a bright yellow bikini.
“Go ahead, I’ll wait till after lunch.” Molly pulled her shades from on top of her head and slipped them over her eyes before raking her long, frizzy brown hair off her sweaty neck and into a high ponytail. The unusual humidity wasn’t doing much for her cascading waves. She peeled her short shorts off and dropped them over her phone on the hot ground next to her chair.
“Wake up sleepy head.” Savannah sprayed her with a welcome dose of cool water from the pool as she climbed out and made her way back to her chair. “Girl, you were out cold. Snoring. Drool, the lot. Pretty sure you farted in your sleep, too.”
“Savvyanna we both know my farts smell like gummy bears, so that stink must be coming from you.”
The gate to the back yard opened and Molly’s big brother – by only ten months, but he never let her forget it – made his way into the backyard, sweat-drenched shirt clinging to his body. “Mom, do we have time for a dip before we eat?” He was already kicking off his flip flops and unbuttoning his shorts before their mom answered “ten minutes” through the open window.
Molly was only vaguely paying attention to her brother because he’d brought a friend, a guy she’d never seen before. His red hair shone in the sunlight. It was shaved on the sides, but longer and styled with gel on top. His faded, gray Minnesota Snow Pirates shirt stretched across broad shoulders and had dark rings of sweat around his neck and underarms.
Will had wanted to be a Snow Pirate since he learned what hockey was. If she was a betting woman, she’d put money on him striking up a conversation with the stranger over his shirt.
Something cold against her thigh caused her to gasp and jump. “You’re staring.” Savannah’s voice was quiet and close. She pulled her can away, tucking it back into its foam sleeve.
“You can’t see where my eyes are behind these shades,” Molly hissed, throwing the comment back to Savannah, but she didn’t divert her gaze.
Savannah leaned closer. “Yes but your chest stopped moving so I needed to check you were still alive.”
A braying laugh escaped Molly’s mouth before she could clamp it shut. Whoever he was, was now standing in nothing but a pair of swim shorts, poised to jump in the pool. He hesitated and his eyes tracked to the sound of her ridiculous laugh. He was staring right at her. Her body temperature seemed to have shot up ten degrees. His stare was piercing, intense, and had her wishing she was already in the pool so she had an excuse to be closer to him.
“You getting in?” Will splashed his friend from below. The new guy leaped into the air, folded his body, tucked his legs against his chest, spun and landed in the pool with the precision of an Olympic diver.
Idly dragging a thumb against her bottom lip, she willed herself to look away from the boys play-wrestling in the pool. She’d never been attracted to any of her brother’s friends before. From an early age, they’d set up ground rules, she wouldn’t mess around with any of his friends, and he would afford her the same courtesy.
With any luck this guy was only in town for the summer, maybe he could be her summer fling and Will wouldn’t mind. Something about him pulled her towards him. He was still staring, throwing heated looks her way when Will’s attention was elsewhere. He somehow managed to suck the oxygen from the space, despite the fact they were outside.
“Lunch is ready!”
Molly didn’t move at her mom’s call. She was struck by an unusual barb of self-consciousness and didn’t want whoever he was to see her body as she stood to put her shorts on. The boys got out of the pool, grabbed towels from the towel box, and dried off. New guy followed Will towards the house, pausing before he entered.
He cast her a wicked grin that had her girl parts reacting in ways they’d never reacted before. Body tingling from top to toe, she stood on shaking legs and pulled her shorts on. Her chest was tight, her mouth dry, and her head, light. Had she breathed at all in the last ten minutes?
She’d always been the one to ridicule all the lip biting, sighing, and furtive gazes she’d seen on TV or read about in books. That shit never happened in real life. Except her brother had just brought home the most delicious man she’d ever seen and she’d swooned so hard she’d stopped breathing.
Please let him be here just for summer.
