Page 74 of The Summer of Us

He winked. “It’s okay, kid. Your secret is safe. Remember what we talked about. Think hard.”

“I will.”

I slid into the car, and we headed for Mission Cove. I knew Sunny was already thinking of the list of items she had to take care of. My head was swimming with Gerry’s idea. It was simple but perfect.

“It was you who bought his land.” Sunny’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

“Yes.”

She reached over and squeezed my hand. “Linc, you have so much good in you—even if you refuse to see it.”

“Gerry had an idea about the land that will be left when the house is gone.”

“Oh?”

I turned my head and met her gaze briefly. “He thinks I should build a library and community center. A place where kids could hang out after school, have access to computers, maybe someone to talk to if they need it.”

“That’s a great idea.”

“My father would have hated it. He never wanted to help kids. Not those less fortunate, anyway,” I added. “In fact, no one else less fortunate, regardless of their age. He thought it was his place, his right, to keep them down, not help them up.”

“That’s where you’re so different.”

I ignored her remark.

“The library in town is pretty small. I could triple its size. The whole top floor could be the library. The main floor, a place for kids to hang out. Play games, do their homework.” I thought of how often I went home to an empty house and hated it. “Have other people around.”

“That would be awesome. It would benefit someone like Michael. He’s always juggling to make sure his kids have a place to go to after school—even in a small town like ours.”

I warmed to the idea. “We’d have a shuttle bus. I bet I could get Gerry to help plan it. He knows kids and what they need. Maybe Cindy would want to hold some baking lessons. We could add a kitchen at the back.”

Sunny sealed the idea for me. “You could call it the Amanda Webber Community Center after your mother. Have her picture on the wall when you walk in. It would be hers then, not your father’s.”

My heart warmed at her words.

“Perfect.”

20

Linc

I dropped Sunny off in front of the bakery, then parked the car. I used the key she gave me and carried our bags upstairs. I took them to her place—there was no point in pretending I would stay next door. Wherever Sunny was, I would be as well.

I went downstairs, wandering through the kitchen and wondering why there was no one baking or cooking. That seemed unusual. I pushed open the door to the shop, freezing when I heard Sunny’s distressed voice. “I don’t understand. None of this makes sense.”

I hurried forward. All the staff, including Abby were gathered around a table. Sunny was standing, holding an official-looking document. Everyone turned as I walked in, and from the look on Sunny’s face, I knew it was bad. I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her close.

“Let me see.”

I scanned the document, my frown growing as I read it. “What the hell is this bullshit?” I muttered. “Health violations?” I looked around in shock. I had never seen a shop or a kitchen in a business as meticulous as Sunny’s. “When the hell did this show up?”

“About two hours ago,” Shannon offered. “We knew Sunny was on her way home, and we didn’t want her upset.”

“When were they here?”

“Shannon said they were here yesterday,” Sunny said, her voice shaking. “You never know when they’re going to show up.”

“Did they say anything? Act strangely?”