Read Online Just for the Summer by Jenna Rutland - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jenna Rutland
Tags: Lake Bliss#1
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give me a good-night kiss before I leave.”
She looked him in the eye, surprised to recognize the same longing that stared back
at her every day in the mirror. She’d never have guessed that the flirtatious, single
sheriff who jumbled up her head and caused a zing throughout her body shared her loneliness.
Once again she let her heart decide. “Okay. How about tomorrow?”
Dani hummed some made-up tune as she walked into the kitchen the next afternoon. Every
so often the second story floorboards creaked in argument to Matt’s weight. Definitely
a happy day at her cottage. And tonight Matt was coming for dinner.
The screen door slammed and Sam trudged in from outside. Larry’s toenails clicked
on the linoleum as he plodded behind Sam.
“Done playing?” she asked.
Sam plunked down on a kitchen chair. “Yeah. I think Larry needed a break.”
“Want to be my taste tester?” Dani pulled a dish out of the freezer. “I made up a
frozen fruit salad. I could use an opinion.”
“Okay.”
“How about two?” Matt asked from the archway leading to the living room. “What are
we tasting?”
“Strawberries and grapes. A little coconut.” She spooned out the servings, set them
on the table.
“I like fruit.” Sam dug into the concoction. “Not bad. Just never use any raspberries.”
He shuddered. “They’re evil.”
“Got it—no evil fruit.” She ate a few bites while her brain took snapshots of these
precious moments with her son, a mental photo album she could revisit in the years
ahead. Would the images ever fade? Blend together until only a few remained? At some
point, would she barely be able to remember the time she’d spent with Sam?
While he and Matt finished their fruit, Dani cleaned up the kitchen. She raised the
faucet’s single handle to rinse the dishes and cold water shot out, spraying in all
directions. She backed up a few steps, gasping as the water sliced through her cotton
shirt and blasted her in the face. She groped for the lever to turn it off and stood
for a moment in shocked silence. She blinked water out of her eyes and grabbed for
a dishtowel.
Sam giggled. “You’re all wet and drippy.” His laughter accelerated until he was bent
at the waist, on the verge of collapsing to the floor.
“What happened?” She swiped the towel over her face.
Matt grinned like an idiot. “Not sure.” His gaze skimmed down her body, settled on
her chest. “But Sam’s right. You’re all wet.” He reached out to stroke a towel over
her shirt. The expression on his face showed he was thankful to witness it.
Places low in her body tightened. She snatched the cloth from his hand. “This isn’t
a wet T-shirt contest,” she mumbled as she dabbed at the water.
“You’d win, hands down.”
She smacked him with the damp towel. “I need to change my clothes. How about if you
pretend to be a useful male and fix my faucet?”
She thought she heard a, “Yes, ma’am,” as she stomped off to her bedroom.
After changing into dry clothes, Dani went outside and sat on a bench to watch Sam
play with the dog. Larry raced after the ball and returned to drop it expectantly
at Sam’s feet. When he bent to get the ball, his movements suddenly became clumsy.
His face turned pale and sweaty. “I feel sick,” he told Dani.
Her training kicked in, and she gathered him up and shuffled him inside to the couch.
“Tell me what’s wrong, honey.”
She counted his pulse. Strong. Rapid.
She checked his breathing. Shallow.
A slide show played in her head as she tried to diagnose his condition. Low blood
sugar?
“My head hurts.” Sam rubbed at his forehead with a trembling hand.
“Stay right here for a second.” She dashed into the kitchen. As if he sensed a problem,
Larry circled the room barking, then took off upstairs. “Matt?” she called out as
she sloshed some orange juice into a glass. She raced back to the couch. Raising the
She looked him in the eye, surprised to recognize the same longing that stared back
at her every day in the mirror. She’d never have guessed that the flirtatious, single
sheriff who jumbled up her head and caused a zing throughout her body shared her loneliness.
Once again she let her heart decide. “Okay. How about tomorrow?”
Dani hummed some made-up tune as she walked into the kitchen the next afternoon. Every
so often the second story floorboards creaked in argument to Matt’s weight. Definitely
a happy day at her cottage. And tonight Matt was coming for dinner.
The screen door slammed and Sam trudged in from outside. Larry’s toenails clicked
on the linoleum as he plodded behind Sam.
“Done playing?” she asked.
Sam plunked down on a kitchen chair. “Yeah. I think Larry needed a break.”
“Want to be my taste tester?” Dani pulled a dish out of the freezer. “I made up a
frozen fruit salad. I could use an opinion.”
“Okay.”
“How about two?” Matt asked from the archway leading to the living room. “What are
we tasting?”
“Strawberries and grapes. A little coconut.” She spooned out the servings, set them
on the table.
“I like fruit.” Sam dug into the concoction. “Not bad. Just never use any raspberries.”
He shuddered. “They’re evil.”
“Got it—no evil fruit.” She ate a few bites while her brain took snapshots of these
precious moments with her son, a mental photo album she could revisit in the years
ahead. Would the images ever fade? Blend together until only a few remained? At some
point, would she barely be able to remember the time she’d spent with Sam?
While he and Matt finished their fruit, Dani cleaned up the kitchen. She raised the
faucet’s single handle to rinse the dishes and cold water shot out, spraying in all
directions. She backed up a few steps, gasping as the water sliced through her cotton
shirt and blasted her in the face. She groped for the lever to turn it off and stood
for a moment in shocked silence. She blinked water out of her eyes and grabbed for
a dishtowel.
Sam giggled. “You’re all wet and drippy.” His laughter accelerated until he was bent
at the waist, on the verge of collapsing to the floor.
“What happened?” She swiped the towel over her face.
Matt grinned like an idiot. “Not sure.” His gaze skimmed down her body, settled on
her chest. “But Sam’s right. You’re all wet.” He reached out to stroke a towel over
her shirt. The expression on his face showed he was thankful to witness it.
Places low in her body tightened. She snatched the cloth from his hand. “This isn’t
a wet T-shirt contest,” she mumbled as she dabbed at the water.
“You’d win, hands down.”
She smacked him with the damp towel. “I need to change my clothes. How about if you
pretend to be a useful male and fix my faucet?”
She thought she heard a, “Yes, ma’am,” as she stomped off to her bedroom.
After changing into dry clothes, Dani went outside and sat on a bench to watch Sam
play with the dog. Larry raced after the ball and returned to drop it expectantly
at Sam’s feet. When he bent to get the ball, his movements suddenly became clumsy.
His face turned pale and sweaty. “I feel sick,” he told Dani.
Her training kicked in, and she gathered him up and shuffled him inside to the couch.
“Tell me what’s wrong, honey.”
She counted his pulse. Strong. Rapid.
She checked his breathing. Shallow.
A slide show played in her head as she tried to diagnose his condition. Low blood
sugar?
“My head hurts.” Sam rubbed at his forehead with a trembling hand.
“Stay right here for a second.” She dashed into the kitchen. As if he sensed a problem,
Larry circled the room barking, then took off upstairs. “Matt?” she called out as
she sloshed some orange juice into a glass. She raced back to the couch. Raising the
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