Read Online Summer on Lovers' Island by Donna Alward - Free Book Online Page B

Charlie. The heat really seems to get to her these days.”
    â€œYou’re coming to Jess and Rick’s?”
    â€œApparently.” They paused at the edge of the parking lot. She realized Josh’s old truck was only a few vehicles away, dusty and with rust patches along the bottoms of the doors. “Josh, I have to ask. Why the old truck? You’re a doctor. You could afford something so much nicer.”
    His face hardened and he met her gaze. She wished she could tell what he was thinking, but she realized he knew how to do this thing where he could look right into the person he was talking to but not reveal anything of himself, like a two-way mirror. She wondered if he’d learned to shutter away personal feelings as a doctor or if he’d mastered the art of it when he’d been in the Army. Either way, it was very effective.
    â€œWhy do I need anything nicer? It does what I need it to do and gets me where I need to go. I’ve never seen the point in status symbols. Just because I’m a doctor doesn’t make me anything special.”
    He spun on his heel and walked away, and she was rooted to the spot, nonplussed. There’d been a hostility in his voice that was unexpected. Like she’d touched a nerve.
    She came to the conclusion that sure, they’d worked together just fine this afternoon, but on a personal level he didn’t like her very much. Not that she needed him to, but she was a little offended. All she’d done was ask a simple question. And his response had felt personal. Like it was obvious she thought she was something special and drove a fancy car.
    She shook her head, coughing a little as his truck spun up a bit of dust as he pulled away. If he only knew how unspecial she was, he’d maybe keep his opinions to himself.

 
    C HAPTER 5
    Josh knew he hadn’t been fair.
    He twisted the top off a bottle of beer and took a long swig, standing in Rick and Jess’s big backyard. Their new retriever, Riley, romped around, going from person to person with a ball in his mouth, looking for someone to play with him. Most of the alumni teammates were already present with their spouses and kids, laughing and munching on the snacks Jess had put out to tide people over until dinner. Music played from outdoor speakers placed on either side of the steps that led from the back porch, which used to be Rick’s studio. Now the long and narrow room was decorated with wicker furniture and a profusion of plants. Jess came out through the screen door, carrying a platter of something for the buffet table, looking blissfully happy.
    What was it about Collins family meals that put him on edge? It was only a little more than a year ago when he faced his cousin Tom for the first time since Erin died, at a similar backyard party. A lot had changed since then. Josh had faced a lot of truths about his marriage, and he and Tom had patched things up. Progress. Back then Rick had been drinking too much and dealing with his own demons. Now Rick and Jess were blissfully happy and expecting a baby. Tom and Abby had been married since last October and were happily settled at the Foster mansion on Blackberry Hill. Heck, even Josh’s sister Sarah and her husband, Mark, seemed to be doing better after her miscarriage a year ago.
    And Josh was back home where he belonged and going through the motions of being happy. Fake it until you make it was his policy, but that went out the window last week when Lizzie Howard came to work with her uptight hair and flashy convertible and capable ways. Confidence was so not a problem with her, was it? He’d done some checking up, and his suspicions had been verified. She was the daughter of Russ Howard, who’d been one of the top trauma specialists on the East Coast. Talk about money and privilege. Sounded like another family he knew. Erin’s. Overachievers and so concerned with status and appearances.
    And so he’d snapped at