Dawson pressed his forehead to Summer’s while he took a minute to catch his breath. Being with her was doing things to his heart that he never knew possible. Rather than get inside his head about what that meant, how that changed things for him, he refocused on just breathing with her.
He knew one thing was certain. He’d had great sex in his life before and none of it would compare to what he would have with Summer. He meant that on every level. She had that rare kind of beauty that started on the inside.
Her smile, rare as it might be, was so genuine she radiated. She smiled from her soul, if that made any sense. Hell, he’d never been the poetic type, but she made him want to put his attraction to her into words. He just needed to find the right ones first.
There hadn’t been much to laugh about lately but when she did he could swear it was the most beautiful sound. There wasn’t a musical instrument in existence that compared to her, and hearing it did things to his heart that he’d tried to shut down long ago. It made him think of foreign things like forever—something he’d thought would never be possible after the way his marriage ended.
He’d cared about Autumn and had been determined to make things work because of the child he thought she was carrying. There was no forcing his feelings when it came to Summer.
Her face was blue skies and sunshine after a storm. Her mind kept him on his toes. And the fire burning inside her made him think life with her would never be dull.
But that wasn’t on the table. He wasn’t sure he could go down that road again with anyone. If he did...he’d want it to be with Summer.
After feathering a kiss to her lips, he cleared his throat and took a step back, hoping for a little clarity. Looking into her eyes only muddied the waters for him even more.
Damn.
He needed more coffee to wake him up because he wasn’t thinking clearly. He’d promised himself that he wouldn’t let things get out of hand with Summer and he had every intention of keeping that commitment to himself.
Besides, with his personal life in upheaval, this was the worst possible time to add more confusion into the mix. Summer didn’t deserve that, either. She needed a strong shoulder to lean on while she got her bearings. The woman was fully capable of handling herself and yet he wanted to be her comfort in a storm.
Best not to confuse the sentiment with emotions. He’d keep himself in check better than he had been. For Summer’s sake.
THE APARTMENT COMPLEX downtown wasn’t exactly the kind Summer could see her sister living in. It was most likely what she could afford, and that broke Summer’s heart even more. Why hadn’t Autumn reached out for help? Why did she live like this? Was this place better than being with Summer?
She reached inside her purse where she kept the “Summer” necklace and rolled it around in her fingers. In a strange way, touching this piece of junk jewelry made her feel more connected to a sister who she admittedly didn’t know very well.
This was the last place she would’ve looked for Autumn. Maybe that was part of the reason her sister rented an apartment here.
Dawson parked the truck and they both got out. The office was a small brick building with double glass doors. The sign said it was open. She took a deep breath and started toward the entrance.
For the life of her she couldn’t figure out why her sister would’ve left twenty-five thousand dollars sitting in a bank account in her name without touching it. The money had been a gift from Dawson. It was free and clear with no expectation of payback.
Had Autumn regretted getting him involved in her life? Had she walked away and tried to minimize the damage?
If she didn’t take anything from him, did she think she could convince herself the lies she’d told him were for his protection? It was possible she convinced herself that her disappearing act was harmless.
Did she leave Dawson to go back to the secret boyfriend she’d been involved with in the past? All signs pointed to just that. She remembered what Dawson said about women in abusive relationships. She just wished she’d known what her sister was going through. She could’ve been there for Autumn. Her sister wasn’t alone.
A rogue tear escaped thinking about Autumn.
Summer wiped it away and stepped inside the glass doors. A little bell rang when Dawson opened the one on the right. Inside there was a tiled foyer. Beyond that was a great room overlooking a small pool. There was a kitchenette and two offices.
An overeager youngish woman dressed in a pantsuit bounded into the room. She had Shirley Temple curls and wore too much makeup to pull off the innocent look.
“Hello, I’m Marcy.” She stuck out her hand toward Dawson.
Her gaze lingered a little too long on his face and Summer wanted to snap her fingers at the woman to get her attention.
“Dawson, and this is my wife—”
“Sandy.” She nodded like she’d just answered the last question correctly on a game show. “I know.”
Summer reined in her confused look because she realized this person might know her sister.
“I just didn’t realize you were married.” Marcy had one of those voices that grated. Fingernails on a chalkboard sounded like a relief after hearing her speak.
“Oh, right. I forgot to mention it because we’ve been separated. You know, trying to figure things out.”
Marcy looked from Dawson to Summer and laughed. “You’ve been busy.”
She flexed and released her fingers as she felt Dawson’s hand clasp hers. He gave a little squeeze and it grounded her. They had a purpose and the ever-annoying Marcy didn’t get to detract from that. Besides, she didn’t seem very bright, which was a potential gold mine of information for them if they played it right.
“Your things have been boxed up. Headquarters makes us hold on to them for ninety days after eviction.” Marcy shrugged.
“Oh. Right. I guess I forgot to keep my rent payments up once I got back together with my husband,” Summer said by way of explanation, ignoring the fact that calling Dawson her husband had just rolled right off her tongue like it was truth. Not being honest hit her at her core but couldn’t be helped if she wanted access to Autumn’s things.
“I almost didn’t recognize you at first. You look so...different.” Marcy made a show of looking Summer up and down.
“Well, it’s me.” She had to tamp down the urge to come back with a snarky remark. This wasn’t the right time for pride. “Is it possible to see my belongings?”
Marcy blew out a sharp breath and gave Summer a death stare.
“It’s against policy when there’s an overdue rent situation,” she huffed, making her disgust with anyone who was late on rent clear as if the glaring eyes hadn’t done it already.
“Do you take a credit card?” Dawson stepped up immediately. “I didn’t bring a check with me today.”
The annoying woman perked up at the sound of payment.
“We add 3 percent to the outstanding balance,” she warned like that might be a tipping point that caused them to turn around and walk out the door.
Summer almost laughed out loud. Dawson O’Connor could cover 3 percent and so much more. He could keep the twenty-five thousand dollars in Autumn’s bank account, and Summer would figure out a payment plan to cover her sister’s expenses.
“Just give me a total.” Dawson smiled and Marcy practically beamed back at him. It was enough to make Summer hold his hand a little tighter. And, yes, she was being territorial.
Dawson’s smile was meant to disarm Marcy. Summer figured that part out on her own and yet a streak of jealousy still crept in. Keeping a safe distance from her emotions had always been a matter of survival for Summer.
Despite the magnetic pull toward Dawson and the absolute fire in every kiss that promised so much more than great sex, breaking down her walls would take time and patience. She didn’t even know if it was possible anymore. In every past relationship she’d been afraid of heights and there’d been a cliff in the distance.
Before Dawson, she wouldn’t consider getting anywhere near the edge. Now? She was starting to think that maybe it could happen. The problem wasn’t the relationship. She knew being with a person as intelligent, kind and respectful as Dawson would set the bar for every future date. When the shine wore off and it ended, she would be shattered.
Because she wouldn’t be able to keep Dawson at a distance. He was the sun, drawing everything that got near into his orbit, spinning faster and making her forget that if she stepped out, she’d spiral out of control.
“Let me check with my property manager,” Marcy chirped. Suddenly, fingernails on a chalkboard didn’t seem so bad to Summer.
Dawson thanked her before tugging Summer a little bit closer and dipping his head to press a kiss on her lips.
Marcy exited quickly and it made Summer smirk. The move from Dawson was most likely meant to sell the marriage story but damned if it didn’t feel like the most natural thing for him to kiss her. Summer was in his orbit all right. Pulling away from him when this came to a close might be more difficult than she’d anticipated.
Still, walking away would be the right thing to do, she reasoned. There was no other choice when she really thought about it. This case would end. She needed to get used to a new normal and a life without Autumn. Her sister had been preparing Summer for this in many ways over the past few years.
Autumn had been difficult to get ahold of and she’d disappeared for long periods. She’d been putting more and more emotional distance between them. The notion of looking through her sister’s last possessions hit her so hard it nearly knocked her breath away. So many thoughts raced through Summer’s mind about what her sister had held on to. How had her sister lived in those final months? What had been important to her?
Irritating chirp lady walked back into the lobby.
“You owe three months’ rent at one thousand five hundred and fifty dollars a month. Plus, four hundred and fifty dollars in late fees and a thousand dollars for us to release your belongings. The total comes to six thousand, one hundred dollars.” She produced an invoice.
Dawson pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. “Do you have a preference when it comes to plastic?”
“We’ll take whatever you have available as long as the charge is approved.” Marcy beamed at Dawson but when her gaze shifted to Summer, her forehead creased with disapproval.
He didn’t hesitate to hand over his card.
“I’ll be right back as soon as I run this,” Marcy said before bebopping out of the room.
“I’d like to pay you back,” Summer said in a whisper.
“You don’t have to worry about that. It’s the least I can do,” he said and there was regret in his voice.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I let your sister down. She came to me for sanctuary and I couldn’t protect her.” His serious tone said he meant every word. Here, Summer had been so focused on the fact she’d let her sister down she hadn’t once stopped to think Dawson might be in the same boat.
“You didn’t know her. She walked out. You believed her. You did nothing but trust her and she betrayed that. Don’t get me wrong, I love Autumn with all my heart. That doesn’t mean I’m naive to the fact she made a lot of bad decisions in her life. But believe me when I say that you’re the last person on earth who should feel responsible for her.”
“Your card is good,” Marcy interrupted the conversation.
Logic said Summer should be able to forgive herself for not being there when Autumn needed her. The advice she’d given to Dawson seconds ago was true for him and somewhere down deep she could acknowledge it was true for her, too.
Dawson took the card Marcy held between them. He tucked it back inside his wallet at the same time Marcy seemed to catch sight of the badge. She looked up at Dawson and studied his face.
Summer couldn’t tell what the woman was thinking but the badge seemed to make her stand up a little straighter.
“Where do you keep eviction belongings?” Dawson asked. It was the question on Summer’s mind.
“You’ll have to wait thirty days and then you can buy them back from us.” Marcy sounded a little less certain of herself and a lot less bubbly than she had a few minutes ago.
“We paid up my rent with late fees plus the thousand dollars to release those belongings. There’s no reason to keep my stuff.” Summer tensed up, ready for a fight.
Dawson squeezed her hand.
“How much to buy all of her belongings?” he asked.
Marcy glanced around. “I’m not really supposed to—”
“I don’t trust that you’ve taken care of my stuff. I’d like to check on it to make sure everything’s there.” Summer was grasping at straws here but there might be something in her sister’s personal items that could give a hint of who she’d been seeing. Leaving empty-handed wasn’t an option.
“We have the right to dispose of your items. We sent out a notice of our intentions—”
“Which technically I never received.”
“Your...” Marcy’s gaze bounced from Summer to Dawson and back “...boyfriend stopped by a couple of months ago and emptied out your storage. There isn’t much left but some makeup and toiletries. There are a few towels and some clothing. I don’t think my boss would be too mad if I showed you what was left.”
The wheels were already turning in Summer’s mind as to how to tactfully ask what her “boyfriend” looked like.
“That would be great if it’s not too much trouble.” Summer softened her tone, reminding herself she’d get more out of Marcy with honey than vinegar.
“Stay right here and I’ll get my keys.” Marcy disappeared long enough for Summer to make eyes at Dawson.
He seemed to read her apprehension even though he didn’t speak. How had he become so important in such a short time? She’d tell herself the desperate life-and-death situation she’d been in would cause her emotions to be all over the place. But that wouldn’t be fair to her feelings for Dawson.
Marcy returned and motioned for them to follow her. She led them to a golf cart parked out front. Summer climbed inside and looked around. The person who’d killed her sister had walked around on these same paths. Cheryl’s killer had been here.
No way to bring up Summer’s “boyfriend” came to her tactfully. So, Summer took the front seat and leaned over when Marcy claimed the driver’s side and popped the key in the ignition.
“I don’t want my husband to hear this but can you tell me which one of my boyfriends stopped by. I dated around a lot after my husband and I separated. We got married straight out of high school and needed to find ourselves as people.” She was overexplaining, adding details to convince Marcy of the untruth.
Marcy mouthed an Oh.
The woman winked and smiled, looking a little too happy that “Sandy” seemed to be a little loose.