Fallon asked the woman, “Do they even allow adults in the bouncy house?”
Her smile was as beautiful as her laugh—no, Summer wasnotjealous—and she said, “Who knows?But I’ll give it a try.”
“You’re a goddamn idiot.”Crushed Beer Can Guy snapped, slamming his beer on the table, foam sloshing all over his burger.“Now look what you did,” he sneered as if she’d slammed the beer can.
The woman’s smile faltered, and she turned away, probably embarrassed by his assholishness.
Next to Summer, Cara muttered, “What a creep.”
Summer tried to bring the joy back.“There’s ice cream for dessert.With all the toppings.”
Grady Masterson was serving it out of a cooler at the end of the picnic tables, along with a gorgeous young woman who added whatever toppings a picnicker requested.Once in a while, he leaned over to whisper something in her ear, making her laugh.
“Remember how Grandmama always loved the ice cream bar at the old folks home?”Fallon brought up the fond memory.“She loved her ice cream.”
“With a little bit of chocolate sauce,” Cara added, her thumb and forefinger close together, just as Grandmama used to do.
She was actually Summer’s grandmother, but they all called her Grandmama.A delightful lady, she’d lived to the ripe old age of ninety-five.Summer had taken the girls to visit every time they went to see the family on the East Coast.They’d also video-chatted with her often, and suffering a bit of dementia, Grandmama actually thought they’d visited her all the time.
“We need to have ice cream with all the toppings in honor of Grandmama,” Fallon announced.
They all lifted their soda cans, tapping them in honor of the sweet old lady.
“Ice cream it is, then the bouncy house, unless they throw us out, and finally the lazy river on inner tubes.”Summer smiled.
She gobbled down the rest of her hot dog and finished her salad, mostly because the asshole’s muttering and grumbling had become an annoying distraction.Once they were done, they could throw out the trash, get their ice cream, and sit somewhere else to eat it.
She glanced at Knox, who wasstilllaser-focused on her, his lips curving into a wicked grin when he caught her eye.
Oh God, when he looked at her like that, she wanted to melt.Yes, when they found new seats, she’d put her back to him.Then he wouldn’t drive her crazy.
Crushed Beer Can Guy grew louder as he crushed yet another empty can.He was definitely drunk now.“What are you doing when you’re working all those late nights,” he sneered.“Sucking him off?”
The pretty woman hissed, “Stop it.You’re making a scene.”
“I saw how he looked at you.You’re banging him every goddamn night, aren’t you?”His too-loud voice echoed across the picnic area, turning heads.The poor woman’s features flushed with embarrassment.
In a flash, he grabbed her wrist, twisting until her hot dog fell from her fingers, rolled across the table, and dropped into the dirt.
“You’re hurting me,” she said in a harsh whisper Summer overheard.
Not able to stand another moment, Summer jumped up, stalking to their table.“Hey, let her go.”
But he was standing now, still clutching the woman’s wrist.“Mind your own business, bitch.”
Then he hauled his girlfriend off the bench, twisting her wrist, a grimace of pain shooting across her features.
Even as Summer felt other people rising, moving in, she repeated herself, “I said let her go.”No one deserved to be treated like that.
“And I said shut the fuck up, bitch.”
Then, before she could react, the asshole put his hand on Summer’s chest and shoved her, hard.
She hadn’t braced herself, and her feet flew out from under her.She tumbled backward, her back slamming into the edge of the picnic table.Pain shot up her spine, her foot twisted, and she went down hard on the ground.
Then all hell broke loose, men running, voices yelling, fists flying, bodies stomping, a woman crying out, “Jesus, I’m so sorry,” and both her daughters calling, “Mom, are you okay?”
There wassome sort of commotion around Summer, raised voices.Court reacted before Knox did, throwing down his spatula and damn near vaulting over the barbecue.
