Free Another Summer by Georgia Bockoven

remembering, including wearing a disguise if necessary.
    “Here it is,” Donna announced cheerfully. She handed him the book and pen.
    “And who should I make this out to?” Matt asked.
    “Kelly–with a ‘y,’ “ Donna said. “And just say something about how you’re looking forward to having her in your class.”
    He stopped to glance at Kelly and offer her a quick smile. “Easy enough.” When he finished he handed the pen and book back to Donna. To Kelly he said, “I’ll see you Wednesday.”
    Kelly summoned a smile. As soon as he was out of hearing, she turned on Donna. “Why did you do that? You know you just made it impossible for me to get through his class with any kind of anonymity.”
    “Is he or is he not one of the best-looking men you’ve ever seen in your entire twenty-seven years?”
    “I don’t care. That’s not the point.”
    “Then what is the point?”
    “I’m here to learn how to tear him apart in a courtroom. How am I going to do that after my sister practically threw me at him?”
    Donna had the grace to look chagrined. “You never said anything about facing him in court.”
    As frustrated as she was furious, Kelly sat up and grabbed the sunscreen, squirting a thick, long line along her leg. “I can’t believe this happened.”
    “What?”
    “With all the beaches in Santa Cruz, we wound up on the same one at the same time as Matt Landry.”
    “Coincidence.”
    “I don’t believe in coincidence.”
    “If it never happened, there wouldn’t be a word for it.”
    Something in the way she answered made Kelly ask, “You arranged this, didn’t you?”
    Donna gave her a sheepish smile. “Now what makes you think that?”
    “How
–why
would you do this to me?”
    “The how is easy. The real coincidence happened when I was leaving this morning and saw Andrew and Landry coming out of Andrew’s house. Landry was wearing a wet suit, and there was a surfboard leaning against the house. It wasn’t too hard to figure out where he was headed. In my defense, if I’d known who he was or how you would feel about meeting him, I wouldn’t have set it up. But, my God, Kelly, would you really have wanted to miss seeing that body stuffed into that wet suit?”
    She ignored the question. “Why are you throwing me at every guy you see when you know I’m not interested? Ray and I are almost engaged.”
    Without saying anything, Donna held out her hand for the lotion.
    “Well?” Kelly demanded.
    “If I tell you, you’ll just get mad.”
    “Get
mad?”
    “All right, madder.”
    “Right now, I don’t think that’s possible.”
    Still Donna hesitated. She stopped rubbing in the lotion long enough to give Kelly a sideways glance. “All right. Just remember that this was your idea. I don’t think Ray’s the right guy for you.”
    Kelly wasn’t surprised. Donna had dropped hints over the past year that she had doubts about Ray. “In what way?”
    “I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it.”
    “You started this, now finish it.”
    “Have you ever noticed how Ray stares at me when we’re together, like I’m candy and he’s a diabetic?”
    “You’re a beautiful woman, and Ray likes beautiful women. What’s wrong with that?”
    “I’m your
sister,
Kelly. He has no business looking at me that way. Even Alexis noticed.”
    Kelly didn’t know what to say. She took the lotion from Donna and laid a narrower line on her other leg. “Has he ever said anything to you?”
    “No.”
    “Done anything?”
    “No–it’s just a feeling I get. One I really don’t like. Besides … never mind. It isn’t important.”
    “Don’t stop now. I want this out and over with.”
    “There’s something inherently wrong in a relationship where the woman acts like a wife and the man acts like a boyfriend.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But she did; she just didn’t want to admit something had been bothering her, too. She’d even tried talking to Ray about it,