Free Summer Kisses by Theresa Ragan, Laurie Kellogg, Katie Graykowski, Bev Pettersen, Lindsey Brookes, Diana Layne, Autumn Jordon, Jacie Floyd, Elizabeth Bemis, Lizzie Shane Page A

you.”
    “Can we get to work now?” Derrick asked.
    “Good idea,” one of the twins said.
    “By the way,” Derrick told Jake, “Mom wanted me to tell you she found the rollerblades you were looking for, the ones you need for your date with Candy this weekend.”
    Brad made a whooping sound. “Candy Baker? The mean one?”
    “The same Candy who ran off with your clothes when you were changing for P.E. when you were still in high school?” Cliff asked.
    “It’s no big deal,” Jake told them. “I happened to run into her the other day.”
    Cliff scratched his chin. “Rollerblading? Do people even do that anymore?”
    They all laughed, except for Jake, of course. And Derrick, because he was too busy trying to figure out why his brothers were so damned blind and forgetful when it came to him and Maggie and what they had shared. Hell, he and his brothers and Maggie had all hung out together twenty-four-seven back then. Derrick couldn’t recall one time when Aaron and Maggie had spent more than a few minutes together. The only reason Derrick hadn’t gone after Maggie was because of the vow—the vow he now realized nobody had taken seriously except for him.
    ~~~
    It took the four of them about an hour to fill his new two-bedroom apartment with a double bed, dresser, couch, coffee table and forty-inch flat-screen TV. The place had come with a refrigerator and a washer and dryer. Derrick opened the refrigerator and passed out canned iced teas.
    “What’s this?” Cliff asked. “No beer?”
    “Maybe next time,” Derrick said as he popped his can open.
    “He’s trying to set a good example while he’s living here,” Brad reminded his twin.
    “You need some pictures. I have an old poster of Pamela Anderson you can hang above the TV but I want it back when you move out of here.”
    Derrick ignored them all as he headed to his new bedroom, the one with his bed and dresser, but more importantly, the one with his painkillers stashed in his luggage in the closet. He didn’t like taking painkillers. In fact, he avoided them whenever possible. But after lifting couches and tables and walking up and down too many stairs, his right knee felt as if it was on fire. Last week his doctor had offered to shoot his injured knee with steroids to ease the pain, but Derrick figured he’d let the doctor save the needles for someone who needed them more than he did. He’d dealt with worse pain than this during his football career and a little ache once in a while wasn’t going to take him out of the game. Football was his life. Football had provided him with a comfortable house, paid off his parents’ mortgage, and unbeknownst to Jake, football would see his brother through college. No, he’d never let a few painkillers ruin everything he’d worked so hard for.
    “Hurting again?”
    Derrick swallowed the pill and took another swig of his iced tea before he turned to his brother Connor leaning against the doorframe watching him.
    “I’m fine,” Derrick said as he examined his older brother at closer view, surprised to see him, since Connor rarely came around these days. When he did show up he usually had on his scrubs and a white lab coat since he worked ridiculously long hours as a physician. Connor was the handsome one in the family and Derrick and his brothers liked to tease him about his good looks. Today Connor wore a dark-fitted suit and solid blue silk tie.
    “Glad you stopped by,” Derrick said. “Hot date?”
    Connor answered with a crooked half smile. “No date. I was at a conference not too far from here. Mom said you could use some help moving furniture, but it looks like it’s all taken care of.”
    “Thanks anyway. How are things?”
    “Fine,” Connor said. He nodded toward the luggage in the closet. “If you ever need help getting off those pills, let me know.”
    “I appreciate the offer,” Derrick said, “but I’m fine. The knee is doing much better. In fact, I’ll be as good as new before