Free Summer's Desire by Kathleen Ball Page B

a thief so I ran home to make sure
it was still there.” Luke held his ground.
    Holden’s shoulders slumped. “Oh hell, I took the
money, Luke. Damn, I should have left you a note. I didn’t have any cash on me
and I wanted Mindy Sue to get some magazines for Matt.”
    Luke stood there studying the floor, shuffling his
foot now and again. He didn’t say a thing. Holden was hoping for an admission
that he’d been wrong. John stepped toward Holden his eyes full of hope. “Can
you go get her?”
    Holden wished for all their sakes he could smile and
say yes. “It’s not that easy, John. I don’t know where she went for starters. Truthfully,
I don’t even know if she’d even come back here. Being accused of something you
didn’t do is powerful. All of you know it.”
    John’s eyes grew damp as he laid his head on
Holden’s middle, wrapping his arms around his waist. “I really like her.”
    “I know, kiddo.” Holden held John’s small body to
him. They’d all suffered too many hardships of late. John wasn’t usually a
crier and each sob went straight to Holden’s heart. Holden sighed. “I suppose I
could go find her. It’ll have to be tomorrow.”
    John took a step back and wiped his eyes with his
sleeve. He nodded glumly. “First light.”
    Holden gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
“First light. Now time to hit the hay.” He watched as all except Matt climbed
the stairs, his heart heavy.
    “I should have done something,” Matt lamented. “I
just let her leave.”
    Holden sat in the chair next to him. “Listen, Matt,
we are all responsible for each other but we can’t be responsible for each
other’s actions. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
    “We look out for each other but we can’t control
what the others do?”
    Holden smiled and patted Matt on the shoulder. “I do
believe you are no longer a boy after all.”
    Matt’s grin was rewarding. “What do you think I’ve
been sayin ’?”
    “Goodnight.” His steps were heavy as he walked to
his bedroom and weariness settled over him. A long couple of days and now all
this. He stripped down and slipped into Matt’s bed. There was no way he was
sleeping in his own bed. The scent of Summer would give him no peace. He wasn’t
too worried about her. He knew she fled to Caleb’s, despite what he told the
boys. He just hoped that Caleb really did think of her as a sister.
    He understood why she left. It
just hurt that she didn’t come straight to him. Ever since Summer came into his
life, she had turned his world upside down. He’d sworn off women and here he
was yearning for her to come back. He hoped he’d be able to talk her into
coming home. Hadn’t she used that word “home”? Pain
lanced his heart as he realized how much Luke’s accusation must have hurt her.
To be accused once again of something she didn’t do probably devastated her.
All she’d given to his family, the kindness, the understanding, and she was
ordered to leave. He was more unsure than ever that she’d even talk to him, let
alone come back.
    Luke had his issues too and Holden could understand
his lack of trust for females, but hadn’t she proven herself? Luke had seemed
angry these last few days and now he was kicking himself for not finding out
why.
    He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.
Had it only been a little over a week since Summer entered his life? She evoked
such emotion from him, passion, yearning, and protectiveness. No one had ever
made him feel the way she did, no one.
    He hoped that tomorrow would be a good day for all
of them.

 
    *
* * *

 
    Summer lay in bed reliving her day. How had
everything gone so horribly wrong? If she had seen it coming it wouldn’t have
hurt as much. She told the truth about her past and everyone seemed fine with
it. She wiped away a tear. Everyone but Luke.
    She’d poured her heart out to Caleb who kindly and
patiently listened and offered her a place to stay. She knew she