Free Summer Love by Jill Santopolo Page B

haven’t ruled it in, either,” she says. “It’s all rather tragic.”
    Scott laughs, and Luke smiles. You smile, too.
    â€œHey,” Luke says, picking up your
People
maga-zine. “Have you done the crossword puzzle yet?”
    You squint at him. “How do you even know that
People
magazine has a crossword puzzle?”
    He shrugs. “It’s totally not just for chicks. They have great movie recommendations and stuff.”
    He flips to the crossword puzzle page. “I know the first one,” he says. “You got a pen?”
    You hand him a pen from Tasha’s bag and then can’t help but look over his shoulder at the puzzle. After he fills in number one across, you give him number one down. And number two down. Then he gets number five across. And you get five down.
    â€œI don’t mean to brag,” Luke says, “but I think you and I are pretty much pwning this crossword puzzle.”
    You nod, with a mock-serious expression on your face. “We take no prisoners. We capture and kill all crossword puzzles we find.”
    Everything’s quiet for a second, and you realize that Scott and Tasha are looking at you and Luke. Scott clears his throat.
    â€œLuke, as much as you’re enjoying your take-no-prisoners crossword-puzzle session, we actually have work to do here.”
    Luke jumps off your chaise lounge. “Right!” he says. “Okay, let’s go.”
    You look at Tasha, and she does an eyebrow raise. Then she mouths the word:
Later?
You bite your lip to let her know you got her message. But now you have to decide if you want to act on it.
    Click here if you invite the brothers over for dinner later.
    - - - - -
    Click here if you forget about the boys and ask Tasha to help you finish the crossword puzzle.
    Click here to go back to hanging out by the pool with Tasha and Jade.
    - - - - -
    Click here to go back to the beginning and start over.

“AND thanks for the bench tip, too,” you add, about to follow after Tasha, who has started to head in that general direction.
    â€œWait!” he says. You turn back, and he leans out of the truck and hands you a double-chocolate-chip cookie. “I thought you might like this, too. My mom makes these. She makes all of the cookies we sell, but I think this one is her best.”
    â€œWow,” you say. “I can’t wait to give it a try. You know . . . I’ll be around for most of the afternoon, so if you get off work and want to say hi . . .”
    His megawatt smile lights up his face again. “I’ll find you,” he says. “I’ll definitely come and find you. I’m Jackson, by the way.”
    You feel your own face break into a grin. “Okay then,” you say. “I’ll see you later, Jackson.”
    You find Tasha on the bench that Jackson suggested and sit down next to her. She’s already eating, and as she does, her eyes are fixed on a muscular fisherman in a pair of cut-off jean shorts.
    â€œTasty?” you ask.
    â€œThe roll or the guy unloading fish?” she answers.
    You laugh. “Both?”
    â€œBoth quite tasty. And nice work getting us free chips.”
    You take a bite of your lobster roll. It’s salty and lobstery, and the bread is toasted to perfection. Delicious. After you swallow you say, “I didn’t do much—I think he was just in a good mood.”
    Tasha takes another bite and swallows. “Jealous,” she says. “But how hot is that fisherman?”
    â€œVery,” you answer, even though he’s not really doing it for you. It may sound silly, but you’ve never been into the way guys look in cut-off jean shorts.
    Tasha’s fisherman finishes unloading his catch and heads off the boat while you finish your lobster roll and some of the potato chips. Her face falls.
    â€œWant to head home soon?” she asks, as you take a bite of Jackson’s mom’s