Free Heat Wave by Kate J. Squires Page B

up the stairs. Greg and I looked at each other, shrugged, then descended to find the source.
    A tiny pixie stood at the bottom of the staircase, dressed in a skin-tight full-length gown. The blonde girl barely came up to my shoulder, even on her towering wedges, and her face was creased in distress as she attempted to climb the stairs.
    â€˜Oh, no!’ The hem of her pale pink sheath dress prevented her from lifting her foot high enough to climb even a single step, and she staggered backwards against the wall. ‘Oh, gosh!’
    â€˜Uh, hello? Miss? Are you okay?’ Greg’s voice was strained, and as I looked at his face, I saw his enraptured expression. I remembered his comment about a blonde stunner from earlier, and wondered if this was she.
    She glanced up, her baby blues widening at the sight of him. ‘Oh! It’s you again.’ Her face burst into a brilliant smile and Greg’s mouth fell slack. ‘I didn’t have time to get your name the other day.’
    â€˜G … Greg. I’m Greg.’ He offered her his hand, and she clasped it happily.
    â€˜Hi, Greg. I’m Sugar.’
    â€˜Sugar?’
    â€˜Well, that’s the name I have to use while I’m here,’ she explained. ‘But my real name’s Sumara.’
    â€˜That’s beautiful,’ Greg said, a big stupid grin plastered on his face. ‘You’re beautiful.’
    â€˜Oh! Do you think so?’ She said it with the sweet innocence of someone who’d been told she was beautiful a thousand times before, but never believed it until that second. It was endearing. ‘Greg, can you please help me? I can’t climb the stairs in this silly dress, and I’m already supposed to be up on the deck.’
    Greg swallowed, his eyes goggling. ‘Uh … sure. I can carry you up, I guess?’
    Sumara beamed. ‘You’d do that for me?’
    He moved to her swiftly and pulled her to his chest. ‘I would.’ His simple words echoed with the unsaid, and I shook my head in disbelief as he swept her into his arms as if she weighed nothing at all.
    Sumara squeaked in child-like delight as Greg climbed the stairs, cradling her in his arms. I followed them up, trying to reconcile the sight of my happily married friend with his arms holding another woman as if she was a precious flower.
    At the top of the stairs, Greg lowered Sumara down and they stood together, noses almost touching. ‘Thank you, Greg,’ she whispered.
    â€˜You’re welcome, Sumara.’ He brought her hand to his lips, kissing her fingers in an exact replica of the way Tanner had kissed mine only a few minutes before. She blushed as his mouth grazed her skin, her cheeks flushing.
    â€˜Hey, Greg! Hands off the product, dude.’ Marc appeared behind from us on the stairs, laughing and pushing between Greg and Sumara on his way out to the deck. He clapped a hand on Greg’s shoulder before continuing on. ‘I don’t think your wife would appreciate you manhandling the pretty young things around here. Weren’t you just telling me you had your tenth wedding anniversary last week?’
    â€˜Yeah …’ Greg seemed gutted as the bubble around him and Sumara burst and he returned to reality.
    Her sweet face crumpled. ‘You’re married? Oh …’
    Marc yelled out from the other side of the deck. ‘Okay, everyone. The first of our contestants is here. Beau, are you ready?’
    Tanner nodded, tucking his thumbs through the belt loops of his jeans, while staring intently into the darkness where he knew I stood. A smug part of me wondered if I’d spoiled introductions for him, while the other side of my brain turned over the devastated look on Sumara’s face. She didn’t seem nearly as excited about seeing Beau after her moment with Greg.
    â€˜Let’s do this thing. Action!’
    Sumara glanced at Greg again. ‘Nice to meet you,’ she