Free Beach Blondes: June Dreams, July's Promise, August Magic (Summer) by Katherine Applegate Page A

tears.”
    “No,” Summer lied. “It was something that happened before I was even born. You can’t be sad over things that happened before you were born.”
    The sun had finally plunged below the horizon, taking the last of the optimism with it. Darkness moved swiftly toward them across the water. Over on the shore a few hundred yards away they could see the lights of the party, an impression of people moving back and forth under the trees, the headlights of cars pulling up.
    “Hey, there’s a light,” Summer said, wiping away the tears that blurred her vision. It was a green pinpoint of light moving fast.
    “It’s a boat,” Marquez said excitedly, confirming Summer’s faint hope.
    “Hey!” Summer yelled. “Hey, boat! Help! Do you think he sees us?”
    “Jeez, I hope so. I don’t want to die out here,” Marquez said.
    “I thought you weren’t worried,” Summer accused.
    “I didn’t want to worry you.”
    “HELP!”
    “HELP US! HELP, you blind—”
    “He’s coming. I think.” Summer could hear the sound of the boat’s engines, deep and powerful and reassuring. The boat was definitely coming closer. In fact, it had just begun to occur to Summer that the boat might hit them. But then it slowed, inscribing a slow circle around them. A spotlight played across the dark water and illuminated them, two insanely waving figures.
    “That you, Marquez?” a mocking voice called out.
    “Adam?” Marquez yelled back. “What took you so long?”
    “We saw you out here, but we didn’t believe it was possible for two Jet Skis to break down at the same exact time.”
    “We ran out of gas,” Marquez said.
    The boat, very long and very fast-looking with two big outboard engines, drifted alongside. There were two guys in the boat. Even in the darkness Summer could see the resemblance between them. They looked like brothers.
    One dived over the side of the boat and surfaced between the two Jet Skis, spouting water and laughing. He was carrying a white nylon rope. “We’ll tow you in, ladies. Let me just tie this…” He fell silent, looking up at Summer, who was sitting on her Jet Ski in a damp pink bikini, feeling like the biggest dork in recorded history.
    “Hi,” he said. He stuck a hand up to her. She shook it briefly, but he held on for an extra second, making contact. “I’m Adam Merrick. In the boat there is my brother, Ross.”
    “Pleased, et cetera,” said a voice from the boat. A voice that sounded as if it had been affected by a few beers.
    “Thanks for rescuing us,” Summer said, her voice a little squeaky.
    “What’s a nice girl like you doing with Marquez? I’ll bet you ten bucks this was all her idea, right?” Adam said.
    “Hey,” Marquez said, pushing Adam underwater with her foot. “What makes you think it was my idea?”
    “I know you, Marquez,” Adam said.
    “This is Summer. She’s from Idaho or Michigan or one of those places,” Marquez said.
    “Minnesota. Bloomington. You know, the Mall of America?” Excellent, Summer chided herself. Absolutely mention the Mall of America. That’s sure to impress a billionaire who has probably been all over the world ten times.
    “Guess whose cousin she is?” Marquez asked.
    “Cindy Crawford’s?” Adam suggested. He released Summer’s hand and began looping the rope to the towing rings in the front of each Jet Ski.
    “Summer is Diana’s cousin,” Marquez said. “Diana Olan.”
    Adam said nothing. From the boat came Ross’s unpleasant laugh. “Let’s leave her out here.”
    “Shut up, Ross,” Adam snapped. He forced a smile for Summer. An apologetic and extraordinarily attractive smile. A movie star smile. “Come on, get in the boat.”
    “Okay,” Summer said. Marquez made the jump easily from her Jet Ski to the boat, swinging over the side and brushing her hands together as if she’d just done a neat trick.
    Summer stood up and reached for the side of the boat. But the Jet Ski slid away. She plunged into the