Summer's Belle Read online

  Copyright

  ISBN 978-1-61626-445-1

  Copyright © 2011 by Paige Winship Dooly. All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the permission of Truly Yours, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., PO Box 721, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683.

  All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

  All of the characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental.

  Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

  One

  Britney tried to ignore the growing apprehension she felt as she neared her mother’s apartment and focused instead on how nice it would be to see her younger brothers and sisters. Though most people looked forward to visits home, Brit felt a gnawing uneasiness that the trip wouldn’t go as planned. Trips home never did. The cloying Atlanta humidity didn’t help. She couldn’t decide if her emotions were more strained over the pending visit with her family or stressed out by the fact that her boyfriend, Ryan, would soon be meeting the motley crew. Instead of sorting through it all, she forced herself to concentrate on steering her car down the litter-strewn road that led to her mother’s dreary project-style apartment without running over any small children.

  Even now, with dusk descending, small childish figures darted between the cars that were parked along the street. Children as young as three and four were running in the road chasing balls or playing hide-and-seek. Brit remembered wanting to stay out as late as possible during her own childhood, doing anything she could to avoid going home to their run-down apartment. The family had passed through many apartments since then, but each one had the same timeworn feel.

  Britney again pulled herself from her musings and focused her attention on locating two parking spots close together on the street that ran parallel to the side entrance of her mother’s building. She found a couple and eased into one of them, leaving the other for Ryan. She wondered where her mother had parked. Her car wasn’t anywhere in sight, but she could have parked at the rear of the building. It didn’t really matter. She’d deal with her mom soon enough. For the moment she preferred to think about more pleasant things.

  Ryan expertly maneuvered his shiny sports car into the spot next to hers and cut his engine. The contrast between their two cars symbolized the differences in every area of their lives. Ryan’s life was filled with shiny new objects while her life felt tarnished and worn. She shouldn’t have brought him here. Why a handsome, popular guy like Ryan would even want to date someone like Brit, she’d never understand. Bringing him home would highlight their differences all the more clearly.

  The depressing thoughts lifted when he grinned at her as he slid from the driver’s seat. He sauntered over to the driver’s side of her car, where she sat pensively staring at her mother’s darkened windows in the early evening dusk. No light pierced the oncoming darkness. The apartment building looked worse than ever under the dusky, overcast sky. Brit shuddered and rolled down her window. She didn’t know if it was coming home that gave her this sense of foreboding or if it was just her morose mood that made her feel something wasn’t right.

  Ryan angled his head inside the window and gave Britney a quick kiss. “It’s not too late to change your mind, babe. You could head down to Florida with me tonight—we could be there by midnight.” He paused. “Think about it, we could experience our first Florida sunrise together tomorrow morning.”

  “You know I can’t do that. I have to check on the kids.”

  He pulled away and braced his forearms against the upper window frame of Britney’s beat-up Ford sedan. His blue eyes were hopeful as he looked down at her. When she didn’t answer, he rested his forehead on his wrists and resorted to begging. “C’mon, Brit. Be a sport. Just this once put me first.”

  Brit laughed. “I have put you first. I skipped my visit with my family before finals and studied with you instead. Did you forget about that?”

  Ryan shrugged. Obviously it hadn’t been enough. Britney didn’t know what to say. They’d been over this too many times. She didn’t want to part on bad terms, but why couldn’t he understand that she had to do this? She hadn’t seen her siblings in almost a month and couldn’t skip off for her summer plans without first making sure the younger kids were safe.

  At Britney’s lack of response, Ryan dropped his arms to his side and looked over at the building that had been her family home for the past few years. He didn’t even try to hide his look of distaste.

  His reaction irritated her. “I can’t go with you now, Ryan. We’ve been through this so many times. I’ll join you and everyone else at the beach house in a few days.”

  Annoyance momentarily marred Ryan’s pretty-boy features. His eyes darkened and then narrowed while his mouth twisted into a frown. “You’ve been through this. I still don’t agree. I don’t understand why you’re so bent on running back home all the time to check on your siblings. You’re not their mother.”

  “No, you’re right. I’m not their mother, but for the majority of their lives, I’ve been the closest thing to it. I’ve acted as mom every time our mother ran off and left us. I feel bad enough that I ran out on them to go to college. I’m not turning my back on them now—partially or completely. I won’t ever do that. That’s something you have to understand and accept about me. As long as the kids need me, I’ll be there for them. And they’ll probably always need me.”

  Ryan blew out an exasperated breath. “First of all, you didn’t run out on them. You worked two jobs all the way through school just so you could send them money. You took the six-year track toward your degree so you’d have more time to work. You’ve run home to check on them every other week. What has any of that gained you?”

  She considered his question and sighed. “A little less guilt, I suppose, and a bit more peace of mind over leaving them behind—abandoning them—while I went off to chase my dreams.”

  Ryan slapped his flattened hands on the roof of her car, making her jump. “Don’t you see? You didn’t abandon them. Everything you do is for them. You attended community college until Sam and Allie were old enough to hold down the fort.” He wrestled with emotions for a moment before once again bracing his arms above the driver’s-side window opening. He searched her eyes. “Tell me something. In the fall, are you moving forward with your life, or will you still be sending them money, worrying about them, checking up on them?”

  “Wow, Ryan.” Britney’s breath caught. “Of course I’ll still do all those things. How can I not? They’re my family. They’re young and helpless. Why does it matter so much to you?”

  “It matters because at some point you’re going to have to move forward and make a life of your own. If you plan to marry, your husband will want your focus to be on him. Not a bunch of rugrat kids that aren’t even his.”

  Britney felt like she’d been sucker punched. “So you think I should cut off my relationship with my family as a part of that new life? Who does that? Who turns their back on their loved ones and leaves their family behind?”

  Her mother aside of course. Her mother turned her back on her family and left them behind far too often. And Britney refused to be anything like her.

  “Everybody does it,” Ryan snapped. “People grow up and move on. Don’t you want to marry and have your own kids someday?”

  “I guess so. But I’d expect my husband to understand my commitment to my family if and when I do. Why does it have to be one way or the other? Why
can’t I marry and still care about my sisters and brothers, too? I don’t understand where you’re going with this.”

  “Then let me spell it out. I don’t want to be apart from you. I’m ready to take our relationship to the next level. I want this summer to be a trial run for the future.”

  The next level? A trial run? Alarm bells rang through Britney’s head. They’d only been dating for a few months. She was fine with things as they were. Ryan was about to ruin everything. She tried to salvage the situation. “Ryan. We just graduated from college. We’re at a good place. What’s the rush?”

  Britney truly wanted to understand. She was touched that he cared enough to push, but after watching her mother make mistake after mistake when it came to men, she wasn’t in any hurry to follow in her footsteps.

  Ryan laughed, the sound cold and forced. “What’s my hurry? I’ve been patient, Brit. After this summer everything will change. We’ll be committed to careers. We’ll have to be responsible. This is where it ends.”

  “Where it ends?” It was Britney’s turn to laugh. “For me, this is where everything begins! For the first time, I’ll be able to support myself without a huge struggle. I can focus on helping the kids without trying to balance my studies and jobs with their needs. You took two years off after high school to travel and see the world. I haven’t even begun to experience what’s out there. Maybe your life has been a great big party, but mine is just moving forward and looking good at this point.”

  “My life has hardly been a great big party, but my parents do expect me to start paying my own way after this summer. I want to make the most of it, that’s all.”

  His comment proved how far apart their worlds really were.

  “Well, you see, Ryan, I guess that’s where we differ. I haven’t ever had parents to pay my way or carry me. I’ve always had to make it on my own. I know we’re getting a good deal on the beach house by all of us going in on it together, but this will still be a stretch for me financially. And you want me to run off and play all summer without making sure the little kids are safe? My whole life has been filled with responsibility. I don’t know any other way. That’s not going to change just because I’ve graduated college or because I met you.”

  “I know, baby.” Ryan sighed, and his countenance changed. He opened her car door and motioned for her to exit. “Come here.”

  Not understanding his abrupt change of heart, but hoping it meant he understood, Britney slid out from the driver’s seat and moved to stand beside him.

  He pulled her into his arms and leaned his head against hers. “The thing is, your situation could change—it could change for the better. I could make it change overnight. I know you’ve had a lot of responsibility. That’s why I want you to have a great summer. You know the offer still stands for us to share a suite. If we share a room at the beach house, it’ll take the financial pressure off you. Most of your expenses will be covered by me.” He laughed. “Well, by my parents anyway.”

  Frustrated, Britney pushed away. She’d be trading financial pressure for a whole different kind of pressure. She couldn’t believe that he’d again brought up the topic of them sharing a room. “That’s out of the question, and you know it. I’m not sharing a room with you. I thought you understood that topic was closed.”

  “It doesn’t have to be closed.”

  “It does if you plan to respect me.” Did Ryan ever listen to anything she said? She’d made her boundaries clear. She wasn’t going to make her mother’s mistakes—not in any area of her life if she could help it. She’d carefully built her world around doing everything the opposite way her mother had done things. Her mother ignored her children; Britney focused on them. Her mother dropped out of high school; Britney made sure she finished her college degree. Her mother went from one man to the next; Britney hadn’t ever had a serious relationship before Ryan. And if the pressure Ryan was putting on her to do things his way was how all relationships with men worked, she’d be happy not to have another man in her life for a good long time.

  Ryan remained silent. They’d reached a standoff. She didn’t understand him at all. Ryan had professed to be a Christian when they’d first started dating, but Britney wasn’t seeing the fruit in his actions.

  Britney decided at that moment that even a few days of separation would be a good thing. She’d miss him, but maybe he needed to miss her a bit, too. Maybe then he’d respect her standards and appreciate her opinions a bit more.

  “Look, Ryan—” Brit glanced at the dark windows of her mother’s apartment. The lack of light in their home distracted her, and she frowned. It was early evening. Why were all the lights out? It wasn’t like anyone would be in bed. Though four-year-old twins Noelle and Skye were young enough to be heading in that direction, they never were in bed this early. She needed to get inside. “For now, let’s leave things as they are. I’m sure once I get down there, we’ll have the fun summer you’ve envisioned.”

  Minus some of the obvious interactions he still hoped would happen. The thought drained her. It looked like her fun-filled summer would be intermixed with fighting off Ryan’s advances. The thought put a damper on her enthusiasm. Why couldn’t guys just enjoy the company of whomever they were with? But she’d watched her mother in action long enough to see that relationships with men just didn’t seem to work that way.

  Britney decided to let the matter rest. “Let’s take this discussion up later and for now go inside so you can meet my family. We’ll resume this conversation when I join you in Florida.”

  She didn’t want to resume the conversation at all, but for now she’d settle for a reprieve.

  “Nah, I don’ think so.” With a pout on his face, Ryan lifted his hands in surrender and backed away, his expression cold.

  Britney’s heart fell. “You don’t want to resume the conversation?”

  He glanced again at the derelict building. “No, that part’s fine. Whatever. I just don’t think it’s a good time to do the whole meet-the-family thing.”

  “You came all the way over here and won’t take a few minutes to meet everyone?”

  “I need to get on the road. I just wanted to make sure you arrived here safely.”

  Britney wasn’t fooled. “And you wanted to make sure you had one more opportunity to talk me into skipping the visit with my family and going down to the beach with you instead.”

  Ryan grinned. “Yeah, something like that.”

  Brit regained confidence upon seeing his easy smile. They’d be all right soon enough. She just needed to get down to the beach. She’d be ready for a summer full of fun, and Ryan would relax and stop pushing her to give more than she was ready to give.

  “C’mon. It’ll just take a minute to meet them. You could even stay the night here. The couch would be free.” She poked him playfully on the chest with her finger. “It makes more sense for you to start fresh in the morning. Why are you being so stubborn?”

  He stepped away. “I said I don’t want to meet them. Why are you being so stubborn?” His momentary camaraderie morphed into a glare.

  Maybe everything wasn’t okay.

  He pulled his keys from his pocket and moved toward his car, putting distance between them. “Just remember the beach house will be full of our friends—male and female.”

  Confusion had her furrowing her brow. “I don’t understand. Is that some kind of threat?” The last thing she needed was more drama in her life.

  “It’s a statement. If you don’t want to be with me, there are plenty of other females who do. A few of them have made it quite clear.”

  Hurt consumed her as she choked on her words. This was a side of Ryan she hadn’t seen before. She fought to keep her voice steady as she tried to hide how deeply his words had cut her. “Stop playing games, Ryan. How am I supposed to take that?”

  “Take it however you want. I’m just saying there are a lot of women out there whose focus wouldn’t be divided.”

  “You mean whose focus would be so
lely on you.”

  He shrugged again and then seemed to reconsider his words. He walked back to pull her close.

  Britney remained stiff in his arms. After comments like that, did he honestly expect her to melt into his embrace? His mood changes were giving her whiplash. “I need to go inside. I’ll join you in Florida as soon as I can.” Her words were clipped. “I hope you decide to wait.”

  “Me, too, Brit.” He turned his back on her and stomped toward his car. “No promises. See you whenever.”

  He walked over to his blue sports car and slipped into the driver’s seat with practiced ease. He revved the engine and without a wave good-bye, pulled out of the parking space and angled his car in the direction from which they’d come. He accelerated and drove away without looking over at her as he passed.

  Britney stared after him in disbelief. Tears of hurt and frustration filled her eyes, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her crumble as he watched from his rearview mirror—if he even watched. For all Britney knew, she’d been dismissed and he was setting his mind on his next target.

  She turned her back on his hasty exit and hoped his last glimpse caught her calmly pulling her purse from her car and heading inside the building. While leaning in the car, she dashed her tears away and tried to change her focus back to where it should have been all along—on her family.

  But thoughts of Ryan overrode her best intentions as she stared out the window toward her family home. Britney knew Ryan was upset that she wasn’t heading south with him right then. She also knew they were both exhausted from the rough regimen of too many sleepless nights and finals. Ryan had the additional pressure from his parents to succeed, something Brit hadn’t ever had to deal with. He’d most likely spoken his words from an overly tired and pressured mind-set. Hopefully he’d get over it.

  Britney also hoped Ryan would analyze and come to understand her frustration. What did it say about him that he wouldn’t take one precious day of his summer vacation to meet and spend time with her family?