One Summer: An uplifting, feel-good summer romance by Jenny Hale

Author:Jenny Hale
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781786815200
Publisher: Bookouture

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Empty bowls holding remnants of popcorn were scattered on the coffee table amidst a half-full box of Junior Mints, a bottle of wine, and Henry’s cup of milk. Alice, Sasha, and Melly were sprawled across the sofa. They’d watched a movie for Henry, but he’d fallen asleep halfway through, so they’d put him on Melly’s bed and then they’d watched Roman Holiday, an old Audrey Hepburn movie, under a light blanket. The heat creeping in from outside and the wine had warmed them pretty well, but it was still fun to get cuddled up like Alice and Sasha had done as girls. Melly was the perfect addition to their friendship and it had been a great night.

Alice kept drawing parallels to the movie, wishing her life could be all happy endings and last-scene kisses. Jack had come out of nowhere and completely knocked her sideways—she couldn’t get him off her mind.

“I’m so glad we met you. What brought you to the Outer Banks, specifically?” Sasha asked Melly. Alice turned her attention to them.

Melly sat up and started tidying the table, stacking the bowls. “The nursing job.”

Sasha was leaning back against the pillows, her eyes heavy. “How did you hear about the opening at the hospital?”

“I just looked it up online,” she said quickly, but that same expression she had when she’d discussed her ex-husband came rushing back onto her face.

Alice wondered if there was more to their story than Melly was telling them. Had he hurt her beyond what she’d divulged? As good a friend and neighbor as Melly had become, Alice would let Melly tell the rest of her story in her own time; if there was any more to tell. Sasha seemed to have caught on to her unease as well, and she didn’t ask her anything else.

When the dishes were cleared and the room put back together, all the pillows in place, the blankets refolded, Alice scooped Henry off the bed and she and Sasha walked back across the road. The floors were most likely dry enough now to walk barefoot across them carefully, just long enough to get upstairs, where they could sleep and allow another eight hours of drying time. Alice couldn’t help but look down both sides of the street for Einstein, hoping that she’d see him. She wanted to call his name, but she knew it would only wake up Henry, and then he’d be worried the rest of the night.

As they got closer to the shop, Alice noticed a figure sitting on her porch. She squinted to see if she could make out who it was, but she didn’t recognize him until they’d made it into the lot. It was Butch.

He stood up as they approached.

“Hello, Alice,” he said quietly, and then nodded to Sasha. “I was wondering if I could have a word with you.”

She whispered, “Let me get Henry into bed. Would you like to come in?”

“Oh, thank you but no, dear. The fresh air will do me good.

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