Page 22 of XOXO, Summer
“The Season Sisters,” Spring says, bobbling her head. “That’s what we’re known as. It’s annoying but kind of grows on you.”
“It’s not annoying,” Summer says, and then looks at me. “Our mom gave us those names.”
“Unique.” I don’t know what else to say. Summer Season was different, to put it kindly. But all four. “So there’s also?—”
“Fall and Winter.” Spring steps to the landing beside me. “Well, technically it’s Autumn but that just doesn’t work as well. I read you have a son?”
If looks could kill, Spring would be dead and Summer convicted of the murder. “That’s proprietary information, dear sister.”
“You left the file on your bed.”
“In my locked room.”
She laughs. “I didn’t notice. Anywho, I’m sure he doesn’t mind talking about his son, big sis.” Turning her attention back to me, Spring adds, “Right, Daniel or do you go by Danny?”
“Daniel, never Danny, and yeah, I have an eight-year-old named Roman. He’s in with Dolly making cookies.”
Moving around us, she starts in their direction. “Great. I’ll see if I can help and leave you two to enjoy some time alone?—”
“We don’t need alone time,” Summer says in a panic. The door is already swinging closed behind her when she turns to me. “We don’t need alone time.”
“Speak for yourself.” I grin. “So, the four seasons, huh?” I rock back on my heels, tucking my hands into my pockets. “I feel dumb.”
“I’m sure it will pass. It always does for me.”
Besides chuckling, I say, “When we met, you mentioned your names being different. You even mentioned Dolly, but this isn’t what I expected.”
“No one ever does. You can imagine how fun it is for us to meet new people,” she deadpans as she takes a seat on the stairs. “Spoiler, it isn’t. It’s always a topic of conversation.”
“I can imagine.”
“We get it,” she drolls like she’s bored. “Our names are different. Spring even hated hers for a few of her teen years and made us call her Ava. She thought Spring was too grounding, too earthy and hippie, and Ava was glamorous.”
Coming to sit next to her, I lean against the opposite baluster. “She seems to have come back around.”
“I’d say in the past two years. As the youngest, I think she struggled more to find her own identity. We’re all so similar. Makes sense because we’re close, but it was good for her to spread her wings instead of settling on being part of a group. She came around when she was ready.” She scrunches her nose. “I’m sure none of this makes sense?—”
“It does. But what about you?”
“I didn’t have a choice.” It would have been easy to throw something out, to deflect, but she doesn’t take that route. She goes with honesty. “As the oldest, I had three girls to raise.”
“What do you mean? Why did you raise them?”
“Because Dolly was grieving her only child and struggled to get up in the morning, or any time of day, for that matter. If I had done the same . . .” Her pause has her looking away from me. She clenches her eyes and then reopens them with a raise of her chin. “You know what? We should get you what you need and?—”
“Daddy, come taste.” Our gazes are pulled to the kitchen door that’s been swung open. My cute kid looks like the sugar is already taking effect by the wild look in his eyes and a smile that’s giving a full view of his molars.
“We’ll beright?—”
“It’s okay,” Summer says with a quick tug on the hem of my shirt. “That’s enough about me. You came here on vacation, not to listen to my tragedy.” The sweetest smile shines as she stands again and dusts the back of her skirt with a sweep of her hands.
“I want to hear more about you.”
“Well, you’re going to be stuck with me more than you bargained for since you’re out of water and we’re the closest bathroom.”
I don’t remember the last time I’ve been interested in a woman, but Summer is the most fascinating woman I’ve met in some time. No water is a real bitch of an inconvenience. Silver lining, an excuse to get to know her better. “We’ll muddle through somehow.”
CHAPTER 7
