Page 66 of Summer Ride

“We’re all here for the night, so… Let’s get the party started,” Aubrey cheered.

Carter wrapped his arms around her and whispered. “Are you okay with this?” as everyone unloaded their things, including a ton of beer and food.

She smiled. “I suppose I have to be. I don’t see them letting us leave now,” she said with a chuckle.

They followed everyone back upstairs and inside, where her cast was immediately signed by everyone. Carter wrote on it first in bold black letters—“I love you.”

Then they enjoyed the extra company and the food that they’d brought along with them, most of it from a bakery they’d stopped at along the way.

Lea made a point to check on Carter’s head and even cleaned and rebandaged her cuts. To be honest, they hadn’t been the worst marks Axel had left on her. It was the first bones he’d broken, but bones healed and the scars would fade with time. Like the memory of last night.

After eating, several of the guys disappeared outside, and she heard them splashing around in the pool. She shivered with the memories.

“Hey,” Carter said, “are you okay?”

She nodded and glanced towards the glass doors that led out back.

Zoey and Scarlett stood on the deck, laughing, and joking with several people below them.

“They’re right, you know,” Carter said, holding onto her. “We can’t let what happened last night destroy our love for this place.”

She took a deep breath. “I don’t think I can get over seeing him at the bottom of the pool. Or get out of a car in the rain without fear.”

“He’s gone,” Carter said softly. “You allowed yourself to live once after everything he did to you. This time, you don’t have to do it alone.”

She glanced over as Zoey waved her towards them. “We have another surprise for you.”

Kara hesitated for a split second, then walked across the room and glanced down.

Hundreds of daisies floated on the surface of the water, along with two huge unicorn floats.

“We figured this might help a little.” Zoey hugged her.

“It does,” she said, meaning it.

Seeing the happy flowers and silly floats bobbing in the water, and all of her friends standing around watching her, she knew that this was a moment she would remember whenever she stood just here.

Carter was right. She’d overcome Axel’s horrors once before on her own. This time it was different. This time she had a family.

“Thank you all,” she said, leaning on the railing. “For being here for Carter and me.” She reached for Carter, who wrapped his arms around her.

“When are you getting married?” Aubrey shouted at them.

Carter laughed. “As soon as we can.” He held onto her and looked down at her.

She knew what he was silently asking her, and she nodded in agreement.

“Before junior arrives,” she said, placing their joined hands over her belly.

Everyone around them exploded with cheers.

The rest of the day was filled with friends, laughter, and food. A lot of food.

Carter had talked to his parents a few times during the day and filled them in. He told her that they seemed so worried, and he expected that they’d pay them a visit the moment they returned home.

By the time everyone had gathered around the bonfire they had built on the beach that evening, the fear of what they had gone through the night before had diminished. Someone had brought the makings for s’mores, and she enjoyed sitting in the sand listening to Aaron play his guitar and sing several of her favorite songs.

Aaron had played a few times up on the stage during dinners at the camp, but she’d forgotten how good the guy was.