Summer's Indiscretion (11 page)

“I never even got to meet him.”

“Sorry, little angel. Maybe next time. Are you done?” His hands worked magic on the knots in her shoulders, and she wished for a bed and strong arms to hold her while she slept.

“Yes. I’m wiped out. Will you tell Duke I appreciated him cleaning up the kitchen?”

“I will. Let’s get you back to the shop.”

Summer nodded and noticed Margot standing in the doorway, looking uneasily at Jake, who was across the room speaking quietly with Ace.

Jake nodded at something Ace said and then sauntered across the living room to her discomfited sister and said, “Margot, they’re done here. Let me get you home.” His rugged voice was accented with a west Texas twang, and Summer was unsurprised when Margot unconsciously bit her lip.

Summer smiled at her always beautiful, in-control sister and thought that Margot might have met her match.

* * * *

The next afternoon, Summer stood with Margot and Mr. Abbott on the back porch. He’d completely refurbished the rear area of the house, including fixing the area that had been damaged by the fire. According to their specifications, he’d also installed the porch swing they’d found at an auction and widened the steps leading down to the newly built deck and gazebo.

Summer said, “Mr. Abbott, it’s lovely. I can’t believe you got this all done in a week.”

He’d also made their landscaping plans a reality, and she now admired several newly planted flower beds containing antique rose bushes. The work this jack-of-all-trades had done had turned out to be a good investment.

The middle-aged man smiled and replied, “I have exceptionally good help, Miss Heston. It was a pleasure to work on this old beauty.” He took off his cap and looked up at the Victorian structure admiringly. “They don’t build like this anymore.”

Mr. Abbott’s sons, eight in all, worked alongside him in his contracting business, and they had come highly recommended. Now she had to agree with those recommendations. It had also come as a pleasant surprise to discover that Mr. Abbott and his sons had done some work for Ace at his home.

Summer went down the stairs and stepped up onto the deck and wandered into the gazebo. It was a perfect shady spot and would be surrounded by blooming roses later that summer. She took a seat on one of the wide benches and imagined having guests out there. Margot and Mr. Abbott joined her, and they settled the bill. She covered her mouth when she yawned and apologized, thinking a nap sounded heavenly. Unfortunately, she and Ace had errands to run after Mr. Abbott left.

Ace and Kemp had gotten her back to the shop around four in the morning, and she’d tossed and turned, unable to wind down. Kemp and Ace had convinced her to turn on her stomach, and they’d both lightly stroked her back until she’d finally settled and fallen asleep. Now all of them were stifling yawns and looking bleary eyed. Even Rachel wasn’t looking too chipper as she did the store’s books. Morning sickness was still getting the better of her, but she insisted she’d rather distract herself with work than sit at home feeling wretched.

After Mr. Abbott said his farewells and Margot went back inside, Kemp and Ace joined Summer out in the gazebo. Ace leaned against the railing, and Kemp sat down beside her as she smiled up at them.

“Kitten,” Ace began, “did you give any thought to staying with us?”

Summer nodded and asked, “But where? Here? There really isn’t enough room for three people.”

“We trade off going home to sleep. We talked about it, and my house is closer to Morehead than Kemp’s. We’d like for you to stay with me. There is plenty of room, and you’d be safe. We would still be here off and on during the day and would see you home safely in the evening.”

“I’ll need to store my things.”

“I have a three-car garage.”

Damn, how big is his house?
“I don’t want to be in the way.”

Ace and Kemp both chuckled, and Ace’s dark brown eyes twinkled as he caressed her shoulder. “You wouldn’t be in the way. You’d be pretty much right where we want you to be.”

This was a big step. She had a feeling once she was in his house she wasn’t going to want to leave. But she wasn’t going to ask for a declaration. It was too soon for that.

She’d spent a week tidying her house and clearing the clutter from it in preparation to start packing for the move. With all the damage the burglar had done to her home, she now had even less to pack. With the attack last weekend, and the memory of those horrible words spray-painted on her walls, she didn’t care how much pro-feminist disapproval she got from her sister, she didn’t want to be alone in her house anymore. She no longer felt safe there.

Margot had offered to let her move in, but Summer had rejected the idea because Margot had two obnoxious Siamese cats that Summer was allergic to. In addition, she knew she wouldn’t be able to abide their constant neediness and yowling.

Summer’s motto was “trust your instincts,” and despite the fact that she might have made some unfortunate decisions where relationships were concerned in the past, she trusted her instincts right now. If she went home with Ace, she’d be right where she wanted to be, as well. The one downfall was that the physical aspect of their relationship still had to wait. In a way that was good because they’d have a chance to get to know each other better first.

A little delayed gratification built character, she reminded herself.

She just hoped they discovered the asshole behind all these attacks. After that was settled then maybe they could talk about what they really were to each other and where she went from there. Knowing how she felt about them now, she knew it would be difficult to be on her own again. Some chances had to be taken.

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

Chapter Eleven

That afternoon, Kemp’s heart went out to poor Rachel as he looked at her, bracing herself with both hands in the doorway that led to the back of the shop. She was extremely pale with a definite greenish cast to her otherwise perfectly beautiful face.

“You don’t look so hot, Rachel.”

“Whittie, I don’t feel too good, either.
Oh
,
no
.”

She groaned piteously then turned and ran for the bathroom. Again.

There were no customers in the shop at the moment, so he went down the hallway, found a washcloth in the bathroom cabinet, and wet it for her. She was bent over the bowl, heaving what little lunch she had left back up. She groaned in misery as she crouched there, holding her long, dark brown hair back in one hand.

“Sweetie, why don’t I call Eli?” he asked as he handed her the cool, wet washcloth. She accepted it and looked up at him with pitiful, red-rimmed blue eyes. Blotting her face, she nodded as he brushed the top of his hand against her very warm brow and continued, “This is the third time you’ve been back here, and each time you come out looking worse. I’m not so sure this is morning sickness, and I’m getting a little worried about you. I think you’re running a fever.”

Rachel held her stomach and whispered, “Will you call him?” No sooner were the words out of her mouth than she was violently ill again.

Kemp patted her back and held her hair for her as he put the phone to his ear after hitting Eli on the speed dial.

Eli Wolf walked in the shop fifteen minutes later, looking worried. That was saying something, considering that he towered over Kemp at six foot nine and probably tipped the scales at close to three hundred pounds. He didn’t look like he needed to worry about much of anything, but he was definitely concerned about his lovely wife, who was expecting their first child in December.

“Angel?” Eli murmured as he knelt next to her where she hovered near the toilet, and Kemp stepped out to give them a little privacy. Rachel looked completely wrung out as she put her arm around his neck.

Rachel had come in only to do the books but had offered to stay so that Margot could go home and rest after her sleepless night and Summer could go get boxes for the move with Ace. All the other girls were off. Kemp stayed at the shop, too, to keep an eye on things and to keep Rachel company. What she’d thought was mere morning sickness was looking more and more like the stomach flu.

A minute later Eli came down the hall, carrying Rachel, who had a bottle of water and a plastic bag in her hands. He said, “Kemp, thank you for calling me. She’s got a temperature and Dr. Guthrie asked us to meet her at her office.”

“You go on ahead. I’ll hold down the fort here.” Surely Ace and Summer wouldn’t be too much longer.

“You could call Margot and let her know. She’d come back up to run the shop,” Rachel said, gesturing weakly at the interior of Discretion.

Kemp waved them off and said, “It’s been quiet all day. Don’t worry about it at all, Rachel. Just feel better.”

Rachel rested her head against Eli as he cuddled her to him and said, “Thank you, Whittie. The key to open the register is under the counter on the hook.”

Kemp patted Rachel’s shoulder and said, “I’m sure Summer will be back soon. Let me know if I can do anything.”

Eli nodded, and Kemp could still see the concern in his eyes. Eli was taking EMT training, and Kemp knew she was in good hands. Rachel gave him a halfhearted smile, blew a tiny air-kiss at him, then closed her eyes. Poor, little Rachel. He hated to see her not feeling well. He held the door open as Eli carried her out and loaded her into his truck.

Kemp walked back inside and looked around at the shop. Soft music played in the background, and enticing herbal scents filled the air. This was a distinctly feminine sanctuary devoted to pleasure and sensuality, and Kemp wondered what he’d do if a customer came in before Summer got back.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. He gave an inward cringe and turned to greet the customer who walked in. He smiled at the sweet-looking little lady, who had to be in her early seventies, as she came in the door.

Oh, what the hell. How bad could it be to help out for a few minutes?

After he greeted her, he asked if there was something he could help her with.

“Rachel told me she would save a book behind the counter for me.”

Kemp stepped over to the lingerie case and lifted out a book with a yellow sticky note stuck on the front. The note listed a name. “Frances Stewart?”

“Oh, yes. That’s me.”

He pulled the sticky note off and saw the title.
Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns: The Romance and Sexual Sorcery of Sadomasochism
by Philip Miller and Molly Devon. He showed her the title and said, “Is this the right book?”

“Yes, I was so glad I didn’t have to order it and wait for it to be shipped. I spilled sweet tea all over my old, dog-eared copy. Thank you so much,” Mrs. Stewart said as she reached for it. “How much do I owe you?”

Figuring he might as well jump in with both feet, Kemp looked at the price tag and stepped behind the register. He looked at the machine, hoping it was self-explanatory. He punched in the amount of the book and hit total. It added the tax automatically, he noted with a sigh of relief. She handed him cash, and he told the register how much she gave him and it told him how much to give back.

“You’re new here, aren’t you?” she asked as she waited while he counted up the change.

“You could say that, ma’am. I’m just helping out for a friend.”

“Well, I think it’s wonderful they have a man working here. Are you a husband or boyfriend to one of the ladies?”

With a nod, he replied, “A boyfriend.”

“How nice. Lucky girl. Well, I’ll get out of your hair, young man. Thank you for your help.”

As she exited, two more women came in the store. He figured there was no need to call one of the girls. The register was simple enough, and if all the merchandise was marked, he could handle just about anything.

One of the women, who were both in their forties, elbowed the other one as they stopped in front of the sales counter. The second woman turned beet red and tried to speak, but no sound came out. Her friend rolled her eyes and elbowed her again.

“I’d l–like to look at th–the anal plugs, please.”

Alrighty then. Yeah, you can do this.

“I think they are over here, ma’am.”

Both women whispered furtively to each other as he led them to the case he remembered seeing such items in and opened it. He allowed them to handle the sex toys.

The more confident one in the duo gave her friend a quick tutorial. She asked Kemp a question, and he filled her in on his “helper” status. They thought that it was sweet of him to help Rachel out, whom they both knew. Kemp wound up learning quite a lot about butt plugs.

With the selections made, and lubricant added to the order, he tallied them up and thanked them graciously. The afternoon proceeded quietly.

In between customers, he made sure the store was tidy. In the process, he discovered a lingerie display containing diaphanous black lace gowns and matching sheer robes to go over them. The pattern of the lace was very open and transparent, and he thought Summer would be gorgeous in it. Holding an ensemble up for inspection, he guessed which size she’d need and made a purchase of his own.

A group of eight young women in their twenties bustled in. Their giggling chatter filled the shop as their leader, a well-endowed blonde with big hair, announced, “I’m Jessica. These are my bridesmaids. We all need corsets. Can you help us?”

Several of them glanced at him shyly or avoided eye contact as he led them to several racks that displayed such items and left them to make their selections. Soon they were all going in and out of the dressing rooms, shouting for different sizes, giggling, and carrying on. One of the girls volunteered as a runner since Kemp wouldn’t go into the area just outside the dressing-room doors. Their chatter continued on, getting gradually raunchier.

“Oh, come on, honey. We don’t mind!” the bride cried out then broke into laughter.

Kemp grinned in relief when he looked up and saw Summer and Ace walk in the front door. Summer waved at the girl outside the dressing rooms like she knew her, put her finger to her lips, and giggled quietly.

“Oh,
Mister Handsome Lingerie Salesman
,” the bride called out. “I need a little help with my
laces
!” The bridesmaids all giggled from behind the dressing-room doors.

Summer whispered to the young woman who had her hand over her mouth, evidently trying to not laugh out loud.

Another feminine voice called out, “
Mister Lingerie Salesman
, are there
G-strings
to match these corsets?” The young woman held up one of the corsets they were trying on for Summer to see.

Summer turned to Kemp and whispered, “Say, ‘Yes there is, sweetheart. I’ll be right there.’”

Kemp rolled his eyes and did as she asked, feeling silly. Summer apparently knew the bride and her friends. A flurry of hushed whispers broke out in the dressing rooms, and Summer went over to the racks where the G-strings hung, picked out several, and returned to the doorway.

She gestured at Kemp to come closer and mouthed, “Say, ‘I’m coming in, gorgeous.’” She shushed the other girl, who nodded and blushed profusely. Ace stood behind the counter and chuckled quietly. More furtive whispers came from the dressing rooms.

He did as she asked again, and then Summer bustled into the dressing room and all the girls screamed.

“What are y’all doing flirting with my boyfriend!” Summer hollered, and then started laughing.

“
Summer?
Oh my gosh! I thought it was him in here!” the bride said, and then she and Summer broke out into a-mile-a-minute conversation and all the other girls joined in. Kemp didn’t see how any of them could understand each other, all talking at the same time.

Summer giggled and said, “I should have warned him that you crazy gals would be coming by today. Are you ready for your wedding?”

“Hell, no! So that guy is your boyfriend? He’s frickin’ huge!”

“And hot!”

“Those green eyes!”

Kemp felt his cheeks flush as Ace laughed at him. They listened as Summer gabbed back and forth for a few minutes with the bride, helped with laces, and delivered G-strings to the other girls.

Kemp leaned against the counter and Ace asked, “Where is Rachel?”

Kemp grimaced. “She got really sick after everybody left. I called Eli, and he took her to see Dr. Guthrie. She was running a fever.”

“What?” Summer asked as she retreated from the noisy dressing room. “Is she okay?”

Kemp described how she’d been, and Summer called Eli to check in. It turned out that Rachel did indeed have the stomach flu, and Eli was instructed to take her home, push fluids, and watch for dehydration.

Summer checked the register tape and said, “Looks like you were busy this afternoon.”

“For a little while. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.”

“Thank you,” she murmured as she snuggled close for a kiss. Their romantic moment was met with whistles and catcalls as the girls exited the dressing rooms. The girls did a double take when they saw Ace behind the counter on the other side of Summer.

“And who might you be, handsome?” one of the bolder girls asked.

Ace grinned and replied, “I’m Summer’s boyfriend.”

There was a split second of complete silence, and then several of their mouths fell open.

The bold girl giggled and replied, “Can I fill out a job application, Summer? Because y’all have sure got some multiple men action goin’ on around here.”

Kemp felt a little like a bug under a microscope as the girls stared at him and Ace for a few seconds before recovering their wits. Summer took care of the girls’ purchases, and as they left, Kemp realized it was nearly closing time.

As she was removing the cash drawer from the register, Ace asked, “Summer, would you like to go catch a bite to eat?”

“Sure.”

“Good. When you’re done, why don’t you grab your overnight case and we’ll treat you to supper at O’Reilley’s before we head to the house.”

Kemp smiled, retrieving the handled bag off of the side counter near the register. He hoped she liked his surprise.