Once a Marine. Loree Lough

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СКАЧАТЬ little extra cash.”

      “Well, if you say so.” He tucked the bill into his back pocket. Brightening, he added, “Mom says I can drive her car if I pay my share of the insurance.”

      “See? There you go!”

      Alex nodded, but it seemed there was something more on his mind than groceries and tip money. “Could I... Ah... Can I... Would you get mad if I asked you something?”

      He’d never been one to pry—unlike his mother, who thought nothing of asking a person’s weight, salary and far more personal information.

      “I promise not to get mad,” Summer assured him.

      Alex slid a four-color, glossy flyer from the front pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. “Have you ever thought about taking some classes?” he began, tapping it on his thigh. “To help you deal with, ah, you know, what happened to you?”

      Of course she’d considered it. What person in her shoes wouldn’t have! If she’d heard “Stop living in the past” once, she’d heard it a hundred times, from her parents, her orthopedist, her best friend, Justin, and the therapist she’d left after only four sessions. Summer knew each of them had her best interests at heart, but that didn’t make their advice more palatable.

      “Maybe you could just talk to Zach,” Alex continued, handing her the pamphlet. “I bet he could help you.”

      Help me what? she wondered, pretending to read the flyer.

      “’Cause Mom’s right. You’re too young and too pretty to spend so much time in here, all alone.”

      Alex leaned both elbows on the kitchen’s bar counter. “Did I ever tell you how I used to be scared of, well, just about everything?”

      On more than one occasion, Rose had mentioned Alex’s troubles with bullies. But Summer didn’t want him to know that his mom couldn’t be trusted with sensitive information. In the year since she’d moved next door to the Petersons, Summer had watched as one by one, his fears and inhibitions fell away, all thanks to this Zach person.

      “I know how it feels to be scared. Not the same kind of scared as you were when...” His voice trailed off, but he quickly got back on track. “I just know Zach could help you. He’s a cool dude. And amazing.”

      It had been a conscious decision to keep the details of the attack to herself. The only person who knew the whole sordid story was Richard O’Toole, and that was only because—

      “If you’re worried about being alone with Zach, I promise to stay with you. At least at first. If you decide to talk to him, that is, to find out how he can help you feel less, y’know, scared all the time.”

      More scared than she felt even thinking about calling Alex’s friend? That didn’t seem possible. Summer closed the flyer and slid it onto the counter, hoping Alex hadn’t noticed her trembling hands.

      He flexed both biceps. “I wasn’t kidding when I said Zach is amazing. He taught me how building muscles helps build self-confidence. Did you see the Karate Kid movie? Mom made me watch it with her the other night. Thought I’d hate it, but I didn’t. That old guy was right,” he added, tapping a temple. “The bullies get you here long before they get you here.” Smirking, he gave himself a fake punch to the jaw.

      But...her bully had snuck up behind her, grabbed her ponytail and... Summer cringed inwardly.

      “Well, I better go. Midterms are coming up, and I have a ton of studying to do. See you in a couple of days?”

      “You bet. I’ll email the list and credit card payment to the City Market.” She walked with him to the door. “Thanks, kiddo. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you.”

      He shook his head. “Way better than you’re doing now, I’ll bet.”

      “What!” A nervous laugh escaped her lips. “That’s just about the silliest thing I’ve heard all week!”

      “Mom says I’m an enabler. That if I quit running your errands, you’d have to get out of this place.”

      Why couldn’t Rose just mind her own business!

      “Nothing could be further from the truth,” Summer blurted, heart hammering with dread. “I’d only have to find someone else to pick up and deliver my groceries, so...”

      “I don’t mean any disrespect, but you do have a choice. It’s like Zach told me when I first signed up for lessons—you don’t have to live this way.”

      She was half tempted to arrange a meeting with the Amazing Zach, just so she could see what a perfect man looked like.

      He paused in the doorway. “Will you do me a favor?”

      “Sure. Of course.” Anything, she thought, if it means you won’t quit.

      “Will you at least think about talking to Zach?”

      “For the first time, I’m glad you aren’t my kid,” she joked. “I don’t know how your mom says no to you!”

      “Believe me, she says no. A lot.” A relieved smile brightened his young face. “Does that mean you’ll call him?”

      “Yes, I’ll call him.”

      “Cool. Later!” he said, closing the door behind him.

      He’d been gone less than a minute when the phone rang.

      Richard O’Toole’s name flashed on the screen. How odd that he’d come to mind just moments ago. Summer hadn’t talked to the detective since that day in court when, because she couldn’t provide a positive identification and her attacker had left no DNA to link him to the rape and battery charges, prosecutors were forced to charge him with Class 5 Felony Theft. He’d served two years in the Denver County Jail, but only because the cops found Summer’s wallet and three more in his jacket when they picked him up.

      “Hello, Detective.”

      He chuckled. “All these years with caller ID, and I still feel like whoever I’m calling is a mind reader.” A pause, and then, “So how are you, Miss Lane?”

      “I’m fine. And please, call me Summer.”

      “Summer. Right.” He cleared his throat. “I, ah, I promised to call you when Samuels was released.”

      Her pulse quickened. “I was afraid you might say that.”

      “He’s due to hit the streets next week.”

       Next week!

      O’Toole must have heard her gasp. “Now, now, there’s no need to panic,” he added quickly. “I did some checking, and the kid really cleaned up his act in there. Earned his GED, put in a lot of hours with the jail’s headshrinker, did some serious rehab and got—”

      “Wait. Don’t tell me. He got Jesus. Isn’t that what they all say?”

      “Yeah. СКАЧАТЬ