Once out of the car, she squinted at the window of Tanya’s Treasures. “I think this boutique might not be for me.”
“You said you needed underwear.”
“I do, but I don’t want to blow my limited funds on one pair of knickers. Where’s the nearest Walmart?”
“Grand Rapids. If you start cycling now you could be there in, oh, four hours. Once you get your tire fixed.” I touched her back and gave her a gentle shove toward the store. “Let’s take a look and if it’s no good, we’ll come up with another plan.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to take such an interest, Dino Boy.”
“Just being a good host. Would you prefer I wait in the car like your driver?”
She made a low growl in her throat. “Always the drama with you.”
“Says the woman who climbed out a bathroom window on her wedding day.”
She pushed open the store’s door and the bell above gave a little tinkle to announce our arrival. I wasn’t a fan of these kinds of boutiques. They were usually too small to keep a low profile and held little interest to me as a consumer. But Summer was clearly in need, and I didn’t like the idea of her running around with no underwear on.
Or I liked the idea a little too much.
Someone called out from the back. “Be right there!”
“Take your time,” Summer replied, then in a whisper to me, “Ninety-five dollars for a T-shirt? I don’t think so.”
That did sound pricey, but if it was a choice between a Walmart five-pack and an overpriced scrap of lace, I knew where my preference would lie. With the unerring male knack for being magnetically drawn to the lingerie section, I walked to a corner in the back. Frilly panties and bras were laid out like a tempting buffet. I picked up one of the bras and tried to imagine Summer in it—it wasn’t hard.
But something else was.
“Did you find anything?” Summer came up behind me and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, these are pretty. Do they have your size?”
“A little small for me,” I said as I stretched the waistband of a silky white pair of panties.
Summer checked the price tag. “Nope.”
“I can buy you a pair, poor little almost-rich girl.” I picked up the skimpiest ones, which retailed at thirty-nine dollars. So something like five bucks per square inch. “If I’m paying, this is my choice.”
“You are not paying for my panties!” She grabbed them, but I held on tight, determined to win no matter the cost. Just the sight of her with her cheeks flushed and her eyes as bright as blue suns was worth forty bucks for sure.
A movement sounded behind us, then came a voice I never expected to hear.
“Hi, Hatch. It’s good to see you.”
Chapter Twelve
Summer
* * *
Hatch and I turned, both of us still holding the panties like some weird twist on The Lady and the Tramp. Think knickers instead of spaghetti.
A woman stood before us in a lovely halter-top and a pencil skirt that emphasized curves I hadn’t possessed since before I became engaged a year ago. Dark-haired, blue-eyed, and storybook pretty, she projected Hampton Beach vibes to the max. But she also seemed a touch … thirsty.
Like she wanted to drink a tall glass of Hatch.
“Ava? You work here?” His voice sounded rusty.
“I own this place. I opened it a couple of months ago.” She smiled. A touch forced, for sure. “I heard you were back in town.”
He frowned. “I thought you were in New York with your fiancé.”
