Summer Kisses Read online

  Her carefully crafted facade is unraveling…fast

  Rebecca MacKenzie’s career as a caregiver for the elderly suited her perfectly. Ease their suffering, hop back in the motor home and move on. Caring without commitment. It was ideal for someone trying to outrun her memories…and mistakes. Someone determined to stay detached.

  Flynn Harris, her new patient’s grandson, is weakening her resolve in every way. His scrutiny, his suspicion—and worst of all, his kisses—are more than distracting. They’re dangerous. Because she’s teetering on the edge of caring. And revealing her secrets. And…staying.

  This was what family was like, extended or otherwise.

  Becca smiled. This was what was permanently missing in her own life. Not that she’d ever belong with people like these in a living room like this. As a caregiver, she’d always be an outsider. She’d been fine with that for years. She planned to be fine with that forever.

  “Becca’s done a wonderful job with the house,” Flynn was saying. “We bachelors aren’t very good at cooking or cleaning or stocking up on toilet paper.”

  Hearing Flynn’s voice, Becca’s desire to belong increased. He was the carrot she happily plodded toward. But even if they explored their feelings for each other after her lawsuit was dismissed—crossing fingers, knock on wood—it may not amount to anything….

  Still, the more they laughed, the more Becca felt connected to Flynn, and the more she believed in a future together.

  But would Flynn agree?

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome to Harmony Valley!

  Things aren’t as harmonious here as they once were. Jobs have dried up and almost everyone under the age of sixty has moved away, leaving the population…well, gray-haired and peaceful.

  Enter three young men—Flynn, Slade and Will—friends, newly minted millionaires and hometown success stories. Flynn Harris is balancing the trio’s new winery against the needs of his stroke-burdened grandfather while caring for his young nephew.

  Now that Flynn’s wealthy, all kinds of people show up to try to take advantage of him and his family. Flynn is especially suspicious when Becca MacKenzie, caregiver in need of a job, conveniently shows up on his doorstep. Becca is smart, pretty and opinionated—and once his grandfather meets her, no one else will do.

  If only Becca didn’t have a secret that could break Flynn’s trust.

  I hope you enjoy Flynn and Becca’s journey, as well as the other romances in The Harmony Valley series. I love to hear from readers. Check my website and sign up for email updates. Or you can chat with me on Facebook (MelindaCurtisAuthor), or on Twitter (MelCurtisAuthor), and hear about my latest giveaways.

  Melinda Curtis

  MELINDA CURTIS

  Summer Kisses

  MELINDA CURTIS

  has lived in Georgia and Texas, but she’s a California girl at heart. Her earliest memories are of life on an isolated fifty-acre sheep ranch in rural Sonoma County. Picture rolling hills covered in brown grass, a eucalyptus forest, a long gravel driveway lined with plump sheep, and no sidewalks. It was a big deal to drive into town on a one-lane road in a ramshackle, bubble-fendered pickup for an ice cream.

  Fast-forward to today. Melinda lives in California’s hot central valley with her husband—her basketball-playing college sweetheart. With three kids, the couple has done the soccer thing, the karate thing, the dance thing, the Little League thing and, of course, the basketball thing.

  Melinda writes sweet to medium-heat contemporary romances as Melinda Curtis and red-hot reads as Mel Curtis.

  With love to my family and close friends. It’s not unusual for my spin buddies, household members or siblings to see me enter a room with a glazed look in my eyes and a new question—“What if…?”

  With thanks to A.J. Stewart, Cari Lynn Webb and Anna Adams. Hardworking Bees, indeed.

  And for Carrie.

  I think of you every time I find a dime.

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER ONE

  BECCA MACKENZIE WAS sweet and loveable and trustworthy.

  At least, that’s what people used to say.

  But that was before. Before a Taliban bullet widowed her, before her smile felt scarred, before she got it into her head that everyone deserved the granting of their last wish.

  Sure, go on, ignore trusts and wills and judgmental relatives. Never mind the necessity of paper trails to protect those left behind.

  What had she been thinking?

  Not about protecting herself. She’d been thinking, screw grief. She’d been thinking that if you loved someone and they loved you back, fulfilling that person’s last request was an honor.

  Sweet and loveable and trustworthy.

  That’s what Becca’s clients would say about her.

  If they weren’t all dead.

  Becca’s lips were so tightly sealed grief had no chance to escape.

  Death was an appendage of being a certified nursing assistant who cared for the elderly. Easing their passing was a sacred trust, whether they died of natural causes, of cancer or kidney disease, of heart failure or just plain fatigue. Life was exhausting, too short for the ones she loved, and, well, exhausting for those left behind.

  Exhausted, Becca sat in her temporary home in Harmony Valley, a don’t-blink-or-you’ll-miss-it town in the northernmost corner of California’s Sonoma County. Her home was mobile. Twenty-one feet long, with rusted bumpers, and an orange burlap dinette that doubled as her bed. She’d been in town less than three days, and was parked at the house of a prospective employer, waiting for him to get home.

  When Flynn Harris showed up with his grandfather, she’d stand up straight, look him in the eye and ask him for the job. She would not think about the near-zero balance in her checking account, the accusations a previous employer’s family made against her or the lawsuit she had almost no chance of winning without this job.

  A cold, wet nose pressed against her side. Trust Abby to know when Becca needed reassurance. The black, tan and white Australian shepherd looked at her with dark, adoring eyes, as if to say everything was going to be as right as her nightly kibble. Becca stroked the small dog’s silky fur, but even Abby couldn’t chase away the tension knotting her stomach.

  A classic black Cadillac the length of a small cruise liner turned into the lightly graveled driveway, moving slowly toward the army-green, ranch-style house where Becca was parked. The car stopped so that the passenger-side door was even with the front walk.

  Becca hopped out of the motorhome and would have hurried to the passenger door, Abby trotting eagerly at her heels, if not for the penny she saw at her feet. Shoved between two small white rocks, the penny seemed bent and beaten. Becca shoved it into the pocket of her jeans and waved to the elderly passenger through the ope
n Cadillac window.

  Edwin Blonkowski’s pale face was dominated by a bulbous nose, his expression stuck in a stroke-induced half frown, framed by a stringy gray comb-over. The T-shirt at the folds of his neck was a dingy gray, the collar curled as if clinging to life. He was so clearly in need of TLC that Becca’s heart panged.

  And panged again when she glanced at the driver, Edwin’s grandson, Flynn Harris. Locals said Edwin was on the road to recovery. Flynn’s eyes told a different story. They were the crisp blue of a morning sky, but sharp, so sharp. Sharpened by the fear of loss. Sharp enough to shred her hopes.

  For a moment, Becca doubted the penny.

  Flynn got out of the car and walked toward the trunk, adjusting his baseball cap over his shoulder length, reddish-brown hair. Faded blue jeans. A wrinkled white Comic Con T-shirt. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, same as Becca. His wasn’t the domineering muscularity of a military man. His was the tall, wiry frame of an athlete built for speed.

  For the first time in years, Becca looked at a man and her body buzzed in appreciation.

  A totally unexpected response. She was looking for a job, not a date. And there’d been that penny.

  She opened Edwin’s door and assembled a smile as carefully as if it were an unfamiliar yoga pose. “I’m Becca MacKenzie, a certified nursing assistant. Agnes Villanova recommended I stop by and ask about the job.”

  “Wasn’t expecting you.” Edwin’s words slurred as he shook her hand, his hospital identification bracelet too tight on his swollen wrist. “Told Flynn. I’m done with nurses.”

  “You’re done with hospitals.” Flynn’s voice was deeper than she expected, rumbling along her nerves like drawn-out thunder after a lightning strike. “But we need a nurse at home. While you get better.”

  Hope strengthened Becca’s smile. The sharpness in Flynn’s gaze may have been due to worry, not lost optimism.

  “I’m not muddle-headed,” Edwin said. “Don’t need a jailer.”

  Abby put her paws on the Cadillac’s bottom door frame, stretching to sniff the old man.

  Edwin patted the dog, his fingers exhibiting the bluish tinge caused by very poor circulation. “Who’s this?”

  “Abby.” Becca snapped her fingers and Abby trotted a few feet away. “Can I help you out of the car?”

  “Please.” There was a determined twinkle in his eyes. “I can’t dance like I used to.”

  “None of us can.” Becca steadied Edwin as he stood. She didn’t dare look Flynn’s way for fear he’d start a conversation with, “Thanks for coming by.” And end it with, “But we’ve already hired someone.”

  “You did great,” she told Edwin, rubbing a sweaty palm on her jeans, feeling the penny in her pocket.

  Abby barked her approval once, high and sharp, pacing behind Becca as if she and Edwin were two sheep in her care.

  Flynn closed the trunk. A walker appeared to Becca’s left. “You’re not from the agency. Those candidates are coming by this afternoon.”

  They hadn’t made a decision. Becca wanted to sag with relief.

  “I’m an independent C.N.A. I have letters of reference. And a résumé.” Emotion tinged her voice, the way it did when she didn’t speak the entire truth. There were gaps in her résumé, names and dates missing. She cleared her throat and produced the envelope with her qualifications from her back pocket. “Agnes told me you’re looking for someone to help your grandfather regain his sea legs. And it just so happens I’m available.”

  Edwin gave her a half grin, and a thumbs-up. “Until I’m okay, I’m sold.”

  Becca grinned. Edwin was just what her lawyer suggested—a recovering client who’d give her a stellar character reference within the next few weeks. There would be no honoring a last request, no gift, no deathbed vigil. Edwin was recovering and after a few weeks, Becca would move on.

  Flynn took the envelope reluctantly, as if it contained germs, and stuffed it into a plastic bag from the hospital. “Don’t set your parking brake just yet, Grandpa. We should review all the candidates before we make a decision.”

  “Why?” Edwin asked.

  “Because selecting a caregiver is almost as important as selecting a doctor.” The edge to Flynn’s voice was more pronounced. “You don’t just pick one up off the street. Or off your driveway.”

  And then their gazes collided—hers and Flynn’s. It wasn’t a cursory glance like the one he’d given her from across the roof of the car. His scrutiny landed on her and delved deep in one surprisingly quick hit that left her breathless and panicky.

  Because in his gaze she saw recognition.

  Of her? Of her desperation? She didn’t know which.

  Becca pulled herself together, trying to salvage the opportunity, along with her smile. “I have eight years experience, mostly in transitioning patients from rehab to home life.”

  “Sounds super,” Edwin slurred, at the same time that Flynn said, “We have to choose carefully.”

  Abby circled Flynn’s ankles, doing a bit of character judging with her nose. Flynn leaned over to scratch behind her ears. She licked his hand approvingly and then ran up the front steps, giving them a satisfied smile as she sat.

  “Even the dog thinks we should hire Becca,” Edwin said.

  At Flynn’s frown, words tumbled from Becca’s mouth. “I tailor my care to each client. I work toward my patient’s goals as well as their doctor’s orders. Abby’s a licensed therapy dog. She’s well behaved and loves everybody. I can work whatever hours you need if you’ll let me park on-site.” Becca pointed at her motorhome and rushed on. “I hear you’re building a winery in town. You’re probably incredibly busy and need someone right away...”

  Flynn caught sight of the wedding band on her right hand and raised an eyebrow.

  “My husband, Terry, was killed in Iraq three years ago.” Saying it no longer brought tears to her eyes, just the memory of a nameless marine with bad news and a stoic expression.

  Someday she’d put the thin band of white gold and its small, princess-cut diamond away. She’d tried a few times, but could only move it as far as her right hand.

  “Becca, I appreciate you coming by. But you know as well as I do...” Flynn seemed determined. “I have to interview other candidates.”

  She knew, but she’d hoped—

  “Nonsense.” Edwin frowned with both sides of his mouth now. “She’s a war widow. It’s my duty to help her.”

  “Grandpa Ed, let me take care of this.” Flynn edged the walker closer to his grandfather, dismissing her.

  Because she wasn’t sweet or loveable or trustworthy.

  * * *

  “I LIKE HER,” Grandpa Ed said once Flynn had him settled in his recliner in the living room. “Hire her.”

  “Slow down.” Flynn opened the ancient gold brocade living-room curtains, letting in the afternoon sunlight. It did nothing to cheer him. Instead, it aggravated the sledgehammer-like pounding in his head. He’d seen something familiar in Becca’s expression. He just couldn’t put his finger on it, not while he was preoccupied with his grandfather.

  “I like her,” his grandfather reiterated.

  “It’s time for your pills and to check your blood sugar.” Flynn changed the subject, ignoring the light blinking on the answering machine. It was most likely the usual messages from Grandpa Ed’s friends in town—help with a leaky faucet or something heavy that needed lifting. He’d become a go-to resource for the locals.

  Flynn rummaged through the bag of medicine and paraphernalia they’d brought home from the hospital, searching for his grandfather’s pill box and the flap that said Sunday lunch.

  As he did all this, his mind flashed to the past, to a time without worry. To warm nights out on the back porch overlooking the Harmony River, while Grandpa Ed regaled him and his friends with s
tories of loyalty, honor and espionage.

  How he longed for those days.

  Flynn and his business partners had made millions in the dot-com world, but money couldn’t buy health or happiness. Not for an eighty-year-old man with advanced heart disease.

  “Why not hire her?”

  “Because.” Because people had tried taking advantage of Flynn’s wealth already. He’d had to change his cell phone number twice and Grandpa Ed’s home number. There’d been too many calls from out-of-the-woodwork entrepreneurs and college buddies wanting to manage, or rather, spend his money. Not to mention the temporary reconciliation with his mother. She disappeared after he’d written her a check. Only his ex-con father hadn’t shown up for a handout. “If it’ll make you happy, I’ll call Agnes later. She’s the one who recommended Becca.”

  “And then we’ll hire her.” Grandpa Ed sounded as if it was a done deal.

  But there was something about Becca MacKenzie that poked at Flynn’s subconscious. He could see how his grandfather might be charmed by her warm smile and heart-shaped face. He could see how a man could be distracted by her sleek curves and ribbons of long black hair. But he’d been caught by something in her walnut-brown gaze. Something he had yet to identify. Something that was simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar.

  “Knock, knock.” Slade Jennings, Flynn’s friend and one of his business partners, opened the screen door. “There’s the big man.” Slade crossed the living room and shook Edwin’s hand, looking as if it was casual Friday in his black slacks, button-down shirt and yellow paisley tie. That was just the way the financial guru presented himself, even on weekends. “How’re you feeling?”

  Grandpa Ed’s smile looked sad. “I’ve been better.”

  Flynn handed his grandfather two pills and a bottle of water. “He’ll get better.” He had to.

  Grandpa Ed had raised Flynn since he was eight. That was the year his father had gone to prison for armed robbery. The year his mother decided she’d needed a new start in life, one that didn’t include a son who looked exactly like his criminal father. The year Flynn learned that no matter what he did, his grandfather wouldn’t leave him on someone else’s doorstep.