A Summer Love, Chapter 5, by Christina Rich

Everything in Jake wanted to reach out to her, to sit beside her and hold her hand, but his gut warned him to tread lightly. Especially with the way she’d reacted to his touch when she ushered him out on the patio. “You didn’t know?”

Jenny looked up at him, her blue eyes glimmering in the waning sun. Her mouth opened and closed. She shook her head. “No. She never said a word. Not even—” 

“Not,” he hesitated, unsure if he wanted to know, but he’d already jumped, and it was too late to retract the question. “Even what, Jenny?”

Her lids slid shut as she toyed with a pendant around her neck. A necklace he’d recognized as his mother’s. A soft pink pearl nestled inside a half seashell.

“Jenny?”

“I’m sorry, Jake. I was there the day she died, delivering a bowl of Maria’s chicken and noodles.” She stammered as tears welled. “She was weak and frail, but I didn’t know. We sat on the deck for hours, talking and listening to the waves. Like old times.”

He could see them huddled beneath the heavy quilts his mother and Jenny had made together. When Jake refused home economic lessons from his mother, she’d taken a willing Jenny under her wing. He’d often come in from crabbing with his dad to find his mom and Jenny huddled over a sewing machine, or at the stove cooking up chowder. 

“Not once did I realize—l” Jenny crossed her arms. “It wasn’t until a nurse came over and checked on her that I realized how sick she was. I didn’t know about the house.” 

Emotions warred within Jake. He missed his mom. He missed waking up to her humming. He missed the scent of fresh baked biscuits in the morning. He tamped down the jealousy bubbling in his chest and allowed himself to feel hurt on Jenny’s behalf. He should have been there. He should have had those last moments, not Jenny. If he had he could have saved Jenny the grief. “Thank you. For being there with her.” 

“I don’t have to tell you she loved you. You were her world, and she was very proud of you.” Jenny pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and rose from the bench on shaky legs. “I can sign my half over to you if you’d like but promise me if you sell you’ll allow me to purchase it.”

“Not an option,” he said as she brushed by him. 

She glanced over her shoulder. “What do you mean?”

A Summer Love, Chapter 4 by Valerie Hansen

     Jenny's heart was in her throat as she urged Jake out the back door onto the patio. His dog, Ralph, followed and made himself at home, stretching out on the cool deck.
    
     A setting sun was painting the sky a lot rosier color than Jenny's mood. Yes, she was taking a chance on being misunderstood until she had time to fully explain herself but that couldn't be helped. There was no way she and her former fiancé could coexist in a small town like Summer Shores unless they had an understanding.

     Jake's warm hand brushed hers in passing and she jumped as if she'd been hit by lightning. His, "Sorry," did little to relieve her nervousness. For years she'd insisted that he'd been in the wrong and she'd merely reacted to his stubbornness but now that he was back and she could see his face, sense his nearness and empathize with him more easily, she was having to admit that half of their arguments were her fault.

     Instead of choosing one of the folding porch chairs, Jenny sat down on a bench and patted the place next to her. Figuratively speaking, if she was going to play with fire she may as well roast a few marshmallows. The silly thought made her smile.

     Jake took immediate notice.  "It isn't funny, " he said with a scowl. "I can't help limping."

     "What?" She was totally taken aback. "You think I'm laughing at you?"

     "Aren't you?"

     "Of course not." She made a face and tried to mask her feelings. "Actually, I was remembering how we used to build bonfires on the beach and toast marshmallows on sticks." And how you used to draw a heart in the sand with our initials in it. A wistful smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "Those were good times."

     "And long gone," he added. "What was so secret that you had to talk to me about it out here?"

     "Well," she clasped her hands in her lap, hoping to control her nervousness and express herself without giving him the wrong impression. "First of all, I've been doing some soul searching. I think I owe you an apology."

     "For what?"

     For breaking your heart. For ruining our lives. For being a spoiled brat when I should have loved you enough to let you be yourself.  What she actually said was, "For being in too big a hurry to grow up, I guess."

     Jenny could tell Jake was waiting for more. What she'd hoped was that he would reciprocate and accept some of the blame. Not that she wanted to take up where they had left off. Too much had happened in the past fifteen years for that the work. She had, however, thought her overture might lead to a renewal of their childhood friendship. That was the Jake Watkins she had missed so much; the one who made her laugh, who doused her with water balloons, who swept her up in his arms and carried her into the surf while she screamed and pounded his chest pretending she wanted him to put her down.

     Finally, he nodded. "I suppose we both were."

     "That's it? That's all you're going to say?"

     Jake got to his feet, steadied his balance on his injured legs and faced her. "You and I said it all in the past, Jenny. That's all there is left."

     She jumped to her feet, startling Ralph and bringing a half-hearted growl. Her glance went from the dog to Jake and back again. "I see your furry buddy is about as friendly as you are. You're perfect for each other."

     He reached toward the faithful Shepherd. "He saved my life, Jenny. More than once. Now that he's old and stove in like me, I intend to give him the best years of his life."

     "All the more reason for you to keep your mother's place," she countered. "Or make a private deal with me."

     "I knew it," Jake said with derision. "How did you find out? I asked Clayton to keep it to himself until I'd had a chance to look the place over and deal with you personally. I just thought it would be via email or on the phone. You floored me when I saw you were back home."

     "What are you talking about?"

     Jake grimaced. "The house, of course. If I had known my mother had failed to change her will after you broke our engagement I would have found some way to come home sooner and see to it." He paused and squared his shoulders. His jaw jutted out, emphasizing the scar she'd noticed before.

     When he said, "It's already half yours," her knees weakened and she plopped backwards, almost missing the bench.     

A Summer Love- Chapter Three- By Dana R. Lynn

Chapter Three

By Dana R. Lynn

“What am I doing, Ralph?” Jake shoved his hands through his hair as he paced the length of his mother’s spacious living room in front of the enormous picture window. It had a spectacular view of the crystalline water, but he didn’t see it now. All he could see was Jenny’s face the day she had pulled his ring off her finger and rejected him.

 Ralph had taken advantage of his distraction and was perched comfortably on the soft cushions of the sofa, his tongue hanging out as his brown eyes followed Jake’s movement. Jake knew the dog had broken the rules of staying off the furniture. He couldn’t bring himself to make the dog move, though.          

            He had done his best not to let Jenny see how torn up he was about possibly selling the beach house. This house had always been his refuge. When he was hurt. Or worried. Or even when he was broken-hearted, such as when Jenny had rejected him fifteen years ago. When that bomb exploded, ending his military career and almost ending his life, his one thought while he convalesced in the hospital was that he needed to go home. Go to his mother.

            And then he got the news that his mother was gone.

            He had known that she had been sick. But his mother had never told him how sick. He had thought they had time.

            He had been wrong.

            Looking around the house now, all the comfort shored up in these walls throughout the years had been swallowed up in sorrow, leaving him devastated.

            That was the real reason he was contemplating accepting Dr. Merritt’s invitation for the night. Oh, he wanted to see Jenny again, too, like a man lost in the desert wanted a glass of water. He knew that any smiles and kind words she sent his way would be merely for the sake of her mother. Like a fool, though, he still wanted to see her. One more time.

            His heart was racing, just thinking about her. The Jenny he’d loved so fiercely had grown into a lovely woman. He had wanted with everything he had to stay, but he had signed up for another tour of duty and he was a man who kept his word.

            “Enough!”

            His words echoed loudly in the open room. Ralph whined and hid his head under his large paws. Poor fellow. He’d been a bit shy of loud, sudden noises after what they’d been through.

            “Sorry, buddy.” Ruffling the dog’s fur, he made his decision. It would be rude to not attend at this point. He would go for dinner, make polite conversation, then he would leave. He could do this.

            Tightening his jaw, he finished getting ready and left. Half an hour later, he was ringing the doorbell of the Merritt’s house. When the door swung open, he met the excited gaze of Skylar, Jenny’s younger sister.

            “Jake!” Skylar stepped forward and gave him a warm hug. When she stepped back, he searched her eyes. He saw none of the wariness or coldness in her gaze that he had seen in her sister’s. Like Dr. Merritt, Skylar seemed genuinely happy to see him.

            “Sky, it’s wonderful to see you again. How’s college?”

            She made a face. “Silly. I graduated last year.”

            Oh. He felt the warmth crawling up his neck. He’d been gone for such a long time that he had forgotten so many small details.

            Quietly, he followed her up the stairs. Dr. Merritt greeted him with pleasure. Jenny’s greeting was more restrained. If it had been just Jenny and Jake, he knew the conversation would have been tense, possibly non-existent. Thankfully, Skylar and Dr. Merritt were able to carry the weight of the conversation.

            Jake did his best to keep up. It was hard though. Throughout the meal, he was aware of the calculating glances Jenny kept throwing his way. What was she planning? He knew those glances. He used to love to hear the way her mind worked. Now, he was feeling like a bug under a microscope.

            She’s up to something.

            His thought was confirmed as soon as dinner was over. She approached him while her mother and Skylar were getting the coffee and dessert.

            “I need to speak with you.” Her voice was cool, her eyes, those gorgeous green eyes, guarded.

            He shrugged, trying not to let on that his gut was in knots standing so close to her. He could smell the gentle floral scent of her perfume. It was a struggle not to be distracted. “What’s on your mind?”

            She bit her lip, her eyes sliding to the other room. Her mother and sister were laughing about something.

            “I can’t talk to you here. I need you to meet me. Privately.”

            No. Way. Meeting with her now was hard to take now, she was stirring up so many memories and feelings. If he didn’t stop it now, he’d be in deep like before. And get his heart stomped on. Again.

            “Not a good idea, Jen.” He shook his head.

            Those green eyes narrowed to a mere sliver. “Jake Watkins, you owe me. You know you do.”

            He could feel the color draining out of his face.

            She knew.

           

A Summer Love- Chapter Two by Terri Reed

“Mom, it’s not going to work.” Jenny dragged her mother along the boardwalk to the café. No amount of matchmaking was going to bring Jenny and Jake back together.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about?”

The innocence in her voice was so saccharine sweet Jenny’s teeth ached.  She snorted, even as her heart rate still beat too fast.  

“A table for two,” she managed to say to the hostess who led them to a table on the deck by the railing where they had a perfect view of the ocean and the beach.

Jake was back in town.

She’d known one day he’d arrived. She had expected it a few months ago when his mother passed but then he never showed so she’d let her guard down. Seeing him today had stirred up all her old feelings and the memories she’d thought long buried.

Fifteen years.

A long time to get over him. 

She was over him. She’d moved on.  That she was still single had nothing whatsoever to do with Jake!

But boy, oh boy, he was still as good-looking as he’d been when she’d fallen in love with him.  Back then he’d been thinner and exuded a kinetic vitality that had always amazed her even as it drew her in, making her want to be within the sphere of his energy force.

Time had been good to him. He’d filled out, his shoulders boarder, his arms muscled. Now his dark hair had just a tinge of silver thread through the dark strands and there were new lines in his face that only made him more attractive.

And there’d been sadness in his chocolate colored eyes that had tugged at her.

That is, until he teased her.  

Placing her chin in her hand, she stared at her mother. “What were you thinking to invite Jake to dinner?”

Shaking out the napkin and laying it properly across her lap, Mom said, “Extending an invitation to an old friend who’s recently returned to town after a long absence.”

“Right. That’s all.” Jenny turned her gaze to the beach and her breath caught as her gaze snagged on Jake and his dog walking along the sandy shore. Was he limping? What had happened to him over the years?  Would he really sell the house?

The place they’d dreamed of sharing and filling with children.

A flutter started in her tummy and worked its way through her until her hands shook.  An idea formed. She loved the cottage by the sea.

Adjust your expectation and form a new plan, her dad had always told her.

Good advice.

If Jake wanted to sell, there was no reason why she couldn’t buy the house.

A Summer Love--Chapter One--Lenora Worth

A Summer Love

(Ladies of Love Inspired Summer Serial)

Chapter One

Lenora Worth

     “Ralph, give up, boy. You aren’t going to catch a seagull.”

     Jake Watkins grinned down at the German shepherd that stood at his feet, woofing each time a seagull cawed. The big dog was getting old but still has some spunk in him.

     And so did Jake. Maybe they’d both come home wounded and suffering, but being back at Summer Shores gave Jake hope. His physical wounds were healing. No more nighttime pain or grabbing for pills. Ralph had caught shrapnel from that bomb, too. Just a couple of deep gashes but good as new now.

     There would be no going back for these two.

     Jake lifted the leash and Ralph stood so they could keep walking along the boardwalk. The sunshine shimmered over the blue water, bringing back memories of sailing and fishing and flirting with pretty girls. Jake came back here to find that part of himself again, the part where he laughed and smiled and breathed in the fresh air. He wanted to put away the sound of machine guns and battle cries, the taste of dust and the feel of dirt. The pain of death. He was glad to be home.

     But where did he go from here?

     He’d been gone fifteen years and while Summer Shores remained mostly the same, small and quaint and proud, the perfect image of a small American town, he’d changed a lot.

     Would anyone here remember him?

     “Jake?”

     Jake pivoted away from the ice cream shop and turned to stare down the hill. “Dr. Merritt?”

     An older woman with curly gray hair approached him, her smile as bright at the sun. “It is you. In the flesh. Oh, Jake, we’re all so glad to have you home.”

     Jake hugged Dr. Cheryl Merritt close. She was an old family friend. His mother and Dr. Cheryl had been pals since they’d met in nursery school at Summer Shores Church. Dr. Cheryl had a daughter Jake’s age. A daughter he’d rather not think about right now.

     After small talk and a teary-eyed sympathy for the loss of his mother, Dr. Cheryl took his arm. “I want you to come to dinner Friday night.”

     “I’m not sure—.”

     “I won’t take no for an answer,” the petite pediatrician told him, her blue eyes daring him to refuse. “Jenny will be so glad to see you.”

     “Jenny?”

     “Oh, I didn’t mention her? She’s home from California.”

     “For the weekend?” he asked, hoping so and then wishing for more time.

     “No, for good,” Dr. Cheryl said on a smug note. Then she motioned her head and looked past him. “In fact, there she is now. We’re meeting for lunch at the Dock Café. You could join us.”

     Nick turned, his breath stopping. Jenny Merritt. Tall, tanned, curvy, with strawberry blonde wavy hair flowing around her shoulders. She wore a blue sundress and strappy white sandals.

     She looked up when her mother called, and then stopped and stared, her green eyes going wide.

     “Look who I found,” her mother shouted with too much hope. “He’s coming to dinner Friday night.”

     “Mother,” Jenny said, finally reaching them, her eyes on Jake, her frown telling him this was not a good idea. “What are you doing?”

     “I’m talking to Jake,” Dr. Cheryl said with all the innocence of a prime Southern belle and all the steel of a mother who wanted grandchildren soon.

     “Jake,” Jenny said, her smile tentative. “I didn’t know you were home.”

     “Yep.”

Ralph looked from Jake to Jenny, his big brown eyes asking the obvious question—Who is this?

Jake nodded and ignored his curious partner. “I came back to decide what to do with the house.”

     “I’m sorry about your mom,” Jenny said, her discomfort obvious in spite of the sympathy in her eyes.

     “Yeah, me too,” he replied, still angry that he hadn’t made it home in time to say goodbye before his mother passed a few months ago.

     Then Jenny asked him something that made him wonder about what might come next. “You can’t sell the beach house, Jake.”

     Jake stared at the woman he’d loved most of his life and remembered when he’d had to tell her goodbye one time too many.

     She’d ended things that day, unable to deal with him being a soldier. So why was she so concerned about him now?

     “I don’t know,” he said. “I thought it might be for the best.”

     Dr. Cheryl snorted with an unladylike disgust. “Jake Watkins, can’t you see Jenny wants you to stay in Summer Shores?”

     “Mother!”

     Jake looked at Jenny, trying to hide his smile while a becoming blush covered her freckled cheeks. “Jenny, is that true?” he asked, surprised he could still flirt. “Want me to stay around a while so we can relive some of those memories again at the beach house.”

     “Yes,” her mother said.

     “Woof,” Ralph replied.

     But Jenny, beautiful, fun, sweet Jenny just glared at him with that look he knew so well. That would be a definite no.

     “That is entirely up to you,” she said, grabbing her mother’s arm. “We have lunch plans.”

     “I’ll see you Friday night, Jake,” her mother said with a wink.

     And because teasing Jenny felt so good, Jake replied, “That’s a date, Dr. Cheryl.”

     Jenny shot him one last glance and turned and hurried her mother away.

     Ralph looked up at Jake, his dark eyes wide.

     “It’s a long story,” Jake said. “A very long story.”

    

    

Sunday Scripture

Raising of Jairus' Daughter by Paolo Veronese, 1546.
[PD-US]

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat

to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
"My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live."
He went off with him,
and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd
and touched his cloak.
She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"
But his disciples said to Jesus,
"You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said,
"Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" 
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
"Do not be afraid; just have faith."
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
"Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep."
And they ridiculed him.
Then he put them all out.
He took along the child's father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum,"
which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.

Mark 5: 21-43

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