Page 27 of No More Secrets
Carter, wearing only pajama pants, was rolling around on the floor grappling with another man.
“God damnit, you know who I am, Carter! Stop hitting me, asshole,” the stranger cursed.
“I know it’s you. That’s why I’m hitting you,” Carter grunted, releasing him from the chokehold.
They sat up and beyond the twin bloody noses and blooming bruises Summer saw the family resemblance.
“Jackson,” she gasped.
Both men swiveled to face her. Carter dragged his brother to his feet.
“This Summer?” Jackson asked, swiping at the blood on his face.
“How the hell does everyone in this damn place know who I am?” Summer groaned. She stomped past the brothers to the kitchen.
They followed her back and watched her start the coffee pot. She tossed a box of tissues at Jackson, who shoved one up his nose to stem the bleeding and passed the box to Carter who did the same. “What is wrong with you two?”
“He broke into my house. He could have been a crazed maniac trying to kill you,” Carter started.
“You knew who he was when you punched him in the face,” she accused, dumping some ice cubes into a resealable bag. She threw it at Jackson, who put it on his eye.
“I wasn’t one hundred percent certain.”
“I said ‘It’s me, Jackson. Stop punching me in the face,’” his brother interrupted.
“Any maniac could have done some basic research and used that line.”
“Let’s get back to the main questions here, Jackson,” Summer said, snatching coffee mugs out of the cabinet. “What are you doing sneaking into your brother’s house at 5:30 in the morning, and how the hell do you and everyone else in this ridiculous town know who I am?”
“Well, you’re all over the Blue Moon Gossip group and your blog came up in my Google alert for the farm.”
“Hang on.” Summer pinched her nose between her finger and thumb and turned her back on Carter so she wouldn’t be distracted by his spectacular pecs. “What’s the Blue Moon Gossip group?”
“It’s a Facebook group for the town. See?” Jackson pulled it up on his phone and slid it across the island to her.
Summer scrolled through the photos and posts.
Spotted: Carter and Summer satisfying their sweet tooth with gelato and a romantic walk around town.
Spotted: Carter Pierce and Summer Lentz looking cozy at Peace of Pizza. Could this be the end of bachelorhood for the oldest Pierce brother?
Spotted: Carter Pierce treats his special lady friend, Summer, to a pair of vegan cowboy boots. Has he finally found his “solemate?”
Spotted: Carter Pierce opening his home to editor and blogger Summer Lentz. Could love be in the air on Pierce Acres?
The last post included a link to her blog, which explained the sudden jump in site traffic over the last two days.
“This is like Blue Moon’s answer to Page Six,” Summer groaned. “I need to sit down.”
Carter shuffled her to a barstool. His long fingers pulled her cardigan together and he worked his way down the buttons. Summer blushed, realizing her tank strap had slipped off her shoulder and was hanging precariously low.
He returned to the coffeemaker and started pouring mugs.
“While Summer wraps her head around becoming a Blue Moon celebrity, let’s get back to what the hell are you doing breaking into my house?”
“First of all, you never lock your door so it doesn’t count as breaking in. Secondly, when you hear why I’m here you’ll be pissed you wasted so much time trying to pound my face in.”
The bickering continued, while Summer scrolled through the Facebook group. “Hey, can I join this group?”
