Page 98 of Bayside Heat
“Don’t hold your breath. It’s going to take a long time for me to get over you bringing Mom out for your wedding.” Violet shoved a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.
“You heard back from her?” Serena asked. “She’s coming?”
Desiree gave her a deadpan look. “Just because she sent a postcard that said she’d be there doesn’t mean she won’t forget by the date of the wedding. I’m not getting my hopes up.” Their mother, Lizza Vancroft, was as flighty as a seagull.
“I really hope she comes,” Serena said. “Mostly because it means she’s still making an effort. You deserve that, Des. But also because it’ll be fun to see Violet get all edgy and uncomfortable when she can’t take part in any fuckery.”
Violet scoffed. “Lizza is the queen of fuckery. Where do you think I learned it?”
“Well, people can change,” Serena said. “Remember, don’t ever stop believing…”
Everyone burst into song, and Drake couldn’t help but join in, too.
After Drake was called a teen heartthrob far too many times, he and Serena went to the Wellfleet Flea Market to see Leanna so Serena could thank her for lending them her van. Leanna made Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats jams and sold them at the flea market and in restaurants and stores. The flea market was held in the parking lot of the drive-in theater, hosting vendors from all over, selling antiques, clothing, jewelry, video games, and just about everything else under the sun.
They walked hand in hand through rows of white vendor tents. It was a scorcher of an afternoon. The type of blistering heat that radiated off the pavement and reeked with humidity. If Serena didn’t have to leave soon, he’d take her out on the boat for the day, make love to her in the afternoon sun, and dip in the water to cool off. One day soon…
Serena stopped to look at a pair of earrings. “Chloe’s birthday is coming up. She loves opals.”
Drake just loved watching her do anything, which was seriously ridiculous, but as true as anything had ever been. He looked over the necklaces and found a pretty opal. “How about this with those earrings? From both of us?”
“You have good taste, rock star. But then again, you’re with me, so…” She glanced up at him and said, “We already knew how good your taste was.”
He tickled her ribs. She squealed and tried to get away, but he hauled her in and kissed her fiercely. “I love you, you pesty thing.”
“You chose me. What does that say about you?”
“That I have incredible taste.”
She grinned. “Isn’t that how this all started?”
They bought the earrings and the necklace and moved on to a display of used paperbacks. Serena held up a thriller by Leanna’s husband, Kurt Remington. “Look what I found.” She opened it to the dedication and read it aloud. “For my sweet Leanna and my precious Sloan. You are my treasures.” Sloan was their little boy.
She set the book down and gazed up at Drake. “His treasures. That’s so romantic. But I prefer being your Supergirl. That has always felt romantic to me.”
He pressed his lips to hers and then he took her hand and they continued down the row. “Want to know a secret?”
“Always. Secrets are sexy.”
He looked at her out of the corner of his narrowing eyes.
“What? They are. Think about it. Secrets are things you tell only to very special people. That alone makes them sexy.”
“I guess you’re right, because this one is about my sexy girl. I used to wonder what it would be like to bring you to the drive-in. I’d picture the normal stuff, you know, making out in the back seat and all that. But because I was wicked jealous of every guy I heard about you going out with—”
“What? Even when we were younger?”
“Damn right.”
She pressed her body against his side and kissed his cheek. “I love knowing that about you. Tell me more.”
“It was torture, and even worse now that you’re grown up. Anyway, I thought about how proud I’d feel to strut around here with you on my arm, making all the other guys jealous. Like I am now.”
