A Summer Without End

Shit.

"When did he die?" he said in a tight voice.

She seemed to have come to terms with it but it made her expression melancholy. "Two years ago. There was... an accident while he was working with the government. I'm told it was instant."

"I'm so sorry-" he began but she raised a hand.

"Please don't. I don't want to hear that anymore," she said quietly.

He just nodded and she sat back.

She looked around. "So you'll live here year round? What about work?"

"I don't have to work if I live inexpensively. If I want to, I can take up coding on a freelance basis. Work from here."

She blinked at him. "How will you meet people?"

He looked away and was silent for a bit. "I go for a run on the beach every morning. I see people."

"That isn't meeting people. You have to stop and talk to them!"

He glanced at her and away. "I'm not good at that. Never have been."

"You're doing fine with me," she said with a brighter smile.

He was surprised to discover he was. He glanced at her and nodded. "Yes, but... I don't know why."

She grinned. "We did leap past some of the more personal stages of a relationship."

He looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"We've seen you hungover and we've seen you naked. For that matter, we had to carry you into your bedroom and get you onto the bed. You are not a light man."

He put his face in his hands, groaned, and slumped back in his chair. At the sound of a quiet chuckle he peeked at her through his fingers.

"You don't seem to be carrying fat anywhere on your body," she said with a grin and bounced her pretty eyebrows at him playfully.

He wasn't sure if her enjoyment was better than her being upset. He felt... weird.

"I- I've always been skinny," he said quietly.

Her eyes widened as she saw he was being serious. "Reid, you're not skinny. You're tall and slim but you have... excellent definition."

He blinked at her so she continued. "I'm not a small woman. I stand 5' 9" and ever since I had the girls I've carried an extra twenty five pounds. You, you're..."

"A 6' 4" beanpole."

She stared at him as she considered the seven inch height difference between them. "Tall, but you're no beanpole. Your muscles have grown in nicely. I remember the pictures of you around this house. You were definitely a tall, skinny kid. You're not skinny now. How much do you weigh?"

He shook his head as he hadn't been weighed since he was in the army. He was smaller than he'd been then but they'd worked his muscles hard. "Probably 200 pounds now."

"That's not skinny," she repeated gently.

He looked into her eyes and nodded. He felt like he should complement her in return. He opened his mouth then closed it. He had so much to say and was terrified to say anything. She looked at him curiously with those gorgeous eyes of hers and he felt something move inside his chest.

"You're so beautiful," he suddenly blurted then wished he'd never opened his mouth as her eyes widened in surprise and her cheeks became very red.

"Sorry-"

"No! It was nice to hear. Thank you. Listen, I have a lot of unpacking to do and you should take some pain killers and get some rest. Drink water to help with the dehydration. I'll let myself out."

He dropped his eyes to the table surface and nodded in embarrassment. He'd made her uncomfortable around him. Brilliant.

He was surprised to feel her touch his hair and he looked up to see her gentle smile. "It was very nice to finally meet you, Reid."

"It was nice to meet you, Evelyn," he managed.

She turned and headed outside. He watched her walk back to join her daughters and how they rushed over to circle her excitedly. He couldn't hear what they were saying of course but he could imagine. He rubbed his face with his hands.

He dragged himself out of his chair and headed for the washroom to get the painkillers.

Beautiful and smart.

Chapter 2

Reid was a little shaky about meeting his new neighbors again after the spectacularly poor first impression he'd made the day before.

He was feeling a lot better when he woke this morning compared to the previous day. After a run on the beach and doing his exercises he'd spent the rest of the morning tidying the house. Not out of the expectation of having company. No, it was about taking control back over his life. His lapse with the whiskey showed him he still had issues to deal with. Taking control of his environment had to be a good place to start.

He shaved off the scraggly beard he'd been neglecting as well. Again, not for anyone else. Just to take control back. He liked the clean shaven look so... he did it for himself.

He'd been pleased to discover the deck had a gas barbecue but he needed to fill the tank and pick up food to cook on it. That meant a trip into town.

It was almost noon when he loaded the empty tank into the back of the Jeep.

"Going to town?"

He turned to see the triplets watching him with hopeful expressions.

"Uh, yes."

"Can we come along?" one asked. He still couldn't tell them apart.

"What about- did you ask your mother?" he asked awkwardly.

They smiled at each other and one stepped forward. Erin. He recognized the cheeky grin.

"You do know we're not children. We're 18. Capable of making decisions on our own."

He nodded and looked back towards their house. "Would your mom want to join us?"

"She's unpacking." Quiet voice. Elizabeth.

He sighed. "I won't be in town for very long. Just picking up propane and food for the barbecue."

"Ah! You're having a barbecue tonight? Can we join you? We'll pick up food too!" Erin gasped.

He blinked at her bold self-invite but found himself nodding.

"Can we put the Jeep's top down?" Erin asked and he nodded again.

He remembered watching his dad releasing all the fasteners and taking the side and back windows off. It took him a few minutes but he got the roof folded and strapped down in the back.

"Do the doors come off?" Erin asked excitedly. Off they came.

Once the Jeep was ready the ladies quickly scrambled to climb into the Jeep as they giggled excitedly. He insisted they belt themselves in and climbed behind the wheel to get them underway.

The deeply rutted lane made the Jeep tilt this way and that, making the ladies grin and laugh. Once they were out on the main road he was able to drive at a normal speed. The triplets all had shorter hair so they didn't mind the wind whipping it around like crazy. They grinned at him and he concentrated on the road.

He heard the click of a camera and saw Erin had taken a picture of him. He smiled at her and she took another before slipping the cell phone into her pocket.

First stop was the gas station where he replaced the tank for a newer, full one. Then they went to the grocery store. Elizabeth got a cart for him then they rushed away only to return with items. They told him they were keeping track of the cost of the stuff they put in the cart.

He went to the butcher's counter to get steaks. For tonight, he picked up cubed sirloin as he planned to make shish-kebab skewers. Next he went to the produce department for peppers, zucchini, and onions. He also picked up ingredients for a light, fresh salad and a variety of dressings. Then he was done.

The three ladies were done as well and he noted each of them was carrying a six pack of craft beer in bottles. They looked at him hopefully.

"You want me to buy beer for you?" he asked cautiously, pitching his voice for them alone.

"Mom lets us drink when we're with her!" Erin insisted.

He turned his eyes to Elizabeth and she nodded.

Pushing his misgivings aside he nodded briefly and their grins widened.

"We'll show your mother what we've brought back with us when we get back," he insisted.

They nodded enthusiastically and he felt a little better about it.

Emily spoke with her sister and then turned to him. "Our items come to around $140 but you're picking up the extra cost for the meat so we'll put in an extra $60 to cover our share."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Very," Emily said with a nod.

He agreed and she handed him $200. He raised his eyebrows as he hadn't expected them to have the money with them. He put the bills into his wallet and pushed the cart up to the cashier. The beer went onto the belt as they moved to help bag the groceries. He paid and they pushed the cart out to the Jeep to load themselves and the groceries inside. There wasn't a lot of storage in the small vehicle so lighter grocery bags went onto laps, except for his.

He got them headed back home and the girls chatted happily the entire way. They were pretty excited. There was supposed to be a beach party in front of one of the neighbor's places down the beach in a couple of days when the family arrived. They'd spent summers with the other families and apparently there would be young men at the party. Much giggling ensued.

Reid carefully navigated the lane and pulled right up to the steps in front of their home. At the sound of the Jeep the front door opened and Evelyn came out.

"Where did you go? You were supposed to help me unpack!" she growled.

"Reid was going into town!" Emily chirped.

"He's having a barbecue tonight! We're invited!" Elizabeth offered.

"We had to pick up some items as well at the grocers!" Erin finished off.

"Beer," Reid said holding Evelyn's eye to let her know he needed her confirmation.

"You three put Reid on the spot in the store when you asked him to buy you beer didn't you!" she said with a scowl.

The three young ladies looked ashamed and looked at each other.

"They said you were ok with them drinking with you. I told them we'd show you what they got." Reid said to ease the tension.

"We're sorry for taking advantage of your good nature," Elizabeth said and Reid saw Evelyn smile as her daughter caught on. Emily and Erin quickly apologized as well.

"It's ok, this time. Please check with your mom first next time. Ok?" he asked and they all smiled when he confirmed there would be a next time.

"Let's get these groceries inside!" Emily said lifting a bag out of the back and pushed it into Reid's hands. The invitation to go inside with it was implied.

He glanced at Evelyn and she just smiled. He took another bag and climbed the stairs. She guided him inside and towards the kitchen. He was immediately impressed with how open and inviting their home was! The comfortable furnishings, the layout, the view, it all came together to create a welcoming atmosphere. He noticed an abundance of framed photos of the happy family scattered around the room and his heart lurched in his chest with longing. They all looked so comfortable with each other. Hugging, holding hands, leaning on each other, touching. Their deep love for each other was abundantly clear. This was a family that got it right.

He saw a few with a man in the picture and noticed he was just a little shorter than Evelyn, stocky, and had pepper colored hair and dark eyebrows. He had a nice smile and it was obvious that she and the girls loved him very much. Reid envied the man. At least he'd experienced love.

He put the groceries down and took another look at the living space. That's what he was picking up. Something that was missing from his own place. The impression of love filling the space. It was the family portraits. His place seemed cold and barren in comparison.

"Is something wrong? You seem sad." Evelyn said as she touched his arm.

He looked at her and gave her a smile as he tried to shake off the mood. "No. You have a truly beautiful home!"

The girls arrived with more bags and he stood aside as they passed with grins on their faces.

Evelyn removed her hand from his arm and frowned at their giggles. "Are there any more bags?"

"A few. The rest are Reid's." Elizabeth said.

"I should go put them away. I have some preparation to do for the barbecue as well," Reid said, moving back to the door.

"What are we having?" Evelyn asked.

"Shish-kebab," he replied.

"Mmm! Sounds lovely! Are you marinating the meat?" she asked as they climbed back down to his Jeep.

He looked at her in concern. "Marinating?"

She grinned at him. "Why don't you let me take care of that and I'll bring it when we come over. What time should that be?" Her daughters joined them at the Jeep to get the beer and the remaining bags. The mother scowled at how much beer they had. The girls looked guilty once more.

"6:30?" he asked as he dug in the bags to pull out the cubed sirloin.

He froze when he lifted a large box of condoms from the bag. His eyes went to the triplets. "Uh, does this belong to you?"

Erin gave him a coy smile and glanced towards her mother. "No, those are for you."

The daughter rushed up the stairs giggling madly as their mother's cheeks flushed red once more.

"Incorrigible! How did I end up with such naughty girls!" Evelyn exclaimed as she looked back to Reid apologetically.

He smiled nervously and shook his head. "They seem like really good girls, if a little bold." He decided a redirect might be a good idea. "Apparently, the neighbors down the way will be having a beach party in a couple of days. Boys will be in attendance. Perhaps they should take these after all."

Evelyn was shaking her head. "If they have such intentions they'll already have purchased a box of their own. They're smart enough to be careful," she assured him.

Not knowing what else to do he dropped the box back into the grocery bag. He found the meat in the next bag and handed it to her. "6:30?"

She gave him a smile and nodded. "We'll be there."

He climbed back in the Jeep.

"I like your car! It's very... you!" she said impulsively.

He gave her a puzzled look.

Evelyn had a silly grin on her face. She suddenly reached up and ran her fingers appreciatively along his freshly shaved strong jaw line. "Rugged and manly."

It was his turn blush as he saw her eyes twinkling happily. "Like mother, like daughter?"

A wide smile flashed across her face and he was treated to another lovely display of her white teeth. She spun and rushed up the stairs. His eyes were trapped, watching her body ascending. She looked back and caught his awestruck expression. She waved and rushed inside.

His mind was spinning. Skinny beanpole Reid was 'rugged and manly'? He'd certainly never pictured himself that way.

In a daze he put the Jeep in reverse and parked it under his home once more. He carried the groceries inside and went back outside to put the tarp over the now open Jeep. Next, he installed the fresh tank on the barbecue then went back inside to the kitchen.

He had food to prepare.

Chapter 3

Music was playing and three beauties were dancing on the wide deck painted by the orange glow of the evening sunlight. Reid was standing at the kitchen counter with Evelyn preparing the skewers as the barbecue preheated.

She'd brought a lovely bottle of wine with two wine glasses, the girls had their beer, and they'd all toasted their new friendship. While the girls danced, he and Evelyn worked together in the kitchen as the warm breeze passed through his home from the open windows.

He allowed the moment to soak into his mind as it felt like domestic bliss. Something he never expected to experience in his life.

He felt eyes on him and glanced over to see Evelyn was watching him with a little smile.

"You look... content," she said.

He nodded. "This feels... good. Right. Wonderful..." He shook his head as every word that came to mind felt inadequate to describe the feeling.

"It does feel all that," she agreed.

He heard another click and saw Erin had taken a picture of them from the kitchen window as they were smiling at each other. He shook his head with a grin.

They carried the food outside and Reid placed the skewers on the grill and turned the heat down a little. He sipped his wine as he watched Evelyn join her daughters on the 'dance floor'. He smiled at their happiness but kept his eye on their dinner, diligently turning the kebabs before they scorched on any side.

When they were ready he placed them on the serving tray Evelyn had prepared and carried it to the table. Cheers erupted and they all took their seats.

They alternated talking about his life, like his time in the army, and their lives, like their home in Perth, Australia. That's when the girls, and their mother, sprung their Aussie accents on Reid and he laughed out loud in delight. Evelyn and her daughters were Australian citizens and the girls had gone to school there. They all had the accent. As the girls wanted to be actors in the states, Evelyn had enrolled them in acting classes and paid for sessions for herself and them with a dialect coach who taught them all how to speak as Americans from different regions would. They picked up the skills quickly. While in the States they stuck to the American dialect as it was excellent training.

"I think you three will be brilliant in any role you get," Reid said, feeling the wine relax him. He wasn't nervous talking with them. They were really great people!

They enjoyed the food, the soft music blending with the sound of the surf, the warm breeze, and watched the orange globe of the sun setting in the ocean. It was a perfect summer night.

Evelyn went inside and turned on the patio lights. A string of suspended lights twinkled merrily along the railing and under the eaves. It was magic!

His delight must have shown as he saw grins on the girl's faces.

"You've never turned these lights on before?" Emily asked.

He shook his head. "I've haven't sat on the patio at night since I got here."

Evelyn rejoined them and saw the looks of incredulity on her daughter's faces. "What did I miss?"

"He hasn't enjoyed this amazing deck at night!" Erin gasped.

The mother turned to look at him as she sat. "What have you been doing instead of watching all these amazing sunsets?"

He thought about that then recalled the many quiet evenings he'd had. "Writing."

Eyes lit up. "What are you writing?" Erin asked excitedly.

Reid was suddenly aware of four sets of eyes looking at him expectantly. He squirmed under their intense gazes. "A book."

"Read it to us!" Elizabeth blurted loudly and the others turned their eyes on her. She shrank back but Emily looked back to Reid.

"Will you?"

He blinked at her. "Read my book to you? Out loud?"

They giggled at that. Evelyn smiled at her daughters and addressed Reid. "Yes, we'd love to hear some of your story telling. What kind of book is it? A detective story? A story about your time in the army?"

"It's a romance novel."

Four sets of eyes locked on him once more.

"Now we have to hear some," Erin said.

"It- it's the first book I've ever tried to write. I have no idea if it's any good. It's probably terrible!" he insisted.

Evelyn smiled. "So noted. We're prepared now. We'd still like to hear you read it."

Looking at their intent gaze, Reid tossed back the last mouthful of wine and swallowed. He needed the courage. "Ok, but it's not finished." More eager nods.

As he went inside to get his tablet the ladies rushed inside to take bathroom breaks.

They decided to sit in the living room to hear the story so everyone helped clear the table while Reid cleaned and closed the barbecue. He shut off the patio lights on his way in. They really were lovely.

Evelyn poured them more wine as the girls got another beer.

Once everyone was seated he loaded up his story on his tablet and looked at his audience, snuggled together on the big couch. He was in the big chair facing them.

"Last chance-"

"Read Reid!" Elizabeth blurted and giggles erupted.

He couldn't keep the smile from his face. "Ok. Here goes."

The story had come from a place deep inside him. A place of intense longing and loneliness and hinted at his hopes for the future, for something better. He wove these emotions into his story and he felt them again as he read the words aloud. He glanced up from time to time to see if he'd lost his audience but they kept their eyes on him and were leaning forward slightly in interest, so he continued.