Summer's Night Read Free Page A

family. Settling wasn't an option. He'd seen too many gorgeous women marry for money then take the man for all his assets. Certainly, he didn't top the Fortune 500 list, but he paid his bills and kept enough in reserve so he could retire any time he wanted and not worry about hitting the soup lines due to starvation.
    Some of his men had recently found just such a woman to complete their lives. Damn lucky . Cale found Lily, an office nurse, poor as a church mouse with a heart of pure gold. Cale's brother, Dillon, planned to marry his longtime sweetheart soon. Even Loco stumbled across a wondrous beauty who fit him to a T.
    In all fairness, the men more than deserved to find their other halves. They'd sacrificed everything for their country at one time and now did the same, only in the private sector. Their job factored in an element of true unpredictability, with no set schedule and no care of climate, holidays, or personal wishes. Dangerous and potentially deadly, the Wind Warriors flew under the radar, performing hard, dirty jobs that someone had to do. It wasn't an easy life and didn't lend itself to a family. But deep down he knew each warrior longed for a sweetheart to return home to, to give them a reason to survive, to fight, and to shower them with love as often as they could. He was no different.
    "What do you know about her?" He sat his mug on the table before getting comfortable in the high backed chair.
    She smiled warmly. "So, you're interested."
    He shook his head. "I want to run her through an intel check. Make sure she's on the up and up."
    She sighed. "You'll do it anyway, I'm sure. But, you won't find anything."
    "We'll see."
    His mother's face brightened. "Why don't you ask her yourself tomorrow morning?"
    He read the challenge in her eyes. "Fine." Grabbing his coffee cup, he marched into the kitchen, tired of playing games with his well-meaning mother.
    Tomorrow. He would question the therapist, do a quick background check, and satisfy himself she was legit. It would ensure his mother received the best care and no fishy business existed. After that, he could rest easy and wave off his mother's romance plans relating to him and Summer for good.

Chapter 4

    "Hi, Murphy. Have a good day?" Summer petted the head of her extra large, fluffy white dog as she opened the front door. "Need to go outside?" Holding the door open, she followed the animal out, watching as Murphy trotted here and there, sniffing over her property before finally finding a place to squat.
    Nearly a year ago, Summer had stumbled across a mobile pet adoption event at the local store. Although she'd considered a companion animal for a while, she'd talked herself out of it each and every time. Her work schedule kept her busy, too busy for a dog, she told herself over and over again. Until she looked into the deep brown eyes of Murphy. The purebred Great Pyrenees had wandered the highway for several weeks, living off road kill, before a Good Samaritan had taken her in. Unable to keep her, they'd brought her to the local Humane Society. Slated for euthanasia, a rescue group stepped forward at the last minute, saving her life. Her long white hair contained multiple mats extending to the skin, which couldn't be brushed out, forcing the rescue to shave her hair, further exposing her skin-and-bones body. After that, she'd remained in a foster home for a few weeks, gaining weight, getting routine vet work done including being spayed, and learning to trust people again.
    Summer had looked into those soulful eyes of the dog sitting in a large crate in front of the store and her heart had melted. She couldn't bear to leave Murphy behind to an uncertain future, not when she could provide a good home for the needy animal. Within minutes she'd filled out an application and walked away with a new best friend. It was the best decision she'd ever made.
    Murphy wandered back over, leaning heavily against Summer. "Ooph. You're heavy, girl." Rubbing the dog's