<< Go Back

The Last Summer

By Brandy Bruce

Order Now!

I never meant for any of it to happen.
But sometimes, when you drop things, they break. My mother taught me that.
It all started three summers ago. It all started when I met Luke.
Luke Anderson.
We were thrown together in this group that turned out to be something like a perfect circle. Addison was the leader. She was unquestionably the leader. Still is. Maybe it’s the fact that she’s the oldest of the group by six months. Maybe it’s because she’s the most mature. Maybe it’s just her personality to take charge. Whatever it is, I knew from day one that Addison was the leader.
That day, more than one-hundred Sundays ago, I walked into the singles class at Christ Community Church, dreading, dreading, dreading being there. Twenty-four years old and I felt like it was my first day of high school. I worried my outfit was too dressy, or not dressy enough. I worried that the faint highlights in my shoulder-length, light brown hair were too faint, or maybe too dark. I worried that I might sweat through my light gray blouse. I worried that there was cat hair on the back of my black pants. I’m not really that much of an animal person but people always seem to think I am because I have a cat. A cat who sheds like a pine tree in October. Long story.
Back to my point. I was nervous. I’d left a life full of friends in Austin, Texas, when I’d moved back home to Houston. Framed in the doorway of the classroom at that moment, I’d never felt so alone.
The simple fact was that I’d moved back home. I’d had to. Now I needed people.
Addison Parker, tall with wavy, auburn hair, stood at a table by an open box of doughnuts. She’d smiled at me and waved me over, and without a word, I knew I liked her. Who knows why? Maybe it was the pink-iced, sprinkled doughnut in her hand. Maybe it was how she hugged me before I could finish saying my name and then told me how glad she was to meet me.
Sam Spencer and Lily Morrison had walked in together, holding hands and arguing. They’re still holding hands and arguing, come to think of it—Sam with his effortless nonchalance and messy brown hair and petite Lily with her blond pixie cut that fits her perfectly. And by the way Addison talked to them that morning, I could tell the three of them had been friends for a while. I was the newbie. She introduced me and I got another tight hug from Lily. Then from the back of the room came Jason Garcia, Hispanic, dark-haired, handsome, an immediate welcoming smile on his face. He made a bee-line to me, introducing himself and asking me to sit with him and drawing me into conversation.
I could have loved him just for that, just for intentionally including me when I was feeling like a fish flopping on sand. The dark hair and dark eyes and olive skin were an added bonus to the stimulating conversation of Was this my first time visiting Christ Community? Was I new to the area? Where did I work? and so on. A few others trickled in. I sat sandwiched between Jason and Lily, who complimented my shoes and told me emphatically that I was joining her and Addison for lunch at Isabella’s Deli after the class ended so they could learn everything about me. She couldn’t have known how willing I was to say yes.
We sat in a circle, and Addison was just about to pray when the door opened and my heart nearly stopped. Because the blond, green-eyed guy who walked in elicited that response in me, just by walking through the door.
Very unfortunately, he still does.
A round of hellos greeted him, and I realized he was a regular. He took an open seat that just happened to be across from me. Far across from where I sat in the circle, but still, directly across from me, which made it very difficult for me not to stare at him.
I should mention that I’d never, ever had that response to someone before. That sort of stolen-breath, heart-bursting reaction that feels so overwhelming your hands sweat and you try to swallow but can’t.
He looked in my direction, and I was, of course, gazing at him (not drooling, thank heavens). And the smile on his face made everything oh-so-much worse.
Because it was undoubtedly the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen. Addison started talking and I forced my attention back on her. About ten minutes later, the door opened and a girl with curly brown hair fluttered into the room.
I say fluttered, because I learned that Debra Hart never just walks anywhere. The girl flutters and flies and invades and takes over and fills a room when she enters it. Her brown curls bounce when she moves. To me, that day, Luke walked in and sucked all the oxygen out of the room. Debra barreled in and infused the space with life. Everyone just seemed to smile at the sight of her. With apologies for being late, she came crashing in, carrying a coffee cup and a huge red purse and sitting down next to Luke.
Close to Luke, I should add.
She settled back and his arm went around her. Well, he rested his arm on the back of her chair, not exactly around her. But it was enough to make my heart sink. To make me instantly jealous. Then Debra was saying something funny—I can’t even remember what—and we were all laughing, myself included. Because she’s funny, and cute, and full of life—and that’s just Debra.
Addison dived into the Bible study at that point and I tried to concentrate, all while stealing glances at Luke . . . and Debra. (Which really heightened that feeling of being back in high school, by the way.)
The moment the class ended, a few people left the room but Addison, Lily, and Debra descended on me. Sam, Jason, and Luke took over the doughnut station, scrounging for leftovers. I was trying to think of a way to get introduced to Luke. He glanced at me from the table, but Jason was saying something to him at that very moment, so he looked over at him.
“We’re going to Isabella’s,” Lily had told Debra, and Debra swung that massive purse over her shoulder.
“I’m in.”
“Where are we going?” Sam asked, before stuffing half a doughnut in his mouth.
“It’s a girls’ lunch, Samuel,” Addison said. “No boys allowed.”
“I heard someone say Isabella’s,” Jason said, putting an arm around Addison and an arm around Lily.
“Not invited to this conversation, Jas,” Lily said bluntly.
“Isabella’s has good chili. How about a guys’ lunch at Isabella’s?” Sam asked Luke and Jason, his voice all innocent. Both guys nodded. I remember looking at Luke (I couldn’t help it) and the cool, collected, easy look on his face drew me in a little more—he was a mixture of everything that attracted me. A little James Dean. A little Brad Pitt. Self-assured. Confident. Comfortable. Strong. Reserved. Short blonde hair, deep green eyes. We still hadn’t been properly introduced.
Addison sighed. “Fine. But this lunch is about getting to know Sara. So no sports talk, fishing talk, work talk, annoying talk—got it?”
“Got it. Sara,” Jason said smoothly, moving away from Addison and Lily and steering me toward the door. “So tell me, do you like chili?”
I laughed.
“Sara?” I nearly tripped turning around at the voice. Luke was standing behind us.
“We haven’t really met yet. I’m Luke Anderson.” He held out his hand, and I slid mine into his.
“Sara Witherspoon. I’m glad to meet you.”
Please be my future husband.
It occurred to me that I’d ridden to church with my parents, so I’d need a ride to Isabella’s. The pleasant thought of riding with Luke gave me the boldness at that moment to say, “Hey, could I get a ride with someone to the restaurant? I didn’t drive my car to church this morning.”
I swear I remember Luke opening his mouth to speak, but next to me, Jason put his arm around me and directed me back toward the door.
“I’ll give you a ride, Sara,” Jason said.
Fifteen minutes later I was sitting between Addison and Jason at the table, trying to answer the onslaught of questions that were coming my way. Luke was seated across from me, diagonally this time, and much closer. Close enough for me to notice that he was more reserved than the other two guys, but that all three of them interacted like brothers—close, teasing each other but loyal in an instant. He held himself well; I liked the maturity that came across in how he spoke and how he listened. I liked the fact that he smiled easily but didn’t joke too much. I liked how he paid attention to each person at the table.
Honestly, this might sound strange—but looking back, I think I connected from the start to Luke’s personality.
Because it was the same as mine. Quiet, a little introverted, but still willing to put himself out there and be friendly.
“Okay!” Addison had said loudly. “You guys! There’s no way she can keep up with all these questions. Sara, you have the floor. Tell us your story.”
And just like that, twelve eyes were glued to me. I took a deep breath.
“It’s not a thrilling story, let me warn you. But here it is. You all know by this point that I’m Sara Witherspoon. I’m twenty-four and I graduated from A&M,” Sam groaned at that and Lily poked him hard, “. . . two years ago with a degree in design. I’ve been working at an art gallery in Austin since graduation, but the place closed down a couple of months ago. Which, unfortunately, means that I just moved back in with my parents. So they asked me to come to church with them, and I said yes because I hoped to meet some new people. So that’s my life: living back in my old bedroom at my parents’ house, currently job-hunting, and it’s really not that cool of an experience.”
Sympathetic looks all around made me feel just a little better.
Addison reached over squeezed my arm. “Do you get along with your parents?”
I shrugged. “Fairly well. Though I’m an only child so I’ve always been my mother’s favorite project. And from the looks of it, that hasn’t changed despite the fact that I’ve been on my own for years. My dad is a family doctor and works at a practice near our home in Willow Heights.”
Jason whistled at that and I flushed. I hated telling people where my family lived, but it was usually better to get it over with, rather than face the questions later of Why didn’t you mention that you live in the affluent, illustrious Willow Heights area?
“My mom volunteers with a lot of charities in the area and she’s really involved with her garden club and that sort of thing. She was a professional event planner for years. Living together would be easier if she and I weren’t so alike in the fact that we love design, yet have opposite style preferences. We learned this when I was ten years old and I asked to be allowed to redecorate my room. It was war.”
Everyone at the table laughed.
“So I haven’t lived in Houston on a permanent basis since before college. Now I’m back. In some ways . . . I love it. I’ve always thought of Houston as home. I think I’d be a lot happier if this was happening on my own terms. But here I am. I’m hoping to find a job soon and get an apartment. Before my mother and I start driving each other past the point of crazy.”
“Well, we’re very glad you came to Christ Community today, Sara,” Debra had said and everyone nodded their agreement. “I know it can be hard to feel like you’re starting over. I moved out here because of a job, after growing up and going to college in Minnesota. Talk about a life change! I was desperate to know people too.”
“And you know people now, Sara,” Addison said firmly. “Welcome to the circle.”
“Circle?” I repeated, my hands clenched together under the table.
Jason grinned. “Here’s our story. So Sam and Lily are the annoying ones who’ve been making out since high school.”
“Jason!” Lily screeched. Sam just shrugged, unconcerned.
“Sam and I have known Addison and Luke since college. We all went to the University of Texas. Sam and Luke were roommates,” Lily said, her face still beet-red. “And yes, Sam and I have been dating since high school.” She glared at Jason.
“There was that one year, Lil,” Sam broke in. Lily’s face turned more scarlet.
“Really? You’re going to bring up the one year we weren’t together?”
“Well, I mean, it’s part of our story. And then there were those four months a couple of years ago.”
“Sam, stop talking. Anyway, once we graduated from UT, Sam and Addison and I moved back to Houston. Luke’s originally from Colorado but he loved us all so much that he stayed in the great state of Texas and moved out here to Houston and got an apartment with Sam. We started going to Christ Community Church, which is where Addison has gone for years. So we’re kind of like family at this point.”
I broke in, worried I wouldn’t get another chance. “So what made you choose UT?” I’d asked, looking directly at Luke. He looked surprised that I’d singled him out.
“Scholarship. I’d applied to several out-of-state schools. For a lot of reasons, I needed a break from Colorado. My parents had just divorced and I was ready for a change from the scene I was used to. So I left the mountains and moved out to the land-of-more-humidity-than-I’d-known-existed.”
That brought a round of laughs and smile to my face. He winked at me and I wondered if and when I might get to hear more of his story—leaving Colorado; his parents breaking up. I wanted to know his history.
“Addison took over as the leader of the singles group at Christ Community about a year ago,” Lily continued. “That’s when we met Debra and Jason. Debra was an immediate fit to this group. Jason just started following us around and we couldn’t get rid of him.”
“You needed me in this family and you know it, Lily Morrison,” Jason teased.
“He forced his way into the circle,” Lily contradicted.
“He belonged in this circle, Lily,” Addison said with a motherly sigh.
“And just like that, you guys want to let me in?” I said, raising my eyebrows.
They all exchanged looks around the table. I felt like they were having this private conversation and I just hoped the conclusion would be that they wanted me. Because there was something special about the people at this table. The way they kidded and joked and touched each other and moved like one breathing organism. The way they did seem like a family. Six people connected to each other. I wanted to be the seventh.
“I have a feeling, Sara Witherspoon,” Addison said, tilting her head to the side and studying me as though she could see all the way to my heart. “You belong too.”
I don’t know how she knew, but she did. Like I said, Addison is the leader. She’s the glue. Once she said those words, all tension melted away and I was included. If Addison said I belonged, I did. She reminded me of Melanie Wilkes in Gone with the Wind. Her word was law. And from that day forward, the six people around that table at Isabella’s became like six extensions of myself.
We were a circle. Within a month, Jason asked me to go out to dinner with him and we started dating. A year after that, we broke up because I felt we were better as friends. I’m pretty sure Jason didn’t agree, but he and I both refused to let our break up damage the circle. So we stayed friends. During my dating-Jason phase, Sam and Lily got married, which changed things somewhat but not really since they were already such a unit. I realized early on that Luke and Debra were never an item. And my crush on Luke diminished as Jason and I dated and then shifted to ‘just friends,’ and we all solidified our roles in the circle.
Sort of.
And somewhere along the way, painfully, Luke and I became best friends.
 

Order Now!

<< Go Back