Summer Raine

By L.A. Wajda

Claire, Jack, and Raine. Three best friends, playing away their summer days on the sand. And then they grew up… All of them in love, all in their own way. One boy came from money. He got the girl. The other worked hard and made his own. He didn't… until a tragic accident causes their paths to cross again.

Find out how one twist of fate sends Claire from the arms of one best friend into the arms of the other, and how it could be the biggest mistake of her life…

• Language: English
• Publisher: L.A. Wajda
• Release date: Oct 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781507008553

Book preview

PROLOGUE

I DON’T REMEMBER HOW we met Raine. We played in the sand all day, me and my best friend Jack, and built a really cool sand castle—the kind that has a bunch of tiers, with towers holding flags, and a moat and all that stuff—the kind of sand castle people stop and stare at, and wonder who built it. And then, when we were done, we looked up, and there he was. He was just one of us, right then. Me, Jack, and Raine.

Me and Jack, we knew each other ever since I could remember. He was always just there. Both of us lived on the island every summer, since we were babies. I guess you could say we grew up together. My mom and his mom were summer friends. They weren’t much alike, but our houses were on the same street and their kids were besties. So they grew on each other. They kinda had to.

Jack’s parents came from old money—the kind that’s passed down for lots of years—and they liked to think they were better than everybody else. That kinda got on my mom’s nerves. Not like my mom and dad. My parents, they worked hard to make their money. My daddy came from nothing and made himself a whole bunch of it. I heard my mom say to our neighbor Mrs. Fitz once that my dad was worth a few millions, but we didn’t flaunt it like them a-holes. She whispered that part. I’m not allowed to say that word, but you know what I mean. He always told me, Clairebear, work hard, and you’ll get what you want. And because he was dirt poor when he was a kid, my daddy, he never looked down on those other people who had less money than him. After he grew up, I mean. He always told people they could have whatever they want, if they were willing to work for it. And he was living proof, he said.

My mommy always says that dad keeps me grounded. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I know it must be good. I think it’s like me not being like Jack’s parents, and thinking I’m better than anyone because of us having more money. So, sometimes when I heard Jack acting like his parents, I had to give him a little grounding myself. It didn’t happen much, but when it did, it wasn’t pretty.

Anyway, about Raine... Me and Jack never wondered where he came from. Didn’t even think of asking. We just assumed he was one of the kids whose parents summered at the beach. Just like us. And when we left the beach for the day, he always walked toward the biggest house past the dunes—the one with the huge open balcony on the side with glass panels that went half way up and long chairs that had canopies like Cleopatra. I always wanted to go and lay on one of those things. But anyway, that wasn’t Raine's house. That wasn’t it at all. I found out where Raine was from a few years later.

For the first summer ever, that year we got a maid. My mom actually didn’t mind doing her own cleaning and stuff, but that summer she decided she wanted to be free to take me places, because I was getting all grown up, so she hired someone to clean the house. That someone was Raine’s grandma. When he followed her in our door and saw me standing there, he was so embarrassed he turned purple. But not me. I didn’t even bat an eye.

It turned out Raine lived right off the island, year round, in Manahawkin, in a tiny apartment with his grandma. She cleaned houses—on the island in summer months because they paid twice as much—and they pretty much had nothing. Not a pot to piss in, as my daddy would say. I was sad for him, but my parents taught me that everyone is the same; they just have different circum... um... circumstances. So I didn’t look at Raine any different. He was still my friend. He was grateful that I didn’t make fun of him, and I saw it in his eyes that first day when I didn’t say anything but ‘hi,’ and then took his hand and strolled down to the beach.

On rainy days, when we couldn’t go out to play, me and Raine would sit in my room and talk, and he’d tell me about how someday he’d own one of these big houses on the island, and he’d also buy one for his grandma. And how he would travel around the world and see all the places he heard all the beachers talk about. And how he would be able to buy anything he wanted, and go wherever he pleased. He was going to have more money than anyone on this island. Anyone. And I’d tell him what my daddy told me. I’d say Raine, you can do anything you want to do. Work hard, and you’ll get what you want. It was during those times, over the years, Raine and I formed our own bond: Those rainy, lazy days when we told each other everything we dreamed we’d be.

I never told anyone Raine’s grandma cleaned my house. Not even Jack. I think he was grateful for that, too. So the day she came down to the beach to get him because she was done early and Jack found out on his own? That was not a good day. Not a good day at all.

Jack looked up from the blanket and said "Aren’t you our housekeeper?" with a look on his face like he just smelled some dirty rotten farts. And I knew this was one of those times he was going to act like his parents. I watched Raine step back, and I felt so bad for him, because I knew what was coming.

You don’t live on the beach, do you? Jack demanded. "You don’t live in that big house you go to every day! What, do you clean it? Do you clean it with your grandma? You’re a big fat liar! He stood up and pointed his finger at Raine like he was accusing him of some crime. You’re just a nothing! You come down here and pretend you’re like us, and make us like you, just to find out you’re just the help. I can’t believe-"

Jack stop. But he just kept going—

I fell for your—

Jack. STOP! I screamed at him. But it was too late. Raine was running off the beach.

I turned to Jack. I was so mad I wanted to punch him. Why would you do that?! Raine is our friend! He’s no different than you and me! He can’t help it if his family doesn’t have a whole bunch of money! You don’t either, you know! Your parents do! You just got lucky!

Jack turned red, embarrassed by what he did. I could tell he felt bad, because we talked about this stuff before, and I always told him everything my father said. Jack was a good guy. Sometimes he just let his parents take him over.

Jack laid back down on his blanket and tried not to cry. I knew he felt real bad about what he did to Raine. And the next day, he told him so. Raine didn’t come to the beach, but we went to find him. And, after Jack ‘pologized, he came back to play and we never said anything about that day again.  It was just us three, playing in the sand, all summer long.  Boy, I sure do miss those days...  I miss them a lot.

CHAPTER ONE

Claire

THE FLOWERS WERE BEAUTIFUL. They had stayed perfect for two days in the crowded little room. Not one had turned brown, or started to curl or wilt at the edges. Not one. And there were so many of them. The room was filled to the brim with wreaths, and horseshoes—standing masses of carnations and orchids and deep purple lilies. My parents had sent a bleeding heart, and it was placed