#Lori's a good hugger

[bran-writes]

AK Character Flashback- Lori

Lori’s focus sharpened on the small metallic square in front of her, carefully gripped by pliers beneath her magnifying glass. Opposite the pliers, she held the glue swab, carefully applying the substance to the edges.She ignored the hum of the generators that enveloped her workshop in heat against the winter cold.

“Come on, you piece of shit. Don’t flake on me now,” the high schooler mumbled to herself as she gingerly flipped the small plate and set into it’s natural position amongst her masterpiece. She even waited a beat before exhaling. “Shit yeah.”

Twisting the magnifying glass out of the way, Lori stood from her stool and stepped back, running her hands through her dark hair. Before her, completely finished on her work station, sat the rover she’d been modifying for months- it’s angular frame and smooth tracks standing out against the scraped and scratched metal table that held it.

From outside, Moon’s barking and excited panting alerted Lori of a visitor. Whoever it was whistled a tune as they approached, and Lori leaned on the railing and watched the doorway below with interest. Moon beat the guest inside, dashing into the warmth of Lori’s shop and spinning in circles, wagging her tail.

A wild, unkempt shock of red hair poked into the open door of the shop and turned back and forth. Lori smiled.

“Ambassador Kemp to Captain Fowler, requesting permission to board,” the boy called out. Lori could already hear the smile in his voice, which made her grin even wider.

“Permission granted, welcome aboard, Ambassador.”

Andy Kemp looked up at her from below, his smile pushing the sea of freckles on his face to the side like a tide. His big green eyes popped against his black jacket and the snow covered ground outside. “There you are!”

“I see you got a promotion to ambassador from… What position did you have last time?”

Andy pulled his gloves off and strode toward the latter, recalling images in Lori’s head of a much smaller, excitable version of Andy. “Uuhhh, I think it was Grand Adventurer or something like that,” the tall, lanky teen chuckled as he climbed the ladder up to her work area. “I don’t know, you were always better at coming up with names. I just liked coming along for the ride. Adventure in the stars.”

When the boy reached the top, Lori watched as he gazed around at how much had changed since he’d last been there, back when it was a barn. He let out a low whistle before setting his sights back on her with a lopsided smile. “I dig what you’ve dug with the place. It definitely fits you.”

“That what Dad says,” Lori smiled, meeting Andy for a hug. The boy’s arms were now comically long, his thin frame was somewhat comforting. She jerked her head in the direction of her couch and cupboard/table combo. “Hot chocolate on the burner if you want some.”

“Oh hell yeah, that sounds great,” Andy laughed and nodded, peeling his jacket off and crossing the space in a few strides.

Damn, he’s tall, what the hell? Lori thought to herself. She returned to her stool and watched her old friend pour him some hot chocolate in a paper cup. The last time she’d seen Andy was her thirteenth birthday party. It was the night before he moved a few cities away with his mom.

“I heard you were back in town. How’s that working out with your folks?”

“I don’t even think barely describes how close they are to breaking out into a full on screaming match,” Andy chuckled, ruffling his hair and sitting on the arm of the couch. He turned the cup in his hand and shrugged. “That’s not the only arguing going from what I hear.”

Aaaaahh, Lori thought. “Oh… Yeah… She mentioned that huh. Hence, your new role as ambassador.”

“More like, broke down crying last night when I asked about you.”

Lori squinted at the mention of Andy’s sister crying. For one, it was nearly unheard of. Secondly, as far as Lori could remember, she hadn’t exactly said anything that would warrant that. “It wasn’t even that bad, and she was being the asshole.”

“Trust me, I know. She said it herself. I think that’s why she’s upset. That and the jealousy.”

“Why would Nina, Queen of Wilton High, be jealous of me? We haven’t even been close friends- not as much as we used to be.”

Andy shrugged again, taking a sip. “The same reason she picked fights with me after I moved away. She’s scared of never leaving this town, like Dad. She’s scared she’s gonna end up being a diner waitress like our aunt. She’s scared we’ll leave her behind.”

Lori sighed. She should have known that Nina picking that fight wasn’t actually about Lori winning “best of show” at the science fair, or the articles written about her drone. “I can’t help that I’m trying to get out, Andy.”

“I know.”

“I can’t help if I’m the only one around here that wants something more. Well, other than my brother. The sad part about it is… She doesn’t have to be afraid either? And neither do you!”

Andy’s smile wasn’t the usual, jovial one that lit up the room. It was sad. “We’re not all as smart as you, Lori. We all don’t have your parents, that’ll damn near push you out the door if they have to.”

“I know, I-” Lori rubbed her face and stood up, pacing. How could she say this without it turning into a knock-down drag-out argument like what happened with Nina, just last week. “I get it. But what I don’t think you guys are getting is that you don’t have to be as smart as me. And that sounds really gross to say, jeez.”

This time, Andy laughed fully, covering his mouth with his hands. “I know what you mean.”

“Look, I’m not looking down on anybody who doesn’t leave Wilton. Have a blast, at least you’re comfortable and can build a family and make something for yourself here. That’s not me, and I’m tired of acting like it should be.”

“You’ve always been like that. I wish I could feel the same way.”

“There’s nothing stopping you. Just… All the shit in your head that’s making excuses. If you wanna leave, you can do it. Especially you.”

“How? Can’t play sports. I’m not funny enough for comedy,” Andy wiped some chocolate from his mouth and stood up, “I’m not an artist and I’m not funny enough to be a comedian. That is a weird example, don’t know why I thought of it…”

“At least you’re thinking. And trust me, a lot of comedians aren’t funny enough to be comedians.”

They both laughed. It sounded like the laughter they shared on long weekend nights, pretending they were galactic explorers somewhere far removed from this particular cattle farm. “Look, Andy… I’m not a pro, I don’t have all the answers. All I know is that where we are now is not where I can be ten years from now. Fuck, not even five.

“It’s not about what I have or don’t have, it’s how serious I am about using what I can…” she motioned to the rover behind her, “If it wasn’t this, it’d be something else.”

“That’s not too bad, though.”

“Hell no,” she smiled. “I just don’t wanna see you get trapped. I just know you don’t have to end up stuck here. That goes for Nina, too. And I didn’t know that’s what she was mad about, but I’ll apologize and try and make up with her.”

“Thanks, Lori,” Andy set his cup down and approached her, the two embracing in a hug that she’d missed out on when he left. “I believe you. And I believe in you, so thanks.”

Lori closed her eyes and felt thankful for the moment. She realized how much she missed her friend, and how nothing had really changed. “I’m here if you ever need to talk.”

Andy stepped back and stuck his hands in his pockets, “Let’s no go back to being strangers. And, hey, if you find out you don’t wanna be the next Sam Bergeron, you can always be a motivational speaker.”

Lori raised an eyebrow and stuck her hands in her back pockets. “What, you gave up on us touring the stars in our beat up space ship, with nothing but our trusty crew and the solar winds in our sails?”

“Ah yes, we should probably get started on that dream, huh? I don’t know about you, but I’ve gotten pret-ty good at welding. So, uhh, wanna show me what you’re working on? I’ve got plenty of time. Like way too much time, actually, I’d like to avoid the trainwreck at the house for as long as possible.”

Lori nodded him over to the table and swept her arms across the metallic gray body of the rover, making a swoosh sound followed by a dramatic dun dun dun. “Speaking of Bergeron Robotics. This is a Rover I built from the blueprints they released. It’s got pretty accurate arm precision, a guidance system I got from a third party site and the treads are reactive rubber.”

“It looks different from that model!”

“I modified the chassis,” Lori bucked her eyebrows. Andy stared intently at the rover, his lips pressed together, freckles furrowing in determination.

“We should paint it,” he whispered.

“Shit yeah, put on some music- I wanna hear what you’ve been listening to. I’ll get the paint stuff.”

Tag List:

@remi-writes-sometimes​ @writerinafury​ @the-violet-writer​ @anomaly00​ @writinglyra​ @linariouswrites​ @drabbleitout​ @carmina-solis​

#apocalypse kings #ak character profile #my wip #writeblr #Lori Fowler #Lori's a good hugger #Damn #I made Andy up on the spot and I really like him already

[shinovii]

*sounds of ten pounds of Flex Tape wrapping* Okay good, don't know how these pipes keep breaking but this time for sure there won't be any leaks! Now then, let's begin!

Back here in Royal Woods and I'm ready to talk about new episodes of The Loud House, the first ones of the new decade!! This time we'll be starting this double feature off with "Exchange of Heart", a......Clyde episode!?

Sweet, just what we needed!!! Let's get this going already!

So it's a lovely day at the McBride household, and it's breakfast time! We see our lovable nerd Clyde greet his dads and decide what to do for the day, but we see they're rather......protective of him. They even shot down all of Clyde's plans and the poor boy doesn't get enjoy a few other things. The amount of protection from the loving parents seems to be smothering Clyde, leaving him frustrated at the lack of freedom on his own. So now the young boy comes up with new plan and signs the family up for a Brazilian exchange program, leading to the introduction of the highly energetic child known as Tiago! Maybe having another kid hanging around will have Howard and Harold ease up on Clyde...

Oh Clyde, what you lack in some character growth you make up for with good humor and the ability to carry an episode well. With a name like Exchange of Heart, you'd think it'd involve Lori like a previous episode but I guess the whole crush thing ran its course (I've always wondered how Clyde deals with having helicopter parents, especially given the amount of safety precautions and concerns (seriously, what stool needs a seatbelt). I though Snow Way Down hammered that point in about Clyde not needing to be protected like a fragile glass shelf, but considering this episode was more about Clyde not getting any breathing room to enjoy things, it seems to work much better here. Harold and Howard keep giving me good laughs, as well as showing me that they need more screentime since they definitely lend themselves to some interesting moments and heartwarming scenes. Then we have Tiago, this highly energetic kid who is one heck of a hugger! How do you give us a supposed one-off character and then impress us with him so much. Despite how small his screentime was, I couldn't help but like the kid a lot and I honestly hope he does make another appearance (maybe he and Clyde could hang out more). The ending moments were a rather nice one, and quite funny too. All in all a solid episode that shows me that Clyde is quite capable of holding his own.

Also hi Lincoln, bye Lincoln!

Lola, Lola, Lola.....how do you do it!? Do what you may ask? Why give us another episode we can all enjoy! How's about we take a good look at her latest performance in "Community Disservice"!!

We begin this episode with Lola winning the Little Miss Sunbeam Pageant. *claps* and that's it, roll credits "Cramped inside this tiny space", okay that's not the case. No it was actually a nice daydream our young diva was having, but then a phone call arrives for her! It's not good news, however as it turns out that Lola's application is declined. The reason, of course, being Lola not having done 10 hours of community service before. Quite a conundrum for Lols as she has no idea what to even do before the pageant begins! Cue big brother Lincoln to save the day, as he suggests a new student buddy program. Fast forward to the school and Lola is introduced to the new girl to show around, Meli Ramos, but it seems that Meli is rather......shy. How will Lola take this chance to succeed in her community service effort?

I dunno how this happens, but Lola just keeps having amazing episodes! Seriously, this girl continues to wow the crowd anytime she's the focus (it's like the writers know they gotta give her the best everytime)! I'm actually glad we got to see more of Lola's life at school too, good gosh she's such a celebrity in Royal Woods Elementary! It shouldn't be so surprising and yet it does, it was an excellent showcase of how she conducts herself to her fellow classmates! But that's just one highlight to this episode, the next big one happens to be Meli. Who's idea was it to give Lola a buddy this adorable!? They deserve a raise for giving us an amazing contrast to Lola's eccentric demeanor, as well as someone who I could see being Lola's bestie! This also made the ending moments that much sweeter and I do hope we see more of Meli as the show goes on! A wonderful episode that really nailed it out the park and another big win for Lola too!

Also, Lola what is with you and butterflies this episode? Be glad one didn't swoop on by you this time around lol.

Welp that's one double feature wrapped up, and I'm sure I got another one waiting for me soon enough! That's good, because the hype is still going strong and I'm eager for more of The Loud House! Until next time everybody!!!

#the loud house #season 4 impressions #exchange of heart #clyde mcbride #community disservice #lola loud #meli ramos

[acelezz]

“L is For Luna” (Part 2): A Saluna Fanfic

Title: L is For Luna

Summary: When Luna finds a love letter in her locker, she hopes that it is her crush Sam, but is doubtful. With the help of her ten siblings, Luna will find out whether her dreams of being with Sam will ever be a reality or not.

Part: 2

Author: L-is-For-Loud-House

Fandom: The Loud House

Ship: Saluna (Luna Loud and Sam Sharp)

Timeline: A few months after “L is For Love”

Genre: Fanfiction/Romance

Word Count: 1,746

...

“Clack, clack, clack!” The sound of Luna hitting Lori’s blue high heels on the white dresser in Lori and Leni’s room went.

It was now 3:00 in the afternoon and all of the Loud siblings had just gotten home from school ten minutes ago. They all had been gathered into Lori and Leni’s room by Luna for a Loud Sibling Meeting. 

“I hereby call this meeting to order!” Luna announced.

“Lisa, can you read the minutes from the last meeting?” Lori asked the 4-year-old prodigy.

Lisa then proceeded to whip out a piece of paper which was a review of their last meeting. “Alright. Item one: It was resolved that in the matter of Lynn’s football-”

Lisa was then interrupted by Luna ripping the paper from her hands and crumbling it up into a ball. “Sorry, we don’t need to hear that today, Lise.” Luna then chucked the paper into the trash can. “Alright, so you’re probably all wondering why I gathered you all here today.”

“Whatever this is about, it better be good!” Lola hissed. “I was in the middle of practicing for my next pageant!”

“And I was in the middle of writing a new joke!” Luan added.

“And I was just about to go play in the mud!” Lana chimed in.

“And I was just about to read my new Ace Savy comic!” Lincoln exclaimed.

“And I was just about to paint my nails with my cute new nail polish!” Leni stated.

“And I was in the middle of writing a new poem!” Lucy announced.

“And I was just about to go outside and play some soccer!” Lynn whined.

“Poo poo!” Lily cried with annoyance.

“Ok, I get that you all want to go back to whatever it was that you were doing,” Luna told her siblings. “But this is my one and only voice. So listen close, it’s only for today. And I promise that this won’t take long! Alright, I gathered all of you in here to talk about this!” Luna then revealed the love letter that she got earlier on in the day at school to her siblings.

All of them groaned.

“Ugh, not this again!” Lola groaned.

“Luna, don’t you remember that sending love letters is Mom’s thing for Dad?” Lori asked. “You should probably give that to him so he can see what she wrote for him!”

“No, dudes, this letter is actually for me! I found it in my locker this morning!”

All of Luna’s siblings gasped.

Leni then ran up to Luna and gave her a hug as she squealed, “O. M. Gosh, Luna! Congrats, little sis! This is totes exciting!”

“Thanks, Leni,” Luna chuckled as Leni let go of her.

Leni then gave Luna a nudge. “So are you gonna tell us who it’s from?”

“I-I don’t know...” Luna then unfolded the letter and showed what had been written on it to her siblings. “Whoever wrote it signed it as ‘Your Secret Admirer’. So I need all of your help to figure out who it is.”

Lori then let out a squeal. “Ooh, I bet it’s Sam!”

The rest of the siblings except for Luna then let out a teasing, “Ooo...”

A slight blush came across Luna’s cheek as she nervously rubbed her arm. “I don’t know dudes. I’m really hoping that it’s Sam, but she’s way out of my league.”

“Are you kidding me?” Lincoln asked. “She totally likes you!”

“Well she definitely does as a friend, but I don’t know if it goes any further than that.”

“Well, who else could the letter be from?” Lynn questioned. “She always wants to come over and jam with you like five out of seven times of the week!”

“Yeah, and the way that she always looks so happy whenever she’s commini-gay-ting with you!” Luan teased.

“Luan!” All of the Loud siblings shouted.

“Wow, that joke certainly did not get BI you guys!” 

The 14-year-old comedienne hen broke out into a fit of laughter while all of her siblings groaned and facepalmed themselves.

“But, Luna, despite her terrible jokes, Luan does have a point,” Lori began. “Remember that Luan, Leni, and I all go to the same school as you so we occasionally see you in the hallway with Sam. But we all know how important spending time with her is to you so we always let you two be. But all three of us have seen Sam walking in the hallway with other friends or by herself and she always seems to be the happiest whenever she’s with you.”

“Really?” Luna queried.

“Totes!” Leni agreed. “Her smile is always like ten times bigger whenever she’s with you!”

Luna smiled at the thought of Sam’s gorgeous smile. “Well, I always did think that she was a naturally happy gal. But you guys do have a point that I have no clue how she behaves when I’m not around. But I’m still not too sure if the letter’s from her, dudes.”

“Why? Is there anyone else that we should know about, Luna?” Lola asked, grinning.

“No, as of right now, Sam’s the only one out there that sends a million butterflies into my stomach. While I do have something for Mick Swagger, it’s not the same thing. I really look up to him and I think that his music is rockin’, so he’s just a role model to me. No one else has the same effect on my heart like the way that that Sam chick does. But what if there’s someone else out there who has been crushin’ on me and I just have no clue because we’re either not close or they’re just excellent at hiding it.”

“Well, it seems like you wouldn’t have a clue if anyone had a crush on you since you’re clearly oblivious to the fact that Sam likes you back!”

“Yeah, I do not enjoy feelings such as the ones that you have described and even I can see that Sam is attracted to you,” Lisa agreed.

“Maybe she’s just attracted to me as a friend,” Luna said, clearly in denial.

“Luna, why do you keep on disagreeing with everything that we’re saying?” Lana asked. “Did something that we don’t know about happen between you and Sam?”

“Nothing bad happened. But I did tell her about the letter.”

“And what did she say?” Lincoln asked.

“Well, she didn’t say whether it was her or not. But she did agree that it’s a bummer that the letter is signed anonymously. But this when we were walking to our first period classes and she had to go to chem. But, she did hug me and told me that she was excited for me right before she had to go. It surely did ignite the butterflies in my tum-tum and had me surprised because she ain’t much of a hugger. But then I figured it was because we’re really good friends so she’s just really happy that I got a love letter.”

All of the Loud siblings let out a squeal.

Luna raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Luna’s siblings all giggled at her.

Lori then put a hand on her short-brown-haired sister. “Luna, you have no idea how literally oblivious you can be sometimes. Sam was totally the one who wrote that letter! She’s probably just too nervous to admit that she was the one who wrote the letter, just like how you’re too nervous to admit to her that you’re the one who’s been sending her all of those love letters! Say, didn’t you tell us that you had a similar reaction when she told you about the letters that she got?”

Luna’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red as she let out a chuckle. “Yeah, I did. Man, were the butterflies soarin’ when she mentioned that. I nearly almost lost my cool. But yeah, all I said was that I really hoped that she figured out who sent them to her.”

“Yeah, so she probably likes you back and figured out that you were the one who wrote the love letters, but like you, wasn’t 100 percent sure. She’s probably too nervous to ask you so she’s trying to find out if she’s right by returning the favor. And like I said, like you, she’s too nervous to admit that she was the one who wrote the letter so she’s trying to hint her feelings towards you like doing sweet and romantic things that she normally doesn’t do, like hugging you.”

“Wow, Lori, you sure do have a point there. But still, dudes, what if we’re all wrong? How can I find out that it’s her for sure?”

“Well, my advice from a few months ago still stands accurate,” Lucy answered. “Since Sam, um I mean the writer, is clearly shy, you need to give Sam a signal to let her know that you’re interested. If you receive a second letter soon after, then she’s clearly the author.”

“That’s a great idea, Lucy, but I don’t know if I’m brave enough to do that,” Luna admitted. “I’ll probably just chicken out.”

“That’s it!” Lola yelled as she hopped off Lori’s bed. “I can’t stand to see you act like this!” Lola then grabbed Luna by her shirt and pulled on it, bringing Luna’s face right down to hers. “You need to woman up! You think if Sam can’t admit that she wrote the love letter and if she’s not a touchy person that she wasn’t apprehensive when she hugged you?”

“Well, she didn’t seem like it,” Luna answered.

“Well, she probably was! Same people are just better at hiding things like that than others! But she did it anyway because she’s brave and because she really likes you! That probably took a lot out of her so now you’re going to muster up all of the bravery that you’ve got and return Sam the favor by sending her a darn signal!”

Lola then let go of Luna. Luna gulped as she stood upright again.

“Sam is coming over tomorrow, correct?” Lola asked.

“Yeah, she’s coming over so that we can jam out with my new amp,” Luna replied. “She told me that she would have come over today, but she couldn’t of because she had to go to the Royal Woods Diner after school with her family to celebrate her dad’s birthday.”

“Perfect. You can give her your signal then.”

...

(Part 1) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7)

...

Check out “Lincoln’s Concert Catastrophe”!

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6)

#nickelodeon #nicktoons #L is For Luna #L is for love #luna loud #sam sharp #saluna #luna and sam #luna x sam #lusam #fanfic #fanfiction #romance #love letters #Lori Loud #Leni Loud #lincoln loud #Luan Loud #Lynn Loud #Lucy Loud #Lana Loud #lola loud #lisa loud #Lily Loud #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqa #lgbtqipa #terrible puns #puns

[pointlookout]

🧥 COAT, 💋 KISS MARK, 🙈 SEE-NO-EVIL, 🍄 MUSHROOM, 🍿 POPCORN, 🎧 HEADPHONES, ⛽ FUEL PUMP, 💘 HEART WITH ARROW, 💞 REVOLVING HEARTS for lori hehehe :-)

🧥 COAT: she's not the biggest trend follower?? like if it looks good then she'll wear it and i guess bonus if it's in style. cause of new bordeaux's gross climate she wears a lot of mini skirts and dresses most of the time but in the more coolish months wears jeans/tight fitting trousers (like the hip hugger ones) and shirts tied to be some makeshift crop top lol. a fan of bold prints but also loves wearing basic colours like black and white

💋 KISS MARK: is always wearing hoop earrings!!! has different sized ones based on the occasion and mostly gold but she has some of those cute plastic ones too!! also her hair looks like this almost all the time :)

🙈 SEE-NO-EVIL: i don't think there's like an ultimate bad thing she's seen?? she's deffo seen some really weird stuff since she moved to new bordeaux but nothing she'd class as the worst thing ever. she loves sticking her nose into stuff all the time and it's gotten her into so much trouble in the past but she just can't stop getting involved in other peoples business <3

🍄 MUSHROOM: she already has lol she did lsd once and it was top 10 worst experiences cause all it did was make her paranoid with these whack hallucinations which made her cry until she threw up and then didn’t sleep like for 2 days

🍿 POPCORN: she’s one of those that loves salted popcorn but probably has a bit of sweet popcorn with it to balance it out :)

🎧 HEADPHONES she listens to music A LOT like if she's at home she's always listening to her records (mostly modern jazz and pop music) when she drives she has the car radio super loud and sings along but everyone complains when she sings cause she'll have her top down and whoever is in the passenger seat just gets second hand embarrassment :/

⛽ FUEL PUMP: she loves going on road trips and a lot of the time it's usually her just driving for miles with no real destination cause its like a distraction for her and it's an easy way to just get away from everything and not have anyone know her whereabouts lol. has been on a few road trips with the gang (hiii danny ellis and giorgi. no lincoln though cause it was whilst he was in vietnam ☹️ but they always used his car >:) ) mostly driving to concerts if bands weren't playing in new bordeaux but it wasn't often cause the guys were busy with ~crime~ stuff with their dads but when it did happen she always sat in the back probably getting drunk and singing to whatever was on the radio and then passing out and sleeping the rest of the way

💘 HEART WITH ARROW: yeah she has like a new one every week but nothing ever really happens cause as soon as she has a new crush she forgets about the previous one and she always waits for them to make the first move cause she feels she's above asking a man out (and also cause she thinks she is the most desirable girl in the room at all times -_-). the only crush she ever had that lasted longer was when she first met lincoln before he went off to vietnam and it was so cringey cause it was like some dumb schoolgirl crush but it goes away once he leaves (or does it 🤨)

💞 REVOLVING HEARTS: she doesn't really have a best friend? the only person i think who would maybe come close is unfortunately giorgi (boo hiss) but i'll go into that another time. alongside him though probably danny and ellis come close too cause they all hang out together so it's natural they're all good friends. i did used to have an oc called sylvie who was loris bff and she does kind of exist still but in my mind but who knows maybe i'll develop her more soon :)

#thank you <3 #this was fun :) #sorry its late! #ask #lori

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

 The Summer of No Attachments by Lori Foster

The Summer Friends #2

 What a delightful story this was…actually, two romances in one book and both heartwarming and delightful! Love this author and loved this book!

 What I liked:

* Ivey Anders: veterinarian, friend, animal rescue veterinarian, best friend of Hope, just coming out of a stagnant relationship, and ready for change. Loving, giving, caring, direct, delightful…

* Corbin Meyer: IT guru, son, brother, new father to ten year old son, new in town, superb parenting skills and loving family to support him…really liked him.

* Justin: Corbin’s son, sensitive, loving, abused by his mother, anxious, trust issues, wonderful with animals, loved watching him open up.

* Hope Mage: assistant at work and friend to Ivey, trust issues, afraid of men, traumatic experience in the past, tentative, sweet, really liked her and watching her bloom.

* Lang Meyer: Corbin’s older brother, great guy, patient, caring, good with his family, supportive of Corbin, there for Justin & Corbin, great with Hope, a delightful person and perfect for Hope.

* The writing, plot, and feels in the story

* Watching the development of the two romances AND the way Justin was embraced and drawn in by the various other characters

* Learning a bit more about horror movies…

* Vesta: mother of Corbin and Lang, bigger than life, a hugger, raised to great sons into admirable men, in a relationship with a good man.

* Geoff: Ivey’s ex that grew a lot before the end of the book.

* All of it really except…

 What I didn’t like:

* Darcie: mother of Justin, addict, abusive, someone easy to dislike…

* What happened to Hope and the way her family treated her

* Having to say goodbye to such wonderful characters…and wondering what their lives will be like.

 Did I like this book? Loved it!

Would I read more by this author? Definitely!

 Thank you to the NetGalley, HQN, and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 5 Stars

      BLURB

 Summer flings with no strings mean nobody gets hurt. At least, that was the plan… After putting the brakes on her dead-end relationship, local veterinarian Ivey Anders is ready to soak up this summer on her own terms. The way she sees it, no dating means no disappointment. Why complicate life with anything long-term? But when she meets Corbin Meyer—and his troubled young son, Justin—Ivey’s no-strings strategy threatens to unravel before she can put it into practice. Trust doesn’t come easy for Ivey’s best friend, Hope Mage, a veterinary-clinic assistant who’s affected by an incident that’s colored every relationship she’s had. Though Hope’s happy for Ivey, she can’t quite open her own heart to the possibility of love. Not just yet… Maybe not ever. Soon, however, she’s faced with a dilemma—Corbin’s older brother, Lang. He’s charming, he’s kind…and he may just be the reason Hope needs to finally tear down her walls. And as the sweet summer months unspool, the two friends discover love won’t give up on them so easily.

#Lori Foster #NetGalley #HQN #The Summer Friends 2 #Romance #Small Town Romance #Fiction

[reedusdixonfictionaddiction]

The Summer in Georgia

Chapter 19. Tell Me All Your Secrets and I’ll Tell  You Most of Mine, Part 1

 After two hours in the pool, Isabella finally mastered the doggy paddle and she could almost float on her back. Daryl told her this was important because if she ever got tired and couldn’t swim anymore, she could always flip over and float for a while, until she got her energy back. They had a good time and both were water logged. Daryl brought up the kiss and told her he thought they should slow down a little. She didn’t want to, she wanted to speed things up, but she kept that to herself. She agreed and things were fine.

They dried off and changed, Isabella asked Daryl if he was hungry and he was, so she made them some sandwiches. After they’d eaten, Isabella asked him if he could look at the television in her bedroom, because she couldn’t get it to turn on. Isabella sat on the bed and watched Daryl work. He finally got it to work after cursing at it for 15 minutes. Isabella laughed at him and that frustrated him. When he was done, he took a seat beside her on the bed.

“What’s this?” Daryl asked picking up her raggedy stuffed monkey.

“That’s George. I think I wanted a Curious George doll and that’s what I got instead, so I just named him George. I’ve had him since before my parents died. He’s the only thing I have that’s been with me that long. He’s gotten me through some pretty tough times, so be careful with him.” Isabella said watching Daryl toss it around.

“I ain’t got nothin’ from when I was a kid. I remember I had this little pink pig with a curly tail. Merle kept rippin’ off the tail and my mom had to keep sewin’ it back on. I don’t know whatever happened to it. One day it was just gone.” Daryl said sadly. Isabella gently brushed the hair back from his face. He turned and smiled sweetly at her.

It was getting dark outside and Daryl asked Isabella what she wanted to do. She shrugged her shoulders. Then Daryl had an idea.

“Go get some shoes on. I’m gonna’ take ya’ somewhere. I want ya’ ta’ see somethin’.” He said “Come on rabbit, let’s go.”

Isabella got her shoes on and they were out the door. He stopped at a gas station and bought a six pack of beer and then drove off in the direction of his house, about a mile before, he turned on to a road that went up the side of a small mountain. It wound around for a few miles, steadily going uphill. Finally, Daryl came to a small dirt pull out area on the side of the road, he stopped and backed up into the dirt area. He told her to get out of the truck. They walked to the back of the truck and Daryl pointed. Isabella’s mouth fell open. You could see the entire town and then some. Everything was lit up. You could see the lake, the town park, everything. It was beautiful. Daryl put the tailgate down and lifted Isabella up onto it. He got the six pack out of the front seat and hopped up beside her. He opened them both a beer and they just sat there staring at the lights. The air was cooling down and there was a nice breeze blowing, the moon was full and everything was perfect. Daryl glanced over at Isabella, she looked beautiful in the moonlight, you could see the stars in her eyes and moonbeams made her long hair shine. She looked purely happy.

She told Daryl that she’d never been out like this before, in the country on the side of a mountain. She said, she couldn’t see the stars and the moon in New York. Daryl said that it was one of his favorite places. He said he liked to come up there when he wanted to be alone. Nobody came up the road because of rockslides, so no one ever bothered him. He said he’d even slept in the back of his truck up there a few times. Isabella told him that she’d never slept outside before. He asked her if she’d ever been camping. She rolled her eyes and reminded him where she was from.

“Maybe I’ll take ya’ camping. There’s a clearing, surrounded by a bunch of pines on the back of my land. It’s right by a stream and it’s got a swimmin’ hole, with a little waterfall and everything. I swim butt naked out there.” He said, winking at her.

“Reeeallly!” She said in a sultry voice. “Then count me in.” And they both laughed. “No, really. I would love to go camping. We can really swim there and everything? Would we sleep in a tent? Would we cook over a campfire? Ohhh, ohhh. Can we roast marshmallows?”

Daryl laughed. “Yeah, course. I ain’t never done that before, but I guess we can. Ya’ ever eat rabbit, rabbit?” He asked.

She giggled at his play on words and told him ‘no.’ He told her he’d take his bow and they could hunt rabbits and he’d cook one up on their campfire. He also said, he’d teach her how to fish. She was thrilled.

“I’ll talk ta’ Rick about takin’ a few days off. It ain’t gonna’ be a problem, I ain’t never took a day off or a vacation. I got like 10 weeks’ vacation time saved up.” He told her.

“Yay, I’m going camping.” She cheered, pumping her fists in the air. Daryl laughed. This was going to great, he thought. A few days alone in the forest with her, swimming and fishing and sleeping in a tent together. Yep, this was going to be great.

“How come you ain’t gotta’ boyfriend.” Daryl asked out of the blue. Isabella was caught off guard.

“Because I’ve never found anyone I was interested in that way and guys don’t really pay attention to me all that much. I mean they check out my butt, but most everybody thinks I’m weird because I’m so young and smart. People just ignore me.”

“So, you never had a boyfriend? Ever?” Daryl asked surprised.

“No, never. When you kissed me this afternoon, that was my first kiss.” She said shyly.

Daryl was floored. He figured she’d at least had one boyfriend, let alone being kissed before. He couldn’t understand who in their right minds would not want to be with her and then it dawned on him. She was a virgin.

“You ain’t never been with a guy before?” He asked carefully.

Isabella was embarrassed. She thought maybe he was turned off by this, but it was the truth and there was no getting around that.

“No. Is that bad?” She answered unsure of herself.

“Nah, that’s good. I just can’t believe it. I never known a virgin before. Whatta’ ya’ waitin’ till ya’ get married or somethin’?” He questioned.

“No. I’m just waiting for the right guy.” Isabella answered.

“How do ya’ know if it’s the right guy? I mean how will ya’ know?” Daryl asked.

“I’ll just know. There’ll be a connection from the very beginning. We’ll be drawn to each other, like a gravitational pull. He’ll get me and I’ll get him. I’ll know from the very first minute I look into his eyes.” She explained, then she remembered him sliding into the booth at the restaurant that first day. Their eyes met and she knew.

“Huh!” Daryl said, pondering what she said. He wondered if she was talking about him. They had been drawn to each other from the very start. They had a connection. She got him and he got her and he loved that. “Ya’ believe in all that soulmate bullshit?” He asked.

“Yes. Don’t you?” She asked back.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders and said, “I dunno?”

“How come you don’t have a girlfriend? Charlie said you hadn’t been out with a girl in 5 years.”

“Oh, Charlie said that, did he? What else did ol’ Charlie say?” He asked angrily.

Isabella could tell she’d hit a nerve, but it was out now, so she was going for the gold. “He said you’d been with a lot of girls, more than your fare share. But you’d never been in a relationship.”

“What the fuck? Charlie ain’t got no business talkin’ shit behind my back. Mother fucker. Is that all he told you?”

She lied and said, “Yes. Is it true? Have you been with a lot of girls?”

“I dunno’, I guess I been with a few. But nothin’ serious. I didn’t want no girlfriend.” He answered.

“How many are a few? You just had sex with them and that’s it?” Isabella asked.

“A few, I don’t know. A lot I guess, but I ain’t like that now. I didn’t wanna’ do that shit no more. That’s why I quit messin’ with ‘em.” He said, defensively.

Isabella knew he was upset, so she made sure he knew she understood. She brushed the hair out of his eyes and smiled sweetly at him. He immediately calmed down. He smiled back and then he sat back against the wall of the truck bed and told her to scoot toward him. She did and he turned her around and pulled her up between his legs. She laid back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. Daryl thought about how good it felt. He’d never been a hugger or touchy feely with anyone and he didn’t like for anyone to touch him or even enter his personal space, but this was different. This felt good, it felt right. He squeezed her gently and she snuggled into his chest. He couldn’t help but put his nose down into her hair.

“Ya’ smell good. What’s that perfume yer wearin’?” He asked.

“Thank you. It’s Shalimar. It’s my favorite. It was Lori’s, she hadn’t even opened the box yet.” She answered.

“Shalimar.” He said, “I like it, it suits ya’. Did ya’ put it in yer hair?”

“I sprayed it on my brush and ran it through my hair. I’ve seen that done in the movies and I always wanted to try it. This is the first time I’ve ever had perfume before, I feel fancy.” She giggled. Daryl thought that was cute and laughed quietly into her hair.

“I’ve had a lot of firsts since I’ve been here. My first perfume, my first time in a pool, my first flowers…” Daryl cringed at that one. “my first kiss and my first gift ever.” Isabella told him.

“Yer first gift?” He said confused.

“The phone, that was my very first present.” Isabella answered.

“Ya’ ain’t never got a present before? Whatta’ bout Christmas and yer birthday? Didn’t ya’ get nothin’ for them, not even from yer brother?”

She told him that she’d never gotten a birthday present before, she explained that her brother never gave her anything because he was already giving her $200.00 a month and he felt that was gift enough. She told him that all the foster homes she’d lived in were poor and overcrowded. There were so many kids and the foster parents didn’t get enough money from the state to celebrate Christmas or birthdays and stuff like that. She said she’d never had a Christmas tree or stocking and that each year they’d write Santa a letter in school, but he never visited. Isabella told him that one Christmas, her foster parents took all the kids to a church Christmas party and they gave every child a coloring book and crayons. She’d never had one before, so she was thrilled beyond belief and to top that off, it was a Barbie coloring book. She had always wanted a Barbie and getting a coloring book was as close as she’d been. One of her foster brothers, who was a troubled kid was upset because he didn’t like his coloring book. He saw how happy Isabella was with hers and he was jealous, so when she went to sleep that night he got her book and tore all the pages out of it and broke all her crayons. Daryl told her that was a fucked-up story and if he’d known that kid, he would’ve kicked his ass. Isabella acted like it didn’t bother her, but Daryl knew better. It hurt him to think of her so young and innocent, loving that coloring book and then that asshole tore it up. It made him sad.

Daryl said that he’d never gotten anything from Santa either. He said, they never had a Christmas tree or stockings and that his dad sometimes wouldn’t even come home. He told her that one year, his mother saved up a few dollars and bought him the Hulk arms at a Goodwill store. He thought he’d hit the lottery. He loved those arms more than anything, but when his dad found out his mom had spent money on something so stupid, he took the arms and threw them in the fireplace and burned them. Daryl said he didn’t care, but Isabella knew it wasn’t true. He said, he’d never had a birthday party, but a couple times his mom made cupcakes and she’d always let him lick the bowl and spoon. He told her that was one of the best memories he had of his mom. He got kind of quiet for a while after that, so Isabella carried on the conversation.

“When I have a family, I’m going all out. I’m going to spoil them rotten. I’ll make the same holiday treats every year and it’ll become a family tradition. Each one of my children will have a homemade stocking with their names on them. We’ll have a big tree with lots of lights and a beautiful angel on the top. We’ll buy the angel our first Christmas together and then we’ll have the same one our whole lives, even when we have grandchildren. The outside of the house will be decorated in twinkle lights and it’ll have one of those big plastic Santa’s’ on the roof. You know, the ones with the reindeers?”

“Sounds like ya’ got it all figured out.” Daryl said.

“We’ll throw big birthday parties in the back yard and all our friends will come. My kids will have a ton of presents and a big piñata full of candy. On Halloween, they’ll always have the best costumes, because I’ll make them myself. They’ll make jack o lanterns and we’ll decorate the yard really scary. It’s going to be great. I can’t wait.” Isabella said enthusiastically.

Daryl thought about all this for a moment. It was a life that he’d only dreamt about as a child, something that was never attainable. He had friends and went to school with kids that these kinds of lives and he’d always been envious of them. He longed for a little normality in his life as a child. When he grew up, he let go of all those fantasies, but now hearing all of Isabella’s plans that yearning came back.

“If I ever had a kid, he’d have a bike. Not just any bike, but a BMX bike. I never had a bike when I was a kid, everyone had one except me.” Daryl told her. She agreed.

“What’s your favorite thing to do?” Isabella asked.

“Anything outside. Huntin’, shootin’, trackin’, shit like that. I gotta’ be outside everyday. I like to walk around on my land, through the trees, just lookin’ at shit. I like the way the dirt smells when it rains or the sounds the trees make when the winds blowin’. You probably think that’s stupid, but I gotta’ be outside, free, ya’ know?”

“I think that’s wonderful. I like that you can do all those things. I like that you know so much about nature. I’ll bet you’re really good at your job. Do you like it?”

“Yeah, it’s okay. It’s better when I get to go in the field, ya’ know? Outside. I mean when I’m doin’ that is when I feel the best. The office crap and paperwork and shit’s a pain in the ass, but bein’ in the field makes it worth it. What’s your favorite thing to do?” Daryl asked.

“I like watching people. Sometimes I go downtown to a deli or something and sit in the window and just study people. I try to figure out what they’re thinking or feeling. I can observe there body language and interactions with other people and kind of get a sense of who they are. There so many different types of people in New York, so many different cultures, races and classes and everybody has a story. Each one is significant in their own little world, yet they’re all together, interacting out there in the streets and buildings, subways, buses, everywhere with the rest of the world. They all touch other’s lives in some way and they may not even know it. It’s fascinating. Now you probably think I’m stupid, huh?”

“Nope! I get it. I like lookin’ at people too. You can learn a lot about a person by watching them when they think no ones watchin’. You wouldn’t believe some of the shit I’ve seen.” Daryl told her.

“I’ll bet. That’s cool we both like doing that. Okay, tell me something personal.” She said.

“Like what. Whatta’ ya’ mean personal.” He asked her.

“Something you do, when no ones looking.” She explained.

“Hmm? I dunno. Like somethin’ I do by myself, like at home?” Daryl questioned.

“Yes, like that.” Isabella answered.

“I dunno. Oh, okay, here’s one. I like chocolate. I eat a chocolate bar almost every night before bed. Don’t think nobody know that, at least they ain’t said nothin. Like that? Is that what you mean?”

“Yes, exactly. I think that’s adorable!! What’s your favorite?” She asked.

“Hershey with almonds. I like dove milk chocolate too and Hershey Kisses with almonds. Those are my favorites. It’s gotta’ be milk chocolate though. I hate that dark shit.” He said, shaking his head. “Now I want a chocolate bar.”

Isabella laughed. “Well, we’ll get you one on the way home.”

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