Someone Like Summer (15 page)

Authors: M. E. Kerr

“You know, Annabel, your father could stay another week with me, if that would make it easier for you.”

“It would make it easier, maybe, but it's time I took some responsibility.”

“That's hard when you're deep-down angry with someone.”

“Speaking of deep down, don't I know him by
now, Larkin? Remember, I'm not religious, so how come I expected a miracle on paella night? Dad was Dad. He's always going to be the way he is. I'm the one who needs to change.”

She said, “Please don't change too much. I like you so, Annabel.”

“I like you, too. Dad's lucky.”

“Isn't he?” She laughed.

On the way home I told Kenyon how sweet I thought Larkin was to get Charlie to return Esteban's precious keepsake. Kenyon said Dad had just told him he was going to ask Larkin to marry him.

“It's a good thing they don't rehash the paella dinner,” I said, “because Larkin agrees with me that Dad humiliated Esteban.” Was that even true? I couldn't remember her saying that.

“How about forgetting the paella dinner? I think you just like to say paella so you can feel close to Esteban.”

“Paella certainly figured a lot in our relationship.”

“Maxine said it was the best paella she'd ever tasted.”

“Why didn't she say it at the time?”

“Round and round we go,” Kenyon said, “and where we stop is where we started. The f-ing paella dinner.”

“Sorry.”

“I know you can't help it.”

“How about some music?” I said.

“I haven't heard any news all day, either,” my brother said. Then he said, “Sis? I know it sounds corny, but this, too, will pass.”

“There's a part of me that knows that. The same part that knows I probably won't see him again.”

Kenyon turned the radio on.

We rode along listening to reports of a hurricane named Katrina.

“Forecasters fear that storm-driven waters will lap over the New Orleans levees when monster Hurricane Katrina pushes past the Crescent City tomorrow.”

“It sounds like a big one!” Kenyon said.

“Why do people live down there? Why do people live where there are hurricanes and floods, year after year? Why don't they move?”

Kenny said, “Because that's where they live. That's where their roots are. And everyone they care about.”

“
Familia
,” I said.

Kenyon glanced over at me, smiling, brushing back a lock of my hair.

He said, “Yes. Family.”

About the Author

M. E. KERR
is a winner of the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement and the ALAN award from the National Council of Teachers of English.

Ms. Kerr lives in East Hampton on New York's Long Island. You can visit her online at www.mekerr.com.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

Books by
M. E. Kerr

Y
OUR
E
YES IN
S
TARS

2007 Books for the Teen Age (New York Public Library)

S
NAKES
D
ON'T
M
ISS
T
HEIR
M
OTHERS

S
LAP
Y
OUR
S
IDES

2002 Books for the Teen Age (New York Public Library) 2002 ALA
Booklist
Editors' Choice

W
HAT
B
ECAME OF
H
ER

2001 Books for the Teen Age (New York Public Library)

B
LOOD ON THE
F
OREHEAD
: W
HAT
I K
NOW
A
BOUT
W
RITING

1999 Books for the Teen Age (New York Public Library)

D
ELIVER
U
S FROM
E
VIE

1995 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA) 1995 Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (ALA) 1995 Fanfare Honor List
(The Horn Book)
1995 Books for the Teen Age (New York Public Library) 1994
School Library Journal
Best Books of the Year 1994 ALA
Booklist
Books for Youth Editor's Choices 1994 Best Books Honor (Michigan Library Association)

L
INGER

1994 Books for the Teen Age (New York Public Library)

F
ELL
D
OWN

1991 ALA
Booklist
Books for Youth Editor's Choices 1992 Books for the Teen Age (New York Public Library)

F
ELL
B
ACK

1990 Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist (Mystery Writers of America) 1990 Books for the Teen Age (New York Public Library)

F
ELL

1987 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA) 1987 ALA
Booklist
Books for Youth Editor's Choices 1988 Books for the Teen Age (New York Public Library)

N
IGHT
K
ITES

1991 California Young Reader Medal Best of the Best Books (YA) 1966â1986 (ALA) 1986 Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (ALA)
Booklist's
Best of the '80s

L
ITTLE
L
ITTLE

1981 Notable Children's Book (ALA) 1981 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA) 1981
School Library Journal
Best Books of the Year 1981 Golden Kite Award (SCBWI) 1982 Books for the Teen Age (New York Public Library)

G
ENTLEHANDS

Best of the Best Books (YA) 1966â1992 (ALA) 1978
School Library Journal
Best Books of the Year 1978 Christopher Award 1978 Outstanding Children's Books of the Year
(The New York Times)
1979 Books for the Teen Age (New York Public Library)

I
F
I L
OVE
Y
OU
, A
M
I T
RAPPED
F
OREVER
?

1973 Outstanding Children's Books of the Year
(The New York Times)
1973 Child Study Association's Children's Book of the Year 1973
Book World's
Children's Spring Book Festival Honor Book

D
INKY
H
OCKER
S
HOOTS
S
MACK
!

Best of the Best Books (YA) 1970â1983 (ALA) 1972 Notable Children's Books (ALA) 1972
School Library Journal
Best Books of the Year Best Children's Books of 1972 (Library of Congress)

Credits

Cover design by Joel Tippie

Copyright

SOMEONE LIKE SUMMER
. Copyright Â© 2007 by M. E. Kerr. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Adobe Digital Edition May 2009 ISBN 978-0-06-191245-0

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