A 4th of July to Remember. Book One (A 4th of July to Remember, Maddie and Ronnie) Read online

  A 4th of July to Remember

  Bad Boys Can Change… Or Can They?

  The Kennewick Diaries

  Book One

  T.J. Honey

  Swing Low Marketing and Publishing ©

  Copyright 2013 by T.J. Honey

  Published 2013 by T.J. Honey

  All rights reserved, no part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, or physical without permission in writing from T.J. Honey

  More publications by T.J. Honey http://www.tjhoney.com

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Author’s Thank You Page

  Chapter One

  Maddie was nervous about the 4 of July party this year, almost scared. She had celebrated at the river in Kennewick with her aunt and uncle every year since she was five years old and later into her teens. Aunt BB was her mother’s sister and the two women struck a strong resemblance to each other. People thought they were twins, but Maddie’s mom was brunette and BB was blonde. She favored her aunt’s looks and people assumed they were mother and daughter, which suited her fine; she adored her aunt.

  She loved the summers in Kennewick. The Columbia River was her favorite place to water ski, hang out with her friend Laura and spend her time just day dreaming. It allowed her the space to escape her real life and relax for this short, precious time that came just once a year. Maddie had moved to Bend, Oregon to study Animal Husbandry and was one year away from starting her residency with a local Vet. Animals had been her passion since she was a little girl and you could always find her bandaging a broken robin’s wing, or putting a tourniquet on a lizard’s leg.

  This summer was going to be different, she could feel it. There was a dark cloud hanging over the event and she felt trouble coming. Aunt BB told her she had invited the Hatchers to the 4 of July celebration and one of the older boys, Ronnie, had cornered her and tried to kiss her in her aunt’s boathouse the year of her fifteenth birthday. He pushed himself on her and it had scared her to death.

  She thought back to the day he forced his tongue into her mouth, almost choking on the memory. He was a rough boy with dark, greasy, slicked back hair and he smelled funky. Yuck! She thought, as she reminisced. Luckily Aunt BB had called everyone over to eat before he could go any further and she was able to get away from him. She didn’t like him, but she hadn’t seen him in over seven years. She was older now and had a little more experience and thought if he tried something this year, she would be able to handle it. Besides, Laura would be at the party and could pose as her shield… just in case, but it was still an uneasy feeling.

  Maddie slipped back into reality as she pulled up the long driveway to BB’s house, tires crunching on the hot gravel. Everything looked the same. It was just as she remembered it. The roses along the outside of the white structure were in full bloom and showed off a plethora of rainbow colors. She felt safe here… loved and protected.

  BB came screaming out of the house, screen door slamming shut behind her, “It’s you, it’s you! You’re finally here!” She came running over to the driver’s side of the car, opened the door and yanked Maddie out for a hug.

  “Hi Aunt BB, Yes, I’m here!” Maddie said, laughing as she stumbled out of her SUV. They danced around the driveway in a celebratory hug, both blabbing to each other at the same time.

  “How was the drive?”

  “Great! I didn’t rush this time and enjoyed the scenic ride. It gave me time to daydream about all the fun summers we’ve shared together!”

  “We’ve had a lot, that’s for sure! Come on in and get unpacked, and tell me all about it. I’ve got your room ready for you.”

  Maddie lifted the hatch, grabbed her bag and they headed into the house, still laughing and interrupting each other. She went straight to her room to unpack. As she unzipped her bag, her mind wandered back to past summers again.

  Her first kiss with the Johnson boy when she was only twelve… the dance at the community center at thirteen with her cousin’s band playing…. the overnight slumber parties at Laura’s house and spending time with her family (She had such a crush on Laura’s little brother back then)… riding with Laura on her magnificent horse, Blackie… the dreaded night Ronnie Hatcher forced himself on her. Everything came rushing back as she folded the last pair of cut-offs and slipped them into the dresser drawer. So many good times and formative years cultivated here, she thought.

  She stared out at the backyard through her bedroom window… the scent of wild flowers and freshly cut grass floated through the screen. She loved being there and the safety net of the familiar surroundings wrapped around her like a blanket.

  “Maddie,” Aunt BB called loudly from the kitchen. “Come help me make the Potato Salad.”

  Snapping out of her daydream, Maddie made her way down the hall and into the kitchen.

  “Sure thing BB,” she said, happy to be in her second home again.

  She loved spending time with her aunt. BB had short blonde curly hair, brown eyes, was about five foot two, funny as hell, loved her to pieces and showed it. BB was her nickname, short for Barbara Bernice. Maddie had the same blonde hair, but hers was long and straight, her eyes were blue and she towered over everyone at her impressive five foot eight stature.

  “Grab the potato peeler honey and peel those potatoes. The faster we get this made the sooner we can relax and have a drink. The party doesn’t officially start until seven, so we still have a couple hours. This is the last dish I have to create.”

  “Great!” Maddie said, eyeing the Margarita station as she began to peel, “I haven’t had one of your margaritas since last summer.”

  She had turned twenty-one the previous year and it was the first drink she’d ever tried. She absolutely loved them and BB made the best.

  As they stood in the kitchen working together, she gingerly approached the subject of the Hatchers.

  “So, BB, have you seen the Hatchers lately, I mean what are they up to these days?”

  She didn’t want to sound too interested, but thought a little background on what Ronnie had been up to over the past few years would give her some much needed information, in case she had to block his advances again.

  “Oh, well they have a new boat that they dock at the boathouse next to ours. And Betty and Joe are doing some weird yoga thing all the time. The kids all went off to college, some have finished and I think one of them is even a doctor. Why do you ask?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Maddie said casually, trying not to sound too excited about the whole thing.

  “I was just wondering. Do you ever see any of them around town? I was kind of curious about what Ronnie was up to. He seemed like such a bad kid and I wondered how he turned out.”

  “Really, was he?” BB aske
d, as they continued to work, “I never noticed. I thought he was just a typical teenager.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” said Maddie casually.

  She didn’t want to raise her aunt’s suspicion by asking too many questions about him. She’d never told anyone about the boathouse incident and now was not the time.

  BB continued, “He owns a Tattoo Parlor here in town. All the kids are into that now and he does pretty well. His mom says he has a real artistic flair.”

  Hmm, the tattoo part I would totally believe, but an artistic flare? She never imagined him having a creative bone in his body.

  “You know…” BB said, raising her head and looking out the kitchen window, “I did run into him at Costco the end of last summer. He was covered head to toe with those tattoos. Well, what I could see anyway. It was kind of wild and exciting. They don’t seem to have the same stigma attached to them like they used to, but what do I know?” She laughed and threw her head back, her blonde curls springing up and down.

  Nothing seemed to upset or worry BB. That was one of the things Maddie loved about her. She’d always been cool… hip… with it… and kept up with the times.

  They finished in the kitchen and Maddie announced, “BB, I’m going to go freshen up.”

  She headed down the hall to the bathroom, still thinking about Ronnie’s tattoos and what he could possibly look like now colored from head to toe.

  Somehow she was too curious and that bothered her. Why in the hell was she thinking about him? He was a deviant as a teenager and probably still was, for all she knew. Try not to think about it, she told herself.

  ‘Ok honey,” BB shouted after her, “Don’t take too long. I need to get in there myself.”

  Maddie heard the blender going from the bathroom and knew BB was getting their drinks ready. Uncle Don would be home from work soon and they would all retire to the patio and have wonderful, slushy, ice cold margaritas. It was a summer ritual.

  Maddie loved her uncle too. He was smart, witty, and really handsome. He worked as a partner in an attorney’s office in town. When she was younger she had a crush on him, but never told her aunt... she would have killed her! She chuckled to herself. Bad girl!

  Chapter Two

  The house was a beautiful ranch style that sat about fifty yards up from the water. Facing the river on the left was the pier with all the boathouses lined up in a row. Each year the guests would come to the house first, then gather on the shore for the fireworks display, which was deployed over the river. It was always so beautiful and magical!

  As Maddie stood in front of the mirror applying her makeup, she decided to wear her blue jean cutoffs and tight white blouse that exposed the cleavage of her large breasts. Just enough to attract the right type of attention. She didn’t particularly want to shove them in anyone’s face, so this would be just right. She finished off her outfit with a little pair of heeled sandals. “There,” she said out loud, taking stock of herself as she pushed away from the mirror. Nice for a summer evening, she thought.

  The guests started arriving as she sat on the patio slipping back into her 4 of July memories again. She absently watched them trickle in, in pairs and groups, looking up occasionally for Laura. Laura Lang, wild thang. Her nickname since high school certainly suited her personality. She was usually the highlight of every occasion. It wouldn’t be hard to spot her or hear her for that matter! She certainly let her presence be known everywhere she went. She had flaming shoulder length red hair, bright green eyes and stood about five foot four with a great figure.

  Damn I wish she’d get here pretty soon. Laura had to be her buffer when that hood Ronnie got there. It would allow her to avoid him if need be. No telling what he might be up to this year… or not? He may not even give her a second look and he might have a girlfriend. Hmm, a girlfriend… probably all covered with tats just like him. She could see her now, a real piece of work! She giggled to herself.

  Ah, there she is. She saw a flash of red hair go flying through the crowd and heard Laura’s screeching, excited voice shouting out her hellos to everyone as she wove her way through the tables.

  She’d been Maddie’s best friend in Kennewick, since middle school, knew the town well, and had shown her all the cool parts of the city over the years. She had a very open, friendly and loud way about her, and had become very charming throughout the years in spite of herself. Coming from a wealthy family, one of the best in Kennewick afforded her the opportunity to travel with her parents. They visited almost every country in the world, and had sent her to study abroad in Switzerland. After getting her degree in business, she went to work for her parents in their interior design store when she got back to the states.

  Maddie chuckled to herself as she remembered some of their adventures together. Laura was always the daring one, while she hung in the background. They’d gotten into a lot of scrapes, but boy, it sure was fun.

  “Laura!” Maddie screamed, “Over here!” Laura stretched her neck to see where the voice was coming from and ran over.

  “Hey you, what’s happenin’? You excited for the festivities tonight and where’s my damn drink, did BB make those sumptuous Margaritas this year and what are you wearing, you old floozy?”

  “Whoa girl, what’s with all the questions?” Maddie laughed and Laura grabbed her and hugged her excitedly. She was ready to party.

  “Okay, yeah, I’m excited and yes, BB made the margaritas and they’re in the kitchen in the blender and what’s wrong with my outfit?”

  Laura frowned at Maddie, jokingly eyeing her breasts.

  Maddie laughed, “Come on, let’s get this party started.” She got up from her chaise lounge and grabbed Laura’s hand, and jerked her toward the kitchen.

  The sting of Joe Walsh’s guitar riffs filled the air as Maddie whispered into Laura’s ear on the way to the kitchen, “Damn, I’m glad you’re here. You know that guy Ronnie Hatcher who attacked me in the boathouse when we were teenagers? Well, he’s supposed to…. “

  As they approached the kitchen a deep voice broke in before she could finish her sentence.

  “Hello ladies.”

  It was Ronnie… standing right there in front of them. She barely recognized him, except for the tattoos running up and down his arms. Laura smiled at him, almost flirting, like she knew him well.

  “Ronnie Hatcher, you old dog, where you been keeping yourself these days?”

  She spoke to Ronnie as if they were long lost friends.

  “Hey, Laura girl, you look great!” he answered, his sultry voice steaming up the atmosphere.

  “Well, thank you fine sir.”

  She blushed, then turned to Maddie and asked, “You remember Maddie, don’t you?”

  Maddie stood there turning crimson, fumbling with the bottom of her white blouse, sorry now that she had exposed so much of her breast. She could hardly look at him. He was taller than she remembered, built like a stripper and had the sexiest piercing blue eyes she’d ever seen. Oh my God!

  “Uh… yeah, sure I do,” she recovered enough to continue her sentence, “How ya doing Ronnie?”

  She fumbling over her words and wasn’t sure what to say, stunned by his sudden interruption and good looks. For a minute, she forgot that this was the same guy that attacked her in the boathouse. She came to her senses as he turned and faced her.

  “Well, If it isn’t little Maddie Malone. You sure grew up nice. I bet you spin some heads back home. I’m doing great! Life couldn’t be better.”

  As he spoke, she remembered why she hated this guy. He was still so cocky, but damn, he was gorgeous. Why did those two traits always seem to go together? She decided she wasn’t going to let his good looks and dreamy eyes pull her in.

  “Yeah? That’s great Ronnie… long time no see.”

  Her voice could have sunk the Titanic it was so ice cold. She wondered if he even remembered the boathouse incident.

  “We just came in to get our Margaritas and get this party started right,” Laura said, lau
ghing, trying to break the tension between Maddie and Ronnie.

  “We’ll catch ya later Ronnie,” she said, guiding Maddie to the other side of the kitchen.

  “Later, ladies,” he said with a wink and strolled away.

  OMG. He’s gorgeous… still wild and dangerous looking, but in the most seductive way, Maddie felt hot and flushed. How can this creep do this to me? She thought, upset with herself that he could turn her on.

  “Come on Maddie, let’s get our drinks.”

  They arrived at the Margarita station where the blender, glasses, limes, salt, and little party napkins were all lined up. They ran the lime around the rim of their glasses, dipped them into the salt and filled them full. I really need this drink now! Maddie thought to herself. She appreciated Laura stepping in and smoothing out the uncomfortable situation between her and Ronnie.