Summer

She was eating peaches when he first saw her. Her mouth was sticky and shiny with the juice from the fruit. She licked her fingers one by one and then turned the page of the book she was reading. The striped canvas hammock swayed as her foot pushed against the ground, sending it gently swinging again and again. Bees buzzed around her, gathering nectar from the fragrant honeysuckle vines. Their steady drone a counterpart to the music quietly playing from the nearby boom box. She smiled, holding the last slice of peach up to his mouth.

“Want a bite?”