Riding the Storm (8 page)

Read Riding the Storm Online

Authors: Brenda Jackson

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Arts&Photography

Jayla
could
believe
that.
A
couple
of
years
ago,
she
and

Lisa
had
taken
a
trip
to
Vegas
and
had
seen
first
hand
just
how
hungry
to
win
some
people
were.

When
there
was
another
lull
in
the
conversation,
she
turned
away
from
him
to
look
out
over
the
river
once
more.
It
was
peaceful,
nothing
like
the
tempest
that
was
raging
through
her
at
the
moment.
Storm
had
kept
his
word.
She’d
had

more
fun
today
with
him
than
she’d
had
in
a
long
time.
He
possessed
a
fun-loving
attitude
that
had
spilled
over
to
her.
There
were
times
when
he
had
shared
a
joke
with
her
that
had
her
laughing
so
hard
she
actually
thought
something

inside
her
body
would
break.
It
had
felt
good
to
laugh,
and
she
was
glad
she’d
been
able
to
laugh
with
him.

She
tried
to
think
of
the
last
time
she
had
laughed
with
a

man
and
recalled
that
it
had
been
with
her
father.
Even

during
his
final
days,
when
she’d
known
that
pain
had

racked
his
body,
he’d
been
able
to
tell
a
good
joke
every

now
and
then.
She
heaved
a
small
sigh.
She
missed
her

father
so
much.
Because
he
had
kept
such
a
tight
rein
on

her,
she
had
been
a
rebellious
teen
while
growing
up.
It
was
only
when
she’d
returned
from
college
that
she
had
allowed
herself
to
form
that
special
father-daughter
relationship
with
him.

After
his
death,
at
the
encouragement
of
the
officials
at
the
hospice
facility,
she
had
gone
through
grief
counseling
and
was
glad
she
had.
It
had
helped
to
let
go
and
move
on.
One

of
the
biggest
decisions
she’d
been
forced
to
make
was

whether
to
sell
her
parents’
home
and
move
into
a
smaller
place.
After
much
soul-searching,
she
had
made
a
decision
to
move.
She
loved
her
new
home
and
knew
once
she
had
her
baby,
it
wouldn’t
be
as
lonely
as
it
was
now.
She
was

getting
excited
again
just
thinking
about
it.

“So
what
are
your
plans
for
later?”

Storm’s
question
invaded
her
thoughts
and
she
tipped
her
head
to
look
over
at
him.
“My
plans
for
later?”

“Yes.
Yesterday,
I
invited
you
to
join
me
for
dinner
and
you
turned
me
down,
saying
you’d
already
made
plans.
Today,
I’m
hoping
to
ask
early
enough
so
that
I’ll
catch
you
before
you
make
other
arrangements.”

Jayla
sighed.
She
knew
her
mind
needed
a
reality
check,
but
she
wasn’t
ready
to
give
it
one.
Spending
the
day
with
Storm
had
been
nice;
it
had
been
fun
and
definitely
what

she’d
needed.
But
she
didn’t
need
to
spend
her
evening

with
him
as
well.
The
only
thing
the
two
of
them
had
in

common
was
the
fact
they
both
loved
and
respected
her

father.
That
would
be
the
common
link
they
would
always

share.
But
spending
more
time
with
Storm
would
only

reawaken
all
those
old
feelings
of
attraction
she
had
always
had
for
him.

She
took
off
her
sunglasses,
met
his
gaze
directly
and

immediately
wished
she
hadn’t.
His
eyes
were
dark,
so
dark
you
could
barely
see
the
pupils.
The
jolt
that
passed
through
her
was
so
startling
she
had
to
remind
herself
to
breathe.

“I
was
wondering
when
you
were
going
to
stop
hiding

behind
these,”
he
said,
taking
the
sunglasses
out
of
her

hand
when
she
was
about
to
put
them
back
on.
He
gave
her
a
cocky
smile.
“But
I
didn’t
mind
you
checking
me
out.”

Jayla
couldn’t
hide
the
blush
that
darkened
her
cheeks.
Nor
could
she
resist
easing
her
lips
into
a
smile.
So
he’d
known
she
had
been
looking
him
over.
“I
guess
it
probably
gets

rather
annoying
to
you
after
a
while,
doesn’t
it?”

He
arched
a
brow.
“What?”

“Women
constantly
checking
you
out.”

He
smiled
again.
“Not
really.
Usually
I
beat
them
to
the
punch
and
check
them
out,
so
by
the
time
they
decide
they’re
interested,
I
know
whether
or
not
I
am.”

A
grin
tilted
the
corners
of
Jayla’s
lips.
“Umm,
such

arrogance.”
She
took
her
sunglasses
from
him
and
put
them
back
on,
preferring
her
shield.

“Instead
of
arrogance,
I
see
it
as
not
wasting
time,”
he
said
simply.
“I
guess
you
can
say
I
weed
out
those
who
won’t

make
the
cut.”

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