Riding the Storm (50 page)

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Authors: Brenda Jackson

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

BOOK: Riding the Storm
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Lisa
laughed.
“Hey,
girlfriend,
don’t
apologize.
I’d
trade
places
with
you
in
a
heartbeat.
You’ve
been
with
Storm
Westmoreland
again
haven’t
you?”

Wondering
how
Lisa
could
know
such
a
thing,
Jayla
asked
innocently,
“What
makes
you
think
that?”

Lisa
raised
a
dark
brow.
“It’s
either
that
or
you’re
reliving
some
dynamite
memories.
My
guess
is
that
you’re

reminiscing
about
the
past
twenty-four
hours.”

Jayla
sighed
as
she
closed
the
door
so
that
she
and
Lisa
could
have
total
privacy.
She
sat
back
down
at
the
table
and
Lisa
joined
her.
She
met
her
best
friend’s
curious

gaze.
“Storm
dropped
by
last
night.”

Lisa
leaned
back
in
her
chair
and
grinned.
“That’s
a
first.
I
heard
that
once
an
affair
was
ended,
Storm
Westmoreland
never
looked
back.
Booty
calls
are
not
exactly
his
style.”

Jayla
shot
her
a
frown
and
Lisa
held
up
her
hand

apologetically.
“Sorry.
I
was
just
making
an
observation.”

Jayla
let
out
a
breath.
That
was
one
observation
she
didn’t
need.
“He
wants
to
take
me
out
tomorrow
night.
To
dinner.
At
Anthony’s.”

Lisa
smiled.
“Real
classy
place,
so
what’s
the
problem?”

Jayla
returned
the
smile.
Lisa
could
be
so
good
for
her
at

times.
“The
problem
is
what
you
indicated
earlier.
Storm
is
not
a
man
who
looks
up
women
from
his
past.
I
knew
that
in
New
Orleans
and
he
knew
that,
and
it
was
understood
that
when
we
returned
to
Atlanta
we
would
have
no
reason
to

seek
the
other
out.”

Lisa
nodded.
“And
he’s
seeking
you
out.”

“Yes,
and
I
can’t
let
it
happen.”

Lisa
sat
up
and
leaned
in
closer.
“Is
it
okay
for
me
to
ask
why?”

Jayla
dragged
a
hand
through
her
hair,
and
drew
in
a

frustrating
breath.
“Because
it’s
lousy
timing.
My
life
is

about
to
undergo
some
major
changes,
Lisa,
for
Pete’s

sake.
My
physical
is
set
for
next
Friday
and
soon
after
that,
I
plan
to
get
inseminated.
The
last
thing
I
need
is
Storm

deciding,
for
whatever
reason,
that
I’m
a
novelty
to
him.”

“Hey,
Jayla,
don’t
sell
yourself
short.
There
might
be
another
reason
that
Storm
Westmoreland
finds
you
interesting,

other
than
you
being
a
novelty.
The
guy
might
actually
like

you.
I
mean
really,
really
like
you.
There’s
a
chance
that

you’ve
blown
him
away.”

Lisa’s
comments
gave
Jayla
pause.
She
thought
about
that
possibility
all
of
two
seconds
and
shook
her
head.

“Impossible.
Even
if
there
was
a
remote
chance
that
was

true,
Storm
and
I
could
never
get
serious
about
each
other.”

Lisa
lifted
a
brow.
“Why?”

Jayla
frowned.
“He’s
too
much
like
my
father.
He
would
want
to
keep
a
tight
rein
on
me.
He
actually
believes
a

woman
should
be
a
stay-at-home
mom.
I
guess
he
thinks
the
ideal
woman
is
one
he
can
keep
barefoot
and

pregnant.”

Lisa
smiled.
“Hey,
I
could
do
barefoot
and
pregnant
with
a
man
like
him,”
she
said,
wiggling
her
eyebrows.

“Well,
I
can’t.
I
have
my
life
mapped
out
just
the
way
I
want,
thank
you.
I’m
having
a
baby
without
the
complications
of
a
man.
The
last
thing
I
need
is
someone
dictating
how
I

should
live
my
life
and
there’s
no
doubt
in
my
mind
that

Storm
would
be
very
domineering.”

Lisa’s
smile
widened.
“Yeah,
but
also
very
sexy.”

Jayla
raised
her
gaze
to
the
ceiling.
“But
I
can’t
think
of
sexy
when
all
I
can
see
is
domineering.”

Lisa
laughed.
“Evidently
you
could
last
night
if
those

blushes
were
any
indication.
But
if
you
feel
that
way,
you
should
let
him
know.
It
should
be
simple
enough
to
tell
him
you
aren’t
interested
and
to
stop
coming
around.”

Jayla
nodded.
Yes,
that
should
be
simple
enough
and
she
would
tell
him
tomorrow
night
at
dinner.

Storm
walked
into
Coleman’s
Florist
Shop
and
glanced
at
the
older
woman
who
was
standing
behind
the
counter.

Luanne
Coleman
was
considered
one
of
the
town’s
biggest
gossips,
but
he
still
enjoyed
doing
business
with
her.
And

besides,
none
of
the
women
he
ever
ordered
flowers
for

lived
in
College
Park,
the
suburb
of
Atlanta
where
he
and

the
majority
of
his
family
resided
and
where
his
brother

Dare
was
sheriff.

“Good
morning,
Ms.
Luanne.”

She
glanced
up
from
looking
at
the
small
television
screen
that
was
sitting
on
the
counter.
Her
soaps
were
on.
“Oh,

hello,
Storm.
You
want
to
send
the
usual?”

He
smiled.
By
the
usual,
she
meant
a
bouquet
of
fresh-cut
flowers.
“No,
I
want
to
send
something
different
this
time.”

He
knew
that
would
grab
her
attention.
She
stared
at
him
for
a
long
moment,
then
raised
her
brow
over
curious
eyes
and
asked,
“Something
different?”

“Yes.”

She
nodded.
“All
right,
what
do
you
have
in
mind?”

He
glanced
around.
“What
do
you
have
that
will
last
a

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