Page 3 of Through the Storms

Maybe it was a proposal and a house!They’d talked about buying one for years, but money had always been too tight with Oakley and Asher’s business. It would be just like Oakley to make such a grand gesture. “I’m glad I’m part of your dreams.”

“Always,” Oakley said. “You can open your eyes.”

CHAPTER 2

“Mia, you need tocome out.” Chloe Crawford pounded on the heavy wooden door to Mia’s bedroom. “Your father will be here in ten minutes.”

“I’m not going,” her sullen teenage daughter answered from behind the locked door.

Chloe groaned. Mia was only thirteen, so this was just the beginning of the teenage journey. Although she couldn’t entirely blame Mia, her and Dennis’s divorce had exacerbated Mia’s attitude. “Sweetie, I know you’re upset.”

“My life is ruined.” Mia’s voice cracked with what Chloe suspected were sobs.

Oh, to be young again and believe having to stay a week with her father was cataclysmic. Chloe knew better than to point out that Mia was being overly dramatic. “I’m sorry. I wish it wasn’t this way.” When Mia didn’t answer, Chloe said, “You know that, don’t you?”

“You didn’t fight hard enough,” Mia yelled.

Chloe flinched. By the volume of Mia’s voice, she’d moved up next to the door, instead of lying sprawled on her bed.Progress?“Honey, I know that’s how you feel, but I had to make a compromise.” Why did divorces have to be so hard?

“But it’s my birthday.”

They’d had this conversation so many times over the last few days that Chloe could recite all of Mia’s concerns.Her dad’s girlfriend was mean. They took her to stupid places. The bedroom he had for her was lame. She couldn’t celebrate with her friends.Which Chloe suspected was the crux of the problem. “I’m gonna throw akickassparty for you when you get home. All your friends can come.” Chloe had strategically sworn, hoping it might lend credence to her words.

“Even Lucas?” Mia asked with a tentative rise in her voice.

Chloe sucked in her breath and bit her lip. Even though she’d not met Lucas, she already didn’t like him. She’d heard on the Summerton grapevine that he was a fourteen-year-old hoodlum, but it wasn’t like Mia would be alone with him at the party. Chloe let out her breath and said, “Yes, even Lucas.” The words tasted bitter rolling off her tongue, but Dennis would be here in five minutes. The last thing she wanted to do was deal with an outburst from him, as well.

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Chloe heard the click of the lock, but the door didn’t open. As much as she wanted to push into the room, likely this was another of Mia’s tests. “Do you think you could let me in?”

“Door’s open,” Mia said with the bored nonchalant attitude that only a teenager could pull off.

“I’m coming in then,” Chloe said before turning the knob.

“Nobody’s stopping you.” Obviously, Mia still wanted to voice her displeasure, but Chloe would take it if it meant keeping Dennis off her ass.

When Chloe stepped inside Mia’s bedroom, she forced herself not to react. Mia had strewn the clothes from her suitcase across the room. “Do you want help picking these up?” Chloe wasn’t sure if this was the best parenting technique or not, but Mia had shown so much anger after the divorce that Chloe wasn’t sure what to do anymore.

“I guess.” Mia’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. Her dark brown eyes were almost a perfect match for Chloe’s. When Chloe met Mia’s gaze, Chloe wondered if her eyes reflected as much pain as she saw in Mia’s.

Chloe wanted nothing more than to wrap her daughter in a hug, but she knew it wouldn’t be received well. Instead, she bent and picked up a handful of clothes and began folding them.

In silence, Mia helped.

More progress. Chloe wrestled with whether to say anything more or let it be. “Oh, I love these.” Chloe held up a pair of Hollister jeans. “They look so cute on you.”

Mia snorted. “Yeah, it’ll be Wranglers for me from now on.”

Yep, Chloe should have let it be. After the divorce, they’d had to tighten their belts to stay in their house. Unfortunately, it was something a teenager didn’t understand.

As if sensing Chloe’s weakness, Mia said, “When do you leave for your trip?”

No, Chloe was being unfair. Likely, it was an olive branch not an accusation. Still Chloe felt guilty. On a whim, over a year ago, she’d put a nonrefundable deposit on this trip. It was her act of rebellion. The money would have come in handy about now.

“I’ll be out the door shortly after you leave.” Chloe smiled. “My bags are already in the car.”

“I still don’t know why I can’t go with.” Mia stuck out her bottom lip. “Is it because you’re going with a boyfriend?”