Page 70 of Through the Storms

Chloe put her hand against her chest. “Oh, my god, I know. And did you see, as soon as Oakley looked down at Lana’s hands, she knew who it was.” Chloe held her own hands up and turned them around as she examined them. “That’s what I want someday.”

“You will.” Riley pointed at Chloe’s hand that she still held up. “You’ve got delicate hands with long slender fingers. Someone will surely be able to pick them out of a lineup.”

“Oh, great.” Chloe chuckled. “So I better not commit a crime with them?”

“I didn’t mean that.” Riley’s face flushed.

“I don’t know. My hair looks good in the streetlights and my hands are set to be picked out of a lineup. What a catch.” Chloe winked, hoping to erase the look of panic on Riley’s face. When it didn’t seem to work, she nudged Riley. “I’m teasing.”

Riley’s shoulders relaxed. “I’m sorry that I keep putting my foot in my mouth.”

“You’re not.” Chloe linked her arm through Riley’s. “Stop worrying so much. I may be sad at times, but I’m not crystal. I’m not going to break. I don’t want you to edit yourself when you talk to me. I think it’s adorable when you just let things fall out of your mouth.”Shit.Maybe she shouldn’t have called Riley adorable, but she’d just told Riley not to edit herself, so she should do the same.

“I’m gonna hold you to your word when I say something incredibly stupid.”

“That’s the spirit. We all need to have goals.” Chloe laughed. “But seriously, you keep asking me what I want. What are you looking for?”

Riley smirked and pointed up. “Did I mention how your hair looks in the streetlight?”

“Nice try.”

“I don’t know.” Riley sighed. “It would be nice to have someone look at me the way the two of them looked at each other. There for a few minutes, I don’t think either of them knew that anyone else was in the room.”

“It was sweet. But then later.”

“Later? Did I miss something?”

“Didn’t you feel the heat coming off of them?”

“That.” Riley chuckled. “Yeah, I thought I was going to have to take a cold shower tonight if they stuck around any longer.”

Chloe fanned herself. “I know, right?”

“Then when Lana and Oakley started making up fake acronyms.”

“That was hysterical.” They turned and walked down the sidewalk toward the hotel. “Seeing Lana on television, she comes off so serious and buttoned up. I suppose she has to for the news. But Lana has more spunk and personality than I expected.”

“No doubt.” Riley nodded. “She’s much more than a pretty face. Oakley has that larger-than-life charisma, but Lana holds her own.”

Chloe shivered.

“Are you okay?”

“Just a little chilled, but we’re almost there.” This was one time she had no intention of telling Riley what had just crossed her mind. The thought of what the two powerhouses were likely doing now had elicited her response.

Riley walked faster. “Let’s get you inside.”

“I’m all right. I’m enjoying the fresh air.” And if she kept thinking what she had been, she’d need the chilly air to act as a cold shower. “What were the acronyms they made up?”

“SKIRTS.”

“Yeah. What were the other two?”

“Um, TWIST and…uh…” Riley snapped her fingers. “STUNT. Now can we remember what they stood for?”

“Ugh, I knew you were going to ask. STUNT was something about studying tornadoes…I can’t remember the rest.”

“TWIST. Wasn’t that The Weather Inside a Tornado?”