Quiet Storm, Season 2, Episode 6 (Rising Storm) Read Online Free Page B

was. Wouldn’t she?
    “Nothing,” she said. “Just thinking about jobs. I can’t get another apartment until I have one.”
    “And you want to be out on your own.”
    “Sure. It’s crowded in our house now, what with Daddy back and Marcus living at home.” It was weird, actually. First Marcus was supposed to never set foot in the house again after Daddy came home, and then suddenly he was back, insisting that he was going to live in his old bedroom no matter what their daddy said.
    Honestly, it was baffling.
    Or maybe it wasn’t. Because she knew damn well that Marcus would say that he was staying to protect their mom and Mallory. And Dakota would roll her eyes at the answer, but that conversation with Patrick would tickle the back of her mind, and—
    She shook her head, banishing her thoughts, then took another sip of her Diet Coke.
    “Well, I’m about to start my shift, but I wanted to say hi and see how you were doing.”
    “I’m glad you did.” Her wide smile was both genuine and rare. Seemed like most of the time her lips felt stretched raw when she had to smile politely. With Patrick, she felt real. It was nice.
    He slid out of the booth, then pressed a hand to her shoulder as he passed her on his way to the door. She watched him go, and told herself not to think about his really cute ass. Instead, she looked past him out the window—and then immediately wished she hadn’t.
    Her mom was right there on the square with Dillon Murphy .
    Unlike all the times before with the sheriff, her mom didn’t look all doe-eyed the way she had before Daddy had come back. For that matter, she looked a little irritated.
    Ha. Her mom never looked irritated when she was around Hector. Dakota frowned, thinking about that. Because the truth was, her mom was never happy around Hector either. Or doe-eyed. Or flirty. Or anything, really. She just always looked sort of...flat.
    Okay, maybe her parents really didn’t have the best marriage, but so what? That didn’t make Hector a monster. After all, of course Daddy was mad if Joanne was hanging out with—and even having fun with—the man who’d run Hector out of town.
    Her frown deepened as she thought of Patrick, because she knew what he’d say. That she wasn’t really seeing what was going on between her parents. He’d probably even go so far as to say that his brother Dillon was the better man.
    And then he’d tell her that if she dug deep, she already knew all of that. She just didn’t want it to be true.
    In the booth, she hugged herself, thinking about Patrick. She was glad he’d left because she didn’t want a lecture right now. Except Patrick never really lectured. Instead, they talked.
    They talked, and he listened. And he actually saw the girl she really was. Sometimes he saw even more than she wanted him to see.
    It made her feel uncomfortable. But, weirdly, it also made her feel safe. Because whatever he was seeing in her, he liked.
    And that was scary and wonderful all at the same time.
     

Chapter 4
    Jeffry lingered at the threshold of Brittany’s room, watching his sister examine herself in a clinging burgundy sweater dress. It was a nice change. For the last few days, she’d been killing herself for some project for one of the college classes she was taking online, and she’d been living in yoga pants and T-shirts.
    “You look really pretty,” he said, and she jumped, her hand flying to her chest.
    “Oh! Jeffry! I didn’t see you there. I thought you were Dad”
    “He’s in Austin with Grams for the weekend, remember? That charity thing. Gotta feed the social media machine.”
    She nodded. “Just paranoid, I guess. I’m going out to dinner with Marcus, and I really don’t want an earful of Dad’s shit.”
    “Can’t blame you there.” He cocked his head. “So everything’s good with you and Marcus? I mean, I really like him, but Dad and Grams have got to be making his life miserable.”
    “It’s great,” she said, but then her