Summer Rain (Lightning Strikes Book 3) Read Online Free Page A
basketball courts and the kids' playground took up most of the front end of the park, then a small incline led up to a barbecue and picnic area and new restrooms. Behind that building was a beautiful flower garden with grassy areas and benches placed in between the flowers, giving the area a serene and peaceful look.
Not many people had made it to this part of the park, and as she wandered along the path, inhaling the thick, floral scents, she started to relax. The past few days had been so busy. First, she'd had to work overtime to finish up projects before the weekend. Then the wedding chaos had consumed every second of her time. Finally, she had a chance to breathe, and it felt good.
She paused by a rose bush and leaned forward to see a perfect yellow rose. She gently fingered the petals, wondering how the flower was doing so well in the Texas heat. She'd always found it a little hard to bloom here in Corpus Christi. She'd tried, but she'd felt trapped, not just by the limitations of the job but also by the past. She didn't like to own up to the fact that her father's death still weighed on her mind, but it was the truth. In Corpus Christi, she couldn't get away from the memories, so she'd been thrilled when the job in DC had come along.
She'd finally felt like she had the opportunity to live her own life, to find her own way, whatever that way would be.
A chorus of voices drew her head up. She let go of the rose as three young girls approached. She gave them a smile and then made her way back to the front of the park. The line for Patrick and his father was down to one person. Thank goodness . She could pay her respects and go.
When the elderly woman in front of her finished her conversation with Harris, Dani stepped forward.
"Hello. I'm Danielle Monroe," she said, shaking Harris's hand. "I'm here on behalf of Senator Dillon. He asked me to give you his regards and tell you how happy he is to have the park finally open. He knows how much it meant to your wife."
Harris nodded, his eyes gleaming with gratitude. "I appreciate the support the senator has given us over the years. Please let him know that."
"I will. He told me that Jackie was an amazing woman, and he admired her very much."
"She was one-of-a-kind," Harris said. As he finished speaking, a female reporter from the local paper interrupted them.
"I'm sorry to bother you," the woman said. "But the paper wants to get a few more photos with you by the placard if that's all right, Mr. Kane."
"Yes, of course." He smiled at Dani. "Thanks again for coming. Please excuse me."
As Harris left, she gave Patrick a tentative, wary smile. "Your speech was very moving, Mr. Kane."
"Call me Patrick. My father is Mr. Kane. And it wasn't easy to follow my dad's speech. As a teacher, he's used to inspiring people with his words."
"He was very articulate," she agreed. "He painted a wonderful picture of your mother."
"They were madly in love for twenty-five years. He still misses her every day."
"You said he's a teacher?"
"A professor of English at Texas A&M."
"My alma mater. Did you go there as well?"
"No, I went to Northwestern in Chicago. At the time, I was eager to go to college somewhere other than Texas. Now, I sometimes wish I'd stayed home, that I'd been around those last few years of my mother's life."
She could see the pain in his eyes, and her heart went out to him. She knew how he felt. While she hadn't left home, she'd been living in an apartment near the university when her father's plane had gone down. So she hadn't spent that much time with her dad in the weeks preceding his death.
"So you work for Senator Dillon?" Patrick asked.
"Yes, I'm a legislative assistant in his DC office."
"I'm surprised he didn't send one of his local staffers."
"I used to be one of his local staffers, and I was in town for my sister's wedding. I know he wishes he could have come himself, but his schedule is extremely busy."
"Perhaps that's why he hasn't returned any of
Not many people had made it to this part of the park, and as she wandered along the path, inhaling the thick, floral scents, she started to relax. The past few days had been so busy. First, she'd had to work overtime to finish up projects before the weekend. Then the wedding chaos had consumed every second of her time. Finally, she had a chance to breathe, and it felt good.
She paused by a rose bush and leaned forward to see a perfect yellow rose. She gently fingered the petals, wondering how the flower was doing so well in the Texas heat. She'd always found it a little hard to bloom here in Corpus Christi. She'd tried, but she'd felt trapped, not just by the limitations of the job but also by the past. She didn't like to own up to the fact that her father's death still weighed on her mind, but it was the truth. In Corpus Christi, she couldn't get away from the memories, so she'd been thrilled when the job in DC had come along.
She'd finally felt like she had the opportunity to live her own life, to find her own way, whatever that way would be.
A chorus of voices drew her head up. She let go of the rose as three young girls approached. She gave them a smile and then made her way back to the front of the park. The line for Patrick and his father was down to one person. Thank goodness . She could pay her respects and go.
When the elderly woman in front of her finished her conversation with Harris, Dani stepped forward.
"Hello. I'm Danielle Monroe," she said, shaking Harris's hand. "I'm here on behalf of Senator Dillon. He asked me to give you his regards and tell you how happy he is to have the park finally open. He knows how much it meant to your wife."
Harris nodded, his eyes gleaming with gratitude. "I appreciate the support the senator has given us over the years. Please let him know that."
"I will. He told me that Jackie was an amazing woman, and he admired her very much."
"She was one-of-a-kind," Harris said. As he finished speaking, a female reporter from the local paper interrupted them.
"I'm sorry to bother you," the woman said. "But the paper wants to get a few more photos with you by the placard if that's all right, Mr. Kane."
"Yes, of course." He smiled at Dani. "Thanks again for coming. Please excuse me."
As Harris left, she gave Patrick a tentative, wary smile. "Your speech was very moving, Mr. Kane."
"Call me Patrick. My father is Mr. Kane. And it wasn't easy to follow my dad's speech. As a teacher, he's used to inspiring people with his words."
"He was very articulate," she agreed. "He painted a wonderful picture of your mother."
"They were madly in love for twenty-five years. He still misses her every day."
"You said he's a teacher?"
"A professor of English at Texas A&M."
"My alma mater. Did you go there as well?"
"No, I went to Northwestern in Chicago. At the time, I was eager to go to college somewhere other than Texas. Now, I sometimes wish I'd stayed home, that I'd been around those last few years of my mother's life."
She could see the pain in his eyes, and her heart went out to him. She knew how he felt. While she hadn't left home, she'd been living in an apartment near the university when her father's plane had gone down. So she hadn't spent that much time with her dad in the weeks preceding his death.
"So you work for Senator Dillon?" Patrick asked.
"Yes, I'm a legislative assistant in his DC office."
"I'm surprised he didn't send one of his local staffers."
"I used to be one of his local staffers, and I was in town for my sister's wedding. I know he wishes he could have come himself, but his schedule is extremely busy."
"Perhaps that's why he hasn't returned any of
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