Romancing the Storm: Second Chances Read Free Page A

looks into my eyes. "This is it sweet lips. I will see you whenever," he says and kisses me.
    "Will you be able to write or call or text?" I ask hoping to have some semblance of a real relationship while he’s away. Dr. Kendall walks up interrupting out little interlude.
    "No, there are no cell towers there. We'll have a satellite phone. I'll be checking in with my sister but other than that, no posts and no phones. Sorry, kiddos. Time to roll," Dr. Kendall says.
    Blaine gives me a quick kiss and crawls in the passenger's seat beside his dad. Judah joins me again. Blaine smiles at us as they roll away leaving Judah and me standing there alone.

Chapter Four
    "I've given you enough time to mourn. Time to get up and move on. We're going to have an adventure waiting for us Gracie-Q," Judah says.
    "Enough time? It's been three days," I say giving him an exasperated look. True, I’ve been brooding around as if I’ve lost my true love.
    "Yes, enough time. You've moped around here feeling sorry for yourself over your long lost love, " Judah mocks as he throws his forearm over his forehead like he's me.
    I giggle. Judah is a goofball, always quick-witted and fun to be around. With him, I can't be sad. But he's right, I've sat around my little home scrubbing every baseboard and chasing away every cobweb until I have nothing left to do. My summer is free until I hopefully find a job in August at the Elementary school if they hire me. I can’t help but feel a surge of excitement
    "Come on, put on a swimsuit or something you don't mind getting wet," Judah says smiling wickedly at me. He clapped his hands together to make me move.
    I shake my head and laugh as I change into my black swimsuit. I look in the mirror. The simple tank suit fits well over my curvy body. After stepping into my jean cutoffs and white tank top, we hop in Judah's Jeep and scurry out of town and up the hill.
    "Are we going to the lake?" I ask with excitement building. I love the lake hidden up in the hills with steep cliffs and sheer drop-offs. There we hear no vehicles, only the birds busily chirping and the hot bugs singing their summer tunes. I grin at Judah and grab his hand that's resting on the gear shift.
    He shoots me a smile, one I love seeing. "I knew this would put a smile on your face. You're too adventuresome to sit at home and mope."
    "But mopey is fun," I joke. We have a good laugh and my mood lightens even more.
    The road bumps along until it opens to a field and suddenly there's the crude parking lot to the lake, a grassy area fenced off with short posts and wire fencing. The stifling hot air feels a little cooler up here. I pull in a deep breath smelling the various wildflowers in the air. Blue-jays call as we make our way to the grassy edge that borders the tops of the bluffs. Grasshoppers hop out of our way, steering clear of the water but landing softly on the next blade of grass.
    "Ouch," I say as I step out of my sneakers and hop on the hot rocks until I lay my towel down offering cool relief for my feet. The sun pours overhead, the water looks so inviting.
    Judah strips down to his swim shorts. His muscles ripple with each move. I smile as I gaze at him. I've often thought about him having a Greek god body. He catches me looking at him and raises an eyebrow. I blush, but only a little. He knows I appreciate a well-toned body.
    "Yeah, I think you look good," I say as I step out of my cutoffs and tank top. He grins at me.
    "Not so bad yourself," he says as he nudges me. I lose my balance for a split second and screech. He reaches out and grasps my upper arm to keep me from toppling over the edge.
    I look down at the water twenty feet below and shudder. It's a long jump, and I haven't swum this summer yet. The thought of jumping into the water scares me just a little. I wrap my arms about my chest and look up at Judah who's staring at me with an odd grin.
    "What's wrong? Scared?" he teases and comes at me as if he’s going to push me.
    "I'm