Summer Rain (Lightning Strikes Book 3) Read Free Page B

suit. A former NBA player, Congressman Davis Parker had taken his mother's congressional seat after her death, and he had been very supportive of his father's efforts to build the park.
    "Is that Davis Parker?" Marcus murmured, a note of awe in his voice.
    Patrick smiled. "I suppose you want to meet him."
    "Hell, yes, I want to meet him. He took the Lakers to two NBA finals."
    "About fifteen years ago."
    "Still, he's a legend. Introduce me."
    "After the ceremony," he said, as Davis and his father joined the mayor.
    "Fine, but don't forget."
    "I doubt you'll let me."
    "Have you talked to him about the plane crash?" Marcus asked.
    "He's been unavailable. Same with Senator Dillon. No one wants to talk to me."
    "I can't imagine why," Marcus said dryly. "You just shook up the entire pharmaceutical industry with your book about counterfeit drugs. Your story has singlehandedly launched about three dozen lawsuits and sent at least six people to jail."
    "I hit a home run with that one," he acknowledged. "But the only people who should be nervous around me are people who have something to hide."
    His cousin shook his head, giving him a worried look. "I know I can't tell you what to do…"
    "But you're still going to try."
    "There are a lot of controversies that could serve as the subject of your next article or book. Digging into your mom's crash is going to be painful, and who knows what you'll find out? You've already heard one disturbing comment about your mother. Do you really want to hear more?"
    "Maybe I just want to know if it's true," he said evenly. "If it's not, I want to make sure that her reputation stays intact."
    "You should just leave it alone. Don't let one rumor change the way you think about her. Let her rest in peace."
    "You sound like my father, but the truth is I think my mother would want me to go after the truth. She always told me to trust my gut. She said that's what she did. So far, my gut hasn't let me down. If there's something to know, I want to know what it is."
    "Fine. I'm too smart to argue with someone as stubborn as you."
    "You argue in court every single day with people far more stubborn than me."
    "Yeah, but they're attorneys. I know what makes them tick—how to find their weakness. You are not that easy." Marcus paused, his gaze moving toward the sidewalk. "Whoa, who do we have here?"
    Patrick's gut tightened as he saw the beautiful blonde walking toward the park. An intense attraction immediately ran through him. The woman was like a beacon of sunlight on a dark day, her blonde hair shiny in the dim light as it swirled in waves around her face and shoulders. Wearing a form-fitting black skirt, a silky blue blouse, and high heels, she walked with confidence and purpose, the kind of woman who knew how to get attention without looking like she was trying. She literally stole his breath away.
    The woman paused, and her gaze suddenly met his. Even from a dozen feet away, he could feel the heat of her look, and his chest grew tight. He felt a little like he'd been sucker-punched. He couldn't remember the last time he felt such an incredibly strong pull to a woman.
    And then she looked away from him as Congressman Parker approached her and gave her a friendly hug.
    So she knew the congressman . That was interesting. Parker was married with three kids, and had at least ten years on this woman…not that that meant anything. They could be involved—or not. He shouldn't care one way or the other.
    "Patrick?"
    Marcus's voice drew his attention back to him. "What?"
    "Who's the woman?"
    "I have no idea. She could be anyone."
    "Maybe you should find out."
    "Why?"
    Marcus laughed. "Because I haven't seen that kind of yearning look on your face since you asked Amy Rogers to the prom."
    "I have no particular look on my face," he denied.
    "She's hot. You should go talk to her."
    He wanted to talk to her, not just because she was beautiful and sexy and really intriguing, but also because she knew Congressman Parker.