Page 11 of Storm's Embrace

Miriam grinned at her daughter’s whispered, “I know,” then let out a little chuckle as Zoë gave Leah’s fist a bump with her own tiny one, followed by the two of them throwing their fingers out in unison and snapping once. She had the sinking suspicion Zoë was going to turn out to be a lot like her sister.

Heaven help me.

“Mommy, can I have two more?”

She went to the refrigerator and glanced at her daughter’s plate before swinging it open. “You haven’t eaten the ones you’ve got yet,” she said, and then grabbed the jug of milk and poured her some. “Why don’t you see if you want more after finishing those?” She put the milk back, closed the refrigerator, and turned to give her the glass, only to findthreemore cookies than the two she still hadn’t eaten sitting on her plate. She glanced at Leah who was munching on one too.

“Thanks,” she told her sister.

Leah grinned and saluted her with her half-eaten cookie. “Sis, you know you would’ve given them to her anyway. Okay, I’ve waited long enough. So, spill.” She shoved the rest of her cookie in her mouth.

Miriam gave a slight shake of her head and cut her eyes down to Zoë, hoping her sister would get the hint. “First, Zoë, thank Aunt Leah for bringing you home.”

Zoë gave her sister a big smile, saying, “Thanks, Aunt Leah,” before getting back to her snack.

“You’re welcome, squirt,” Leah said as she walked around the table and tousled Zoë’s hair.

“Let’s go in the living room,” Miriam told Leah, motioning with her head. Her sister nodded and led the way—but not before grabbing another cookie and popping it whole in her mouth. The girl could eat anything and not gain a single pound.

Miriam? Not so much.

She smiled as Leah’s long, dark blond hair tied up in a high ponytail swished around her head when she flopped onto the chair across from the couch where Miriam sat “So…” Leah raised a slim brow at her.

“So, I broke up with him.”

“And…”

Leah wasn’t going to be happy until she’d gotten the entire story, although there really wasn’t a whole lot ofstoryto tell. “And… Then he went home.”

“No kidding.” Leah grimaced at her. “But I need details. Come on,” she said, leaning forward, her eyes wide with expectation. “Was he heartbroken? Did he cry? Did he get on his knees and beg you not to break up with him?”

Miriam just sat with her arms crossed while Leah named off several other things Rob may have done—each one more dramatic than the last—but didn’t interrupt. She’d learned from experience it was best just to let her get it all out.

“Well?” Leah finally said with a little huff.

Miriam grinned at her. “I was just waiting for you to get finished.”

Leah, the mature twenty-year-old that she was, stuck her tongue out at her.

Miriam laughed and shook her head. “Honestly, he didn’t do any of those things.” It had actually kind of surprised her howunaffected he’d seemed about the whole thing. “I just told him, ‘Rob, this isn’t working for either of us, so I think we shouldn’t see each other anymore.’ He said, ‘okay,’ and turned around and left.”

“Okay?” Leah grimaced and leaned back in her seat with a disappointed frown marring her brow. “Just, okay?”

Miriam shrugged. “I have a feeling if I hadn’t said it first, he was going to say it himself soon anyhow.”

Leah grimaced and nodded. “Because you wouldn’t put out.”

“Shhh.” Miriam craned her neck toward the kitchen entrance to make sure Zoë hadn’t snuck up on them. “You know she has super hearing.” She leaned toward her sister, whispering, “Seriously, I said damn the other day when I nicked my leg with a razor…under my breath…in the shower…while she was in her room, and shestillheard me.”

“I know what you mean.” Leah grinned. “Who do you think heard Dad say piss and told on him to Mom?”

Miriam sat back against her seat with a shake of her head. “She didn’t.”

Leah nodded, her lips began to twitch. “Oh, she did. Honestly, Sis, I thought Dad was going to bust a gut laughing while Mom chased him around the house with a rag and a bottle of dishwashing liquid. Zoë, of course, even after she was the one who’d tattled, tried to save him by holding on to the back of Mom’s shirt the whole time.”

Miriam burst out laughing, with her sister saying between bouts of her own laughter, “You should’ve seen it. Mom literally dragging Zoë behind her, with Dad running and squealing like a little girl, and Zoë begging Grams not tosoapPoppy.” Leah grabbed her chest and took in several deep breaths while Miriam wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. “Poor Dad. He got a stern talking to later by yoursweetdaughter. Oh, God,” she said, taking a deep breath, “I just wish I had recorded it.”

“I would have loved to have seen it.” Miriam could only imagine the show they’d put on for her daughter.

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