Page 61 of Tangled Memories

Stormy sighed heavily. “Doesn’t it matter that I’ll miss you?”

“While you’re sleeping, you won’t,” Liane said.

“That’s the kind of childish logic that has stumped parents since Adam and Eve,” said Noreen. “I wonder how they handled it.”

Stormy turned to her new friend. “You’re not helping.”

“I confess, I’m not. I’d be delighted to have Liane for a sleepover. I’ll even bring her home in the morning with the hope that you’ll invite Janelle and me to sunbathe out on that beach in front of your house. Elise is at Walt Disney World this weekend on a school-sponsored outing. Truth to tell, I could do with a fun day.”

“Oh, Noreen, you’re welcome any time. You don’t have to trade visit for visit.”

“With Liane spending the night, she and Janelle will entertain each other, and I’ll get to curl up with a book I’ve been dying to read. It’s full of sin and sex.”

“Liane doesn’t have her pajamas or toothbrush or—”

“She can wear a pair of mine,” said Janelle. “And we have lots of new toothbrushes.”

Stormy plopped down at the kitchen table and dropped her chin into her hands. “Okay, I give in.”

“Gracefully done,” said Noreen over the whoops of Liane and Janelle. “Now, how about a cup of coffee for the road?”

Eight-thirty on a Saturday night,and here Stormy was bathed and bedded down simply because she was at a loss for what to do with herself. She told herself she was exhausted and closed her eyes. It didn’t work. Her adrenaline raced as if charged by a Niagara Falls power station. It must be Noreen’s coffee that kept her awake.

Liar! a voice at the back of her mind challenged.It was the sight of Tyler’s car parked at the motel.You wanted to stop. So why didn’t you?

Lack of courage, Stormy answered.

Pooh! Since when have you lacked courage?

Since nice girls can’t approach men in motel rooms.

Prison really did a number on you, didn’t it? mocked the voice.You used to snub convention. Remember the day Liane was born? You vowed to take SHOULDN’T out of your vocabulary. You went into business for yourself and made a success of it. Now you’re doing it again.

You’re forgetting my track record with men. I haven’t picked a winner yet.

So? It takes practice. And don’t forget, you’re dealing with a man who lost a marriage and a daughter. That’s big-time rejection. Men don’t get over things like that so easily. Could be he’s a bit out of practice himself and just waiting for you to take the first step.

Stormy threw off the coverlet and got up.

It was bad enough that she was clearly going crazy. But if she was going to mock herself, she might as well have a good reason.

But what does one wear to a seduction?

Less is better, came the voice, getting in the last word before Stormy shut it out.

A half-hour later, holding her breath as if beneath a ton of water, Stormy rapped softly on Tyler’s door.

The man who answered was bald, short, and shirtless. He gaped at her. “Lawdy, Miss Clawdy!” he said in a surprisingly gentle voice. “I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

“I—I’m sorry,” Stormy stammered. “I’ve got the wrong—”

“Shoot. I thought my luck was changing. You want the guy who runs the place, I’ll warrant. Drives that BMW?” He pointed to Tyler’s car, parked in front of the door.

Stormy nodded. Running the place sounded like Tyler — a man with excess energy to burn.

“Two doors down,” the man said, pointing.

She mumbled an apology and moved off, thankful that the man had closed his door and would not witness her reception by Tyler—whatever it might be.

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