Riding the Storm (61 page)

careful,
too.
No
birth
control
is
one
hundred
percent.”

Jayla
chuckled.
“Evidently
not.”

“So,
can
I
assume
that
you’re
happy
with
the
news?”

Jayla
jumped
up
as
the
feeling
of
euphoria
took
control
of
her
again.
“Yes,
I’m
happy!
I
am
ecstatic!”
she
said,

laughing
joyously.
She
just
hoped
and
prayed
that
Storm
would
be
happy
and
ecstatic,
as
well,
when
she
told
him
that
she
loved
him
and
was
having
his
baby.

Eleven

E
veryone
who
was
somebody
in
Atlanta
had
turned
out
for
the
Kids’
World
charity
benefit.
There
were
politicians,

CEOs
of
major
corporations,
celebrities
and
well-known

sports
figures,
all
of
whom
considered
Atlanta
home.

There
was
also
a
sheikh
in
attendance,
the
very
handsome
Prince
Jamal
Ari
Yasir,
who
was
dressed
in
his
native

Middle
Eastern
attire
and
causing
quite
a
stir
among
the

ladies,
single
or
otherwise.
Jayla
smiled,
knowing
the
stir
was
a
waste
of
time
and
effort
since
it
was
well
known
that
Prince
Yasir
was
happily
married
to
the
former
Delaney

Westmoreland,
Storm’s
sister.

Jayla
glanced
across
the
room
at
the
group
of
men

standing
together
laughing
and
talking.
Although
Storm

hadn’t
arrived
yet,
it
didn’t
take
much
to
recognize
the
men
as
Westmorelands.
Their
kinship
was
clearly
evident
in

their
facial
features,
their
height
as
well
as
their
sex
appeal.

She
began
wondering
if
perhaps
Storm
had
changed
his
mind
about
coming.
After
leaving
the
clinic
yesterday,
she
had
decided
to
take
the
rest
of
the
day
off.
Too
excited
to
work,
she
had
gone
home
and
called
Lisa
and
invited
her
to
lunch.

She’d
barely
gotten
the
words
out
after
Lisa
arrived
when

she
burst
into
tears
of
happiness.
Then
she
told
Lisa
of
her
fears
about
telling
Storm.
What
if
he
no
longer
loved
her?
What
if
her
rejection
had
killed
his
feelings
for
her?

Lisa,
in
her
usual
optimistic
way,
had
assured
her
that
although
Storm
might
be
a
little
angry
with
her
right
now,
she
doubted
his
love
could
have
died
so
quickly.

Jayla
had
wanted
to
call
and
ask
him
to
come
over,
but
then
she’d
remembered
he
was
on
duty
at
the
fire
station.
So,

instead
of
talking
to
him
yesterday,
she
had
walked
around
the
house
wondering
what
she
would
say
when
she
saw

him
tonight.

“Everything
looks
beautiful,
doesn’t
it?”

Jayla
turned
when
she
recognized
the
voice
of
Tara

Westmoreland.
Tara
was
accompanied
by
three
other

women
whom
Jayla
didn’t
immediately
recognize.
At
first,
Jayla
thought
each
of
the
women
was
beautiful
in
a
unique
way.
Like
Tara,
they
were
smiling
and
each
of
their
smiles
reflected
a
sincere
friendliness.
Jayla
returned
their
smiles
as
Tara
made
the
introductions.

The
women
were
Shelly
Westmoreland,
who
was
married
to
Sheriff
Dare
Westmoreland;
Madison
Westmoreland,
who
was
married
to
Stone
Westmoreland
and
Storm’s

sister,
Delaney
Westmoreland
Yasir.
Jayla
swallowed

deeply.
All
three
women,
like
Tara,
were
part
of
the

Westmoreland
clan.
Somehow,
Jayla
found
her
voice
to
respond
to
Tara’s
earlier
comment.
“Yes,
everything
is
beautiful
and
your
committee
should
be
proud
of
what
they’ve
accomplished.”

Tara
chuckled.
“Yes,
but
your
company
also
played
a
huge
role.
The
food
is
wonderful.
Everyone
is
talking
about
the
catering
service
that
is
being
used.
It’s
quite
evident
that
Sala
Industries
went
out
of
their
way
tonight.”

“Thanks.”

“And
I
have
to
say
the
dress
you’re
wearing
looks
simply

gorgeous
on
you,”
the
woman
who
had
been
introduced
as
Madison
Westmoreland
said.

“Thank
you,”
Jayla
said
smiling,
beginning
to
feel
more
relaxed.

She
and
the
women
launched
into
a
discussion
of
styles
in
clothing
and
movies
they’d
recently
seen
when
they
heard
a
sudden
buzzing
from
a
group
of
single
women
standing
not
far
away.
A
quick
glance
at
the
entrance
to
the
ballroom

revealed
why.
Storm
and
his
cousin
Ian
had
walked
in
and
were
crossing
the
ballroom
floor
to
join
the
other

Westmoreland
men.
Both
men
looked
dashing
and

handsome
dressed
in
black
tuxedos.

Part
of
Jayla
wished
Storm
would
look
her
way;
then,

seconds
later,
she
decided
maybe
it
would
be
best
if
he