Free Into the Storm by Ruth D. Kerce

Prologue
     
    Phone-phuck yourself.
    Val texted the words back to Grant, not about
to use the same explicit language he had used with her. A variation
thereof was bad enough, and it instantly put her in a foul
mood.
    "Are you listening to me?" Janine asked from
across the table. "Val!" Her voice rose a notch, sounding very
close to a screech.
    Val cringed and snapped the phone closed.
"The answer is still no." She should have known that her best
friend had other things on her mind, besides generosity, when she
offered to buy lunch for the two of them today. She pushed her
chair back from the table.
    "Why not?" Janine whined.
    "Forget it!" She tossed her empty paper cup
into the trash, then took off out of the food court and headed into
the mall. Why did others always think they knew what was best for
their friends' lives?
    "What's the problem? You need some
testosterone in your life. It's not like it's a blind date," Janine
called out after her, rushing to catch up. "You've known him for
years."
    "Only in passing." She couldn't believe that
Janine was trying to set her up with Nathan. He was certainly
handsome, smart, and nice enough, but the man had been married
twice already, unsuccessfully, according to the gossip at work. She
didn't need the baggage. "I think I'll stay celibate for a
while."
    "You don't have to sleep with him. It's just
dinner. You haven't been out with anyone since Grant left you for
that bimbo executive last year." Janine turned and whistled at a
tall hunk who strolled past.
    Val slapped her shoulder. "Stop that. You are
so embarrassing. And please, don't remind me of Grant." He'd told
her that she wasn't hot enough to show off to his corporate
colleagues. But apparently, she was hot enough for phone sex
whenever he got the itch. Jerk. She hoped his division demoted him
to janitor when the upcoming company cutbacks rolled around.
    "So you'll go out with Nathan?"
    "No. I'm not looking for another relationship
right now." When Janine opened her mouth to protest, Val added,
"Nor am I looking for a dinner companion."
    "You're no fun at all." Janine slouched,
until something caught her eye. She perked up and rushed toward a
nearby boutique. "Look. Fifty percent off. Let's get you something
sexy. Something to impress."
    "Janine, geez. I don't need anything sexy. Or
anyone sexy. Please give it a rest."
    "Ah, so you do think Nathan is sexy. I knew
it!"
    When a smile lit her friend's face, Val
frowned. "I didn't say that." Even though it was true. Nathan kept
himself in drool-worthy shape. And his eyes were such a delicious
chocolate brown. His hair was also chocolate brown and always
curled attractively around his ears. If anything, she loved
chocolate. But that's as far as it went.
    Nathan was fantasy material at best. "I'm
perfectly happy with my life as it is." That was her story, and she
was sticking to it. She'd had enough of men. Well, enough of being
hurt by men.
    Janine snorted. "Sure you're happy. Anyone
can see that. Ooo, pasties!"
     
     

Chapter 1
     
    Val glanced out the kitchen window at the
black clouds rolling across the sky. A major storm was in the
works. The wind had already picked up and was whipping through the
trees. She heard a low rumble of thunder in the distance.
    She pushed up the sleeves of her over-sized
sweatshirt and shoved some leftover pizza into the oven. Chocolate
ice cream, her favorite, was on the menu for desert. Binge and
comfort food. She might even make nachos later. Good thing she
wasn't prone to gaining weight. She pinched the flesh around her
hips. Well, maybe she was a little prone.
    A splatter of rain hit the window, and she
glanced out into the backyard, where one of the lawn chairs had
toppled onto its side in the wind. "Here it comes."
    The sky completely opened up, and a deluge
pelted the ground. She was glad she hadn't made any plans to go out
tonight. The evening would have been ruined. When a streak of
lightning lit the sky, she moved away from the window.