Free Flynn's In (Lexi Frost Series) by Tori Brooks

leave them burning for a while.” She started to pass by but Flynn stopped her.
    “Let the girls do it. Grab your camera , there’s a lightning show you should see.”
    “But the power ’s out.”
    “So you won ’t miss anything here. Camera. I want to see how you can apply your unique talents to a bolt of lightning.”
    Flynn stood up and looked at her. She was tempted , but still reluctant.
    “Nicholas can hold down the fort. Grab your camera or I ’ll have Bryan start practicing drum solos.”
    Teri held up her hands in surrender , and ran off to fetch her camera bag.
    “Are you sure this is a good idea? ” Kenny asked from behind him. Flynn jumped.
    “Keeping it casual but , yes, adult time without you sneaking about is a good idea. She took G-rated pictures yesterday at the airport, let’s see if I can get her to twist the lightning a bit.”
    “Not exactly accidental porn if you photo-shop it. ”
    “One step at a time. Help Nicholas hold down the fort , will you? I’d hate to show her a great time and bring her home to find the house burning down.”
    “We ’ll save the guitars.”
    “Screw the guitars , save your notebooks. Maybe work on your lyrics. Write a love song for a change.”
    “Um , not into that.” Kenny paused for a moment. “Dev used to write poems for Jess, until he found out he was using them to get laid.”
    “Draft him to write lyrics then. Use your resources. Love song. Go. ”
    Kenny smiled and walked off as Teri returned.
    “Well, are you coming?” she demanded, pulling on a jacket.
    Per Teri ’s direction, Flynn drove to a park overlooking the storm and Lake Washington.
    “This should work. Come hold the umbrella ,” Teri ordered, stepping out into the rain.
    Flynn dutifully stepped out and grabbed the large umbrella Teri packed. He held it over her as she set up a tripod , using Flynn’s SUV as a windbreak. Flynn struggled to keep the umbrella from being blown out of his hands or turned inside-out, and decided finally to hold the edges instead of the handle. He was getting soaked in the process, but Teri and the camera were relatively dry.
    “I ’m not really set up for shooting storms. There are all sorts of little rain shields and everything you can get that I never bothered with,” she explained as she focused the camera on a sailboat lashed to a private dock.
    “First thing on your to do li st when the power comes back up,” Flynn suggested.
    “Actually , first thing will be to dry off and warm up.”
    “I thought artists sacrificed for their art ,” he teased.
    “Already sold my firstborn to The Devil. I ’ve been meaning to mention it to her.”
    “Cassie will take it well , she rolls with it.”
    “Like you putting Jess back on her trail? ”
    Flynn winced. “You noticed that? Don ’t worry, I talked to Cassie about it first.”
    “Were you going to mention it to me? ”
    “No. I ’m The Devil in this scenario. I’m dangling Cassie in front of Jess to teach him to behave. Kenny’s a good example of working for what you want. He wants to be a rock star and nothing on this planet is going to stop him. Jess is just floating. Remember that brain you suspected he might have? Hopefully we’ll start seeing it.”
    “And when he doesn ’t get the girl?”
    “I told him it was a long shot. She ’s onto him, he has to work twice as hard for even a chance.”
    “She leaves for college in the fall. ”
    “He knows. What ’s more, one of the steps is to obtain and keep a steady girlfriend, show her he can make a commitment. Cassie wouldn’t be interested otherwise.”
    “So you hope experimenting with longer term relationships will ease the blow of not getting Cassie? ”
    Flynn caught the dangerous direction the conversation was headed. It was a no-win topic from the beginning , but Teri wasn’t as easily sold on an abstract idea as Jess. Worse, protective maternal instincts were starting to creep in.
    Flynn sighed , trying to sound as if he