Riordan by Kathi S. Barton Read Free Book Online Page A

and sipped her tea before continuing. “Mac told him what she
    was to you and asked him to confirm or deny who she was. He said that not only was this her,
    but she’s still considered active and will have the full pay and ranking for as long as she lives.
    The president has made it perfectly clear that not only did she save hundreds of men that day, but
    without her observations and help when it came to a covert operation, the war would have taken
    a terrible turn.”
    “What did she do?” Mom shrugged and sipped her tea again. “This thing with Dad, she was
    asleep and she attacked him. Why? Do you know that?”
    “Yes.” When she said nothing else, he asked her what she knew. “I’m sorry, son, but I’m not
    going to tell you everything I know, which I might add, is not a great deal. What I will tell you is
    this. She’s been living with her aunts since she was released a few months ago. The aunts own
    the building that the bakery is now in, and decided that they wanted to add to their pension some
    and opened the bakery with her help. I don’t know why she lives above the place when I know
    from them that she has a house somewhere near here. I don’t know, other than the damage done
    to her legs, what else was done to her or how she was hurt, other than what you’ve read there.”
    “She’s my mate.” Mom nodded and smiled at him. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re
    enjoying this? I don’t know what this is, but you’re having a good time with it.”
    “I am. You have met your match, son. And I don’t mean just your mate. Storm is strong-
    willed, strong-minded, and she’s smart. She’ll have you in knots so tight that you won’t know
    which way is up.” Mom stood up, taking both of their now-empty cups to the counter to rinse
    out. She turned to continue. “But she will love you like no one else ever will, protect you in ways
    that you can’t her, and there will never be a time when you think that she’s not the right person
    for you, when you give her half a chance.”
    “That’s the problem right there. I don’t want to be tied up. Not over a woman, and I don’t
    want to have to worry about whether or not she’s going to pull a gun on the next person that
    touches her. I have my life just the way I like it. A nice bank account. I was dating a woman that,
    while I know she’s not my mate, she did suit me. And a job that I love.” He stood up then and
    kissed his mom on the cheek. “I’m going to leave her where she is. We’ve not touched each
    other except for that one time, and I have no intentions of going back there to see her again. As
    far as I’m concerned, she can live in her little part of the world and I can live in mine.”
    “You really think it’s going to work like that?” He told her that it was going to have to.
    “Well, then I wish you the best of luck with that. But I like her and her aunts. I’m going to
    continue to see her. Go to her shop and work a little if she’ll let me. And whether you like it or
    not, I’m going to have her here for dinner sometimes. If you would rather be left out of those
    family times, then I can arrange that, too.”
    Riordan left a little while later. He was hot, and he was pretty sure his mom knew it. This
    was the stupidest thing he’d ever had happen to him, and his parents were taking the side of a
    stranger. A human stranger, as a matter of fact. Driving to his apartment complex, he parked in
    the garage and sat there for ten minutes before he started cursing. Starting up his truck again, he
    made his way to The Bakery to have a word or two with Storm Browning.

Chapter 4
    “Stormy, that man is here again. The idiot.” Aunt Lynn came more into the room with her
    and leaned into her ear. “He’s not any happier about being here than I am having him here. And
    so you know, Sally is giving him what for.”
    Storm could have told her to toss him out, but she was pretty sure that her aunt would. Right
    out on the