Jared's Counterfeit Fiancee - Brenda Jackson [56]
Storm’s marriage six months ago had been another surprise, and Jared couldn’t help but dwell on all the changes that had taken place in Storm’s life since then. The man who had once been Atlanta’s most sought-after bachelor, who had been known as The Perfect Storm to multitudes of women, the man who swore he would never, ever marry was now a happily married man with a wife and twins on the way.
“What happened?” Jared asked. He suddenly needed answers and he’d force them out of Storm if necessary.
Storm raised a dark brow. “What do you mean what happened?”
“With you and this marriage thing. You swore you would never fall in love but you did and I want to know what happened.”
A huge smile stretched Storm’s lips. “Since you’re engaged to be married yourself, I don’t understand the need for this cross-examination. But just in case for some reason the verdict’s still out, or you’re attempting to find logic in all of this, the answer is simple. Love happened. I met a woman who I couldn’t live without. At first I thought it was strictly physical since there was such a strong attraction between us, but then I discovered there was more to it than just being intimate. I enjoyed being with her, going places with her, seeing her smile and sharing my thoughts with her. And she was different from any woman I’d ever known.”
Storm chuckled before continuing. “It took me a while to rationalize the depth of my feelings but when I did, I knew just what I wanted and who I wanted. And I also knew what I could lose if I didn’t accept the truth and act on those feelings. I needed Jayla in my life, as part of my life, just as much as I needed to breathe.”
Jared’s troubled gaze met Storm’s. “You were vulnerable.”
Storm shook his head. “That’s a subjective viewpoint, Jared, but also a wrong one. I was in love. I was so deeply entrenched in the throes of it that there was no way I could walk away. Jayla has added meaning to my life in ways I didn’t think possible. But then from what I can tell, Dana has done the same for you. It shows every time the two of you are together. I’ve never seen you this attentive to any woman. For the past ten minutes you’ve been standing here getting agitated as you wait for her to return from touring the house with Tara. You love her, man. I thought I had it bad, but you have it worse. Hell, you’re in worse shape than Thorn was and he hadn’t known he was in love with Tara until it was almost too late.”
Jared took another sip of his drink. He wondered what his cousin would say if he were to tell him he was wrong, that he wasn’t in love with Dana, and that the entire engagement had been nothing but a sham.
Whatever he was about to say died on his lips the moment Dana walked through the patio doors with Tara. Tara and Thorn had had the house built and had moved into it a few months ago. It was a beautiful structure located in the outskirts of town on land that had been in the Westmoreland family for generations.
“Well, there’s your lady, Jared. And if you’re as smart as I know you are, whatever doubt that’s beginning to form in your mind will soon vanish. Dana is a treasure worth having and if I were you I’d go a step further than just putting a ring on her finger. I’d make her officially mine as soon as I could.”
“And what about the risk?”
Storm’s eyes came swiftly to his. “What risk?”
“Divorce.”
Storm shook his head. “You’ve been handling way too many divorce cases, Jared. When you’re in love, you don’t think of failure, you only think of success and prosperity. Life is full of risks. Each time I leave the station and head out to fight a fire there’s a risk. You don’t dwell on the what-ifs, and you have to believe that some risks are definitely worth taking. You have to believe in forever. And with that,” Storm said, setting down his glass on the table beside him, “I think I’ll go find my wife and give her a huge kiss.”
Jared lifted his forehead. “Why?
Storm gave him a smart-ass grin. “No particular