Hurricanes in Paradise by Denise Hildreth (web ebook reader .TXT) 📕

I’m fine. Just not feeling real well right now. I honestly only want to be alone. And I can see Tamyra’s shadow right there beside you.”

“She was just concerned. If you’re sick, Winnie, maybe we can get something sent up to you. Or I could take you down to the clinic and have the doctor check on you.”

“What I’ve got, a doctor can’t fix.” Her voice was harsh. What Riley was able to hear of it, anyway.

“Miss Winnie, please let me come in and sit with you. I won’t bother you; I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Riley thought for sure Winnie had her head leaned up against the door. “I’m fine.” Her voice was calmer. “Honestly, girls, I don’t need anything. I’m just an old woman who is used to time alone and needs some of it now.”

“This is ridiculous,” Laine muttered from behind Riley.

Riley turned her head quickly to Laine and raised her right eyebrow. “We don’t need commentary.” She turned back to the door. “Do you promise you’ll let us know if we can bring you something? We want you to have whatever you need.”

“I have everything I need. But thank you.” Riley could have sworn her voice cracked.

Tamyra turned and paced in the hall. “She’s crying. I can tell. She’s in there crying and we have no idea why.”

Laine turned around. “She’s a woman. We cry all the time and people have no idea why. Shoot, half the time we have no idea why.”

Riley turned toward all of them. Gerard backed up. “Well, she wants to be alone, so let’s give her some space.”

“Give me that key, Gerard,” Laine said, holding out her hand.

“We’re not going in on her, Laine. She sounds fine, and we’re not intruding into her privacy,” Riley said, the authority in her voice obviously understood by both Gerard and Tamyra.

Laine didn’t budge. She stood there, hand outstretched, pointed straight at Gerard. “Give me the key, Gerard.”

“Don’t you dare, Gerard.”

Riley almost felt sorry for Gerard. He looked like a rat caught in a catfight. He turned slightly toward her, which gave Laine the access she needed to his back pocket and the key. In a second she had swiped it from his shiny white pants and stuck it in the lock of Winnie’s door. No one even realized what she had done until they heard the clicking of the handle.

“We’re coming in, Winnie, whether you want us to or not,” Laine announced as she bounded into the suite.

Winnie was sitting on the edge of the sofa; her head darted toward the door. “I told y’all to leave me alone!” she shouted. “I just wanted some peace.”

Laine walked over to her. “You’re on vacation; who needs peace on vacation? If there’s something so horrible that it has you stowed away in your room, we need to know about it.”

Tamyra walked over and knelt at the edge of the sofa. “Miss Winnie, please tell me what happened.”

Riley gave Gerard’s key back to him and motioned for him to leave the room. She knew he was grateful. Riley stepped into the sitting area, walked over to the sofa, and sat down on its arm. “Winnie, I’m sorry. Ms. Fulton took Gerard’s key and busted in your door.”

Winnie glared at Laine. “Well, she shouldn’t have. Fancy schmancy author or not, a woman deserves her privacy.”

Riley glared at Laine. “You’re right; she shouldn’t have. And we are all now leaving to give you some time to yourself.”

She tugged Tamyra up off the floor and pulled at Laine to follow her. They were walking toward the door when Winnie finally spoke. “Albert found me this morning.”

Riley and Laine exchanged glances.

“The incident,” Tamyra mouthed.

They nodded and stepped back into the sitting area. Apparently Winnie wanted to talk.

“I know my kids planned all this out. They just couldn’t leave well enough alone, and they went and planned Albert a trip here too. And he acted like he didn’t even know I was going to be here. But he knew.” Her eyes squinted, the fire behind them unavoidable. “He knew.

“I told them I’m not ready to date. I’m happy being alone and they sent me all the way out here to Paradise Island to try to hook me up. I’m going to kill them! I tell you there were days when they were little I knew I needed to beat the living daylights out of them, but you can rest assured, when I get home, they’re getting the poundings of a lifetime.”

“What did he say?” Tamyra asked, moving in closer.

Winnie furrowed her brow and stood. “What did he say? He said all the things a little conniver would say. Acted like he didn’t have one iota of an inkling I was even here. He must think I’m dumber than all get-out.”

“Than what?”

“Get-out!” she hollered at Laine. “All get-out! My word, woman, have you never heard a Southerner talk?”

Laine crinkled her nose. Riley tried not to laugh. “Well, is he cute?” Laine blurted out, obviously trying to defuse some of Winnie’s hostility.

“He’s old, like me. And I know what old men want! They want women with round heels.”

“They want what?” Laine asked, the puzzlement on her face incapable of being hidden.

Tamyra furrowed her brow too.

“You girls are ridiculous. They want women with round heels so they can just plop right into the bed whenever they stand up. Old men are crazy that way. You think it’s young men, but I’m telling you it gets worse with age.”

Laine’s laughter started before Winnie had even quit talking.

Tamyra had to cover her mouth.

Riley laughed softly too. “I doubt that is what he is after, Winnie. And you’re not old either. You’re mature. And beautiful. And I’m not surprised if he finds you extremely attractive.”

“Well, he may as well not find me anything. I don’t want anything to do with him. That is why I am staying here until I leave. He had the audacity to ask me out to dinner. Can you believe that? The man is delusional.”

“He might