Chasing Trouble by Joya Ryan Page B

end of town and the only reason Miranda would go out of her way to see Jenna before getting home was if she wanted something.
    “He was an ass anyway. But I missed you, baby,” Miranda said and Jenna checked the urge to roll her eyes. “I was thinking maybe you and I could catch up.”
    “What do you want, Mama?”
    “Just to spend time with my daughter is all.”
    When Jenna continued to stare, waiting for the other shoe to drop, it finally did and Miranda raised her chin in the air. “Fine. I’m late on rent.”
    Didn’t surprise Jenna since Miranda hadn’t been in town to pay it in the last two months. “How much?”
    “Six hundred should get me by. Or maybe I can stay with you?”
    The way she smirked around that last statement made Jenna sick in a whole different way. Neither of them wanted to room together, but it was Miranda’s way of getting what she wanted. She threatened the much-needed space Jenna put between them. It was the one thing that made her cave every time. A few hundred bucks here and there was a small price to pay to keep her mother as far from her as possible.
    “I’ll drop it by tomorrow.”
    Miranda slapped her thighs and rose, not bothering to pull down her way-too-short pink denim skirt. “Thanks, baby.”
    When she hit the doorway, she turned and looked Jenna from her toes to her head. “Who you dressing up for tonight?”
    Jenna swallowed hard. “No one. Just friends.”
    Miranda raised a brow, obviously not believing Jenna for a second. “Don’t lie to me Jenna-Jayne, I know that look. And seeing as how your closet is all over your floor, my guess is you’ve been going through outfits for some time now.” A triumphant smile spread her face and it was the first time Jenna really saw how tired and worn her mother looked. “You’re getting ready for a man.”
    “No,” Jenna said way too quickly. But Miranda’s smile only widened. “Like I said, just going out with my friends.
    “Whatever you say, little girl. But it looks like you got some of your mama in ya after all.” She winked and turned to leave. “Sequins and a short skirt are always a safe bet,” she said over her shoulder right before exiting.
    Jenna looked down the front of her. A sparkly fitted shirt and yes…short skirt. Something very dark, very sad rose up and stung behind her eyes.
    She quickly peeled the outfit off, vowing to burn it, and tried not to cry.

Chapter Nine
    Huck and Ryder parked their pickups by Colt’s. At the other end of the semicircle was Sebastian’s SUV, overlooking Diamond Lake.
    The slight breeze carried tiny flecks of cotton from the nearby fields, skating it along the meadow. Colt had already started a roaring fire, and all the guys were on their second beer as the sun started to fade.
    Colt took a deep breath and let it sink in. The smell of the fire, the sound of the lake lapping in the distance, his best friends…
    For a moment, he could almost remember—almost appreciate—his home, and how it was before his parents died and everything went to shit.
    Penny pulled up and parked several yards away from the fire. She got out of her car holding a covered dish.
    “What you got there, kiddo?” Ryder asked when she reached the fire.
    “Oh, just some cookies.”
    “Please tell me those are Penny’s famous peanut-butter-praline cookies?” Huck smiled, nearly knocking Colt over to get to the small redhead.
    She lifted the cover. “Double batch for all you growin’ boys.”
    Penny smiled and passed them out. Ryder handed her a beer.
    “Growing?” Huck grumbled around the cookie hanging from his mouth. “Woman, this is a finely tuned machine here.”
    He slapped his flat belly. Huck was cut and trim, so where he stashed all that shit he ate Colt never knew.
    “I was talking about your ever-growing ego, Huckleberry,” Penny said.
    Colt snorted.
    “Penelope,” Bass greeted.
    “Hi, Sebastian.”
    Colt could have sworn he heard a small tremble in Penny’s voice. Growing