was crying and carrying on. It’s funny in retrospect. I had real good times out here, baby… real good. Some of the best memories, ever.”
He paused, kissed her forehead and they kept moving forward.
“Oh, I felt a raindrop!” she cried, panic in her tone. Sure enough, the once sunny sky was now filled with gray clouds. Drops of water began to fall, little by little. They were in the middle of nowhere, so it was definitely time to pack up or Lauren would go crazy. She’d just gotten her hair done a couple of days prior, too. He’d been schooled quickly on the delicate balance of the upkeep of a Black woman’s hair.
“Don’t worry. Let’s just get back on the bike before it gets too out of hand and head towards some shelter if it starts to downpour. If it gets insane beforehand, I know how to ride in the dry lines. Trust me. You’re with a pro.”
“Yeah, you said that when we got pregnant before we planned to.”
He got on the bike and instructed her to hop on, too. He soon felt that special brand of serenity only Lauren could administer, and that warm, fuzzy love as she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tight. They rode off, past the lavender fields down a narrow, bumpy path he used to run along as a little boy with his best friend, Owen, a smooth-skinned brown boy who loved toy trucks, Transformers, and lemon cake.
It was in those times that he’d forget he was poor, that his mother worked so hard sometimes she’d fall asleep with her work attire on. And he’d also forget he’d had no daddy show up at school for career day like all the other children. He sped up, delighting in his wife’s protests, for he knew she was having a damn good time as she nestled her head against his shoulder and they moved faster than the wind, trying to outrun the storm. The rain began to fall harder and harder, just like the way they’d fallen in love. It had started out slow, then came the torrential downpour. They both simply had to give in and let their hearts have their way.
Life hadn’t been easy, for either him or his sweetheart, that was for sure. His life had been a baptism by fire in some ways. But then, someone came along and baptized him with her love and belief that even a hot flame such as Aries Creed could be extinguished if the downpour was that of love. From that day, love flowed from his heated core, melting his hard exterior with a perfect, passionate kiss on a rainy day…
It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder.
We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.
-Frederick Douglass
~The End~
MUSIC DIRECTORY
I have included a music directory to be used as an aid in the enjoyment of this novel. Sometimes, re-reading the scenes you appreciated with the songs that are mentioned, provides a whole new layer of satisfaction and understanding.
Please bear in mind that songs listed below may not be in the exact same order as they appear in the book. If you enjoy any of the songs listed, please purchase a legal copy of the tune and support the artist(s) whom created it. I am certain they’d appreciate it.
FIRE AND RAIN MUSIC DIRECTORY
1. Tanerélle – Won’t
2. John Turner – Your Man
3. Ingrid Andress – More Hearts Than Mine
4. George Strait – Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind
5. Zayn – Pillow Talk
6. Garth Brooks – Friends in Low Places
7. Tears for Fears – Sowing the Seeds
8. SZA – Doves in the Wind
8. Blake Shelton – Who Are You When I’m Not Looking
9. Lee Brice – Woman Like You
10. Dorothy – Raise a Little Hell
11. Luke Bryan – I Don’t Want This Night To End
12. Bad English – When I See You Smile
13. Warren – Heaven
14. Jacquees – Good Feeling
15. Tory Lanez ft Jacquee – Slow Grind
16. Gretchen Wilson – Come to Bed
17. George Strait – The Fireman
18. Bobbie Gentry – He Made a Woman Out of Me
19. Imagine Dragons – On Top of the World
20. Dionne Warwick – That’s What Friends Are For
21. Pachelbel – Canon in D
22. RenBoz – This Must Be Love
23. The Internet – Hold On
24. Kenny Rogers – The Gambler
25. Queen – Another One Bites the Dust
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today bestselling author Tiana Laveen writes resilient yet loving heroines of color and the alpha heroes that fall for them in unlikely happy-ever-afters. An author of over 50 novels to date, Tiana creates characters from all walks of life that leap straight from the pages into your heart.
Married with two children, she enjoys a fulfilling life that includes writing books, drawing, and spending quality time with loved ones.
If you wish to communicate with Tiana Laveen and stay up-to-date with her releases, please follow her on social media platforms as well as visit her website.