by Tl Reeve
“Do you think another tornado will hit Clark?” the reporter pressed.
“At this time and with the information we've gathered since the first front, no, I don't believe so. I think there will be periods of rain, some severe storms, however nothing like this morning. North and east of here is a whole other discussion, and we've already sent the data we've collected to the proper NWS officials.”
“The storm has already been categorized as an EF-4, can you tell us how you were able to come to this conclusion so quickly?” another reporter asked.
“So, we have a couple of drones we have on hand for situations like this. We're FAA certified to run multiple drones at one time. It allows us to get into areas we can't get to on foot due to downed power lines or debris. In today's incident, we were able to deploy our drones and do some area recording. We have the distance this tornado traveled over land. We have the width and the amount of damage it left behind in its wake. We also received the first footage from a couple of state helicopters doing their flyover as well. Once we have it all complied, we can properly determine the size of the tornado and wind speeds. Today, according to our data and in coordination with Omaha-Valley NWS, the tornado had sustained winds of approximately one hundred and eighty miles per hour. It traveled about fifteen miles when it touched down and it was at least a quarter-mile wide.”
“That's one tough bitch,” Angie said, as the interview continued. “And, you say you know her?”
“Yeah,” Dexter answered.
“She married?” Angie prodded. “Any man who wouldn't put a ring on it is a fool.”
He snorted. “She has a son.”
“Not a yes or no on the marriage.”
Dexter’s shoulders sagged as he exhaled. “I didn’t see a ring the last time I saw her.”
“If she was mine, she’d have a huge ass rock on her finger showing everyone she was mine,” Angie replied with a cocky edge to her voice. “I’d be a proud motherfucker about it too. I’d show her ass off and watch as you lazy fuckers swallow your damn tongue.”
“Don’t you already have a girlfriend?” Dexter cocked a brow.
“What’s your point? Three’s company, not a crowd.” She shrugged.
“I’ll remember that when Whitney comes by for lunch tomorrow.” Dexter stood. “I should make a round, check on the nurses.”
“You do that. I need a private moment with Brittney.” Angie wiggled her brows.
Dexter laughed. “You’re such a goof.”
“All’s I’m saying is you should hit her up. Find out if she’s married and if she isn’t, ask her out. I mean, how long has it been since you’ve gone on an actual date and gotten laid?”
Damn, why’d she have to put him on the spot? It’d been a long time since he’d taken a break and had some fun. Between the flood in Houston and then the Big Bend fire he’d been on the go, taking care of everyone else but himself. Maybe, in a way, she had a point. He should be looking out for number one.
He glanced back at the flat-screen TV as Brittney continued to talk to the media, while behind her people worked to clean up the town. Dexter didn't know if she was married or not. Like he'd told Angie, she hadn't worn a ring, but in her line of work, he supposed it was something that could fall off in the most inopportune of times. For all he knew, she kept it on a chain around her neck. Shit. Angie got him all riled up. Oh, who was he kidding? Since the moment he saw Brittney, he’d been twisted in knots. Every waking moment he thought about her and he worried he’d become obsessed with her, after not seeing her in seventeen years.
You’re so fucking lame. Who thinks about someone they had a one-night stand with seventeen years ago? Obviously, he did. Creeper.
Once Dexter finished his shift, he clocked out and headed home. No matter how much busywork he gave himself, he couldn't get Brittney out of his head. Nor could he keep from thinking about the boy who called her mom. Since the celebration, he put himself through some mental Olympics trying to figure out if the boy was his. He understood the ramifications of what they'd done years ago in that smoky bar, in the heat of the moment. However, the farther removed from the situation he became, the less he wondered. Plus, being overseas didn't give him time to dwell on it either.
Now, he wished he could have reached out to her. She’d been in college. He knew her name. He should have been able to track her down and at least said something—anything, to her. Dexter snorted. Yeah, one-night stands don’t include check-ins. He scrubbed the top of his head as he got into his truck. Since the night was still young, and he had the next three days off, he decided to use the time productively. His thoughts wouldn’t stop circling in his mind if he didn’t put it all to rest. If Brittney was married, it would explain the boy and Dexter could move on with his life. If she wasn’t... He didn’t know what he’d do.
But, he had to find out.
The drive home had been done on autopilot. Dexter hadn’t realized he’d made it home until he pulled into the driveway—not the smartest thing he’d ever allowed himself to do. After cursing himself out for being stupid, he got out and went inside. The unsettled feeling consumed him. Damn it, Angie. He dropped his bag by the door and instead of grabbing a shower before getting dinner, he went straight to his laptop.
He booted it up then set to work. He’d start with Brittney first then check out the rest of her team. Of course, when he typed in her name, all of the day’s news popped up first. The photos from the scene were overwhelming. The fact the death toll hadn’t grown since the initial estimation had been given, was amazing. He skimmed through the articles then went to the second page of search data. There were several entries there as well. They spanned the last six years and started right after the Moore, Oklahoma tornado.
When he got to the bottom of the page, he found a blog entry. He clicked on it. A slideshow appeared on the screen before the title materialized in front of the photos. The Hart of The Storm. Cheeky. He liked it. The first entry had been the actual first post for the blog. It was authored by a person named Rai Hart. The boy. Dexter skimmed it, curious as to what the boy thought about his mother’s job. What he found, astounded him.
Moore, Oklahoma changed our lives forever~ Brittney Hart
When I was ten, my mom homeschooled me. She thought it would save me in the long run. My ADHD was out of control and medications weren’t working. They either left me feeling like a zombie or so sick to my stomach I couldn’t eat for days, and, though they were supposed to help with my focus, they didn’t.
On the day of the Moore, Oklahoma tornado, I’d only been out of Plaza Elementary School ten days. The abject horror I saw on my mother’s face when she returned home, solidified one thing—predicting tornadoes needed to change. Early warning systems needed to change. The weather community had to rethink how to treat these systems that cost people their lives and homes and schools. This blog is dedicated to those who lost their lives over the years during major weather events.
May their deaths not be in vain.
Dexter went through the archive, searching out different weather events. Though most were the last few years, there were some retroactively added to the blog. Brittney had added a post from April 2011 and the deadly tornado outbreaks in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. He kept the tab open then started his search again. This time, as he flipped through the Google pages, he found an obscure post about Theodore Hart’s death. He clicked on the story and frowned. Brittney comes from money? He read through the article and his frown deepened. Mitsy Hart cut their only daughter off back in 2003?
Fuck.
Dexter's shoulder's slumped. Her parents must have disowned her when they found out she was pregnant. What kind of parents did she have? His parents would've never done something stupid like kicking him or his siblings out of their lives over a pregnancy. Sure, his father would beat his or his brother's ass, because he'd taught them better, but they loved their children and would do anything to keep them healthy and safe. He clicked off the site the
n went on to the next one.
Brittney and her team had been praised several times for their heroics over the years during tornado outbreaks. Beauregard, AL, Canton, TX, and Clark, NE were the most recent. She’d somehow perfected how she could gather information about the storms, and, like in Clark, was able to give the area extra time to get to safety. Valuable time meant lives saved. Yet, every quote of Brittney’s after the storms passed and clean up began, included the statement, ‘we have to do better,’ or ‘we have to do more.’ She was never satisfied. She strived for more and Dexter appreciated her dedication and verve.
As he pulled up an article put together from her college, his phone rang, and he glanced at it. Jackie. He slid his finger across the screen and put it on speaker. “What’s up?”
“You busy? I thought since I’m going back to L.A. tomorrow, we could have dinner tonight,” she said. “I tried to find our ragged brother, but he must be buried in work.”
He imagined his sister rolled her eyes at the idea of their brother working. “Sure. Give me twenty. I need a shower. Where you want to meet?”
“3 Habaneros?”
“Sounds good. I’m tired of hospital food anyway,” he replied.
“If you were married, you’d have something good every day,” Jackie murmured.
“I could say the same about you.”
She scoffed. “I’ll have you know, L.A. is the mecca of good food and all within walking distance. I don’t need a man to feed me.”
“You have a point,” Dexter grumbled. “Anyway, I’ll see you in twenty.”
“See you then, bro.” Jackie ended the call first.
I guess this will have to wait. He closed the lid of his laptop and started for his room. After reading the different reports about Brittney and then the article about her parents, he couldn’t let the idea of Rai being his son go. If he was... Well, Dexter missed out on some important milestones, and he’d have to make up for not being there. He’d also have to make amends with Brittney as well.
As he grabbed his clothes from his dresser and closet, he waited for the anger to consume him along with the bitterness of never being told, but it never came. He understood Brittney keeping it from him and if it made him a pushover, so be it. When they'd had their tryst, neither of them could've seen an outcome where a child would be involved. Add in the fact he spent two years overseas on two different tours, and she'd been in Oklahoma the majority of the time—only recently coming back to Texas, there'd been no way for either of them to reconnect.
Plus, her reaction to him at the celebration made sense too. It had to have been a shock to her. Having the boy with her and running into Dexter might have scared the shit out of her. Hell, it'd overwhelmed him too. He'd rather she explained it than jump to conclusions.
There was also the fact, if any of what he’d been conjecturing about was true, he’d have a lot of explaining to do as well. Plus, he’d have to prepare his family for the news.
Once he showered and redressed, Dexter grabbed his wallet and keys and headed out. He'd pose the hypothetical to Jackie first, feel her out about the idea of having a nephew. Marcus would be next. Of his whole family, Marcus would be the most chill about it. He'd be happy for Dexter. Jackie and his parents... If one didn't smack him upside the head, the other would, and considering, he'd deserve it too. Now, he understood all of those heat of the moment comments he’d heard off and on over the years at the hospital from women or couples who’d found themselves shocked by an unplanned pregnancy.
They were real.
He had his own.
Dexter pulled into the restaurant parking lot and found a spot next to his sister’s rental SUV. After shutting off his vehicle, he got out of his vehicle and went inside. The place was busy, but not overly so. He found Jackie at a table away from the other patrons and he went straight for her. When she spotted him, she grinned and waved at him. He relaxed. Maybe telling her wouldn’t be a bad thing. He sat down across from her and grabbed the menu.
“You been waiting long?” he asked, glancing up from the main entrees section.
“No, not at all,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind I ordered you a beer.”
“Thanks. I think after this last shift I need one.”
“Bad?” She arched a brow.
“No.” He shook his head. “Slow.”
“Huh. I’d have thought you’d enjoy those more than being busy,” she said, taking a sip of her drink.
“When I’m busy, the time flies by. When we’re quiet, it’s like watching paint dry.” He looked up as their waiter appeared beside them, placing the beer in front of him. “Thanks.”
“Are you ready to order?” The guy pulled a pad from the front of his apron.
“Can you give us a couple of more minutes, my brother just arrived,” Jackie replied.
“Sure.” The waiter nodded before leaving them.
“You look like you have something on your mind,” Jackie hedged. “You want to get it out in the open before we chow down?”
He blew out a breath. “What if I told you I might have a son.”
She sat back and placed her napkin on the table in front of her. “What? Are you joking right now, Dexter?”
He shook his head. “I’d never joke about having a kid. We leave that shit to Marcus.”
“Yeah, Marcus, not you. What happened?”
Dexter explained everything from the beginning. How he’d met Brittney and how they’d ended up in the bathroom of a dank bar the day before he took off for Afghanistan. “There’d have been no way to find me and even if she could have, there are rules and shit.”
“You've been home and working at Hill Country Medical for years. She could have found you and told you any time,” his sister snapped.
“She lives her life on the road, and I too could have found her before now.” He rolled his shoulders as the waiter returned.
“Ready yet?”
“We are.” Dexter tried to keep his cool. He gave his order first then his sister gave hers. When the waiter left their side, he continued. “She’s a storm chaser. The one who just saved lives today in Nebraska.”
“Good for her,” Jackie grumbled.
“If the boy is mine, Rai is with her. He runs her blog and...” What? What did his son do?
“Great, so she could get killed and she has your potential son out there with her? She ain’t winning any parent of the year awards.”
In a way, he could agree with his sister, but the boy didn't have a scratch on him when he saw her at the celebration. “I doubt she'd risk her son.”
“She’s a storm chaser,” she lobbed at Dexter. “Not sure he’s a hundred percent safe.”
“It's not all her fault, Jackie.” Anger built within him. “I'm to blame for this too if he's mine.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re more at fault. You should have covered your dick. What the fuck were you thinking?”
He wasn’t. The magnetic pull he’d felt the moment Brittney got close to him, made him lose his senses. He couldn’t think straight. He didn’t want to either. And, even after almost seventeen years, she could still short circuit him. “Shit happens. I understand it now. I used to scoff and frown and doubt people who came into the ER not feeling well, only to find out they were pregnant, and they didn’t know or couldn’t believe what happened. It’s not cut and dry, sis. Not anymore.”
She frowned. “Lord have mercy, mom and dad are going to have a coronary.”
“Well, look at it this way, they've been pressing all of us for grandkids, now they'll have one. Only he's sixteen and doesn't know us?” Dexter grinned.
“Shit.” Jackie laughed. “Mom and dad, are you going to kill you and love the fuck out of R-Rai, is that his name?”
“Yeah. Rai.” He let out a breath and relaxed. “Now to get the truth from Brittney.”
“She’s a white girl?” Jackie picked up her phone and showed a photo of a dirt-covered Brittney working in Clark, Nebraska. “Damn bro.
”
“That’s her and yes. You got a problem with it?”
Jackie held her hands up. “Not in the least. The guy beside her is hot as fuck. If I got with him, we could have Blasian babies in the future.”
“Jesus, Jackie.” Dexter laughed. “You make it sound so racist sometimes.”
“Hey, at least I wouldn’t be raw dogging it on the first night and getting pregnant,” she teased. “Besides, you know I didn’t mean it that way. He’s fucking gorgeous. You think when you can get ahold of her again, you can do an introduction?”
“Horny, bish,” Dexter chuckled. “Maybe. I guess it all depends on whether or not Brittney decides to chop my nuts off.”
His sister snorted. “Wouldn’t blame her. You left her to raise that boy all on her own.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, where did this three-sixty come from? First, you’re pissed at her and questioning her parenting skills and now after seeing one of her partners, you’re on her side.”
She smirked. “Sista power. Girl’s been doing it on her own. She gets props, even if I am pissed at the both of you.”
Dexter grunted. “You’ve got a point.”
“I always do,” she said. “So, here’s a second one. Don’t tell Marcus until we’re all together this weekend, or else his blabbing ass will try to win brownie points with mom and dad.”
“The last thing we need is him saying shit without knowing the full story,” Dexter agreed. “He'll embellish.”
“He is Don Quixote,” Jackie reminded Dexter. “Boy can weave a tale like no one’s business.”
The rest of the week passed in relative quiet, even though Jackie called him every day asking him if he’d talked to Brittney. He hadn’t. He left tons of messages, to the point even he considered himself a stalker. So, he backed off. He’d wait to see if she came back to Texas. Then he’d seek her out and ask all the questions still swirling around in his brain. Until then, he’d prepare his parents and his brother for a potential kid. He knew he should wait until he had the truth, but he also didn’t want to throw it at his parents when he had confirmation. He wanted them to have the ability to absorb the fact and make peace with it.
