by Jo Leigh
“Well,” Elizabeth said. “You can’t just stop there.”
He thought about doing just that, but what the hell. “She lives in Boston, And as you very nosy students know, I live here in Oklahoma.”
“Oh. Bummer.”
Rick had no idea who said that, but... “Yeah,” he said. “Bummer.”
* * *
JENNA WAS PACKED and nervous. She’d checked her luggage four times so far. Cleaned the kitchen, the bedroom and part of the bathroom. There were boxes that needed unpacking but after yesterday’s misunderstanding, she decided to leave them alone.
The Topeka tornadoes were on the news already. The regular news. She was watching The Weather Channel of course, but they kept talking about the goddamn weather of the world when all she cared about was Topeka. Two smaller funnels had touched ground, but then had been swallowed by the monster in the middle, which was tearing a path through Kansas.
She sat and watched, playing a vicious game of “Where’s Rick?” but she couldn’t spot him anywhere. The camera people were keeping their distance, and the regular news stations kept going back to radar screens, which showed the data Rick cared about. Why hadn’t she asked him more questions? Like what he actually did when he caught a tornado?
They hadn’t finished the wine from last night, but she was getting close to the end of it now. Her plane didn’t leave until midnight, it wasn’t a full flight and the taxi wouldn’t be at Rick’s until 10:15 p.m.
She muted the TV, grabbed her cell phone and hit speed dial. Ally picked up instantly. “I was beginning to think we needed to send out a search party. You’ve only texted twice this whole week.”
“I’m sorry. Every minute that I had free I was working on lesson plans and those worksheets from hell.”
Ally moaned. “Don’t talk to me about those if you have any sense of self-preservation.”
“Oh,” she said, glued to the TV, peering into yet another shot of a huge funnel cloud only to realize she’d seen that shot before. “Tonight proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that I don’t. I’m going out of my mind with worry.”
“What? Why?”
“There’s a tornado in Topeka. A big one. They’re expecting it to be a family of tornadoes, actually, with multiple vortices. Or maybe not. That’s a bunch of separate tornadoes following in quick succession. Either way, hugely dangerous. And Rick is right in the middle of it.”
“Holy crap. I was just listening to that on the news. I figured you guys were too far away.”
“He left at four this morning. You know how I get about this stuff. I couldn’t stand it when Payton had to fly to Florida. But he was just traveling and Rick is there to collect data. I could save him the hassle and tell him the important data right now—it’s a huge, crazy tornado and he could die.”
“Jenna? Hun? Take a deep breath, okay?
She did. Two deep breaths. “All right,” Jenna said. “That helped. It did. But frankly, a full bottle of wine and a few Xanax would help more. Sadly, I only have a little wine, and I can’t even get drunk because that would be a fun plane ride home in the same sky as a family of tornadoes.”
“Wait a minute. The same sky? Not kidding here—are you sure you shouldn’t postpone?”
“No, I was exaggerating. Again. Because I turn into a ridiculous child when someone I care about is spitting in the eye of a damn tornado. As if my freaking out accomplishes anything except to make everyone around me anxious. I’m going to call Rick’s friend at the Weather Center. He’ll tell me if it’s safe or not.
“But really, I’m not worried about me. It’s just that I haven’t heard from Rick. I have no idea how long tornadoes last. Or what he has to do when he gets there. He texted me a lot on the drive. Then he warned me that he’d be swamped. I thought that meant he’d cut back, but he hasn’t texted in hours.”
“Jenna, call his friend. I can hear your breathing, and if you don’t slow down you’re going to hyperventilate.”
Jenna closed her eyes and focused all her attention on Ally’s voice. The instructions were so clear even an overstimulated idiot like herself could understand them. Except now she could see that picture of Rick in his office. Good God, she couldn’t think about it. Or let the panic overtake her.
“You got that, sweetie?”
Jenna nodded, really trying to act like a grown-up even if she didn’t feel like one. “Yes. I do. Thank you.” She wouldn’t talk about or think about the picture.
“He’s going to be fine.”
“Is he?” Jenna asked. “You know, storm chasers aren’t invulnerable. They can die. It doesn’t matter that they practice safety, that the work they do is incredibly important. I know it doesn’t do me any good to think like this, but...you know what? I need to call the guy he works with.”
“Okay. Then sip the wine, my friend. Call me. Breathe, breathe, breathe. I’ll be here, and I won’t give a damn what the time is. If you need me, call.”
“I promise. I will.”
“Good,” Ally said. “Can I ask you something, though? Not storm-related?”
“Of course.”
“How has it been? With you two? Your texts left a lot to be desired.”
“It’s been wonderful. He’s wonderful. I enjoy him so much, Ally, I can’t tell you. But it’s been horrible, too.”
“What do you mean? Jenna?”
“It’s touched down.” Jenna stood up, her heart pounding like mad as she watched streets being ripped up and houses being torn apart. “I have to go. But just so you know, you were right.”
“About?”
“I’m in love with him. It’s... He’s the one for me. I know it, I feel it. I love him. The man who chases danger like I go to the library. And this? Watching. Waiting to see if he’s alive? I can’t. I’m not that kind of person.”
“Let’s get through tonight. I’m not turning off my phone.”
“Thank you.” Jenna hung up and called Antwan’s direct line.
He picked up quickly. “You watching this?”
“Yes, I’m watching, and I’m terrified. Where is he? Have you heard from him? I’m going crazy here. It’s been hours since he last texted me. I’m supposed to be going home on the red-eye tonight, but I can’t if he’s still in the middle of this—”
“Whoa, whoa, hold up. He’s fine. Busy as hell, but fine. Do you have an Android or an iPhone?”
“Yes.”
“Good, download the scanner radio weather app. You’ll actually hear him. He’s broadcasting live. I don’t know why he didn’t tell you. Just don’t forget that tornadoes are louder than you can possibly imagine, so don’t let the noise upset you. If you still need me, I’ll be here long after the tornadoes are gone.”
“Thank you. I’ll go get that app. Oh, but I’m supposed to fly to Boston at midnight. Safe? Not safe?”
“Hold on two seconds.”
She was shaking she wanted to download that app so badly. And why bother asking about flying tonight? She wasn’t going anywhere. Not until she saw Rick, in the flesh, for herself, and counted all of his fingers and toes.
“Safe as houses,” Antwan said. She didn’t miss the irony. “Don’t worry. He’ll be fine, you’ll be fine.”
“Thank you,” she said, even though too many people were so sure things would be fine, they made her more afraid than she had been.
Once she was disconnected from Antwan, she found the app. With shaking fingers, she somehow managed to get it working and then...
Rick’s voice.
Yelling at the top of his lungs. Thank goodness Antwan had reminded her of the noise, because it was the stuff of nightmares. But Rick was shouting above it all, so he was okay. For now.
She poured the last of the wine, parked herself once more on the couch, where she could watch hi
s gigantic television, and listened to the sound of his voice.
Her heart began to settle back to non-heart-attack levels, and she honestly couldn’t tell if his words were garbled or if she just didn’t understand what he was saying. Either way, it was okay.
Until it wasn’t.
“Get the hell in the truck. Now, now, now! We are pulling out, people. Leave that, it’s fine, just g—”
She waited for him to come back online. Checked that the app was still working.
It was.
She bent over and put her head between her knees.
18
JENNA SWEPT HER gaze over the twenty kids eating their lunches before they toured the Salem Witch Museum. Most of them were great kids who earned the trip with their grades, but there were four really bright students who were more interested in anarchy than history. At least according to Sylvia, the teacher whom Jenna was helping out on this field trip.
But everything was calm at the common across the street from the museum. Everyone, including the two volunteer parent chaperones, was eating from their boxed lunches while Sylvia had run to the office to check on the time for the guided tour.
Jenna wasn’t hungry. In the three weeks since her Oklahoma trip, she and Rick weren’t speaking as often as they had before spring break. There were valid reasons for the change in routine. Rick hadn’t needed to explain. She’d been watching The Weather Channel compulsively and seen for herself the extreme weather events that were stacked like dominoes. At least three of them were in Rick’s territory, so of course, those were the ones she listened to, using her weather app. He’d always come home safely, but during the events she’d been a wreck.
And her last night in Oklahoma, when she’d completely freaked out while waiting to hear from him? He’d been nothing but understanding and suggested strongly that she take the app off her phone.
She didn’t think it was possible for someone like him to really understand the bone-chilling terror of knowing someone they loved had willingly run into danger, and he didn’t need to know. He’d been running after storms since he was fourteen. Nothing she said was going to change him.
But that Topeka tornado had put up a wall between them. She hated that they didn’t talk every day. Hell, they barely spoke twice a week. They still texted, though, but it wasn’t the same.
She missed him like crazy.
Four months was a long run when she considered the two of them were as different as black and white. The way they’d met. That damn apartment. Her foolish heart.
Truth was, she needed to step off this speeding train wreck. Let it go. Let him go. God, she was trying, but first, she had to stop thinking about him so much. Everything reminded her of Rick.
“Ms. Delaney?”
“Yes.” She turned to find one of the ninth graders—Toni—putting her empty box into one of the bins.
“Are we going to have time to go to the shop in the museum? They have these really cute earrings.”
“No, sorry, Toni. No shopping today.”
“But—”
Jenna’s phone rang. She saw who it was and her pulse quickened. “Can we talk about this in a few minutes?”
Toni nodded, but she wasn’t happy.
Jenna did a quick check of her student charges, all accounted for, and then answered. “Hi.”
“Hey,” Rick said, just as his invitation to join him on FaceTime came through.
She couldn’t swallow. This was a first since spring break. She pressed Yes, of course, making sure no one was too close as she sat on the far end of the gazebo.
“What’s going on?” she asked, noting he looked tired. No wonder. He was probably eating terribly, not getting enough sleep. Although she had no room to call the kettle black.
“I was hoping you’d be home tonight.”
Using every lesson she’d learned when facing irrational, horrible parents, she let her expression remain neutral. Let her smile look real. “What’s up?”
“Just watching The Godfather on Cinemax. No commercials. I thought we could watch it. Together.”
They’d done that once before with The Cabin in the Woods, right after Chicago. It had been a ball. She almost told him yes before she remembered. “Oh, no. I won’t be home tonight. I’ve got this dinner thing.”
His expression changed, and she understood right away what he was thinking. She could admit she had plans with Ally, but that wouldn’t help her step back. Step away.
“Anyone I know?”
“A friend of a friend. So, I noticed you have a window of downtime before that arctic front comes down.”
“Listen to you,” he said. “I never imagined you being a weather junkie.”
“Believe me. I didn’t, either.”
His pause was heavy, and even though she wanted to fill the space with chatter, she didn’t. “Anyway,” he said finally, and she could tell he was trying to sound chipper and failing badly. “I’ll call you another time.”
“That’d be great.” She smiled at him, and that was when she had to hold back a sob, blink back tears. Stop herself from telling him she was more confused than she’d ever been in her whole life. How much she missed him.
Of course, he’d already disconnected. She wanted to call him right back—
“Ms. Delaney?”
Sitting up straight, Jenna tried to look normal. “I’m sorry, Toni, but we don’t have time to shop. We have the tour in a few minutes.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t... I was just looking for Shoshanna. Did she go to the bathroom?”
Jenna had no idea. She’d been so focused on her own problems she hadn’t looked up once. “Did you ask Mrs. Wagner?”
“She told me to ask you.”
Oh, God, that was right. Sylvia had run to the office. She’d left Jenna in charge.
Jenna stood and glanced around. “Did you check the bathroom?”
“No, but I can.”
“Wait. I’ll go. Stay with Mrs. Wagner and the rest of the group.” Jenna felt sick. She just might end up needing the bathroom herself.
If Shoshanna, one of the most clever of the anarchists, had disappeared, it was all Jenna’s fault. And God only knew where the girl was. Last time she’d pulled a stunt like this, she was caught smoking with a tattooed biker.
A hot fist twisted inside her chest. Jenna could hardly take a breath. Shoshanna could be hurt, could have run off with a stranger and put herself in terrible danger. It wasn’t likely, but if she had, it would be Jenna’s fault.
What was the matter with her? She’d never done anything like this before. Never shirked her duty, never let her students out of her sight. And for what? To feel this horror every time he went out after a storm?
Damn it, why had she let things go so far? She’d been delusional. From day two, she’d known Rick was not for her. He blew wherever the wind would take him. Literally. And what, was she supposed to pretend he wasn’t risking his life? That she would never know if he’d come home at all?
No.
Thankfully, she spotted Shoshanna coming from the museum. Jenna could breathe again. Think more clearly. Yes, Rick had been slowly pulling away. He’d probably seen this thing between them had gone too far. It didn’t matter that he’d woken up first. Now it was her turn to let go.
* * *
RICK TORE THE tape off the box in one furious pull, then rolled it into a ball and threw it at the goddamn television set. The Godfather was one of his favorite films, and right now, he couldn’t bear it. He found the remote and shut it off, not even tempted to turn on The Weather Channel. This whole night could have been great, but no, Jenna was out with a “friend of a friend.” He’d have to be a moron to mistake that for anything but a date.
He’d already unpacked everything in his bedroom. His dra
wers were full, so was the closet. The kettlebells were back in the spare room, where they belonged.
Now he was working his way through the living room. He had one pile going for donations, one pile for trash and the rest had to be put away before he went to bed. Or, at this rate, before he went to bed tomorrow night.
The box he’d just stripped open was full of bathroom things, and the moment he saw the gift-wrapped boxes inside, his heart sank.
Goddamn it.
Hermès body wash. Guerlain body milk. Bond No. 9 shower gel.
He’d ordered those before they’d left the smart apartment. And he’d forgotten all about them. It had been so busy—
Bullshit. He didn’t slow down because that was what he did. Worked. Thought about work. Worked some more. Never slowing down. Just pushing, racing, chasing the rush.
She would have been so jazzed to see that body milk in his shower. But he hadn’t slowed down. No, that wasn’t quite true. He’d been calm with Jenna. Patient. Not something that happened very often. Yet he still hadn’t remembered the gifts he’d bought her even as he’d made her feel bad for doing the same thing.
He’d bought them because she’d loved them. And he wanted her to remember that time they had together. He’d had them wrapped because he’d wanted to see the look on her face when she opened them.
She deserved so much more.
The rest of the stuff in the box was all junk. Half-finished shampoo, bar soaps he’d never opened, a cologne that he’d liked, but rarely used. The only things he gave a damn about were the things that made him think of Jenna. He put those on the coffee table, and then took the box out to the big Dumpsters near the garage. It made a satisfying crash when it landed.
Before he got all the way inside, the doorbell rang. He wasn’t expecting anyone.
Antwan was on his doorstep, a six pack of Killian’s Irish Red in hand. “Are you going to let me in anytime soon?”
Rick stepped back. “So you couldn’t be bothered to help me pack, but now you want to help unpack?”
