This storm was shaping up to be even bigger than first projected. I didn’t understand all the terminology in the radio chatter, but the clipped tones conveyed a sense of worry.
Weather forecasters were urging everyone in the path of the storm to take cover. Aiden’s expression was sober, making me wonder if this brought back memories of the devastating storm that had taken his family.
“How close are we?” I asked, looking out at the darkened sky.
“Close. Less than an hour away.”
I checked the phones to make sure they were fully charged and then returned to looking out the window. Watching the developing storm seemed like something. I really was helpless in this boot. But against a storm like the one the other chasers were talking about on the radio, everyone was helpless.
“I hope people are taking cover,” I murmured.
“This is Tornado Alley, so they will. It’s the ones that happen in weird places that are scary. People don’t take the warnings seriously.”
“This feels different than the ones we’ve chased in the middle of nowhere.”
Aiden’s jaw was set in a tense line. “It is.”
A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke again. “You know the toolboxes in back of my truck?”
“Yeah, why?”
“They’re not locked, and there are rescue supplies and first-aid kits back there. There’s a gun in the bottom of one, but don’t freak out if you see it because it’s not loaded.”
I furrowed my brow. “Why are you telling me this, Aiden?”
“Just in case.”
“You’re careful,” I said, taking his hand and squeezing it. “And I’m staying in the truck. We’ll be okay.”
“We will, yeah. It’s other people I’m thinking about. Amateurs go out to sightsee during storms like this and it’s dangerous. I’m not shooting the probe launcher today. I’m gonna let Murph worry about the chasing.”
I wanted to say something reassuring, but that was impossible. Aiden’s pensive mood was caused by something no one could control.
The radio chatter was the only sound in the truck for the rest of the trip. A small tornado touched down nearby, taking out a grain-processing plant. High winds took out power lines and did some other damage. Aiden’s lips were pressed into a thin line as he listened to all of it.
When we pulled in behind the Funnel Finder and got out to meet up with the others beside a field, their mood was the same. Everyone was all business today.
Aiden gave Murph a look of caution. “Careful out there, okay? Lives are more important than research.”
“I know. You ready to move?”
Aiden nodded and we all got back in our vehicles.
The sky was an inky shade now, darker than I’d ever seen it. My stomach churned anxiously.
“…en route to a dairy farm that sustained damage,” a voice said over the radio.
“We just clocked wind speeds over forty,” another one announced.
We drove on, and within a few minutes the wind speed kicked way up. Trees were bowing over from the sheer force of it. I gripped the truck’s armrest and watched, my heart racing.
The radio chatter grew frantic. I wasn’t following it, but I watched Aiden’s expression. It was grim. The people on the radio kept saying the word “Adelia.”
“What’s Adelia?” I whispered.
“A town about fifteen miles from here. A tornado just hit there.” Our eyes met for a second and I saw grave concern swirling in his. “Tell Murph over the walkie-talkie that we’re going there.”
I did, and Murph said he’d lead the way. The voices on the radio were still reporting high wind speeds and uprooted trees.
“What about the town?” I asked. “Why isn’t anyone saying anything about that?”
“No one’s there yet. Chasers are usually the first ones on the scene.”
Aiden accelerated and passed Murph. The closer we got to Adelia, the more horrifying the scene outside became. Fences had been torn down and large trees lay on the ground, their roots ripped from the soil.
But that was nothing compared to what we saw when we pulled into the small town. I covered my mouth with my hand as I surveyed the damage. There were people standing in the street crying and hugging. Others were running around frantically.
It wasn’t just trees and branches all over the ground, but shredded siding, bricks, wood, shingles, cars, and toys. We saw a stove sitting on its side in a yard when Aiden parked the car because he couldn’t drive farther past the debris.
“I’m leaving the keys in it,” he said, turning to me. “If it starts to look bad outside, you go. Got it? Whether I’m here or not, you drive back out of town.”
“But—”
“Another tornado could come through any second. This isn’t a safe place to be right now, Drew. You should’ve stayed at camp.” He reached into the backseat and grabbed the backpack he’d worn when he rescued me the other day.
I turned toward the sound of mournful wailing. A sobbing man held his dog’s lifeless body in his arms.
“I’m helping,” I said, opening the door and working my booted foot onto the ground.
“Damn it, Drew,” Aiden said, coming around to my side of the truck. “You can’t move around with that boot on. Get back in the truck.”
“Watch me. I’ll stay close by the truck, I promise. But I won’t sit here when people need help.” The sound of a woman screaming for help made goosebumps break out on my arms. “Now go.”
Murph pulled in behind Aiden’s car just as Aiden nodded and left. Tex caught up to him and Murph and Millie approached me.
“Jesus,” Murph said softly.
“There are first-aid supplies in the back of the truck,” I said. “Let’s get to work.”
“What should we do?” Millie said, wide-eyed. “I don’t even know first aid.”
I talked as I went to the back of the truck and opened the toolboxes. “We’re the only ones here. People could be trapped or hurt. Just get out there and you’ll know what to do.”
We set out together but soon split up. Millie stopped to comfort the man holding the dog and Murph helped move debris from in front of a garage where a family was trapped.
“Help us, someone!” a voice called from nearby.
I clutched the first-aid kit tightly, locked my knee, and swung my leg, limping quickly.
“Where are you?” I called out. “I can help.”
“Over here!” the man yelled back.
I followed the voice to a boat, which was lying overturned in the front yard of a house. A man was huddled over a woman there. He moved, revealing blood streaking down her face from a gash in her forehead.
Oh, God. I’m in way over my head.
Both the man and the woman were crying.
“The kids, Rich, the kids,” she said frantically.
He looked at me. “Our kids were at a neighbor’s house. I need to go look for them but I don’t want to leave her. Can you—”
“Yes,” I said, sitting down in front of the woman. “I’ll take care of her. You go.”
He took off in a sprint.
“My babies,” the woman sobbed, covering her face with her hands.
“Shh. It’s okay.” I eased her bloody hands down from her face. “Be calm. It’s okay. I’m going to clean this and bandage it, okay?”
She nodded numbly. I used an alcohol wipe to clean my hands, put on the rubber gloves from the kit, and poured the wash over the deep gash near her scalp. I had no idea how to bandage it in such an awkward spot, so I wound a roll of absorbent gauze around her like a headband. I tucked the end of it at her hairline behind her ear and moved on to wiping off her face and rinsing her hands.
“Why did I let them stay at the Colsons’?” the woman asked me in a pleading tone. “What was I thinking?”
“There you go,” I said, clearing the last of the blood from her face.
The sound of sirens approaching reassured me. Help was on t
he way.
“You hear that?” I said. “Lots of help will be here soon. Lots of people to help find your kids.”
She sniffled and I squeezed her shoulder.
“Drew!”
My heart thudded at the sound of Aiden yelling my name.
“I have to go,” I said to the woman. “Be strong.”
She reached for my hand. “Stay with me. Please.”
“I can’t, I’m sorry. Other people need help.”
I packed up my supplies and headed toward Aiden’s voice. Now that I had a reason to hurry, I found out I could actually haul ass in the boot. I was breathless when I got back to the truck, where Aiden stood holding a limp little girl.
“She’s alive,” he said. “But unconscious. A whole family is trapped and I got to her first. Take care of her until the medics get here.”
“I will.”
He set her in the grass beside me and took off running again. I lowered myself to the ground, which was awkward with the boot, and held the girl’s hand.
She looked around five, with a long blond braid and light freckles on her suntanned cheeks. One of her legs looked like it had been smashed by something heavy. Her knee and shin were damaged and bloody.
I looked around for someone, anyone who might know what to do. But there was no one nearby. I was on my own.
“Pressure, right?” I said to the unconscious girl. “Put pressure on a wound to stop the bleeding. I think.”
I got out another bottle of wash and squirted it over her leg, washing away the blood to reveal the wound site. It was a huge gash, at least three inches. Fresh blood pooled inside the wound.
“Okay,” I said, getting out a stack of big, thick gauze pads. “I’m putting pressure on it. You just hang in there, sweetie. Help is on the way. I’m your help for now. My name’s Drew.”
I got up on my knees, pressing both hands against the wound to stop the blood flow. It seemed to help. But still, my heart pounded with nervousness. This little girl’s life was in my hands right now, and I didn’t know how to help her.
Within a few minutes, the sound of a voice on a megaphone joined the wail of sirens. It was constant now. I took that as a sign that lots of help was coming. That was good, because this place needed it.
I saw movement in the corner of my eye and turned toward it. Two men in light blue paramedic uniforms were walking down the street.
“Over here!” I called.
They jogged over and I told them what I knew about the girl.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I admitted. “All I did was wash the blood off and put pressure on it.”
“You did a good job,” the older medic said.
They worked quickly to get her vital signs. I watched, saying a prayer for her.
“Is she going to be okay?” I asked.
“Yeah,” the medic said. “Her leg’s messed up pretty bad. I think she’s unconscious from shock. We’re taking her to the hospital.”
He called for a stretcher on his radio and I got up, again gathering my supplies. Police, firefighters, and medics were arriving in big numbers now. I closed my eyes and breathed out a sigh of relief.
When I stood up, I felt a second wave of energy. Help was here now, but this town was still a disaster area. I had a feeling our work here was only just beginning.
Chapter 33
Drew
Twenty-seven hours after I’d started searching for storm survivors, I climbed into bed next to Drew and pulled her against my side. She put down her cellphone and pressed a kiss to my bare chest.
“Just texting my sister about what’s going on,” she said softly. “You smell good.”
“You do, too.”
Her honeysuckle scent and warm body made me reassess just how tired I was. When I’d stepped into the shower a few minutes ago, I’d been exhausted. I still was, physically, but it didn’t stop me from wanting her. That was an around-the-clock thing these days. It still hadn’t sunk in that she was mine.
“Is it me, or is it a miracle that no one died?” she asked, propping herself up on her elbow and looking down at my face.
“It’s pretty remarkable,” I agreed. “Especially when you see the devastation there. The guy who died of a heart attack at the nursing home may be counted as a casualty, though.”
“But that family you rescued…they’re all fine?”
“Yeah. Just some broken bones and contusions.”
She kissed me, her lips soft and sweet on mine. “I fell a little more in love with you today. Or however many days it’s been since the storm hit. Seeing you rescue people like that…Aiden, I’ve never felt so proud.”
My heart swelled as she looked down at me, her eyes filled with tears.
“I don’t do it for glory,” I said.
“I know. Which makes me all the more proud. Your family would be incredibly proud, too, Aiden.”
“You think?”
“I know. You’re selfless and brave.”
Her praise felt good, but compliments always made me itchy, so I changed the subject. “The fuck is this place we’re staying at?”
She laughed. “You don’t care for the Golden Gate Motel?”
“Where’s the golden gate? It’s just a shithole in the middle of nowhere.”
“Must be in another room.”
“I seriously doubt it.” I ran my hand down the line of her body, tracing her hip and thigh with my fingertips. “You’re here, though, so how bad can it be?”
People from Adelia had been put up in motels near there, so we’d had to travel more than an hour to find a place with vacancies. And when we’d gotten here, I’d unceremoniously told Murph I was paying for my own room and that he could split the two paid for with project money between him, Tex, and Millie. Tonight I needed to be with Drew.
“I ordered pizza, it’ll be here in”—she rolled over to pick up her cellphone from the nightstand—“thirty-five minutes.”
“I’m so fucking hungry I could eat the cardboard box right now,” I grumbled, reaching around her waist and pulling her against me again.
I put my lips on her neck, kissing her softly for a few seconds. But my primal side took over and I was soon nipping her skin while I kneaded her nipple between my thumb and forefinger.
She moaned and I slid my hand underneath her shirt, pulling it up so I could suck her nipples and then knead them while they were wet and hard.
“Mmm, Aiden,” she said, pulling my shirt up and running her fingers up my back.
The burning hunger I had for her was something I’d never experienced. Today had been tough for me. Searching through wreckage for a family whose house had been flattened by a tornado brought back my worst memories.
Usually I internalized things, working them out with muck runs or heavy weight-lifting sessions. I’d always wanted to be alone until the fog of my mood passed. But this time was different. This time I wanted Drew.
We pulled off each other’s clothes and I took my comfort, burying myself deep inside her. Our heavy breathing and her moans of pleasure were the only sounds in the room.
This time I couldn’t go soft or slow. I just wanted to get closer and go deeper. To feel something stronger than the memories that had haunted me today.
And mercifully, I did. Here and now I was with Drew, who was letting me love her the best way I knew how to. I was enough for her, wounds and all. As our eyes met in the few moments building up to our release, I realized maybe it was our wounds that connected us so deeply. We’d both experienced loss and survived it. We both knew there was no guarantee of tomorrow.
She gripped my shoulders and we came together, neither of us caring who heard our moans in the next room.
“I love you, Aiden,” she said, tears shining in her eyes as she held my cheeks in her hands.
“I love you, too. I feel whole with you, Drew. I’ve never had that.”
She blinked and the tears trickled from the corners of her eyes. I leaned down and kissed them,
grateful that when the day came that there was no tomorrow for us, I’d always have this moment to remember. I hoped that day was decades away, though, because there was so much more I wanted to experience with Drew by my side.
Chapter 34
Drew
After two days of helping clean up in Adelia, we’d gone back to the campground for one last dinner as a group. The last night at Red Road Campground had been bittersweet for me. Murph, Millie, and Tex were more than friends to me. Our few weeks together had shown me what they were made of, and they were all the best kind of people.
Aiden and I were packed and ready to leave now, and it was time to say goodbye to the others. Tex would drive back to his home in Texas and Murph would drop Millie off at her apartment in Champaign before heading back to Lipton.
“Let’s get together for dinner soon,” I said to Murph, hugging him tightly.
“Anytime. My social schedule’s pretty light…as you may have gathered.”
“When you decide the time’s right, you’re gonna make some woman very happy one day,” I said to him.
He grinned and pushed up his glasses, his cheeks pink. “Well…I hope you’re right. And I hope you’re coming back next year?”
“I wouldn’t miss it. And I promise not to get lost in the woods next time.”
Tex squeezed me into a massive hug and I got a whiff of his potent aftershave. “Take care of Big A for us, Drew,” he said.
“Never call me Big A again,” Aiden muttered from nearby.
“Shit, man, I was doing you a favor,” Tex said to him. “We shower in the same place, remember? I should’ve called you Average A.”
“Fuck you. And stop staring at my dick.”
Aiden was above average, at least in my limited experience, but for whatever reason, he and Tex bantered some more about it.
Millie rolled her eyes as she opened her arms for a hug.
“Your boobs are bigger than mine and I feel absolutely no envy,” she said flatly. “Women have better things to do with our time, do we not?”
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