Blame it on Texas

by Scott, Tori

  ***

  They parked several blocks from town next to the cotton gin. The highway was lined with news vans, rescue equipment, and police cars. An ambulance moved slowly through the maze, then accelerated as it neared them. A helicopter sat in a field across the highway from the town center, the whipping blades stirring up bits of paper and trash around it.

  Logan helped Megan from the Suburban, then held the door for the others. Nancy winked at him as she stepped down. "Such a gentleman."

  Megan shook her head and started down the road, leaving Logan to get Blue out of the vehicle, lock it, then hurry to catch up. When he reached her side, he caught her hand in his and Megan caught Nancy's raised eyebrow and wink from the corner of her eye.

  They passed several cars they recognized before they caught sight of Jake and Carol unloading supplies from the back of his pickup. Carol waved and called out, "Oh, good. You can help carry some of this stuff."

  Logan grunted as she shoved a cooler into his hands. "What's all this?"

  "Jake talked to the Sheriff and found out there are at least twenty families whose homes were destroyed. They lost almost everything and don't even have the basic necessities, so Jake went through his parents' things and we packed up whatever we thought someone could use."

  Logan thought for a moment. "You know, there's a lot of stuff at Dad's that you and I won't need. We could donate some, too."

  Carol nodded and handed Megan, Nancy, and Jean bulging plastic garbage bags to carry. "I know. I'm going to find out what's needed, then go back to Dad's later to see what I can find."

  When they'd unloaded as much as they could carry, they headed toward the center of town. Nancy's banter slowed, then stopped, as she got her first look at what had once been the heart of Morris Springs. "Oh, my God." She turned to Logan and asked, "Where are they treating the injured?"

  "The library," he said. He pointed toward the building and she and Jean took off across the street without another word or a backward glance.

  Logan's heart pounded as he saw the mess he hadn't been able to see clearly through the rain and haze the previous afternoon. The top floor of the courthouse had been shrouded in mist, but in the bright morning sun he could see that all that remained was one damaged wall.

  The gazebo was nothing more than kindling, the park benches twisted pieces of metal thrown helter-skelter across the lawn. What was left of the lawn, that is. The only thing untouched was the American flag proudly waving in the soft breeze.

  Couples stood along the sidewalk, some catching their first glimpse of the devastation. Volunteers manned tents set up in whatever clear spot was available, handing out food, drinks, and hugs to the workers. A group of Mennonite men in their classic black hats worked diligently, removing debris from the street to clear a path for the line of ambulances waiting to transport the injured from the library to the hospital.

  Everywhere Logan looked, friends hugged or held hands, offering comfort and support. Entire families dug into the remains of shops, salvaging what they could, discarding what they couldn't. And in the midst of their own troubles, they took the time to offer their condolences on the death of his father.

  "Logan, Jake? Can you give us a hand here?" Danny yelled and waved from the library door to get their attention.

  They left the women to distribute the supplies they'd brought and went to see what Danny needed. When they stepped inside, Logan was amazed at the transformation from a quiet, sedate, somber building to a bustling, crowded infirmary. Makeshift beds were spread across the floor in neat rows, IV bottles lining the narrow spaces between patients.

  "We're getting ready to start moving the ones who can be carried safely out to the highway. We need some strong backs, if you two don't mind helping out," Danny said.

  Jake laid a hand on Danny's shoulder and looked across the room. "Of course we don't mind. These are our neighbors. Just tell us where to start."

  Logan did a quick mental count of the patients. There were at least fifty people who had been injured seriously enough to require an overnight stay in the library. Logan looked at Danny. "Any fatalities?"

  Danny scrubbed a hand over his worn and weary face. "Yeah. We lost the Tucker family. Their mobile home was totally destroyed with them inside. Old Mrs. North had a heart attack. The Carrington twins were killed when their car was picked up and tossed into a field. We may find others as the searchers spread farther out of town."

  "I'm sorry. This has to be hell for you. Have you had any sleep at all?" Logan thought Danny looked a little like death warmed over himself, but he didn't voice his observation.

  Danny shook his head, his expression tense. "No. I can't sleep until everyone's accounted for. I'm heading out to the northeast section of the county now to see how the rescue effort is going. If you two can take over for me here, that is."

  "You've got it. Go on and do what you need to do. I'm sure someone here can tell us where to start."

  With a quick salute, Danny left the library. Logan looked around for someone to report to and came face to face with Nancy. "Hey, Cowboy. Fancy meeting you here."

  Her words were sassy, but the tone of her voice was much more subdued than usual. When he explained why they were there, Nancy led them across the room to the counter where the librarian should be stamping books instead of nursing staff going over patient records.

  When the nurse in charge handed him the list of patients needing transport and the order in which they were to carry them out, Logan knew it was going to be another very long day.

  ***

  Megan wiped beads of sweat from her forehead and chided herself for forgetting to bring a hat. She could already feel the heat of a sunburn flushing her skin. But the people had been so grateful for the gifts of food, clothing, and linens that it was worth whatever it cost her personally.

  Now that her job was finished, she looked around for something else to do. Spotting a dog limping across the road, she tightened her hold on Blue's leash in case he decided to take off in pursuit. But Blue whimpered and pulled her forward. Curious, Megan followed.

  They rounded the corner of the courthouse to find a pile of debris. Bricks and sheet rock from the top floor of the courthouse had landed against the base of a statue. Megan couldn't tell who the statue had been sculpted to represent because the top half of it was missing.

  Blue tugged her to the edge of the pile, still whimpering. Then he stood still, alert, his ears pointed forward. When he barked, Megan's heart began to race. With Blue guiding her, she pulled bricks away one by one, while looking around for someone to help her. When she saw Logan and Jake emerge from the library, she yelled and they ran to her side.

  The three worked frantically, tossing pieces of brick and splintered two by fours out of the way. A few minutes later, they heard a moan from beneath the pile. A slab of concrete proved too heavy for Logan and Jake to move alone, so Megan ran to the group of Mennonites and quickly related the situation. Soon there were eight men straining to lift the concrete away.

  When they managed to move it to the side, a leg appeared in the midst of a mess of steel rods, wires, dust, and mud. Megan used her bare hands to dig through the debris near where she thought a head should be and soon uncovered a sticky, matted head of hair.

  Nancy ran from the library, a doctor in tow, and knelt at Megan's side." Any idea who it is?"

  "No. I'm just praying he's still alive. I heard him moan earlier, but nothing in the last few minutes."

  When they had the man free of the debris, Logan said, "It's Randy Marin. I've known him since kindergarten. He has to be alive. Please, God, let him be alive."

  ***

  Two days later, everyone in the city limits had been accounted for. Randy Marin was in critical condition. Fifty-seven people had been transported to area hospitals, some in serious condition, others with fairly minor injuries. Rescue workers still scoured the countryside looking for survivors as they followed the path of destruction the tornado had left in its wak
e.

  The townspeople, and the strangers who had come from surrounding towns to help, were gathered on the courthouse lawn, holding hands as Pastor Nichols from the Lutheran church led them in a prayer of thanksgiving for lives spared and lives saved, and for comfort for those who had lost everything. Megan's heart was touched by the obvious love of the pastor for his people.

  When Logan squeezed her hand, she looked up to see tears in his eyes. Hope rose within her as she realized he was as touched as she was. Did this mean he might have changed his mind about Morris Springs, that he might be willing to move back and become a part of the community?

  She'd already made up her mind that this was where she wanted to live. She hadn't told Logan yet, but Doc had stopped by while she was passing out supplies to ask her if she was still interested in joining his practice. There were so many injured animals left by the destruction that it would take both of them to care for them all. So she had a job. Now all she needed was a place to live.

  She felt like a part of the community after the past two days in a way she'd never felt anywhere else. Dallas had always been where she lived, but never home. These people had become her friends. Soon they would be her neighbors.

  She looked across at Carol and Jake, holding hands on the far side of the large circle of people. The way they stood close together, their bodies touching from shoulder to thigh, told her there was a strong possibility that Carol, too, might move to Morris Springs permanently.

  Nancy and Jean were in the middle of a group of doctors and nurses, looking like they'd lived in Morris Springs all of their lives. Nancy had matured a lot since graduation, but Megan had always known she had a heart of gold buried beneath her brash, flirtatious exterior. It took a while for others to break through her defenses to see the warm-hearted woman she was on the inside.

  Jean, always quiet and reserved, keeping her thoughts and feelings to herself, had opened her heart to the people of the town and offered them hope as she counseled them during their trauma. Megan had never seen her as animated and friendly as she'd been the past two days.

  The tornado may have been the worst thing to ever happen to Morris Springs, but no one would ever look at their lives in quite the same way again. Megan counted her blessings, as she was sure everyone else did when the pastor said, "Amen."

  ***

  Logan and Megan stopped by the Marshall's house to pick up Katie, then headed back to the farm. Jake and Carol drove ahead of them with Blue in the back of the pickup, head high and ears blowing in the wind.

  Logan grinned at the sight of the dog looking like a king surveying his domain. "Blue seems to know he's a hero, doesn't he?"

  "He should. He got enough attention after that rescue." Megan glanced over the seat at Katie. "I'll bet you're proud of him, aren't you?"

  Katie nodded with her usual twelve-year-old enthusiasm. "He's the best dog ever."

  Logan glanced at his daughter in the rear-view mirror and wondered how Katie was going to feel when she learned they couldn't take Blue back to Dallas with them. Even though he was well trained, an apartment was no place for a working dog. He was used to having acres of room to run and plenty to do to keep him occupied. Cooping him up would be downright cruel.

  Katie had been through so much in the last few weeks it was a miracle she wasn't completely traumatized. Leaving Blue behind was going to be hard on her, but it couldn't be helped. Maybe if he bought her a kitten or a gerbil or something, it would help ease the blow.

  The last thing in the world he wanted was to hurt his daughter. But suing her mother for custody would hurt her. Taking her back to Dallas and leaving Blue behind would hurt her. Losing her grandfather had hurt her. Would he ever be able to make it up to her?

  By the time he pulled into the driveway, he'd worried himself into a sour mood. When the others went into the kitchen for soft drinks and a snack, he shut himself into his office and opened his laptop. He checked his email and found several from his lawyer asking him to call.

  From the increasingly urgent tone of the emails, something must be going wrong with the custody hearing. Or maybe a trial date had been set for Jerry. He hated the thought of Katie being forced to endure either trial, but it was out of his hands. With shaking hands, he picked up the phone and dialed.

  The rest of the group went into the kitchen and sat around the table, drinking coffee and talking over the bizarre circumstances of the last few days. Katie settled on the floor next to Blue and fed him pieces of hamburger meat as a reward for his hard work over the last few days.

  Megan was content to listen as the others talked. Her thoughts wandered to Logan, as they seemed to do with alarming regularity these days. She wished she could find some time alone with him so she could find out what his plans were now that the town was on the road to recovery. She hoped and prayed he would stay in Morris Springs.

  Katie had been excited about the friends she'd made during her stay with the Marshalls. There had been three other girls her age there, and together they had helped to care for the younger children. They'd parted with hugs and promises to call and get together for a slumber party. It would be cruel to take her away now.

  And Logan himself had reconnected with friends from his past. He'd been treated with respect and seemed to be accepted as part of the town. If he wasn't too stubborn to see it, he could become an important part of the community.

  She knew her reasons for wanting him to stay were selfish, too. She wanted to live here, work here, buy a place somewhere close by to raise the dogs she planned to buy as soon as possible. After spending the last few weeks with Blue, she knew she'd made the right choice in the breed she wanted to train.

  "Megan?" Nancy snapped her fingers in front of her face. "You there?"

  Megan shook away the lingering thoughts and smiled. "I think so. What's up?"

  "Jean and I are going to head back to Dallas this afternoon. We both need to get back to work. When are you coming back?"

  Megan thought for a moment. Her answer really depended on Logan, but she needed to talk to him first. "I don't know." She looked at Carol who was watching her, obviously waiting for her answer. "May I use your phone? I need to talk to Doc about something."

  "Of course."

  Megan stood and walked into the living room. She fished Doc's card from her pocket and picked up the receiver. Instead of hearing the dial tone she expected, she heard Logan say, "So, if I can convince Megan to marry me, you think I would definitely get custody of Katie?"

  Stunned, she carefully set the receiver back on the cradle and backed up to the couch, one hand over her mouth to keep from crying out. What she'd heard hurt more than she could have ever imagined. The one thing she'd always wanted, the one thing she'd determined to hold out for, was to be loved for who she was. Not for what she could do for someone, for what she could give. Someone who would love her without reservation.

  Her aunt and uncle had loved her, but she wasn't their child. They'd cared for her during the summers because her parents were off doing their own thing, taking advantage of grants they'd received. She'd always been in their way when she wasn't in school and they'd never thought of taking her with them. Her aunt and uncle had been glad to have an extra hand to help out on their small acreage. They'd been kind to her, but she'd always wondered if that was because she'd worked so hard to earn their approval.

  Now all Logan wanted from her was a mother for Katie, a surrogate wife to help him get custody. Once his custody was assured, then what? Would he tell her that her services were no longer needed? No, because he would never get the chance. As much as she loved Katie, as much as she thought the girl would be happier with her father, Megan wouldn't marry him for Katie's sake.

  So what did she do now?

  She had to get out of Logan's apartment as quickly as possible. What she did after that depended on what Logan decided. If he stayed in Morris Springs, she would find another place to live, another small town where she could put down roots. If he moved b
ack to Dallas, then she'd come back here and find a place to live. She was sure if he left Morris Springs, he'd never return.

  But first she had to get out of that apartment.

  Spurred into action by that thought, she went back into the kitchen. She tapped Nancy on the shoulder and willed her face to stay composed, her voice level in spite of the unshed tears that tried to choke her, and said, "I'm ready to go home anytime you are."

  Nancy cocked her head and lifted one waxed eyebrow, but she didn't say a word. Jean started to say something, then winced. She glared at Nancy but kept her mouth closed.

  Carol looked confused for a moment, then said, "Are you sure you need to leave so soon? You're more than welcome to stay here as long as you like. You know that, don't you?"

  "Yes, I know. And I appreciate it. But as Nancy said, she and Jean have jobs they need to get back to, and I need to find one. And we need to move out of Logan's apartment so he'll have a place to stay if he decides to go back."

  Carol stood and came around the table to give her a hug. "I've enjoyed having you here so much. Please don't lose touch. I'll be here for at least another week or two, so call me and let me know where you end up."

  "If you don't mind, I think we'll pack and head back now. That way we can get to Dallas by dark." She hugged Carol again. "I'll keep in touch, I promise." She hugged Katie, gave Blue one last scratch behind the ears, and shook hands with Jake. Then, before Carol could say anything else, Megan turned and left the kitchen, Nancy and Jean close on her heels.

  She knew she'd have a lot of explaining to do when they got in the car, but at least her friends didn't press her for answers she didn't have at the moment.

  And how did you explain a broken heart in the first place?

  Darn it! When had Logan managed to steal her heart? She'd thought she'd kept it well guarded. But somehow he'd crept past her defenses, past her better judgment, and had taken up residence where he wasn't wanted--in a heart that had no more room for his plans and schemes.