by Jiffy Kate
“Miss me already?” I ask, smiling to myself. “Or did I mess something up?”
“No, the article is great. I’ve already sent it over to be proofed. My boss said he’s planning on looking over it tomorrow.” Piper’s voice sounds a little rattled and I can hear papers shuffling in the background.
“What’s up? You sound busy.”
“Yeah, I am, but I just wanted to call and give you a heads up about some nasty weather. Where are you?”
“Ummm,” I crane my neck, looking ahead to see if I notice any road signs. “I’m not really sure, but I passed Tuscaloosa a little bit ago.”
“Well, my boss was supposed to fly to Dallas this afternoon for a meeting, but his flight was delayed due to bad weather. Looks like you’ll be driving through it, so keep your eyes open. I’ll keep the weather pulled up on my computer and call you if I see anything.”
“Okay, thanks, Mom,” I tease. “But it just looks like a little rain. I’m sure it’ll be fine. If it gets too bad, I’ll pull over.”
“Alright, stay safe and call me if you stop. I’ll check back in after my next meeting.”
“Ten-four, good buddy.”
I continue to make good time, getting lost in deep tracks from my Prime Country playlist. Me and George Strait are singing away to Fireman when a large gust of wind practically blows me off the road.
I grip the steering wheel tightly and sit up a little straighter in my seat.
What the heck?
Keeping my hands at ten and two, I start to pay closer attention to my surroundings. Maybe this weather Piper was talking about is no joke. The sky that was just grey and gloomy half an hour ago, now looks downright angry. The horizon has disappeared into the black abyss and the rain is starting to pound on my windshield.
There aren’t a lot of cars on the road and I start to panic. Switching off my music from my phone, I turn on the radio, scanning the stations for some kind of weather bulletin.
When I can’t see the middle line any longer, I slow my car to a safer speed.
After a few miles of torrential rain, it starts to let up a little, so I try to relax back into my seat, peeling my fingers off the steering wheel, trying to calm my sudden nerves.
This is just a little storm.
Happens all the time.
I’m sure it’ll be fine.
That’s what I’m telling myself when the wind picks back up and the rain begins to blow diagonally across the road in front of me. I think about pulling up under an overpass, but there are only small ones and the two I’ve seen already had cars occupying the shelter. So, I keep driving, hoping it clears.
When I see a green sign, I can’t make it out, but I know where I am.
Laurel is just another ten minutes up the road. Surely, I can make it that far. If it’s still raining this hard, I’ll find a place to pull over.
Hitting redial on my phone, I try to call Piper. She said she’d call me if something really bad popped up, so I’m sure it’s nothing, just a thunderstorm.
The phone rings a few times and then I get the obnoxious triple beep, telling me it can’t connect my call.
Shit.
I had trouble getting service through here on my way to Birmingham, and I’m sure this weather isn’t helping anything.
The ebb and flow of light and heavy rain, mixed with gusts of winds and scary looking skies, continues. I drive as fast as the weather will allow, hopping I’ll eventually drive out of it.
As I start passing familiar buildings, I think about stopping, but the rain has let up a bit, so I keep driving. I really don’t want to get out of the car in this nasty mess. Micah getting a burger at Topher’s is out of the question. He’ll have to just settle for me.
I smirk to myself and think about calling him. He would definitely know what to say to calm my nerves and get me through this mess, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise, so I keep driving.
Just as I think I’m in the clear, a set of low hanging clouds get my attention from the south and something in my gut tells me I should at least pull off and find out what kind of weather I’m facing. I’m a southern girl. I might’ve lived in New York, but I was raised about five miles from here and I’m no stranger to storms.
A siren in the distance has me turning my radio completely off and straining my ears to hear. I can’t tell if it’s coming from behind me, so I get over into the slow lane, just in case an emergency vehicle is coming. The rain lets up a little more, and the siren is more distinct. It’s something I’ve heard before and I know exactly what it is.
Swallowing down the spike of fear, I drive a little faster. I’m already through the main part of Laurel, but I know where there’s a small gas station up ahead and I’m hoping it’s still in business.
Please, Lord, let it still be open.
As I pull off the road, my heart sinks further into my stomach. Closed. I don’t know if it’s due to the storm or lack of business, but there’s not a car in sight and it’s darker than the clouds swirling above.
With nothing else to do, I pull back out onto the interstate and start to pray. I need some divine intervention and I need it fast. The combination of low-lying clouds and greenish tint to the sky isn’t good. I remember one time, when I was about five years old, there was a funnel cloud on the outskirts of town. Much to my granny’s dismay, my grandpa let me sit on the steps of the cellar as we watched it pass over. It didn’t drop down that day, but the sky looked just like this—ominous and dreadful.
Granny, what should I do?
I think about stopping, but if there really is a tornado, I can’t be in my car, that’s not safe. Looking ahead, I see a dim light from an old, worn-out road sign. As I pull up, the rundown gas station looks like it’s ready to fall over with the next good gust of wind, but it’s either this or turn around and go back to town. I take my chances, jumping out of the car and running for the cover of the awning.
With as much force as I can muster, I pull the heavy glass door open, the bell chiming above my head. A man, in overalls, is sitting behind the counter, watching the rain and then watching me.
“Hello, darlin’, what’re you doin’ out in somethin’ like this?” he asks, standing from his bar stool.
“Uh, hi, well, I was driving from Birmingham and . . .”
“Where ya headed?” he asks, walking around the side of the counter.
“New Orleans,” I reply, shivering slightly from being wet and maybe from fear. I can’t quite decide how I’m feeling. “Is there a tornado warning?”
“Yep, that’s what they’re sayin’ anyway.”
He doesn’t seem too concerned, so I try to force myself to feel the same. But about that time, those sirens I heard in the distance while I was driving are blaring out their warning.
“Uh,” he says, his jaw dropping as he looks out the large glass windows. “It might be a good idea if we get to the bathroom. Maw,” he hollers, and I look around to see who’s maw. “It’s either that or the deep freeze . . .”
“Bathroom,” I say, picking the less of two evils. Nothing good comes from people walking into deep freezes.
Nothing good comes from going into a bathroom with a strange man, either, but here I go.
“Maw,” he yells again, and as we walk into the small, dingy bathroom, a big fat cat comes running. “You first,” he says, motioning into the bathroom.
I’m having second thoughts when I start to hear the wind howling and a high-pitched sound of metal scraping against the side of the building. Without a glance back, I practically jump into the bathroom. The man walks in behind me, fat cat in hand, and calmly closes the door.
“Normally, I ain’t skeered about these sorts of things, but Maw here has been hidin’ all day and that’s never a good sign. Last time she hid from a storm, we lost the roof on our barn. She was in it. So, you’re gonna be alright.” He pets Maw’s head and then turns to me. “What’s your name?”
“Dani,” I tell him, my teeth now chatteri
ng with chill and fear. “Sheridan, actually.”
“You say you’re from New Orleans?” he asks, and I’m appreciative of the small talk. Anything to keep me from curling up on the floor in a fetal position, because that’s what I feel like doing right about now. “No, I’m headed there, but I’m actually from here.”
Lord, don’t bring me back to Laurel just to kill me.
I have to see Micah, at least one last time. I want to tell him how much I love him and that I want to have babies and grow old with him. It’s then I feel the first tear slip down my cheek.
“Sheridan, huh?” he asks, like he’s running it through a mental register. “Seems like I remember Matthew and Sarah Reed having granddaughter named Sheridan.”
“You know Matthew and Sarah?” The words tumble out of my mouth, while my body goes numb. I haven’t said my grandparents’ names in a long time. And I certainly haven’t talked to anyone who knew them. I can’t even remember the last time.
“I did,” he says with a thoughtful nod. “Good people.”
“They were my grandparents,” I reply, even though I’m sure he’s made the connection. I just needed to say it outloud. I need that connection anchoring me to the earth.
“We’ll be alright,” he says with another nod, but I can now see the fear in his eyes as the yellowish light above us starts to flicker. Maw meows and he pulls her closer to his chest.
I slide down the wall and hug my knees to my chest, praying. In that split second, I think about Micah. If I had my phone, I’d at least send him a text message, in hopes he’d get it, but I left everything in the car. Instead, I pray.
Micah
“IT’S A GOOD THING YOU decided to go ahead and buy those big-ass ceiling fans, boss,” Randy tells me as we walk around the dining area of the restaurant.
“Yeah, they were a splurge but I know they’ll be worth it. Plus, they just look freakin’ cool.” I look up and admire the fans. They look like upside down windmills. They’re functional, while keeping with the industrial look of Lagniappe. I love them.
“They also work well. We can’t turn ’em up too high or else they’re likely to blow the salt and pepper shakers off the table.” Randy laughs but he’s not wrong.
It gets hotter than forty hells in New Orleans in the summer, and I want to make sure our customers are comfortable. Hell, even now, during what’s supposed to be winter, we can leave the fans on and not freeze anyone out. Granted, it’s been unseasonably warm here lately, even for Louisiana. It should make the upcoming Mardi Gras celebrations very interesting. I guarantee there will be a rise in naked people on Bourbon Street over the next month.
“You nervous about the soft opening?”
“Nah, man, I’m excited. I can’t wait to show everyone what I’ve been workin’ on with this place and see what they think. It’s gonna be a great night.” Of course, there will be times of nervousness during the soft opening, but everyone I love will be here experiencing my dream and supporting me. I can’t fucking wait.
I glance down at my watch and sigh, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Randy.
“Missin’ your woman?” he asks.
His word choice for Dani makes me chuckle, but he’s not wrong. “I am. We usually speak first thing in the morning, but all we managed today were a few text messages. She must be busy workin’.”
This doesn’t really surprise me, because Dani is extremely hard-working and she’s amazing at what she does. When she’s on a job, she’s focused, so much so that she tends to get lost in her work and lose track of time. I don’t want to become one of those guys who has to talk to his significant other throughout the day like they’re on a schedule; I just love talking to her and seeing how her day is going. I also miss her so fucking much I can’t stand it.
When she gets back in a couple of days, I’m gonna lock us both up in my cottage and make sure we don’t resurface for at least twenty-four hours. We have some serious time to make up. Naked.
A few of hours pass, and when I realize the time, feel a rush of disappointment that I haven’t been able to talk to Dani. I’ve busied myself with last-minute preparations for a while, but now that I’m done, I can’t think of any more ways to distract myself.
I suppose I could drive to Baton Rouge and see if Deacon needs any help at Grinders. I could also drive to the house and bother my mama for a while, but I’m too antsy. She’d get annoyed with me real quick. Next thing I’d know, I’d be hauling fertilizer again.
No thanks.
Picking up my phone, I open up my calls and hover over her number. I don’t want to disturb her if she’s still working, but I need to hear her voice. Dialing her number, I begin to pace in front of the bar.
Hopefully, if she’s at work, she’ll have her phone on vibrate and I can leave her a message. I know she’ll call when she gets the chance, but that doesn’t mean I can’t let her know I’m thinking about her.
My call immediately goes to voicemail, which is kinda weird but I let it go, leaving her a message saying I’m missing her and hope to talk to her soon. Maybe her phone died while she’s on location.
Sighing, I put my phone back in my pocket and busy myself with a stack of napkins that still need folded.
If anyone would’ve told me I’d be such a lovesick puppy this time last year, I’d have laughed in their faces. I didn’t realize what I was missing out on. I thought I was content with one-night stands and occasional flings. All it took was the right girl to shake my entire world up and now I can’t imagine my life without her. I refuse to.
I decide to call it a day. I sent all the employees home early today. They’ve all worked hard these past few weeks and deserve some downtime before the real work begins. As I’m closing my laptop, I hear my phone ring. I rush to pull it out of my pocket, but when I see Piper’s name on the screen, instead of Dani’s, I’m not really sure how to feel.
“Piper?” I answer. “What’s up?”
Although she’s my girlfriend’s best friend, Piper and I don’t talk on the phone a lot. I try not to think of all the bad reasons she’d have to call me and remain calm. She may just be calling for Dani.
“Hey, Micah, I’m sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you’d heard from Dani lately?”
Shit.
“No, actually. We only texted this morning and she said she’d call me after she was finished with work, but she hasn’t yet. I called her a little while ago, but all I got was her voicemail.” I pause for a second, taking a breath. “Is something wrong?”
I’m really trying not to overreact, but I don’t have a good feeling about this. If Dani is in any kind of danger, I need to know. I can’t help her if I don’t know.
Piper doesn’t answer quickly enough and I’m seriously about to lose my mind. “Piper, what’s going on?”
“Okay, so, Dani is planning on surprising you today,” she says with a huff, like she’s frustrated, but worried. “She finished her work last night and is on her way to New Orleans right now to see you. I called her a couple of hours ago to warn her about a storm that’s supposed to hit right where she’s driving and she was fine. But, I just saw on the news that a tornado has touched down outside of Laurel, Mississippi, which is exactly where she should be about now. I just tried to call her again but she didn’t answer. And the call didn’t go to voicemail, it said the call couldn’t be connected. I’m so sorry to ruin her surprise but I’m worried, Micah.”
As Piper talks, her tone rises and I can hear the same panic I feel in my chest in her voice.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I put Piper on speakerphone so I can get my laptop back out and pull up the weather. Running my hands up and down my face, I pace while it pulls up. I need to think about how to handle this situation.
“You’re sure the tornado hit?” I ask, finally getting to a weather page and seeing that massive storm that’s covering the lower half of Mississippi . . . and my heart sinks. A nasty red swath of color is painted over Laurel, Dani’s ho
metown. Red is never good. It only means lots of rain or lots of wind.
“That’s what the news said. Do you think she got caught in the storm? I know cell service is sketchy at best in that area, but it bothers me that I couldn’t get ahold of her.” Piper’s last few words come out shaky and it’s not like her. She’s the most in-charge, composed person I know. Except when she’s fighting with my best friend.
“Ok, listen, Piper, you did the right thing by calling me, but I can’t sit around waitin’ for her to call, so I’m gonna drive to Laurel. I was about to leave the restaurant anyway. You keep tryin’ to call Dani and let me know if you reach her.”
“I will, I promise. You be careful, too, Micah.”
I hang up with Piper and immediately call Tucker.
“Yo, what’s up?” he answers on the first ring.
“Dani was on her way to New Orleans and Piper just called to tell me she thinks a tornado touched down around Laurel, just about the time Dani was drivin’ through,” I tell him. “We can’t get ahold of her. So, I’m heading out to find her. You in?”
“Hell, yeah. Hang tight, I’ll be there in thirty.”
I don’t even bother reminding him to be careful. He and I both know it technically takes longer than thirty minutes to get from The Settlement to New Orleans, but I need him here right the fuck now, so I let him do whatever he needs to do to make that happen.
I think about calling Deacon, but I don’t know what’s gonna happen when we get to Mississippi. I’m not about to put Cami’s husband and the father of my nephew in harm’s way.
While I wait for Tucker to show up, I contemplate doing a shot of whisky to ease my nerves but refrain, because I need to be firing on all cylinders for this drive. Instead, I try Dani’s phone again, and continue to try it off and on for a good ten minutes.
After getting the same message over and over, about the call not being able to connect, I growl out my frustration, slamming my phone down on the counter. The sound is guttural and loud and it echoes throughout the restaurant. If I didn’t love this place so much, I might flip over some tables or throw some chairs. I hate this—the unknowing, feeling helpless.
