by Sable Hunter
Drawing closer and closer, Clint set a collision course with the storm. Oh, he planned on avoiding it at the last minute. According to the GPS, there was an avenue of escape to the right and one to the left. He didn’t believe in taking chances. As much as he needed to chase the storms, he didn’t intend on one catching him.
While thunder echoed in the sky and rain-soaked wind blew in horizontal blasts, Clint struggled to keep his truck between the ditches. He leaned forward in his seat, focused on making forward progress – when out of the corner of his eye, he saw a car in the ditch where it had collided with a fence. Someone was in trouble.
Pulling over, he jumped out and ran to the vehicle, noting it was blue. Surely it wasn’t the same car that almost ran him off the road. Squinting to see through the fogged glass, Clint could vaguely make out the figure of a woman slumped over the steering wheel. He knocked on the glass once and when she stirred, he jerked open the door. “Hey. Are you all right?”
As thunder echoed, Jensen lifted her head, her eyes wide with fear and shock. “Clint?”
Clint was similarly stunned. Floored. Flummoxed. Astounded, he wondered how he’d managed to conjure up the woman who still monopolized his thoughts. “Jensen?” After blinking his eyes to dispel the vision, she was still there within easy reach – and in danger. “Christ… come on. Let’s get you to my truck. Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. Just shaken up a bit.” Jensen felt dizzy – both from her situation and from the sudden appearance of the one man who haunted her thoughts and dreams.
“Can you stand?”
She could and she would. “Yes.” Without forethought, she made a grab for his forearm, needing to feel stable.
Clint pulled her close as he glanced over his shoulder. Shit. The worm had turned. The tornado was heading their way. “We have to hurry.” They ran bent forward, the strong winds making it impossible to stand straight. “There!” He pointed to the ditch next to the road. Another quick look and the worst was confirmed, the funnel was now on the ground. Pushing Jensen down, Clint put an arm over her, shielding her body with his own. “Stay low. Cover your head.”
“Okay.” Jensen didn’t feel the need to argue. He said something else, but she missed it. The whistling wind and a sound like an approaching freight train almost paralyzed her with fear. Within seconds, the tornado swept very near to where they lay – far too close for comfort. As they hugged the ground, the wind tugged at them, threatening to lift their bodies into the air. “Oh, God, help us,” she prayed under her breath.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” Clint anchored her to the ground with the substantial weight of his body.
Jensen felt her breathing begin to even out. Even though the tornado was raging almost on top of them, she felt a sense of calm. Peace. She trusted the man who shielded her from harm.
As for Clint, he was completely alert and reading the situation. Despite the tumult, they were on the fringe, the wrath of the storm was passing them by. When the whirling vortex began to move away, he lifted Jensen to her feet. “Let’s make a run for my truck. Come on.”
She let him lead her by the hand. When they passed her car, she tugged his arm. “Let me get my purse.”
“All right.” Stepping ahead of her, he opened the passenger door. Jensen leaned in, grabbed her purse, then decided to pick up the crate of berries with the sheaf of brochures on top.
“Here give me that.” He took the crate from her, placing one big hand over the loose pamphlets. “Let’s go.”
She clung to his arm as they closed the distance between her car and his truck. They could still hear the roar of the storm in the not-too-far distance.
“It’s okay. We’re here.” He escorted her to the passenger side, making a place for her by picking up what lay in the seat and tossing it to the back. Once she was settled, he placed her things in the rear floorboard and ran around to climb behind the wheel.
“Hurry,” she beseeched him, fastening her seatbelt.
“Hell, yea.” Without further ado, Clint gunned it, tires screeching on the wet asphalt as they sped from the danger zone. As they traveled, both were quiet, stunned by their unexpected reunion as well as the sight of all the havoc the storm had wrought. An old barn looked to be completely demolished with only the central posts still standing. A cattle trailer had been tossed in the air and now rested on its side – its walls full of huge dents. Full grown trees and large limbs were scattered everywhere. Some of the trees still standing in their place were now twisted and stripped bare of bark.
“Wow. This is insane.” Jensen covered her eyes and took a deep breath. “I thought I was going to die. You’ll never know how glad I was to see you.”
“Really? I’m surprised you’d prefer my company over a tornado.”
“Clint…” Jensen sighed at his attitude. But…after how they’d parted, what did she expect? “No. I’m truly grateful.”
“Save it.” Pushing aside the tide of emotion rising within him, he asked, “Were you hurt? Do we need to go to the hospital?”
“No.” Jensen shook her head. “My car was damaged, but I wasn’t.” She gave him a very tentative smile. “Thank you for coming to my rescue.”
“The Almighty has a weird sense of humor, doesn’t He?” Clint clasped the steering wheel so hard he was sure he’d leave dents in the surface. “Do you need me to call for a tow?”
“I have OnStar. They’re sending someone as soon as they can.” She stole a quick glance at Clint. If anything, he was even more handsome than the last time she’d seen him. “I thought you lived in Houston. What are you doing here?”
“I have family in these parts. And business interests. Today, I was storm-chasing if you must know. When I finished, I took my cousin home.”
“Oh, I remember you were into meteorology.” Jensen swallowed, licking her lips nervously. “I’m sorry I interrupted your mission, or did that close call count?”
“No, that was a waste of a good tornado. Fortunately, I’d already accumulated all the data I needed for the day.” He checked the radar again to make sure the weather event was dying down. “What are you doing in Central Texas? You didn’t take the job you interviewed for.”
“How do you know?”
“Austin’s not that big of a place.” He clamped his lips together before he gave away the fact that he’d looked for her, tried to find out where she was working. He’d checked every hospital and practice he could find in Austin and the surrounding area that had anything to do with neurology. He’d found nothing. For the second time, she’d chosen to disappear from his life. At this point, he wasn’t interested in renewing her acquaintance.
“I did take the job. With Scott Walker and Associates. I just didn’t report to work until a few months ago. There were some things I needed to take care of first.”
Scott Walker. The name sounded very familiar. Of course, he’d most certainly contacted them when he’d looked high and low for her. “I’m surprised an employer would give you so much leeway.”
Jensen pressed her lips together. “I’m good at what I do.”
Clint snorted. “Yes, you are. I can personally vouch for that.”
“Stop it.” She glanced at him and noticed the stern set of his jaw. “I’m surprised you didn’t recognize my car and keep on driving.”
“I’d forgotten what you drove. In fact, I almost didn’t recognize you.” More lies. He hadn’t forgotten one damn thing about her. Not her car. Her scent. Not how her skin felt beneath his fingertips. Not how it felt to come deep inside of her.
“I’ve lost weight.”
“Weight you couldn’t afford to lose.” His comment was ludicrous. She was as beautiful as ever.
Jensen jerked around at his insult and found him staring at her with narrowed eyes. Self-conscious, she dropped her gaze, then stiffened when she saw how her clothes were clinging to her body.
She knew he didn’t know. He couldn’t see through her blouse.
Yet, s
he hunched her shoulders, instinctively seeking to protect herself, hiding her body from his view. “Well, don’t look at me then.” How infuriating that he was more handsome than the last time she saw him.
“Good idea.” Clint checked out the window, making sure they were still in the clear.
“Have you been well?”
“There’s no need for small talk,” he snapped.
“All right.” Jensen grabbed onto the edge of the pale pink camisole she wore, tugging on it. When she felt the material cling to her chest, she automatically let it go.
“I’m fine. No concussions. My brain is functioning at full capacity.”
“I doubt that,” she let out a slight scoff. “No one who chooses to play football is playing with a full deck.”
“Still on your same soapbox, I see.”
“I wish you could see what I’ve seen, the results of the autopsies, you’d change your tune.”
He couldn’t think about that now – all he could think about was her. “Where can I take you?”
“I live on the north side of Lake Georgetown. I was taking the scenic route home.”
“Yea, me too. I was heading to Jarrell to check on some property when I came upon you.”
“Well, don’t go out of your way. Please. You can let me off at any service station or convenience store. I can call an Uber.” Checking out their surroundings, she realized they were in the middle of nowhere. “Don’t go out of your way, though. If it’s more convenient for me to ride along with you to check on your property, that’s fine too.”
Clint let out a harsh breath. Spending any more time with her than necessary was probably a bad idea. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a place to put her out, unless it was the middle of a field of cotton – which was a little bit tempting. “I’ll make it fast, then see you home.”
“Thank you.” Jensen closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly. She was so very aware of his presence. Even his scent was familiar and arousing. Images of their night together bombarded her mind. She could no more forget the pleasure he’d given her than she could forget to breathe.
“Were you the one who almost ran me off the road on 2341?”
His question caused her to jerk around to stare at him. She’d forgotten about that. “Oh, this was the black truck that came plowing around the curve like a bat out of hell.”
Clint rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t speeding.”
“Oh, yes you were.”
He snorted but said no more.
When she felt the silence become awkward, Jensen pushed her still damp hair over her shoulder. “You went to school in Waco. Did you grow up there?”
“We could ride in blessed silence, you know.”
“Silence makes the time stretch out longer, talking will speed it up.”
Clint let out an aggravated sigh. “I grew up in Jarrell.” He pointed toward the city limit sign. “I’d show you the house, but it blew away in a tornado when I was seven. We were living there at the time.”
“Seriously? And yet…you chase storms.”
“Sometimes we choose to study the very things that threaten us.” He gave her a pointed look. “Right?”
She saw the correlation. CTE was her tornado. “True.”
When they drew close to his land, Clint slowed down. “So far so good.” He didn’t see any damage. “Looks like I lucked out.”
“Safe Haven. What’s this going to be?” She sat up straighter in order to see the construction site more clearly.
“A housing complex built to survive a tornado.” He pulled up closer. “My brother, Kyd, is the architect. The whole structure will be under a concrete dome with concrete pillars secured into the earth, anchored by eight-inch steel bolts. We’re also installing communal shelters in the basement.” Pointing to a sign, he told Jensen, “There’s an artist’s rendering. It will be a lot more attractive than it sounds.”
“Was this your idea?”
Clint nodded. “Yes. Most of the homes are being built safer these days, but those who live in apartments and trailer parks have been left out. I hope to remedy that situation and make living in a safe place affordable.”
“Can you do that? The design looks complicated.”
“It is. The materials aren’t as expensive, though.” He leaned over to open the glove box and pulled out a diagram. “I also plan on installing roof-top turbines to generate electricity. These turbines will be able to run on solar or wind power. Essentially, utilities will be included in the rental price.”
Jensen was fascinated. “That’s wonderful. I’m very impressed.”
He didn’t acknowledge her compliment. Giving one last look around, he muttered to himself, “I need to get someone to come out and do some bushhogging. Or borrow a tractor from the cousins and do it myself.”
The thought of him on a tractor, possibly shirtless, made Jensen wiggle a little in her seat. “When will it be complete?”
“Early next year. We were required to redo some of the utility lines, that’s been a major hold-up.” Easing the truck down the street, he made another turn. “Up ahead is the memorial for the ones we lost in the 1997 F-5.” He pointed to the left. “The subdivision we lived in, the one that was completely destroyed, encompassed those five blocks. You can still see the depression where the streets used to run. And across the street and down about a quarter of a mile is the quarry where my family and I hid as the storm devastated this whole area.”
Jensen fingered the hem of her top, needing to occupy her hands. “Isn’t it strange how things can be okay one moment and your life falls apart the next?”
“Indeed.” Clint sensed she was speaking from personal experience. “Most people experience heartache in one form or another.” Coming to an intersection, he tapped on the steering wheel. “Okay. Tell me where you live.”
Jensen gave him the address.
“Not far. We’ll be there in less than half an hour.” He was glad. Clint was so tense. He felt brittle, like pieces of his body might break off under the stress of trying to act like he didn’t give a damn. “Then we’ll never have to see one another again.”
“Correct.” Jensen rubbed her palms on her denim covered thighs, fast enough to create a bit of friction. “Let’s talk about something innocuous.”
“Like what? Your love life? The last time we were together?”
“No. Clint…” The much-needed apology hovered on her lips. Before she could form the words, Clint grabbed her hand from where it rested on her knee.
“You’re still not married or engaged, I take it.”
“No. I don’t intend to enter into that kind of commitment.”
“That’s probably a wise choice on your part.”
“Oh? How about you? Is there a future Mrs. Wilder in the wings?”
“Hardly. I’m footloose and fancy free.”
Sensing an opening, she attempted to take it. “Clint…” Confidence was something she used to possess in abundance. This new insecurity she felt was difficult to deal with under the best of circumstances. Sitting up a little straighter, she was determined not to let her self-doubt show. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“Ha!” He snorted. “You didn’t hurt me. You taught me a very valuable lesson about not trusting women.”
“Please don’t say that. We were two adults who enjoyed one another’s company.”
Clint tried to ignore the ache around his heart. “Yea. Let’s leave it at that.”
As they approached a small store, he put on his brakes.
“Am I getting out here?”
The only answer he gave was to mumble, “I need something to drink.”
Once he’d gone, she laid her head back and whooshed out a breath of air. “Yes, thank you, Clint. I’m parched. A cold drink would be nice.” Jensen didn’t know which storm unnerved her worse – the tornado, or the emotional rollercoaster of being with this handsome man who made no secret how m
uch he despised her.
She only wished she felt the same way. “Give me strength.”
The three-word prayer wasn’t offered in jest. Jensen didn’t really blame Clint for his anger. He’d truly felt something for her and in his mind, she’d cruelly used him – which was true in a way. He didn’t know her situation. He didn’t know she had feelings for him. They weren’t feelings she could ever act on again, but that didn’t make them any less real. “Why are you torturing yourself?” This is an impossible situation. Even if he could forgive her for what she’d done, they could never be together. The previous reasons she’d given him were trivial compared to the one that now loomed over her every waking moment.
Reaching for her purse, Jensen took a moment to check her face and put on some lip gloss. Her face still looked the same. Her eyes were the same color. To anyone who passed her on the street or visited her in the office – she appeared the same as always. As long as she kept others at arm’s length, they’d never know her secret.
Someday things would change. Her confidence would return. She’d come to terms with her loss. Maybe one day she’d be able to be intimate with a man without these debilitating doubts and crippling inhibitions – but not Clint. Never Clint.
Nevertheless, she needed to get her act together. If she could get through the next little while, then Clint would go on his way and she could get back to the business of healing.
The sound of him opening the truck door drew Jensen’s attention. “Here.” He handed her a large slushy drink. “This is cherry. The other is cola. Which would you rather?”
His offering surprised her. “Thank you. Cherry is good.”
Seeing the light appear in her eyes, Clint bit back a ‘you’re welcome’. Even pleasantries seemed inappropriate at the moment. “If you need to go to the bathroom, you should’ve already gone.”