The Storm You Chase (Hell Yeah!)

by Sable Hunter

  “All right. Thanks.” She relinquished her bag and went back for the rest of her luggage.

  “If you’ll wait, I’ll take care of that too.”

  “I got it.” Occupying herself at this moment with something other than watching him move like a big, graceful panther seemed like a good idea.

  He grumbled a little under his breath as he came to relieve her of her burden. “Is this everything?”

  “Yes,” she answered as she locked the door. “Nicky showed me the video. I think he’s going to upload it today.”

  “How was it?”

  “Very nice. He’s so excited, he thinks this will get more views than any of his others.”

  “I hope it does. That Nicky is a super kid.” He loaded the last of her stuff, then joined her in the front. “Are you excited?”

  “I am.” For any number of reasons. “How about you?”

  “Well…” He started his engine and pulled out to head to the airport. “Yes. I am.” Clint started to tell her what happened, then wondered if he should.

  “Is something wrong?” She could sense something odd about his mood.

  “No, not really. I just found out my father’s been dead since I was seven years old.”

  His news shocked Jensen. “I’m so sorry. I don’t understand. Why did you just find out?”

  “Long story.” He glanced at her beautiful face; her blue eyes filled with compassion. “We always thought he’d abandoned us. I just found out he died in the Jarrell tornado, trying to make his way home.”

  “Oh, how sad.” She reached out to take his hand. “Losing a parent is always hard, no matter what the circumstances. You know about my father, but I also lost my mother. To breast cancer.” Jensen could barely believe she said the words so calmly.

  “That’s tough. I’m sorry.” He huffed out a long breath. “Oh, well. I’ll give my brothers a call once we’re airborne. For now, we’ve got enough to occupy our minds.”

  “True.” She leaned against the head rest. “Did you look over the info?”

  “I did.” He cut his eyes toward her and grinned. “That’s a damn big park. I wonder what kind of directions we’ll receive.”

  “I’m not sure. I guess we’ll be told the last place he was seen or maybe where he was supposed to end up.” She glanced out the window to see Clint was exiting the freeway before she expected. “We’re not going to the airport?”

  “We’re taking a private plane from the Austin Executive Airfield just south of here.”

  “Wow. A private plane.” Jensen smiled. “How neat!”

  “The Lear belongs to my cousin Ryder and her husbands.”

  “Husbands? Plural?” Jensen asked with mouth agape. “Not that there’s anything wrong with two, you just don’t hear of it that much.”

  “Right?” Clint agreed. “She’s married to the Duke brothers of OuterLimits fame.”

  “Dang. Both of them? Now, that’s a lucky woman.”

  “Is that what it would take, Jensen? Do I need to enlist a second man to entice you?”

  Clint’s out of the blue question caused Jensen to bite her tongue. “No.”

  He waited for her to say more, but she didn’t. “Just joking. Anyway, they usually make one of their planes available to Hill Country Search and Rescue. When the call comes that someone is missing, booking commercial flights can take too much time.”

  “I get that.” Jensen was still stuck on his comment about bringing in another man to please her. She wanted to tell him that he was plenty on his own. Jensen couldn’t fathom desiring anyone else. “I assume we’ll be on horseback for the search.”

  “I would think so. Or on foot. An ATV or a Jeep would be useless for the most part.” He adjusted the rearview mirror. “I do know there are horses ready for our use if need be.”

  “Good. I was wondering.”

  “This lodge should have all the comforts of home. I know my cousins go hunting up there regularly.”

  “In the park?”

  “No, but they own land adjacent to the park. I understand it’s beautiful.”

  Jensen smiled. “I can’t wait to see it.”

  Clint tapped his finger on the steering wheel, wanting to say so much more and not knowing where to begin. “I presume you were able to clear your schedule at work.”

  “Oh, yes. I did.” She shifted in her seat to see him better. “I did get good news from the FDA. If the last trial results are adequate, they will begin their review. If all goes well there, the company who has agreed to purchase the rights to the drug can begin production.”

  “Fantastic!”

  “It’s early and this next phase can take up to two years, but we’re growing closer to a treatment for TBI.”

  “Congratulations! Wow, you’re going to be rich.”

  The idea struck Jensen as funny. “Hardly. I won’t see a dime for a long, long time. The research team has sponsors, but they’ve gone deeply in debt to make this happen. Did you know the average cost to get a new drug to market is 2.6 billion dollars?”

  “God, no.” Clint was amazed. “It’s weird to me that we can waste billions on useless wars and put the burden of creating much-needed medicines on private individuals. It just doesn’t make sense.”

  Jensen felt a kinship growing between them. “I feel the same way.”

  As they neared the airport, Clint felt his sense of anticipation grow. “I know this is serious business, but I think it’s also going to be fun.”

  “Oh, it will be. The pictures I’ve seen of the park are fantastic. I can’t wait to see the Going-to-the-Sun Road and Lake McDonald.”

  “I’m sure we’ll have some time for sight-seeing.”

  “After we locate and rescue our victim, of course.”

  “Yea.” Clint turned off the road and into the airport parking lot. “Ten told me the plane is in the fifth hangar.” He eased slowly down the lane toward the row of hangars. “Ah, there it is.”

  “Oh, snazzy!” Jensen exclaimed when she saw the sleek Gulfstream waiting for them. The reason she knew it was their plane was the name on the side. Ryder’s Ride. “She must love that.”

  “I bet she does.” In no time, they were escorted into the ultra-modern, luxury jet. The G700 could seat up to 19 passengers and sleep up to 10. There was a six-place dining room that doubled as a conference space, complete with Wi Fi.

  Once they were seated, the Gulfstream took off, rising into the sky like a beautiful bird. “I’m surprised you don’t have a jet, Clint.”

  Clint glared at her to see if she was kidding. “These things cost sixty-five million dollars. I’d have to play for the Texans for 70 years to even be in the ballpark to own one of these babies.”

  His answer took her by surprise. “I guess they are in the reach of only a select few.”

  “I know people who rent them, but only a handful who actually purchase one for their own use. I’m paid well for what I do, but I won’t be super-rich when I walk away from the football field.”

  Jensen hadn’t meant to introduce finances into the conversation – but since the subject came up... “I’m sure some people play for the love of the game. However, I remember you telling me you went pro for the money.”

  He could hear the hint of disapproval in her voice. “I made the choice I did to take care of my family. After my father disappeared, my mother raised us on her own. We had a hard time. When this opportunity fell into my lap, I turned down a full scholarship to MIT.” Why he was confessing this to Jensen, he wasn’t sure. He guessed he just wanted her to know. “The immediate earning power of a professional football player allowed my siblings to go to college without accumulating crippling student debt. It also allowed my mother to move out of government housing.”

  Jensen was taken aback. “You sacrificed your dreams to take care of your family.” Why hadn’t she realized this?

  “All worth it, I assure you.” Clint dropped his voice as the flight attendant approached. “My dreams will still
be there when I retire.”

  Their conversation was interrupted by the approach of a flight attendant. “Hello, my name is Alva. May I bring you two something to drink?”

  “Yes, please, Alva.” Jensen smiled at the pretty blonde. “I’ll take a diet soda if you have one.”

  “Of course. And you, Sir?”

  “Water, please.”

  “Coming right up.”

  Once they were alone again, Jensen took a moment to contemplate what she’d learned. Her initial impressions of Clint had been so off. She’d been operating under erroneous assumptions all along. “You put your family first.”

  “I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat,” he said as he accepted a glass of water from Alva. “Thank you.”

  Jensen sipped on her coke as she peered out the window to the clouds below. “How long will the flight take?”

  “We’ll be in the air for three and half hours, flying into Kalispell, Montana.”

  Jensen and Clint turned to see who was speaking.

  “This is our pilot, Mr. Jon Turner,” Alva introduced them. “Dr. Jensen Mistretta and Mr. Clint Wilder.”

  “My pleasure.” Jon nodded to Clint before taking Jensen’s hand. “I hope you enjoy your flight, Dr. Mistretta.”

  “Call me, Jensen. Please.”

  “Gladly. And you can call me Jon.”

  “And you can call me worried, Jon,” Clint spoke up. “Who’s driving this toy rocket?”

  “Our very reliable auto-pilot, Mr. Wilder.” He turned his attention to Clint. “Good to have you aboard. I am truly a fan.”

  “Thank you.” He was about to offer the man some tickets when the pilot’s attention turned back to Jensen.

  “Would you like to see the cockpit, Jensen?”

  “I would. Yes, please.”

  Clint frowned in displeasure as Jensen unbuckled her seatbelt and allowed the tall, handsome pilot to escort her down the aisle. The flight attendant gave him an amused look. “A drink, perhaps?”

  “Yea, bring me a beer.”

  He glared at the window, wondering at the gall of some people. How did Turner know he and Jensen weren’t together? After his beer was served, Clint sipped it and stared at the door she’d disappeared through. What was she doing up there? Taking flying lessons?

  Another five minutes passed while he fumed and fidgeted.

  Finally, Jensen reappeared with a smile on her face. “Wow, that was interesting.”

  Clint scoffed. “I bet. Did you get to hold his joystick?”

  “What?” Jensen blinked. “Are you drunk?”

  “On half a beer. Hardly.” Was he jealous? Yes.

  “He merely gave me a tour of the cockpit.”

  “A tour? How big is the cockpit? Three by five? Should take all of five minutes.”

  Jensen rolled her eyes. “Why are you getting your shorts in a wad?”

  He grumbled under his breath. “We were talking, and he interrupted us to give you a cockpit tour. He didn’t ask me to take a cockpit tour.”

  Pressing her lips together, she fought back a giggle. “You’re so mistreated. Poor baby.”

  He gave her a disarming grin. “Why don’t you kiss me and make it better?”

  “You wish.” Here they were baiting one another again.

  “I do wish, you’re right.”

  “Hmmm. I wonder how far Kalispell is from the lodge.”

  “Let me look.” He took out his phone and called up a map. “Twenty-six miles. There will be a rental car waiting for us.”

  “Huh, I thought Conrad would meet us.”

  “No. I bet he’s already moving into the park to whatever place they’ve picked out for us to locate.”

  Jensen looked surprised. “Will we be heading out this afternoon?”

  “I wouldn’t think so. If this were a real situation, of course, time would be of the essence. However, a rescue operation made up of people who aren’t rested defeats the purpose.”

  “Makes sense.” She mulled the matter in her mind. “I guess we’ll find out when we get there.”

  “Right.” Clint held up his phone. “Since we have service, I’m going to call my brothers about our father.”

  “Sure.” She nodded. “I think I’ll close my eyes and rest while I have a chance.”

  “Good idea. This isn’t going to be an easy task and we’ll both have to pull our own weight.”

  His comment agitated Jensen a bit. “That’s true. I’m lucky I’m not as hefty as you are.”

  “I’m not hefty,” Clint grumbled. “I’m…athletic.”

  “Yea. Yea.” Jensen shut her eyes and pretended to sleep.

  Soon, it wasn’t pretend.

  Chapter Nine

  “Jensen. Wake up and fasten your seatbelt. We’re landing.”

  “Oh. Yea, sure.” She blinked. Closed her eyes, then blinked again. Still groggy, Jensen felt for her seatbelt, not finding it.

  “Here. Let me.”

  Before she knew it, Clint was so close to her that she could feel his warmth. Jensen had to steel herself to keep from slipping her arms around his neck for a snuggle. He fastened her seatbelt, then lingered for a moment, his hand coming up to brush a lock of hair from her face. “There. Now, you’re all fixed up,” he whispered, his thumb caressing her cheek.

  “Fasten your seatbelt, Mr. Wilder.” Alva instructed from the cabin entrance. “We’ll be landing in a matter of seconds.”

  “Yes.” He returned to his seat and clicked himself in. “All set.”

  A few minutes later they were on the ground and disembarking. As promised, a car awaited them – a pick-up, rather – with snow tires and four-wheel drive. Jensen could barely help load their luggage for staring at the grandeur surrounding them. An impressive mountain range loomed in the distance. Rugged. Snow-capped. She shivered at the thought they might be deep in those mountains before morning.

  “I’m hungry. How about you?”

  At the question, Jensen realized she was starving. “Yes. I could eat. Anything. I’m not picky.”

  “Huh. Good to know.” He winked at her. “Let’s get on the road and you can watch for some place to stop.”

  “Okay.” Jensen could barely pull her attention away from the scenery. “It’s gorgeous here and we aren’t even in the park yet.”

  “You’re right. What sounds good. Burger? Chicken? Pizza?”

  “How about BBQ?” She pointed at a smokehouse restaurant coming up on the right.

  “You’re from Texas and you want to eat BBQ in a northern state?”

  “We can compare. Who knows, it may be better.”

  Clint grabbed his chest playfully. “Blasphemy.”

  In spite of his misgivings, they stopped and bought a smorgasbord of meats and sides. Several times, Jensen fed him when he needed both hands to drive. “Wait. Let me wipe your mouth.” She giggled and touched his lower lip to remove a bit of BBQ sauce.

  Clint’s heart jumped in his chest when she leaned close enough for him to smell that intriguing touch of jasmine. She was so damn beautiful. His whole body lit up with desire anytime she was near. “If you run out of napkins, you can kiss the sauce away.”

  “I could.” She dabbed his mouth once more, then gave him a spoonful of potato salad.

  Buzz! Buzz!

  “Damn. Just when things are getting good.”

  Jensen smiled as Clint answered his phone. “Hey, Tanner. We’re here.”

  “Great. Okay. Listen.” Tanner began to hum and sing nonsensical syllables to the tune of Mission Impossible.

  “What is he doing?” Jensen asked.

  Clint laughed. “I’m not sure.”

  “This is your mission should you choose to accept it.”

  Clint winked at Jensen as Tanner continued to speak.

  “Conrad Billings has been missing for three days. You two need to come up with a list of questions to ask that you think will help you begin your search. I will answer those questions for you, but I won’t give you a
ny information you don’t ask for. As we covered in training, there is a procedure you should follow to evaluate the situation and gather as much data as you can. This will help you know how to proceed. When you get to the lodge, you’ll have one hour to come up with those questions. At the end of that time period, I will give you your answers, then you will gather the appropriate gear and set out on the search first thing in the morning.”

  “We got you.” Clint kept eye contact with Jensen. “All right. We’re on our way to the lodge now.”

  Once the phone call ended, Jensen pulled out a small notebook and a pen from her purse. “Okay, let’s get started. What do we need to know?”

  For the rest of the drive, they brainstormed every conceivable thing they could think of to ask that might provide a clue as to where and how to locate Conrad. While they discussed the matter, they kept their eyes on the unfolding scenery. The farther they drove, the more beautiful the countryside became. Glacier carved peaks and valleys, pristine turquoise lakes, and vast blankets of dense evergreen forests – all were mesmerizing to Jensen and Clint.

  “I hope we’ll use this time to become useful teammates, but I have to tell you – seeing this magnificent view is worth the trip,” Jensen muttered as she watched a large white mountain goat clamber up a nearly sheer cliff as easily as if he were walking on flat ground.

  “Yea, the view is pretty good,” Clint teased, his glance centering on her this time instead of the passing landscape.

  “Eyes to the front, Wilder. Driving off the road in these parts can mean hurtling down a mountainside.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He gave her a contented smile, loving the byplay between them.

  “I must have slept through the talk with your brothers. Did everything go okay?”

  “Yea.” His voice grew solemn. “We’re all stunned. It’s going to take some time to process the information. As soon as I get home, we’re going to gather our mother and sisters together and break the news to them.” Turning his attention to the road, Clint pointed ahead of them. “We should be getting close. Watch for a sign that reads Golden Bear Ranch.”