My Hurricane (The Truth Series Book 0)

by Owenby, J. A.

  “Okay!” He jumped out of his chair and ran into the house.

  A small smile pulled at the corner of my mouth.

  I fumbled for the car keys in my pocket and got into my car. Although my destination was only a few miles away, it would be one of the longest drives I’d ever made.

  * * *

  Nausea rolled in my stomach as I reached for the door. This was the hardest decision I’d ever made, and with every step, I questioned if it was the right one. But I’d talked with Mom and Aunt Linda, and they’d agreed that it would be the best way to take care of Garrett.

  “Walker Farren?” the Air Force recruiter said.

  “Here,” I said.

  “Come on back.”

  I followed him into his office and waited.

  “Have a seat.” He closed the door and sat behind his desk. “I’m Master Sergeant Jenson. What brings you in today?”

  “I’d like to join the Air Force, sir.” My hands clenched into fists as the words left my mouth. I released my fingers and wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans.

  “Nervous?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good, you should be. This is a big step and an honorable commitment.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “What are you interested in?”

  “Special Operations, but I can’t move in that direction right now. Maybe someday.”

  Master Sergeant Jenson leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “What gives, son? Something on your mind?”

  “My mom is dying of cancer, and I need to make a life for myself and my younger brother. I realize that boot camp is six weeks long, but I’m hoping to get stationed in Little Rock, so I can be near him and eventually bring him to live with me.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, but it speaks highly of you that you’re taking care of your family. I’ve got some ideas.” He cleared his throat and shuffled through the stack of papers.

  An hour later, I left the recruiter’s office. The only thing left was to wait for the call.

  * * *

  The drive home was more intense than the drive to the recruiter’s office. My heart thudded as I struggled to gather my thoughts and figure out how to tell Garrett. There was no way he would understand my decision, but I’d made the best one I could for him. He was the reason I was doing this, and right now, nothing else mattered.

  I opened the front door and found Garrett sitting at the kitchen table, reading. “Hey, sport. Do I need to take you to Kyle’s?”

  “Yeah, whenever you’re ready. His parents said I could spend the night. Is that okay?”

  “You bet. Let me check on Mom and say hi to Aunt Linda and then we’ll go.”

  Garrett grinned and returned to his book.

  I walked into Mom’s room, where I found her sitting up.

  “Hi, hon. How did it go?” she asked, concern clouding her face.

  “It’s done. Now I wait for the call.”

  Mom nodded.

  “Your new meds still working? You’re looking better.”

  “They’re making things more tolerable. I even ate this afternoon.”

  “That’s good. Is there hope that this will work?”

  She smiled sadly. “It’s not a cure, honey. It just helps manage the symptoms. Nothing’s changed.”

  My head hung down, and I stared at the floor. “I’m taking Garrett to Kyle’s house for the night. Is Aunt Linda coming back?”

  “I’m here,” she said behind me. “Go ahead and take Garrett. It will be good for him.”

  I squeezed her shoulder as I walked past her and out of mom’s room.

  * * *

  “Thanks for taking me to Kyle’s.”

  “Yeah, you gotta have some fun. Listen, I need to talk to you.”

  “What? What’s the matter?” Garrett asked, panic filling his voice.

  “It’s not about Mom. It’s okay. It’s about me. I might have to leave for a while.”

  “What? No!” His anxiety had ratcheted up a notch.

  “Hang on, let me explain. After talking with Mom and Aunt Linda, we felt that in order for me to take care of you and be able to financially provide for us after Mom’s gone, that it would be a smart move for me to enlist in the military.”

  “What? You’re really leaving me? What the fuck kind of brother are you? You promised!” His lower lip trembled as he glared at me.

  “Garrett, I’m sorry, but they pay well. I’ll be gone for six weeks, and they think after that, I can get stationed in Little Rock. I’ll be back for you, with money in my pocket. I’m doing this for you, sport. You’re what matters.”

  Garrett sniffled and stared out the window. “Six weeks?”

  “Yeah. I can’t promise I’ll be stationed in Little Rock, but they’ll take Mom’s illness into consideration. I think it’ll work out okay. Just six weeks, sport. Can you hang on? I’ll be back.”

  He sighed and wiped his eyes. “When do you leave?”

  “I have no idea. They have to call me first. I don’t know anything else right now.”

  Garrett nodded as I pulled into Kyle’s driveway.

  “I’m sorry to tell you like this, but I wanted you to be able to yell at me. I figured the car was the best place, so Mom couldn’t hear it,” I said, attempting a smile. “Hang on with me, okay?”

  “Yeah. Okay,” he whispered.

  He got out of the car, and I watched until Kyle’s mom opened the door and waved at me. I waved back, backed out of the driveway, and headed home.

  Chapter 13

  “Dude, you’re going out tonight.”

  “I can’t. I need to be here with Mom,” I said, balancing the phone on my shoulder while drying dishes.

  “Nope, she called me.”

  “What? No way did my mom call and tell you to take me to a party.”

  “She did, I swear to God.”

  “You’re full of shit. I’m hanging up on you now.”

  “I’ll be there at nine!”

  I shook my head as I placed the receiver in the cradle. “Mom, did you call James?” I chuckled as I walked into the living room. “His dumb ass just called me and said you’d asked him to take me to a party.”

  “I did,” she said, grinning.

  Mom’s color had improved, and her coughing fits had lessened. The doctors had agreed to try another new medication that had just landed on the market, and it was helping. She was even smiling some.

  “You’ve been home every night for months. You didn’t go out after your graduation or this summer. Go. Have. Fun,” she said, shooing me away as if I were a fly.

  “Really? Are you sure?”

  “Yes, Aunt Linda and Garrett will be here tonight. All I ask is that if you drink, please have a designated driver.”

  “I won’t drink.” I leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I gotta go shower.”

  * * *

  “You’re fucking crazy!” I laughed.

  “You know all the hot chicks are out here,” James said, turning the car onto Central Avenue. Horns honked, and girls yelled as we passed each other. “You need to have some fun, get laid. I mean, how long has it been?”

  I rolled my eyes. I didn’t want to think about graduation night with Brittany. I had somehow managed to dodge her for months, and I thought she’d finally gotten the picture. We were done. Over.

  “It’s been a while, but there’s more to life than sex.”

  “Not tonight! You don’t have to be an adult or take care of your family. Have some fun.”

  “I’ll try,” I said, grinning and shaking my head at him.

  “Hey! Want to go to a party?” a girl asked, leaning out of her rolled down car window as they passed us. “Meet us at Sonic for the details!” She pointed toward the sign.

  James and I glanced at each other as my eyebrow arched in question. She was cute.

  “Go! What the hell are you waiting for?” I asked.

  James spun around and followed the car.


  A few minutes later we pulled into Sonic and parked in the space beside them.

  The guy that was driving waved in our direction as the girl hopped out and approached us. She bent forward and smiled through James’s window. “Hi, I’m Lyndsey. One of my friends is having a party, are you interested?”

  “Who and where?” James asked, smiling.

  “Her name is Joss and she graduated from Lakeside last year. You know her?”

  We shook our heads.

  “That’s okay, you know me now,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “Her mom’s there, but she supplies the alcohol, so it’s all good. You guys wanna come?”

  “Hell, yeah!” James said. “We’ll follow you there.”

  “Keep up!” she said as she ran back to her car.

  “Don’t lose us!” James yelled back. “Shit’s looking good, dude,” James said with a wide smile.

  Ten minutes later, we pulled up to a small white house. The driveway was bumper to bumper cars, and even more were lined up alongside the narrow road. We parked and got out.

  “This is Boomer and Joshua,” Lyndsay said as we walked up to the door. The music was thumping so loud, I could hear it from the street.

  Lyndsey opened the front door, and Boomer and Joshua let out a loud whoop. James and I laughed as we followed.

  The party was shoulder to shoulder with people already. The floors and tables were littered with tipped over red cups and empty beer bottles. Pressed against the wall was a couple grinding against each other. Some girl ran past us, covering her mouth. I suspected the alcohol she’d drank earlier was about to make another appearance.

  “Let’s get something to drink,” James said, motioning toward the kitchen.

  “I’m not drinking tonight, but go ahead. I’ll drive us home.”

  “You sure?”

  “Absolutely.”

  I made my way to a corner of the room and waited for him to return.

  “You don’t have to leave every time they call,” a girl said.

  I glanced in her direction. Everything around me stood still as my attention landed on the most beautiful blonde with green eyes.

  “It’s not that easy,” the other one replied. Her face filled with disappointment.

  I kept my eyes on the blonde as she and her friend moved toward me. As soon as I realized she was headed for the front door, my hand shot out and gently touched her arm.

  She turned, wide-eyed. My heart stopped.

  “Yeah?” she asked.

  “You leaving?”

  “Family emergency.”

  “Shit, I was hoping to talk to you,” I said, running my hand through my hair. I was thankful it had grown back out.

  A shy smile spread across her face.

  “What’s your name?” I asked.

  “Lacey. Yours?”

  “Walker.”

  “Walker, I really have to go. Sorry.”

  “Wait.” I hurriedly scanned the table next to me and grabbed a pen and piece of paper. I scribbled my phone number down for her. “Call me. Please.”

  She glanced at the paper and then back to me, her cheeks turning red. “Thanks.”

  I couldn’t move as I watched her walk out the door. I just prayed she wasn’t walking out of my life.

  * * *

  I smiled and nodded as Tammy, Lacey’s friend, told another joke. But for the life of me, I couldn’t repeat anything she’d just said. I wasn’t sure what in the hell had happened to me in those few minutes I’d spent with Lacey, but I had to find out more about her.

  An hour later, I’d talked Tammy into giving me her phone number. A pang of guilt nudged me as I thanked her. I wasn’t trying to be an asshole, but I had a single-minded mission. Lacey.

  I glanced at the clock on the living room wall and scanned the crowded room before I snuck out. There had to be another phone somewhere that offered some privacy. I poked my head into a bedroom and grinned. As I slipped through the door and closed it, I took Lacey’s number out of my pocket, dialed it, and called her. For some crazy reason, I needed to see if she was okay.

  After my brief encounter with whoever answered, I sighed and replaced the receiver in the cradle. From the tone of her voice, not only was she irritated that I’d called, but she wouldn’t let me talk to Lacey. My guess was that it was her mother. I’d have to find out if she worked somewhere.

  James and I stayed at the party for another half hour while I chatted with Tammy some more. I felt bad for using her to gather information about her friend, but she didn’t seem to mind.

  James talked ninety miles an hour while I drove him home. At least he wasn’t an obnoxious drunk. My focus shifted toward him as he pulled the wadded-up paper out of his pocket and a goofy smile spread across his face.

  “Five phone numbers, man. Five.”

  I laughed as he held his fingers apart and showed me what five looked like.

  I dropped James off at home and promised I’d return his car the next day. I pulled into my driveway a little after two in the morning, but I didn’t suspect I’d be able to sleep. I didn’t know what it was about Lacey, but I had a feeling my life was about to take an upturn. God knew I needed it.

  Chapter 14

  I couldn’t stop smiling after spending Sunday with Lacey. High school had seemed like such a small world until she walked into my life. One party had changed everything. My heart stuttered every time her green eyes flashed at me. Brittany had nothing on this girl, and I realized how much I had settled. Not only with Brittany’s games, but because I was afraid to be without her. Three years had been a long time, but I finally had to admit I wasn’t in love with her and let her go.

  I grabbed the laundry and tossed it into the washing machine as my mind drifted back to our day at the lake. Lacey was more amazing than I could have hoped for. Not only was she beautiful, but she was smart, shy, and genuine. I was toast. I’d already fallen for her. Hard. And I’d probably been stupid, but I’d admitted it to her already. I couldn’t wipe the silly grin off my face as I thought about our first kiss. My dick throbbed just thinking about her, but my feelings came from so much more than wanting to be with her. I could wait for sex, and I had a feeling she would be worth every painful minute of it.

  I frowned as I heard a knock at the front door. We weren’t expecting anyone.

  As I opened it, my eyes widened. “What are you doing here?” I folded my arms over my chest, leaning against the door frame.

  “Hi,” Brittany said softly. “You won’t take my calls, so I came over. I hope that’s okay.”

  I pulled the door closed and joined her outside. I shoved my hands into my pockets as I turned to face her.

  “How are you?” she asked.

  “Good, actually,” I said.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. I’m good. You?”

  “I miss you.”

  It had been four months since we had screwed in the janitor’s closet. I’d thought she’d moved on. I had.

  “Let’s sit down,” I said, motioning for her to follow me to the outdoor table. Even though it was September, the air was still warm outside. I pulled her chair out for her as I took a seat and searched her face. “Britt, we’ve been through a lot in three years. And with everything that’s happened, what’s important to me has changed. I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, but I need to be honest with you. After watching my mom fight cancer over the last nine months, I've realized that holding on to anger isn't what I want. You never know how much time we have left. I’m tired of being mad at you. What you did was inexcusable, but we have a history. I’ve forgiven you for everything, and I’m sorry for my part in it too.”

  “You do? You forgive me?” she asked as her eyes filled with tears.

  “Yeah. Brandon too, but that doesn’t mean I want to hang out with him. Do you understand?”

  She nodded.

  “I’ll always care about you. You were my first love. With that said, I’m not in love with you anymore, and your c
hoices aren’t the ones I’m interested in.”

  Her shoulders fell forward as a choked sob escaped her.

  “Come here,” I said, pulling her in for a hug. “I’ll be here if you ever need me. I consider you a friend, but no more.”

  She nodded against my shoulder as I let her cry. The smell of her shampoo tickled my nose, and I shut my eyes as I let the last piece of her go. All the pain, all the good and bad memories were just that. Memories.

  She pulled away and wiped away her tears. “I’m sorry too.”

  I nodded. “Thanks, that means a lot.”

  “Friends?” she asked, attempting a smile.

  “Friends.”

  We stood silently and hugged one last time. The breeze rustled the tree leaves as she got into her car and waved goodbye. I watched her pull out of my driveway until she was out of sight.

  I took a deep breath and peered at the clear blue sky. I wasn’t sure how we’d made it through the last several months, and it wasn’t over yet. Mom was hanging on. I had a lot of responsibility with Garrett, but at least school was over.

  I grinned as I walked back inside the house and my thoughts returned to Lacey. Her voice and soft touch sent a tingle through me. I couldn’t wait to see her again. I couldn’t wait for her to meet Mom, Garrett, and Aunt Linda.

  Maybe everything that had happened in the last year had prepared me for this, for something new, something better. Maybe this was finally the start of something good.

  Want to learn more about Lacey and her journey? Join her and Walker in the Amazon Bestseller, The Truth She Knew and continue with Echoes Beneath, and Whispers of Her. Turn the page to enjoy an eight-chapter preview of book one.

  Chapter 1

  Mama didn’t want me. In fact, she would’ve traded my soul back for someone different if God would’ve let her, but he didn’t, so she was stuck with me. She reminded me of this on a consistent basis, and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t change her mind. Finally, I had to make a choice: her or me.

  My heels clicked against the cold tile floor of the hospital and my heart fluttered as I searched the room numbers.

  I rubbed my clammy hands against my jeans as I saw the ladies’ restroom and hurried toward it. I needed a minute before I reached her room. I pushed the door open and scanned the bathroom for anyone else. It was empty.