Whirlwind Romance

by Kris Bryant

  “Call it in, call it in,” I yell to Hunter, but she’s already on the radio and her phone. We’ve been around long enough to know who to call in each region. Emergency personnel on the CB and the local news station on the phone. Hunter is better at dealing with crises and disasters than I am. When the traffic clears, Kate and I cross the road to be closer to the tornado. It’s moving away from us, dancing slowly across the field. It truly is an amazing act of nature. Seeing one never gets old.

  It’s hard to see one hit cities and towns. I always cringe when I see a barn or house full of someone’s memories explode in its path. I hope that people and animals are safe and always say a little prayer. Growing up, we were always around tornadoes. My father even had a cement bunker down in the basement underneath the front stoop.

  I watch Kate marvel at it, snapping a ton of pictures, seemingly torn between watching it and recording it. It’s so loud around us that talking is pointless. I’m careful to make sure we don’t get too far away from the car. Tornadoes have been known to suddenly switch directions and even though this rope like twister seems lazy, I’m still wary of it. Kate is mesmerized and continues to follow it. I hear Hunter whistle and wave for us. Kate won’t be able to hear me so I grab her waist. She tenses up, but I ignore it and pull us closer together so I can yell in her ear.

  “Hunter wants to follow it. Let’s go.”

  She turns to me. Our lips are about five inches apart. My legs are almost straddling her thigh because I am so close. I take a step back, giving her space. Her eyes drop to my lips, then back up to my eyes. Her pupils are dilated and her lips are slightly parted. I’m struck with the urge to lean forward and kiss her. I know that her adrenaline rush is because of the tornado, but I want it to be because my nearness affects her. We stare at each other for several moments until I reluctantly point behind us because I know Hunter is anxious to follow the tornado.

  Hunter whistles again and the spell is broken. We hurry back to her.

  “Let’s see where she goes. If this tornado becomes rain wrapped, it’s going to be harder to see and that’s not good for anybody,” Hunter shouts.

  We climb in the SUV and Hunter takes off. We drive behind it, giving it space to move freely. Within a few minutes, the twister jumps up and disappears from sight.

  “That was quick, but it sure was amazing,” Kate says. She’s leaning close to us and I can smell her hair. It’s a sweet almond scent and I bite my tongue before I accidentally moan with pleasure. I’m an olfactory person. Smells turn me on and Kate is delectable.

  “Hopefully, you will get to see a few more with us,” Hunter says. We leave the storm and check the computer, trying to track down the next one. I think we both want to impress Kate. Hunter because of scientific reasons, me for personal ones.

  Chapter Seven

  Today is one of those days where absolutely nothing is going to happen weather-wise within six hundred miles. We’re having a picnic in a small town in rural Kansas. The park is very quaint and old fashioned, but desolate. School is still in session so kids aren’t around. I let Maddox run off of the leash, but he stays close by. I think it’s because Hunter is feeding him scraps, but she swears she’s not. I’d accuse Kate, but she is writing in her book, seemingly ignoring us. We’ve been with her for four days and I still know virtually nothing about her. It’s time to drag information out of her.

  “What are you writing?” I ask.

  Kate looks at me guiltily and shakes her head. “Nothing important. Just stuff,” she says.

  I really wish she would open up to us. Not only is she lovely, but extremely mysterious. Even though most people love that quiet and secretive side, I don’t. I like talking. I want to get to know her better. I feel like I’m chasing her though. She resumes writing in her notebook and I walk over to Hunter.

  “I don’t know what else to do,” I say. My voice is low so that only Hunter can hear. “I really think she doesn’t like me. She blows me off, and every time I try to start a conversation, she is so not interested.” Hunter throws a grape at me.

  “Quit feeling sorry for yourself. Maybe you’re too easy. Or maybe you just annoy her with your incessant talking. You do talk a lot,” she says. I know she’s kidding, but there is truth to her words. I look back at Kate briefly. Whatever she is writing is personal and seems to be making her sad. She’s starting to depress me and that’s hard to do. I head for the playground. When life or a beautiful woman brings you down, find the happy place. Right now, that happens to be in the form of a chain link swing with a cracked plastic seat. Maddox follows. I don’t want to brood. We don’t get days where we can just relax so I try hard to cheer up. Maddox lies in the grass by the swings and I sit there, my face tilted up to the sun enjoying the warmth of the day.

  “Want some company?” I hear Kate ask me as she sits in the swing beside me. This is the first time we’ve been alone.

  “Sure. Maybe later we can teeter-totter. I can’t do that by myself.”

  She smiles at my joke. At least I got that from her.

  “There is something so peaceful about swinging. We weren’t allowed to go to playgrounds when I was growing up,” she says.

  “Why not?” I can’t imagine a child not being allowed on playgrounds.

  “My father always thought they were dirty and unsafe,” she says.

  “Well, that’s probably true, but they are a rite of passage.” I remember the blisters and calluses on my hands from metal monkey bars and scraped knees from rough terrain. I loved every moment. They don’t make playgrounds like that anymore. “And childhood scars make the best stories.”

  “It wasn’t proper for us to associate with kids at the playground,” she says. I remember what Hunter just told me, so I try my hardest not to pump her for more information. “And I don’t have any scars. Well, ones you can see.” Her smile is sad, so I don’t press her.

  “How many brothers and sisters do you have?” I ask. That’s probably a safe question.

  “I have a younger brother and a younger sister.”

  “Are you close to them?” I ask. The chain rustles as she clutches it tighter so I know I’m pushing my luck. I continue as if discussing family isn’t a big deal for me. “I have an older brother who torments me any chance he gets, but we’re very close. Always have been.”

  “We used to be close, but things changed,” she says. She doesn’t elaborate immediately and I don’t ask. As hard as it is for me, I decide she’ll talk to me when she is ready. “My brother is a freshman at OSU so we do hang out from time to time. But he’s busy with football and frat life and I’m busy with school.”

  “Well, they’re missing out on a great sister.”

  She smiles at me. We swing in companionable silence. Hunter walks over to us and plops on the grass next to Maddox, using his shoulder as a pillow.

  “This is a perfect day,” Hunter says. “I wish all days were like this.”

  “No, you don’t. You love the thrill of the chase too much,” I say.

  “Yeah, I do. Well, how about days like this once a week where we only veg out at parks.”

  “If I was back in Oklahoma, I would grab a book and head out to a park just like this and spread out a blanket and read all day,” Kate says. I smile at her. That sounds lovely. I can see her relaxing on a blanket, hair braided, shoes off, her mind off in a different world. Kate is the kind of woman who needs a break.

  “And you probably only get those days once in a great while, huh?” I ask.

  She nods. “I just stay busy with school.”

  “Do you have a job, too?” Hunter asks.

  “I work part-time at the public library and during the summers I intern at the university. The Meteorology Department has me working with airlines and sometimes I work with the military. Both jobs give me enough money to pay the bills,” Kate says. Hunter gives Kate a low whistle.

  “Nice. Working with the military is a hard job to land even after you get your degree,” Hunter says.
She’s clearly impressed. “You never sleep, do you?” Kate laughs. I can’t help but smile. She has a great laugh and a beautiful mouth.

  “It’s grueling, but I don’t mind the hard work,” she says. “It keeps me busy and my mind off other things.”

  “So this is like elementary school. Being out on the road with us. Hunter, we’re going to have to impress Kate. Maybe step up our game a little.”

  “Oh, no, no, no. This has been incredible. Being out in it is so much better and more exciting than anything I can study in a classroom or see on video. I’ve been in so many different weather conditions with you two in just the four days we’ve spent together. A tornado, hail storms, serious flash flooding. It’s been a dream of mine. I would never find the courage to do this on my own.” The expression on her face is genuine and I’m trying not to feel as giddy as she looks.

  “So what got you into meteorology? What do you like about it?” Hunter asks. I nod at Kate because I want to know, too. “Tristan grew up around here and her family was always into storms and her dad used to chase them back before everybody was out on the road doing this. I grew up in Arizona where there isn’t much except flash floods so weather has always been fascinating.” Hunter pauses, allowing Kate to form her thoughts and answer her question.

  “When I was a little girl, I was always scared of storms and the thunder. My dad always told us to face our fears. He would sit with me and we would watch storms approach. We would count the seconds between lightning and thunder to see how close they were. I learned that storms were good even though they could be destructive. When you are little, you don’t really pay attention to tornadoes or other weather events around the world like hurricanes and tsunamis. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I really started paying attention.” Kate really starts to open up when she’s talking about weather. Maybe that should have been my approach all along.

  “Hopefully, we can squeeze in at least one more tornado before you head back to Gage. Have you heard from him?” I ask.

  “Just a few short texts. Nothing informative,” she says. “I can’t believe that happened to Angie. Can you imagine somebody you love getting severely hurt and it’s completely out of your hands?”

  “Yeah, it’s awful. My boyfriend got into a wreck last year and busted his leg,” Hunter says. “He was all bandaged and strung up in the hospital. It was hard to see. I couldn’t help him at all.”

  I remember she was completely distraught. There wasn’t anything anybody could do for her either. She’s going to be a complete wreck when they start having kids.

  “I lost my mom when I was eleven. She was in a car wreck, too. I wish I could remember her better,” Kate says. Hunter and I are completely still. What do you say to that? My mom and I are very close. I don’t want to think about my life without her. Growing up without a mother had to be horrible for her and the rest of her family.

  “I’m sorry, Kate.” I don’t know what else to say. She waves her hand at me indicating it’s not a big deal, but I can’t imagine it not being one. “So your dad raised all of you by himself?”

  “Yes. He never remarried so we all kind of took care of each other,” she says.

  Something big must have happened for her to be estranged from them. Even my pain in the ass brother calls me at least once a week to check in and tell me how life’s going. He teases me mercilessly, but that’s his way of showing love. I couldn’t imagine my life without him either. This conversation really went downhill fast. I decide we need a new topic. Before I have a chance to think of something, my phone rings. It’s Dr. Williams from the university. I jump up and move for privacy.

  “Dr. Williams, hi. What’s going on?” I ask. I feel guilty for being on a playground instead of in the SUV.

  “Hi, Tristan. How’s it going?” he asks. I know he’s not calling to chit chat so I keep it short and sweet.

  “Not bad. We have a lot of video and data already,” I say. I’m quiet long enough to give him a chance to talk.

  “Well, I’m afraid I don’t have good news,” he says. My heart sinks. I already know what he’s going to say. “We didn’t get the government grant this time. They aren’t saying who got it yet, but the information will be released publicly in a few weeks.”

  “I’m so sorry, Dr. Williams. I should’ve tried harder or followed up with them more.” I’m struggling for ground. I made the number one mistake. I assumed we had it in the bag after receiving it the last three seasons.

  “It’s not your fault. I should’ve pushed for it harder, too,” he says. The blood drains from my face. My mind races, trying to figure out what to do next.

  “What do we do now? Is there anything else out there for us?” I ask.

  “It’s late already so I’m not sure. I’ll do some digging around.”

  “I will, too, tonight when we get to the hotel,” I say. We hang up each with a plan in mind. I turn to Hunter and she knows immediately. I walk over to her.

  “We didn’t get it.”

  “I kind of figured,” she says. “Who got it?”

  “What’s going on?” Kate asks. She looks back and forth between us.

  “We lost the government grant. The grant that lets Hunter and I and the other teams go out every season and chase. Somebody else got it,” I say.

  Hunter falls back onto the grass. “Well, this sucks. Suddenly this perfect day isn’t so perfect.” I couldn’t agree more.

  “So what happens now?” Kate asks us.

  I shrug my shoulders because I simply don’t know. “I’ll start looking around tonight and every night until I find something. I have a few contacts I can reach out to and see if they can help somehow.” It’s my responsibility to procure funds every season and I completely dropped the ball. I feel horrible for Hunter and the other teams who won’t be able to head out unless we dig up some money from somewhere.

  “I can’t work for a television station, Tris,” Hunter says. She’s dead serious. She would rather bartend than work with a news crew.

  “I know that. I’ll figure out something.” I mean it. This can’t be happening again.

  “I can’t believe this is happening again,” Hunter says. I sigh. It’s on her mind, too. “You need to find out if Julie had anything to do with this.”

  Four years ago, I trusted a woman I was dating to keep my research of available funds and grants private, but she ended up swooping in and cashing in on all of my hard work. Since then, I’ve hidden anything work related from dates, girlfriends, even some colleagues.

  “So what if she did? I can’t do anything about it. She has access to the same grants and funding options that we do. And this grant didn’t even exist four years ago so it doesn’t really matter.”

  “Who’s Julie?” Kate asks. Hunter grumbles.

  “She’s an ex who basically stole the funding right out from underneath me. I spent a year looking at available funds, private and public, did all the research, contacted the right people, and she went behind my back and took it all. It was hard to prove, but Hunter and I know what happened.” At least I know that’s not what happened this time. Hunter’s the only person I trust and this hurts her even more than it hurts me. “She acted innocent and sat in front of me and everybody who questioned her and just lied.”

  “At least Dr. Williams believed you,” Hunter says to me. “And we learned a lot about how competitive funding is.”

  “Yeah, we ended up scraping by the next season, using a lot of our own money, but I made it my mission to apply for every grant out there. I stay in contact with all of our financial supporters throughout the year and give them reports and updates. I’m sorry I’m whining, but our funding is a sore subject with us.”

  Kate nods in understanding. “I’m sorry you didn’t get your grant. I’m learning just how competitive it is out in the field. You think your university is going to give you money to do what you want, but then you find out you have to go out there and get it yourself.”

  “Wel
l, that just means I’ll have to start from scratch and try to hit some of my old contacts,” I say. I notice Hunter’s shoulders slump. This is bad. I can’t let her or the university down. My reputation is on the line.

  Chapter Eight

  Hunter put us in the best possible spot for this storm. A rural country road tucked between rows of corn and dilapidated sheds. A few cows dot the fields off in the distance. We could have been transported back one hundred years. There isn’t a trace of modern life except for the telephone lines that flank the two lane highway. We pull over on the shoulder and set up video cameras. Hunter is in and out of the SUV constantly checking the pressures, wind speed, and Doppler. I can feel the energy surround us. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck are standing straight up. This is it. Kate crawls out of the back seat with her camera in hand, ready for action. I grin and point to where the clouds are beginning to swirl up above. It is very still. Too quiet. Birds aren’t singing, the wind isn’t blowing yet. It’s the perfect recipe for a tornado. I hold my breath and wait. I’m afraid that if I say anything, it will all disappear. I’ve been disappointed too many times. Tornadoes don’t always drop out of the wall clouds when you want them to. Today feels different. I think Mother Nature is going to deliver me one hell of a birthday gift. Of course, Hunter gets a ton of credit for getting us here, too.

  “Isn’t this exciting?” I turn to find Kate standing beside me. She mirrors my grin and we wait. “I’ve been with you for a week and I have a feeling I’m going to see another tornado on this trip.”

  We stand silently next to each other. I can see the goose bumps on her arm as she rubs her hand up and down for warmth. The sudden wind has dropped the temperature and the sun has disappeared behind the fast moving clouds. I reach out and rub her arm, too, and she smiles at me.

  “This is why I come out here every season,” I say, smiling back at her. I don’t move my hand and she doesn’t step away from my touch.

  “Something is happening,” Hunter says. Sure enough, the winds pick up, the cloud starts spinning, and the vortex dips down. I start taking photos. We see dust kicking up from the middle of the budding cornfield and Hunter and I start whooping. In a matter of seconds a thin, rope like tornado fills in the gap between heaven and earth. Kate moves closer, her finger a steady pressure on the shutter button of her fancy digital camera. We watch in awe as it thickens with dirt and debris. My ears pop and the familiar whooshing sound of a loud engine fills the air. Hunters calls it in. We watch the tornado grow. Even though it is headed away from us, we know better than to assume we are safe from it.