Page 123 of Hometown Girl

Beth’s car still sat in the driveway, the same place it had been when he’d left earlier that day. Maybe she’d taken cover in the cellar? Drew pulled his truck alongside Beth’s Audi and killed the engine. He pulled his hat down lower and turned to Roxie.

“Ready, girl?”

As he opened the door, the rain, which now came down diagonally, instantly drenched him on one side. He hurried the dog out of the truck, slammed the door and ran toward the farmhouse, the wind whipping torrents of rain against his face and body.

He raced to the porch and pushed open the front door, slamming it closed behind him. He ordered Roxie to stay in the entryway—no sense in both of them drenching the place.

Inside, the house stood quiet.

“Beth?”

No answer.

“Stay here,” Drew said to Roxie as he started checking every room of the house, calling Beth’s name in each one. In the master bedroom, he tried not to replay the conversation they’d had earlier that day.

He’d hurt her—and then he’d left, like the coward he was.

When will you ever do the hard thing?

He opened the door of the hidden room, just to be sure. Beth’s phone sat on the table, displaying several missed calls. He took it, then checked the dusty old basement in the hope that she’d been smart and taken cover.

There was no sign of her. Panic settled in his heart. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Beth.

Drew called Roxie into the kitchen, where she turned in circles, her wet fur dripping on the linoleum floor.

“Where is she, girl?”

He rushed outside and scanned the yard. A quick pass through the main barn told him it was secure, but that pile of rotted wood behind it was still a huge concern. He couldn’t stand the thought that the mess he’d left behind could damage the buildings they’d worked so hard to restore.

He raced back behind the main barn, but Beth was nowhere to be seen.

“Come on, Beth, where are you?” He tapped his hand on his thigh, staring out across the yard. She had to be out there somewhere.

He hurried on into a clearing at the back of the property. The little chapel came into view. If she was upset, it made sense she’d go there. To get some perspective. Maybe to pray. He ran toward the church as the wind whipped through the trees, and the rain seemed to fall from every direction. He kept his head down and followed the sound of Roxie’s barking. Thunder and lightning erupted overhead, and he could think only about the muffled voices on the police scanner.

What if a tornado whipped through Fairwind? It could take the entire farm all at once. And if Beth wasn’t prepared for it—it could kill her.

He had to find her. He had to keep her safe.

Roxie reached the chapel before Drew. She stood outside the door and barked. Beth had to be inside. He reached the door just as hail started pelting the rooftop. On the ground, golf-ball-sized bits of ice bounced into the grass. Drew pulled open the door, fighting against the force of the wind. He motioned to Roxie to go inside, though he knew the chapel was hardly a safe place to weather a storm this powerful.

The door slammed open for the second time since Beth had taken cover underneath a pew at the front of the little chapel. She’d left her phone back in the house, but she’d lived in Illinois long enough to know this was no ordinary storm.

Twice, she’d almost made a run for it, but the thunder, lightning and wind forced her to stay put.

Outside, another crash vibrated the floor. What had started as a calm retreat from the day had turned into a white-knuckled hideout, reminding her of all the times she and Molly had hidden under their covers with flashlights, waiting for storms to blow over.

“Beth?”

Drew’s voice cut through the silence. She crawled out from under the pew and met his eyes. He stood in the doorway, rainwater pooling beneath him, his face, arms and hair wet.

“What are you doing here?” She stood.

His breaths came quick. He’d been running. “There was a tornado on the other side of town.”

“Is anyone hurt?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Are you okay?” He moved toward her, holding up her phone. “I’ve been trying to call you.”

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