Page 37 of Lasso Lovebirds

“Damn right I do.”

Everyone burst out laughing again, and the conversations settled into overlapping topics. The picnic, the horses, Noodles and Dennis’ unlikely friendship, the strange lack of storms since I arrived on the ranch.

“Do you think we’ll have more tornadoes?” Wylie asked me.

I nodded. “We’re still in storm season for a bit. I’m sure a storm will brew up sometime soon.”

“And will you go tornado hunting?” Winnie asked.

I nodded again. “Yep. That’s the whole reason I’m out here right now. I’ve been keeping an eye on radar so when it does come up, I’ll go chasing.”

“Alone?” Boone asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “It’ll be okay. I used to have an assistant, but we had a falling out a few weeks ago. But when I first started, it was just me and the trusty van.”

“What made you start storm chasing?” Billie asked curiously.

A slow breath left me. “Well, growing up, I lived in a small town that was torn apart by one. The community never truly recovered, honestly. It was a small, forgotten town that was leveled. We were lucky to have survived.”

I could still remember the wind. Like a freight train barreling down on what little we owned, taking everything with it. Still to this day, I’d wake up from a nightmare of those moments as a child where I’d been certain I wouldn’t see the sun again. I’d never forget my mom holding onto me, praying that we’d make it.

We did. We were lucky. There were many families in that town who didn’t.

“I’m sorry,” Beau murmured. “That sounds horrifying.”

“It was,” I said simply. “But that horrible situation made me wonder why we’re not able to prevent the destruction. We have tornado sirens and warnings now, but we didn’t get any sort of heads up when it happened. One minute I was playing in the yard, and the next, the sky was swirling green and it sounded like the world was being ripped apart. Since then, I’ve always wanted to help people. Whatever I can do to contribute to our understanding of how they work means I’m helping families, towns, and communities avoid unimaginable devastation.”

Everyone nodded solemnly, and Pris gave my thigh a squeeze.

“I think it’s amazing,” she said. “And next time there’s a storm, I’ll go with you.”

Beau gave my thigh a squeeze. “Me too.”

I raised a brow. “I guess I have room for two.”

“Good,” Pris said, letting out a soft laugh.

She’d been right about Beau, of course. That he’d want to join us if the chance arose.

“It can be dangerous though, right?” Boone asked.

“It can be,” I admitted. “I have a good sense, though.”

There’d been a lot of close calls over the years, but somehow I’d always managed to escape. It was as if my instincts took over and I was able to pull out of the way, or into a spot that the worst of the tornado would miss.

“Besides, I’m really just there to take pictures and to gather data. Then I send all that information to a group of scientists, and they take it from there. Can’t say it pays a lot, but it’s work I feel good about.”

“You should live here,” Benny said lightly. “You’ll see all the storms in Oklahoma, and then when it’s not the season for it, you could work with Pris.”

My eyes widened. I opened my mouth to say that I’d like that, but Pris cleared her throat. “I’m sure they’ll be ready to be done with us by then.”

That wasn’t true. I looked over at her as a moment of awkwardness passed, but Boone filled it quickly.

“Well, I’ve got some chocolate cake for everyone,” he announced. “Someone help me bring all the things out.”

“I’ll help,” Wylie said, jumping up before anyone else could.

I leaned back in my chair as everyone started to chat amongst themselves again. I looked over at Pris again, but she wouldn’t look at me.

---