Page 58 of Reckless Hearts
I peered up at the sky from just inside the Freedom Reins stables, running a hand along Willow’s neck. Clouds slid by quickly up above, varying in shades of light gray to near black further out in the distance. A thunderstorm was coming in. Abad one. The town was under a flood warning and a potential tornado watch. Tornadoes weren’t uncommon here, but I’d been hoping we’d manage to get through the heavy season without experiencing one.
The worst part for me was leaving the animals. Always had been. We couldn’t do anything for them. Just had to hope we’d see them on the other side of it.
I gave Willow another carrot. She ate it without a care in the world. As if she couldn’t hear the rolling thunder or see the sheet of rain falling just beyond the valley that moved closer to the ranch with each passing second.
At least the sky didn’t have that before-tornado green, so I held out hope this was just a nasty thunderstorm.
Everyone was gone, leaving just Claire, Beau, Emmett, and me here at the ranch. I didn’t have anywhere to ride out a tornado in my apartment, so I’d sit in Claire and Beau’s basement with them. But I couldn’t bring myself to leave Willow just yet.
Beau came trotting over, breathing hard. I leaned off Willow, turning towards him. “You get it all done?”
“Yeah,” he replied as he hopped off Daisy. He untacked her quickly. It was muscle memory for all of us at this point. “Claire’s already at the house.”
“Good.” I didn’t have it in me to ask where Emmett was. Not that it was any of my business anyway. He was a big boy and knew how to take care of himself. “I’ll be over in a sec,” I said while I walked Willow to her stall. “Just want to make sure Willow’s set.”
He eyed me over his shoulder. “Don’t take too long. Don’t wanna get caught out here when the bottom falls out.” Their house was just a quick ten-minute jog from here, so I wasn’t too worried. A little rain never killed anyone.
“Aye aye, Captain!” I smirked and gave him a salute. “I’ll be fine as long as you have snacks in that house of yours.”
He snorted. “You know as well as I do that Claire just about wiped out the whole snack aisle of the grocery store. Nearly fought some poor kid for the last bag of Kit Kats.”
“And that’s bad because…?”
Beau rolled his eyes, grinning. “One day you two will end up in a sugar coma, I swear.” He shut the door to Daisy’s stall. “You be good, old girl.” He ran a hand along her muzzle. My heart clenched, knowing sooner rather than later I’d have to leave Willow, too.
“I’ll be right behind you,” I said as he walked outside. Small raindrops sprinkled along his shoulders. He nodded once and was gone, leaving just Willow, me, and the thunder. I closed the back entrance behind him, muffling the sound of rain hitting the roof.
Dragging my feet, I checked all the stalls and gave all the horses some last-minute love and treats. My heart was in my throat by the time I reached Willow’s stall. I wrapped my arms around her neck, hugging her. “If I could take you into the basement with me, I would,” I whispered. “Don’t think Beau would like that too much.” My chuckle was weak.
The wind howled outside, the sky now a dark greenish-gray. A tornado was coming, and I was running out of time. The weight of Willow’s neck settled on my shoulder, and my chin wobbled. I pulled away, running my hands along her face. “You’d better be here when this is over,” I said, voice cracking.
She huffed, and I chose to believe it was a promise that she would be. A loud crack landed outside, light flashing bright and too close for comfort. “I gotta go, girlie.” I kissed her face and left her stall before I convinced myself I’d be okay here with her. I pulled on my raincoat, lifting the hood and tightening it around my face.
I flinched as the rain came down in a thick sheet as I slid the stable doors shut. The wind had gone from strong to roaring, loud like a jet engine. The rain was coming down so hard that I could barely see. I squinted towards Claire and Beau’s, the outline of their house faint and too far in this weather.
“Shit.” I’d taken too long with the horses.
I swallowed hard and turned toward Emmett’s house only fifteen feet away. My stomach dropped with dread. There was no way I could sit with him for hours with nothing to do but stare at each other. Maybe I could make it to Claire’s. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed barely a second later—it was close.
“Fine, I’m going!” I yelled to the wind and ran to Emmett’s house. Riding this out with him would be beyond awkward, but I didn’t have a choice anymore. He’d just have to suck it up.
I didn’t bother looking around once I got my raincoat and shoes off and went straight to the basement, bracing myself to tell Emmett he was stuck with me for however long this would go on for.
Except he wasn’t here.
“Emmett?” I walked around the entire basement, turned on all the lights. He was nowhere to be seen. I ran up the stairs, my heart in my throat. I threw open each door, darting from room to room. And each time I found it empty, I got one step closer to losing it. My hands shook as I opened the door to his parents’ old bedroom, the last one to check in the house.
Once again, empty.
“Emmett?” I yelled through the house. “This isn’t funny!” My voice cracked, knowing he would never hide during a time like this.
I ran back to the entryway, getting my phone out of the raincoat. My hands shook so badly that it took me twice as long to type the simple text to the group chat.
Me:is emmett with any of yall?
Tears floodedmy vision when a flurry of nos came back. I dropped to my knees, a broken sob tearing from me. My mind instantly went to the worst-case scenario. The phone shook against my ear after dialing his number.
“Answer the fucking phone!” I wept as it rang and rang. He’d never not answer his phone in a storm like this, even if it was me calling. I crumbled to the ground, sobbing when it went to voicemail. My hand curled around the phone when his voice, low and stern, came on the recording. “Goddamnit!” I threw my phone, pieces of it clattering against the floor.
