Blown Away (17 page)

It was dark when I woke up with Drew's warm body nestled against mine. I could tell from the daze I was in that we'd been asleep a long time.

I tried to slide out of bed quietly, but she reached for me as soon as my feet hit the floor. Her sleepy mumble was unintelligible.

“Just getting a drink and going to the bathroom,” I said, leaning over to kiss her forehead.

“Will you bring me some water?”

“Yeah.”

“Aiden,” she said softly. My heart stirred from the smile in her tone.

“Hmm?” I sat down on the edge of the bed and she took my big hand in her two small ones.

“Thanks for washing my hair. You've got great technique.”

My cock responded to her fingertips stroking my knuckles. I tamped down my desire, knowing she wasn't in any shape for sex right now.

“Anytime,” I said. “That offer applies to the rest of you, too.”

An ambulance had taken us to the hospital, where X-rays had shown that Drew's ankle wasn't broken. It was a bad sprain, though, and her foot was immobilized in a boot now.

The hospital trip had taken a few hours, and when we'd gotten back she'd wanted a shower so I'd carried her into the women's showers and Millie had stood guard outside the door. I'd washed her gently while her boot was propped on a chair.

I'd tell her later, when she was well rested, that it had been the most sensual experience of my life. I'd stripped down and gotten into the shower with her, washing the bits of leaves and sticks from her hair and cleansing the dirt from her soft skin with my soapy hands.

She'd put a hand on my chest as I washed her hair, her eyes warm and sleepy. I'd never had such a sense of another person surrendering to me so completely.

“I want to wash you back,” she'd murmured, running her fingers over my wet chest.

“Next time, baby. You're exhausted and about to pass out from that medicine they gave you. I promise we'll have many more showers together.”

“Mmm.” She'd smiled widely at that. I'd thought about the huge walk-in shower I was tiling in the master bath of the cabin. Never had I considered using it until right now.

After I'd washed and dried Drew and done a cursory scrub of myself, I'd dressed her, taking time to kiss her exposed skin before I covered it. I loved the way her eyes had roamed my naked body, even though she didn't have any energy to follow through. I'd thrown my own clothes on and brushed her hair, imagining what my Army buddies would say if they could see me.

They'd say I'd fallen hard for Drew, though they'd be obnoxious dicks about it. And despite their coarseness, they'd be right.

“I think that was longer than strictly necessary,” Millie had snapped as I carried Drew out of the bathroom.

“You were looking in the window, you perv?” I said gruffly.

Her cheeks reddened. “No!”

“How the hell do you know how long I am, then?” I'd challenged, keeping a serious expression for a few seconds.

Millie's mouth had dropped open in horror as she shook her head. When I cracked a smile, she realized she'd been had by a very rare joke from me.

Back in the camper, Drew let go of my hand and I went to the bathroom and got two bottles of water from the fridge. When I got back to the tiny bedroom, she was hobbling through the doorway to go to the bathroom herself.

“Let me help,” I said, tossing the bottles on the bed.

“No, I can do it. I have to wear this boot for a while, I've got to learn to get around in it.”

She went into the bathroom and I picked up my cellphone from a shelf beside the bed. It was midnight. We'd slept almost twelve hours.

Drew came back in, sat down on the edge of the bed and swung her booted foot up.

“Pretty sexy, right?” she cracked.

“You're always sexy,” I said, propping myself up on my elbow. As soon as her head hit the pillow, I leaned down and kissed her.

“We're all rested and it's the middle of the night,” she said against my lips. “How can we pass the time?”

I groaned lightly. “I don't know if you're up for sex yet, babe.”

“I'm definitely up for it.” She reached between my legs and stroked me. “Are
you
up for it?”

Careful not to touch her injured ankle, I moved on top of her and kissed her neck. “I'm always up for you. Always. Night or day, awake or asleep.”

I felt a moan vibrating in her throat as I kissed it. She wrapped her arms around my back and worked my shirt up and off over my head.

I undressed myself the rest of the way and then took her clothes off, too. When I moved on top of her and eased myself inside her, I made love to the dream woman who was now my reality. Before, I hadn't understood what making love even was. But I knew it now. It was about what I felt inside feeling even better than the physical sensations.

She overwhelmed me in the best possible way. And even though her past wasn't mine, her present was and her future sure as hell would be, too.

Later that day, I gave Murph, Tex, and Millie a sheepish smile when I arrived at our morning meeting.

“You guys, I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused with getting lost. I know you guys looked for me through the night, and that means a lot to me. It'll be a long time before I pee in the woods again.”

“Drew, we're just glad you're okay,” Murph said, pushing up his glasses.

Millie launched herself at me and hugged me tight. “All that matters is that you're safe,” she said.

Tex gave me a lopsided grin. “One of the paramedics was a hot blonde and I got her number, so you actually did me a favor.”

I laughed as Aiden joined us, his hair still damp from the shower. He put a hand on my lower back.

“I got stung by a bee one year, you guys remember that?” Murph said. “My first year leading my own team.”

“Millie wasn't with us that year, but me and Tex were,” Aiden said, shaking his head. “Your face swelled up like a balloon.”

“I thought you were gonna croak,” Tex said. “We all sat in that emergency room in Missouri and talked about how shitty it would be if you did. That guy Morgan who only came with us that first year said we should throw your ashes into a tornado.”

Murph gave Tex a horrified look. “Uh, no. If I die chasing, please don't do that.”

“See, you're not the only one who got the whole team worried about you, Drew,” Tex said. “One year I took a dump in the woods and wiped with some leaves, and—”

Aiden and Murph were already laughing.

“It's not funny, you assholes,” Tex said, lowering his eyebrows. “I had poison ivy on my bunghole and balls. It itched like a mother.”

“You didn't hold back about scratching it,” Murph said.

“I wouldn't wish that shit on my worst enemy.” Tex shook his head, looking harrowed by the memory.

Murph cleared his throat and started our meeting. “There's nothing worth chasing today, guys. We'll just hang around here. I've still got my sights on a big one for tomorrow.”

We talked a little more about the cell Murph was tracking, and Aiden and I were about to go back into the camper when Dot walked up to us, carrying a foil-covered casserole dish.

“Thank heavens,” she said, handing Aiden the dish and squeezing me to her in a hug. “I was worried sick when I heard you were missing. Is your foot broken?”

We both looked down at my boot.

“No, just a sprained ankle,” I said.

“Well you take it easy and get better.”

“It's okay for me to walk around as long as I've got the boot on. The doctor said so.”

She gave me a skeptical look. “Rest, Drew, and let G.I. Joe wait on you.”

Aiden grinned at her and reached out a hand, still holding her dish in his other one.

“G.I. Joe,” he said. “Nice to meet you, Dot.”

“You, too. You're taking good care of her, right?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Dot arched her brows and gave me a look. “I'd sprain my ankle any day if he'd take care of me.”

“It's not too bad,” I said, slipping an arm around Aiden's back.

“I made you a macaroni casserole. You need comfort food. You eat that up and rest today, sweetie.”

“Thanks, Dot. That was so sweet of you.”

“Herb and I are only here for a few more days. Will you two come by for dinner before we leave?”

“We'd love to.”

She sighed. “Best let you get back to…resting.”

My cheeks warmed.

“As long as you're on your back and off that foot, it counts as rest,” she said, winking at us as she left.

“Smart lady right there,” Aiden said, his eyes dancing as he looked down at me. “Let's get you inside and on your back.”

“I'll definitely need you to help me into the truck,” I said to Aiden as I poured two cups of coffee.

His brows shot up in alarm. “What are you talking about?”

“How I can't get into the truck with this boot since the seat's so high up.”

“You can't go storm chasing with a sprained ankle, Drew. You need to be here resting it.”

I crossed my arms and met his eyes. “What's more restful than sitting in a truck for hours on end?”

“Yeah, but when we get there…” He reached for his coffee and took a sip.

“I'll be careful.”

His expression was stern. “Can't be more careful than being here in bed. I've got movies here.”

“I'm not missing this. The storm sounds epic and we're close to the end of this trip.”

He wrapped a hand around the back of his neck. “Drew…I just spent twelve hours searching for you,
terrified
about what I'd find when I got to you. That aged me about a decade. I'd feel the same way about you chasing storms with a busted-up ankle.”

“I can't get far from the truck. Aiden, I can't even get out of the truck without your help. Leave me in there if you want. Unless you need my help.”

“Look at you.” His eyes widened. “How can you help chase storms like this?”

“I can still be helpful. I can watch the radar or take video from the truck window.”

“Do you want me to stay here with you?”

“No! I want you to go take a shower so we can make the meeting on time.”

He shook his head. “You're exasperating, woman.”

“Back at ya. I'm not a helpless child, Aiden.”

“I'm with you on the child part, but you are pretty helpless at this point.”

Now his arms were crossed, too. It felt like a standoff.

“I managed our sex marathon yesterday,” I said. “So I'm not completely helpless.”

He scrunched his face in reluctant agreement. “Yeah, I'll give you that. But fucking isn't facing danger you might need to run from at the drop of a hat.”

I wanted to step closer to him, but dragging my left leg behind me wouldn't help my case. Instead I licked my lips and smiled.

“I thought my life might be in danger when you did that thing with your mouth and your fingers at the same time. I came so hard I thought I was about to pass out.”

“Don't try to charm me by mentioning my sexual prowess. I know how hard you came.”

I glared at him. “Look, I'm coming with you. I'll stay in the truck. How much more reasonable can I be?”

He blew out a breath. “All right.”

“Was that our first official argument as a couple?” I asked, grinning. “I think it went well.”

Aiden rolled his eyes. “I bet you do. Now let's go have makeup sex.”

I glanced at the clock on the microwave. “We're due at the meeting in five minutes.”

“Damn.”

“Later,” I promised. “We'll have so many nights together, Aiden. When you get back from your work trip, I mean.”

He approached me and wrapped his hands around my waist. The sparkle of affection in his eyes warmed me all over.

“I moved some dates around so I won't be gone for three months straight. And I was thinking…if you want to…you might want to come with me for a couple of 'em. One's on an island in Florida.”

“I'd love to. Anywhere I went with you would be amazing.”

“You ever been to Florida?”

My cheeks warmed. “I've never been anywhere. Just Illinois and…whatever states we've been to on this trip.”

“Oh, Drew.” Aiden kissed me softly. “We're taking a vacation together. Someplace tropical. I'm thinking a hut on the beach.”

“I'm thinking that sounds expensive. We could just take the camper somewhere.”

“Didn't I tell you money's not an issue? My dad's investment guy has done great stuff with the insurance money, and there was a lot.”

I put my hands on his biceps, loving the big, solid feel of them beneath my fingertips.

“All I want is to be with you,” I said.

“And all I want is to be with you and share everything I have with you. I've never been able to touch that money because it's been painful. But I know my parents would love for us to explore the world with it.”

My throat burned from the emotion in his voice. It wasn't because of me that he finally believed in something more, but because of
us
. And I felt the same way.

He cleared his throat. “Well, there went that five minutes. We've gotta go.”

I kissed him again. There wasn't much of this trip left, and I wanted to savor every minute. This trip had brought us together. I knew memories from these weeks would be with me forever, but I still hoped to make a few more.

My stomach was in knots from the radio chatter from spotters and chasers about the storm we were approaching in Iowa. Aiden never turned on the radio in his truck when we were chasing. He hadn't said anything when he'd switched it on, but I'd heard him loud and clear.

This storm was shaping up to be even bigger than first projected. I didn't understand all the terminology in the radio chatter, but the clipped tones conveyed a sense of worry.

Weather forecasters were urging everyone in the path of the storm to take cover. Aiden's expression was sober, making me wonder if this brought back memories of the devastating storm that had taken his family.

“How close are we?” I asked, looking out at the darkened sky.

“Close. Less than an hour away.”

I checked the phones to make sure they were fully charged and then returned to looking out the window. Watching the developing storm seemed like something. I really was helpless in this boot. But against a storm like the one the other chasers were talking about on the radio, everyone was helpless.

“I hope people are taking cover,” I murmured.

“This is Tornado Alley, so they will. It's the ones that happen in weird places that are scary. People don't take the warnings seriously.”

“This feels different than the ones we've chased in the middle of nowhere.”

Aiden's jaw was set in a tense line. “It is.”

A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke again. “You know the toolboxes in back of my truck?”

“Yeah, why?”

“They're not locked, and there are rescue supplies and first-aid kits back there. There's a gun in the bottom of one, but don't freak out if you see it because it's not loaded.”

I furrowed my brow. “Why are you telling me this, Aiden?”

“Just in case.”

“You're careful,” I said, taking his hand and squeezing it. “And I'm staying in the truck. We'll be okay.”

“
We
will, yeah. It's other people I'm thinking about. Amateurs go out to sightsee during storms like this and it's dangerous. I'm not shooting the probe launcher today. I'm gonna let Murph worry about the chasing.”

I wanted to say something reassuring, but that was impossible. Aiden's pensive mood was caused by something no one could control.

The radio chatter was the only sound in the truck for the rest of the trip. A small tornado touched down nearby, taking out a grain-processing plant. High winds took out power lines and did some other damage. Aiden's lips were pressed into a thin line as he listened to all of it.

When we pulled in behind the Funnel Finder and got out to meet up with the others beside a field, their mood was the same. Everyone was all business today.

Aiden gave Murph a look of caution. “Careful out there, okay? Lives are more important than research.”

“I know. You ready to move?”

Aiden nodded and we all got back in our vehicles.

The sky was an inky shade now, darker than I'd ever seen it. My stomach churned anxiously.

“…en route to a dairy farm that sustained damage,” a voice said over the radio.

“We just clocked wind speeds over forty,” another one announced.

We drove on, and within a few minutes the wind speed kicked way up. Trees were bowing over from the sheer force of it. I gripped the truck's armrest and watched, my heart racing.

The radio chatter grew frantic. I wasn't following it, but I watched Aiden's expression. It was grim. The people on the radio kept saying the word “Adelia.”

“What's Adelia?” I whispered.

“A town about fifteen miles from here. A tornado just hit there.” Our eyes met for a second and I saw grave concern swirling in his. “Tell Murph over the walkie-talkie that we're going there.”

I did, and Murph said he'd lead the way. The voices on the radio were still reporting high wind speeds and uprooted trees.

“What about the town?” I asked. “Why isn't anyone saying anything about that?”

“No one's there yet. Chasers are usually the first ones on the scene.”

Aiden accelerated and passed Murph. The closer we got to Adelia, the more horrifying the scene outside became. Fences had been torn down and large trees lay on the ground, their roots ripped from the soil.

But that was nothing compared to what we saw when we pulled into the small town. I covered my mouth with my hand as I surveyed the damage. There were people standing in the street crying and hugging. Others were running around frantically.

It wasn't just trees and branches all over the ground, but shredded siding, bricks, wood, shingles, cars, and toys. We saw a stove sitting on its side in a yard when Aiden parked the car because he couldn't drive farther past the debris.

“I'm leaving the keys in it,” he said, turning to me. “If it starts to look bad outside, you go. Got it? Whether I'm here or not, you drive back out of town.”

“But—”

“Another tornado could come through any second. This isn't a safe place to be right now, Drew. You should've stayed at camp.” He reached into the backseat and grabbed the backpack he'd worn when he rescued me the other day.

I turned toward the sound of mournful wailing. A sobbing man held his dog's lifeless body in his arms.

“I'm helping,” I said, opening the door and working my booted foot onto the ground.

“Damn it, Drew,” Aiden said, coming around to my side of the truck. “You can't move around with that boot on. Get back in the truck.”

“Watch me. I'll stay close by the truck, I promise. But I won't sit here when people need help.” The sound of a woman screaming for help made goosebumps break out on my arms. “Now go.”

Murph pulled in behind Aiden's car just as Aiden nodded and left. Tex caught up to him and Murph and Millie approached me.

“Jesus,” Murph said softly.

“There are first-aid supplies in the back of the truck,” I said. “Let's get to work.”

“What should we do?” Millie said, wide-eyed. “I don't even know first aid.”

I talked as I went to the back of the truck and opened the toolboxes. “We're the only ones here. People could be trapped or hurt. Just get out there and you'll know what to do.”

We set out together but soon split up. Millie stopped to comfort the man holding the dog and Murph helped move debris from in front of a garage where a family was trapped.

“Help us, someone!” a voice called from nearby.

I clutched the first-aid kit tightly, locked my knee, and swung my leg, limping quickly.

“Where are you?” I called out. “I can help.”

“Over here!” the man yelled back.

I followed the voice to a boat, which was lying overturned in the front yard of a house. A man was huddled over a woman there. He moved, revealing blood streaking down her face from a gash in her forehead.

Oh, God. I'm in way over my head.

Both the man and the woman were crying.

“The kids, Rich, the kids,” she said frantically.

He looked at me. “Our kids were at a neighbor's house. I need to go look for them but I don't want to leave her. Can you—”

“Yes,” I said, sitting down in front of the woman. “I'll take care of her. You go.”

He took off in a sprint.

“My babies,” the woman sobbed, covering her face with her hands.

“Shh. It's okay.” I eased her bloody hands down from her face. “Be calm. It's okay. I'm going to clean this and bandage it, okay?”

She nodded numbly. I used an alcohol wipe to clean my hands, put on the rubber gloves from the kit, and poured the wash over the deep gash near her scalp. I had no idea how to bandage it in such an awkward spot, so I wound a roll of absorbent gauze around her like a headband. I tucked the end of it at her hairline behind her ear and moved on to wiping off her face and rinsing her hands.

“Why did I let them stay at the Colsons'?” the woman asked me in a pleading tone. “What was I thinking?”

“There you go,” I said, clearing the last of the blood from her face.

The sound of sirens approaching reassured me. Help was on the way.

“You hear that?” I said. “Lots of help will be here soon. Lots of people to help find your kids.”

She sniffled and I squeezed her shoulder.

“Drew!”

My heart thudded at the sound of Aiden yelling my name.

“I have to go,” I said to the woman. “Be strong.”

She reached for my hand. “Stay with me. Please.”

“I can't, I'm sorry. Other people need help.”

I packed up my supplies and headed toward Aiden's voice. Now that I had a reason to hurry, I found out I could actually haul ass in the boot. I was breathless when I got back to the truck, where Aiden stood holding a limp little girl.

“She's alive,” he said. “But unconscious. A whole family is trapped and I got to her first. Take care of her until the medics get here.”

“I will.”

He set her in the grass beside me and took off running again. I lowered myself to the ground, which was awkward with the boot, and held the girl's hand.