The Cowboy's Homecoming (4 page)

“I brought you something.” She reached into the box and handed him her mother's Bible. She had no idea why she wasn't keeping it for herself.

He needed it more? Maybe because she hoped something in there would stop him. He wasn't going to listen to her or anyone else.

Maybe he would listen to her mom. Her heart trembled a little, afraid of his reaction, afraid of her own reaction. He took the Bible from her hands.

“Beth, this isn't fair.”

“It was my mother's.”

“I can't take this.”

“She would want you to have it. I think she would want you to know what she thought of you.” Her hands trembled as she reached, flipping the pages of the book in his hands. “There are prayers in here, for Jason and me. Also for you and Elise.”

He let out a shaky breath and she waited. He didn't react. After a few minutes he stood and walked away, still holding her mother's Bible. She considered going after him, trying to talk to him.

Her feet wouldn't move in that direction. Besides, she knew when to let a man be. This was one of those times. He walked across the church lawn, head down, the Bible in his hands. He climbed the steps and walked into the church, closing the door behind him. It didn't take a genius to know he didn't want to talk.

Guilt flooded her. For years Chance had used God's word to beat her into submission. She didn't want to do that to Jeremy. She considered going after him and apologizing.

She watched the door, waiting for him to come back out. The wind picked up. The southern sky was dark. She shivered a little and watched as clouds moved. A band of gray on the horizon meant rain and it was getting wider. Before long she'd have to hightail it for home.

A truck rumbled down the road and pulled into the crumbling parking lot that hadn't seen this much traffic in years. Jason's truck.

Her brother parked and got out. He walked toward her, his smile familiar. The one person to hold her life together, her brother. He'd always been there for her. He'd done his best to make her smile during their mother's illness and after they'd lost her. He'd been the one sending money to California as her marriage fell apart.

“What are you doing here?” He looked from the church to her and then at the darkening sky. “Did you
know there's a tornado watch and a severe thunderstorm warning?”

“I heard on the news earlier that we could have storms today. It's May in Oklahoma, what's new? What are you doing here?”

He sat down next to her. “Same as you. I thought I could talk him out of it. Or maybe offer him enough money that he'd walk away.”

“He doesn't need money.”

“No, I guess he doesn't.”

“He needs closure.” She bit down on her bottom lip, letting that thought settle in. “He's a lot like dad. They both blame this church for their pain. Dad kept us away. Jeremy wants to tear the church down.”

“Interesting.” Jason crossed his left leg over his right knee and relaxed, as if it was just a pretty summer day and they were sharing iced tea on the front porch. Instead they were both casting cautious glances toward the southern horizon. “Where is he?”

“Inside the church.”

“Hmm.” Jason smiled, the way Jason did. He'd always been the one finding ways to make everyone laugh, to make them smile when they didn't feel like smiling. When he'd stopped smiling, God had sent Alyson and she'd helped him find his joy again.

He'd learned that he didn't always have to be the one lifting everyone else up. Beth loved her sister-in-law for doing that for him.

Sometimes she was jealous, that everyone seemed to be able to find someone to love them, to keep them safe. Her memories of a relationship were of abuse and fear, not safety or security. She had memories that no one would understand, so she didn't share.

“Beth, be careful.”

“It's a storm, Jason. I've been through a few.”

He shook his head and his smile faltered. “That isn't what I mean and I'm pretty sure you know that. Jeremy has a lot going on in his life.”

“Right, and I'm not the best judge of character.”

“I just don't want to see you hurt.”

“I know.” She smiled, for Jason. “I won't get hurt.”

The wind picked up and in the distance jagged lightning flashed across the sky. Thunder rumbled and the humidity in the air was heavy. Jason pulled out his phone.

She glanced at the radar he'd pulled up on the screen. The big red blob was lingering over their area of the satellite map.

“Great.” She watched the darkening clouds and trees leaning and swirling with the wind. “I guess this might be a good time to pray.”

A sprinkle of rain hit her arm. Beth looked up at the sky and then at the dusty, dry ground as the raindrops hit. It had been so long since it rained that the droplets bounced and didn't soak in, not immediately.

Faith. She'd been through a drought, a long man-made drought, but faith was seeping back into her life. Her spiritual life had been a lot like hard, cracked earth, devoid of moisture. When faith started to return it was that same earth but with a trickle of water streaming through it, soaking into the dryness.

“We should probably go.” Jason stood, pushing his hat back from his face as he studied the sky. “This doesn't feel right.”

“What, you don't love that green sky?”

“Not particularly.”

She loved the rain. She loved storms. On the drive over a DJ on the radio, probably trying to be a comedian, had played the Jo Dee Messina song, “Bring on the Rain.” Beth found herself singing one line from that song, that she was not afraid.

The front door of the church opened. Jeremy stepped out on the porch. He was still carrying the Bible. Next to her, Jason made a noise and she shot him a look to silence anything he would say.

But he said it. “Is that Mom's Bible?”

“It is.”

“Dad gave you the box?”

“He did.”

“And you brought the Bible to Jeremy Hightree?” Jason's voice was tight, not really disapproving.

“I did. I just thought…”

“You might have pushed too far, Beth.”

“Maybe. But I don't think so.” She met her brother look for look. “If this doesn't work, I'm moving on to step two, and then step three.”

“I knew I shouldn't have told you about the historical society.” Jason murmured, then smiled and waved to Jeremy.

Jeremy Hightree walked down the steps of the church. He glanced at the sky, watched for a minute and headed in their direction. He looked relaxed, in jeans, boots and a deep red shirt. But casual was a facade on this cowboy.

Rain was misting down on them and the wind was picking up.

“Jeremy.” Jason held out his hand. Jeremy took it, a quick handshake and then his gaze dropped to Beth.

She waited. And wished she was tall because then he
wouldn't have to drop his gaze to meet hers. She could face him, head on, eye to eye.

He held out the Bible. “I can't keep this.”

“She cared about you.”

“I know she did, but this is something she wanted you to have.”

“We should go.” Jason shot a quick look at the sky. “Now!”

Her brother took hold of her arm and started to pull her toward the parking lot and their trucks. Her gaze shot to the southern horizon. Wind blew against them, slowing their progress and the rain hitting Beth's face stung like ice against her skin.

A slow, loud warning siren sounded in the distance and she heard Jeremy yelling at them to stop.

T
he tornado siren sounded as Jeremy watched Beth heading for her truck, Jason at her side. She turned to say something. Her words were lost in the strong gust of wind that hit, blowing leaves across the church lawn and small limbs from the few trees.

Jeremy scanned the horizon. A warning didn't necessarily mean a tornado on the ground. Sometimes a warning was just a warning.

This time, though, things were a little different. He could feel the energy, the hum of the storm, the vibration of it. The deafening roar echoed in the distance.

“We should head for the basement.” Jeremy watched the sky as he yelled, cupping his mouth to get the sound across the wind.

Jason nodded and started back, his cell phone in his hand. Jeremy guessed he was probably calling his wife. Beth stood frozen a few feet behind Jason.

“Beth, come on.”

She nodded but she didn't move. She was watching the sky, the wind blowing her hair. A gust caught her hat. She pushed it back down and held on.

Jeremy raced across the crumbling parking lot and grabbed her arm. “This is not the time to stand and watch.”

The roar increased in intensity. To the south the clouds were now tumbling and rolling, a dark mass of swirling destruction.

“Hurry.” He had hold of Beth's arm and she was fighting him, pulling away.

“I can make it home.”

“Beth, head for the church,” Jason yelled as he pushed his phone into his pocket and turned, glancing at the dark clouds and then at his sister.

Jeremy cursed under his breath and picked her up. She was light in his arms and her protests were weak. Her arms went around his neck and he didn't know if it was rain or her tears that soaked his shoulder.

“I can walk.” Beth struggled a little, and he held her tight.

“I know you can but…” He shook his head, not wanting to get stuck in the storm while she watched the clouds.

As they raced to the church, pieces of insulation fell from the sky. Jeremy ducked his head into the wind. That put his face pretty close to Beth's. And she smelled so good he decided carrying her was about the best idea he'd had in a while. Or maybe the worst.

Jason was ahead of him, jerking the door of the church open. They raced through the building to the door at the back of the sanctuary. The basement was dark. The steps were narrow.

He hadn't turned on electricity to the building. There hadn't seemed to be a reason.

Jason pulled out his cell phone and lit up the steps
with a patch of blue light. Jeremy held Beth tight and followed the other man down the steps. The basement held two classrooms and a kitchen/fellowship area that had seen better days.

“The back room,” Jeremy yelled, and he didn't have to. The deafening roar had been left behind. The basement was pretty quiet, and a whole lot eerie. Jason glanced back and nodded. The room in the corner was the smallest and safest.

“Let me down.” Beth came back to life, fighting in his arms.

“Not until we're in that room and safe. I'm not going to let you freeze up now, or have you head back upstairs to chase tornadoes.”

“I didn't freeze. I just didn't…” She shuddered in his arms. “Don't grab me again.”

“I won't. Once you're safe I'll never touch you again.”

Man, that wasn't a promise he wanted to keep. As much as he didn't want to admit it, she felt good in his arms.

He put her down in the corner of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. The windowless room cut them off from the rest of the world. Buried beneath the ground, it was nearly soundproof. Their cell phones glowed an unearthly blue.

He turned, surveying their shelter, flashing his cell phone around the darkness. He'd had Sunday school in this room as a kid. It had been painted white, to dispel the dark, windowless gloom. Posters of Jesus had hung on the walls to add color. There had been an easel with a felt board in the corner for paper cutouts of Jesus and the disciples.

Now the room was draped with spiderwebs that clung to his clothes. He brushed a strand from his face and hoped the resident hadn't remained behind.

Back then he'd been a kid who knew how to pray. Man, he didn't have a clue where that kid went. Somewhere along the way he'd started taking care of things on his own.

Lot of good that had done him.

He scanned the room looking for the flashlight he thought he'd left down here a few days earlier, when he'd been poking around in the old building, stirring up dust and memories. He'd left it in the kitchen.

“I have a flashlight out there.” He yanked the door open and ignored objections from Jason and Beth. The flashlight was on the counter next to an old avocado-green fridge. He grabbed it and raced back to the shelter of the classroom.

Jason shook his head when Jeremy walked in, flashing the light around the room. Jason had taken a seat on the edge of an old table.

“How long do we stay down here?” Beth sat on the stool in the corner of the room, shivering, her bare arms damp from the rain that pummeled them as they ran for the church. He flashed the light in her direction and she glanced away.

Jeremy pulled off the plaid shirt he wore over his T-shirt. He tossed it to her, as if it didn't matter. But it did. When she held it in her hands and smiled it mattered a lot. She slipped her arms into the shirt and pulled it around herself.

He turned away, listening, waiting. Jason stood next to him, his cell phone up to his ear. Jason bowed his
head, leaning against the wall. Jeremy put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing tight. “She's fine.”

“Of course she is.” Beth smiled, her words sunny and bright in the dark room. “She's Alyson and she's probably in the basement praying like crazy for everyone else.”

“Someone has to pray.” Jeremy looked up, listening for any signs of distress in the old church. It sounded as steady and solid as ever. He could barely hear the wind that he knew roared around them.

Or maybe the storm was done, blown over. Maybe the massive, gray funnel hadn't been a funnel. Now
that
was wishful thinking. There was only one way to find out for sure.

“I'm going up.” He opened the door.

Beth choked out a sound. He turned the flashlight in her direction. Her fingers were curled around the cuffs of his shirt and she shivered.

“I don't think you should go.” Her voice broke a little. Mascara streaked down her cheeks.

His hand was still on the doorknob.

“What do you suggest? Stay down here indefinitely?” He handed the flashlight over to Jason and pulled his cell phone back out of his pocket.

“Well, until we know for sure if it's over.” Beth wrapped her arms around herself; his shirt swallowed her. He couldn't help but think about how her scent would linger with his on his shirt.

He needed to get his business going and leave this town as soon as possible. He was starting to doubt the wisdom in building a home here, even if it was meant only to be a weekend home, a place to escape to.

“I think it's probably over.” He answered her question, smiling a little.

“It might not be.”

“Beth, it's a tornado.” Jason sighed and sounded more than a little frustrated. It took a lot to get Jason to that point. “They don't linger, they move on.”

Jeremy nearly walked away from the door, back to Beth. He considered crossing the room and taking her in his arms until she stopped shivering.

And then he considered the fact that he might be losing his mind.

He walked out and closed the door behind him and tried not to worry about what he'd find when he got upstairs. The church could be flattened. His RV could be gone. His barn and his livestock were across the street. Who knew what had happened to them as the storm moved through.

In the basement, nothing had been disturbed. The few small windows were intact. He hurried up the stairs and opened the door to the sanctuary. The church was untouched. The air around him was still. It was silent.

It was eerie as anything.

The birds that had taken up residence in the building swooped and landed on the hanging overhead lights. He no longer needed the cell phone for light so he dialed his sister's number. She had a scanner and if her phone was working she'd be able to tell him what was going on.

The cell didn't work. He opened the front door and stepped out on the porch. His RV still stood at the edge of the parking lot. The trees were still standing. Across the road his house was no longer framed. He had to stand there for a minute, take it all in.

He took a deep breath and whistled. After a few minutes he walked off the porch and looked around. He pushed his hat back and looked up, at the building that had sheltered them during the storm. And yeah, he got the irony in that.

The church was untouched. The lawn was littered with tree limbs and debris from other people's homes, barns and businesses. Not one shingle had blown off the church roof. Not one window had been cracked.

Footsteps on the floor behind him dragged his attention back to the church and the two people who had gone through this storm with him. Jason Bradshaw was punching buttons on his phone and frowning.

“No cell service,” Jeremy offered, knowing it wouldn't help Jason feel any better.

“Yeah, I have to get home and check on Alyson.”

“Right. I'll make a drive through town.”

Jason's steady look landed on his sister. Beth stood at the edge of the porch. She still wore Jeremy's shirt.

“Are you staying here or going with Jason?” Jeremy stood at the bottom of the steps looking up at her. Somehow he'd managed to sound casual. That wasn't easy when she was standing there with his shirt swallowing her petite frame. Once, a long time ago, she'd worn his jacket on a cool night. He remembered her scent had lingered on it, floral and citrus. That took him back to places he didn't want to go. Or maybe he did. That was the problem.

“I'll go with you.” She walked down the steps and stood next to Jeremy.

Jason shook his head as he shoved the useless phone back in his pocket. “Obviously the phone towers have
been hit. There could be power lines down across the roads.”

“Jason, we'll be careful.” Beth smiled at her brother.

Jeremy wasn't part of a “we.” He'd never been part of a “we.” He'd have to explain that to her. He'd managed to live a whole life on his own. But now wasn't the time for that discussion.

Instead he found himself as part of a “we.”

“We've been through a few of these storms, Jason.” Jeremy winked at Beth. “We'll be careful.”

Jason's ever-present smile faded. “She's my sister.”

“Right, I get that. I'm going to try and make it to the nursing home to check on my mom. I also want to make sure this didn't hit Grove.”

Beth smiled at him, and then a softer smile for her overprotective brother. “Jason, go check on Alyson. We'll be safe.”

Jason rubbed a hand across his forehead and grinned a little easier. “Yeah, okay, I'm cutting the apron strings, sis.”

“Good, they were getting a little tight.” She took a few steps and stopped in front of her brother. Rising to her tiptoes she kissed his cheek. “You're the best.”

“Yeah, I like to think so. I'll be back soon or meet up with the two of you later.” Jason walked across the lawn toward his truck. He stopped once and leaned to pick up an envelope in the lawn.

Typical of a storm, debris from other locations landed miles from home. Jeremy let out a sigh and surveyed the landscape that two hours earlier had been whole.

 

The church hadn't been touched. Beth smiled and started to point that out to Jeremy. Instead she let it go.
No use stating the obvious. And Jeremy had walked away. He was studying the debris in the yard.

Beth turned her attention to the property across the street. The frame of his house was gone. The barn was missing a piece of sheet metal from the roof. She shook her head and walked back to Jeremy's side.

“I'm sorry about your house.”

He shrugged and smiled. “It missed the church.”

“It would have saved you a lot of time if it hadn't.”

“Yeah, I guess it would have saved some explaining, too. People would be a lot more forgiving if it got torn down during an act of God, and not by me.”

“Maybe God is trying to tell you something.” Beth had meant to tease, but it hadn't come out that way.

“I doubt that, Beth. The church has to go. I have plans for a building. I have a guy already selling his house to move here and manage things.”

“I think you should have an alternate plan.”

“What does that mean?” He stood in front of her, tall, his eyes pinning her down.

“I'm still going to stop you.”

He grinned, slow and easy and she had a moment of serious doubt. “You're pretty sure of that, aren't you?”

She matched him with a smile of her own. “I'm very sure.”

“Let the games begin. Because as much as you don't want that church torn down, honey, I do.”

Sirens in the distance ended the dance. Jeremy walked to the edge of the church parking lot and she followed. Beth stopped next to him and closed her eyes. She let the soft words of a prayer fill her mind, a prayer for her community, for the injured if there were any, for homes and businesses lost. For strength. It had been
more years than she could count since the area was hit by a tornado.

She opened her eyes and looked up at Jeremy. He gave her an easy smile. Her heart did the two-step, obviously forgetting that they were on opposing sides.

A police car pulled into the church parking lot, a county deputy that she didn't know. They'd probably called in reserve officers to handle the situation. The car stopped behind Jeremy's truck.

“Checking to make sure everyone is okay.” The officer got out of his car. It was the normal routine after a storm like this, to go through the area making sure people weren't trapped or injured. Or worse.