Winning Love (22 page)

He’d begun to dread the next big system. Thankfully, all remained quiet. He wasn’t ready for the powerless feeling of putting his faith back into trust and hope. Because once Gayle left, he would be powerless to stop anything that happened to her, and that made him feel defenseless, vulnerable. He hated that feeling.

Shaking out of his ugly thoughts, he forced himself back to the present and how she made him feel when he was with her, which was happy. Content.

One of his favorite parts of the day was curling up on the couch watching TV before they went to bed. He’d forgotten how nice it felt just to have someone sitting beside him. Someone to share the shock or laughter when something unexpected happened in the show they were watching.

Four nights ago, the idea for tonight had planted in his mind from one of their nightly couch cuddling sessions, and he just couldn’t pass it up. She’d been more than diligent in making him step outside his comfort zone since they’d met, and it was time to return the favor. And do something extra special for her.

He parked her car in front of a line of overgrown shrubs and cut the engine. She immediately went for the blindfold.

“Don’t,” he warned.

She growled at him, and he had to clamp his teeth together to keep from laughing. Man, he couldn’t wait to see her reaction. He grabbed his duffle bag from the back seat, then climbed out of the car and hurried around to the passenger side. She had already unbuckled her seatbelt. As soon as he opened the door, she thrust her hand out and said, “Get me out of here.”

Taking her fingers, he helped her out of the car, pausing a second to admire the tan legs her denim shorts showed off and the purple halter top which dipped enticingly between her breasts. Hopefully, she’d still let him touch them after this.

He guided her across the uneven pavement until they stood in front of a run-down porch with peeling gray paint. Now, where did he want to be? Definitely somewhere he could see her reaction. He stepped off to the side so he could witness every emotion but not obstruct her view.

“Okay, you can take it off now.”

“Oh, I can’t wait, handsome.” A grin curved her lips as she clapped her hands and ripped off the mask.

Mac stilled, anticipation making him almost giddy.

She blinked a couple of times, then focused on what was before her and blinked some more. The grin twisted into a confused scowl. “What the hell is this?”

Time to have some fun. He tugged a piece of paper out of his back jeans pocket and offered it to her. She eyed it suspiciously, then unfolded it. “Graymore Manor.” She studied the page a second longer and her head snapped up. The expression on her face screamed, “You bastard!”

“
Hell
. No.” She took two steps back. “What the fuck, Mac? You brought me to a
haunted house
?” She spun around and started for the car. “Screw this. I’m going home.”

“I. Dare. You,” he sing-songed after her.

She whipped around and shook a finger at him. “
Uh-uh
. That’s
Gayle’s
bag of dares, not Mac’s bag of dares. Don’t be trying to coin in on my trademark, handsome, or you’re asking for a hurting.”

“So, what? You can issue
me
all kinds of challenges, but you’re too chicken to accept one?”

“Damn straight, I’m chicken.” She whirled around and circled her finger over her head. “Take me home.”

Damn the woman. She didn’t even hesitate when she
refused
to do something. The fact she flat out refused shocked him. He’d expected a slight hesitation, but not an outright balk. He’d learned about Gayle’s absolute loathing for poltergeist movies after she’d unenthusiastically watched one with him the other night. There hadn’t been a moment she hadn’t had her hands covering her face as she peeked between her fingers, screaming like the events were actually happening to her.

But after the movie ended, he’d become even more tickled. Every creak and pop, even him clearing his throat, had made her jump. Just seeing the woman who never backed down from anything so jumpy, well, it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

“You give me ten minutes in here, and I’ll streak through the field behind your house. Naked.”

She paused, then slowly turned around. Cocking her head to the side, she narrowed her eyes on him with interest. “Make it five. And you streak in broad daylight. You will frolic through the field, skipping and dancing with your arms in the air, singing,
Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
.”

Jesus Christ. Where did she come up with this stuff, and so quickly? “You drive a hard bargain, woman.”

“That’s my offer. Take it or leave it.”

Five minutes was more than enough. “Get that fine ass in the house and let the countdown begin.”

Another scowl twisted her face as her gaze darted to the rundown shack, and she didn’t move a muscle.

“Holy shit.” He laughed. “You thought I’d back down.”

Making a frustrated
grrrr
noise, she stalked past him. “You’re spending too much time with me. It was a lot more fun when
you
were the one hemming and hawing.”

The little show of attitude filled his chest with warmth. God, he loved being around this woman. She just made life better, filled it with laughter and happiness. Even if she was pissed off to the gills right now.

As she stomped up the porch steps, he followed her. She froze at the door and he reached around her to grasp the knob, which he’d unlocked earlier after getting permission and the key from the owners, and opened it. A loud, creepy
crrrreeeak
greeted them.

Her eyes widened and she jumped back. Putting his hand to her lower back, he kept her from backing any farther away, which earned him the same eat-shit expression she’d given him the other night. “If you don’t make it the entire five minutes, our deal is off.”

Her lips pinched as her gaze skimmed over him. “I see you have a duffle bag.” She held out her hand. “I assume that means you came prepared. I want a flashlight.”

He’d come prepared all right, and thinking about the bargaining about to happen was turning him the hell on. “That’s going to cost you. No singing
Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
for me.”

The glare she sent him would’ve knocked him out cold if they’d been battling it out in the cage.

“Fine,” she said between clenched teeth.

He lowered the bag and dug into it. To have the upper hand for a change was fucking awesome. Other than the watered-down training session he’d put her through, she had steered every activity they had done together. Every one. Yeah, there was a tiny bit of guilt about the creepy-shit factor, but this was Gayle. She chased fucking tornadoes. He didn’t have much to work with.

He found his stopwatch, then handed her a flashlight. She immediately turned it on. Leaving the bag sitting by the door, he motioned her inside. “Ladies first.”

“How very gallant of you.”

He knew better than to laugh, but goddamn it, she was making it hard not to. The utter hostility in her voice was amusing as hell. As soon as she stepped over the threshold, he said, “And your five minutes starts…
now
.”

She jumped back outside and faced him. “How can I trust you will tell me when the five minutes are up?”

He dangled the stopwatch in front of her.

“I don’t trust you. Give it to me.”

Fine by him. “And the price for that is no frolicking for me.”

She sucked her teeth as a challenging spark flared in her eyes. “Oh, handsome, you have no idea what a can of worms you’ve opened.”

Actually, he did, and he couldn’t wait to find out the revenge she was dreaming up in that creative mind of hers. “That’s my price.”

Her hand shot out. Even her fingers motioning for him to hand the stopwatch over screamed with attitude. Softly laughing, he placed the watch in her palm. She fiddled with it for a moment then shoved it in his face. Yep. Set for five minutes. As she stepped over the threshold again, she clicked the button on the watch.

And the five minute countdown began.

She shuffled slowly inside, flipping the beam of light everywhere and nowhere. Mustiness from being closed up for years made the air heavy and dank. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling in long strings. Dust coated the floor. Lance had been the one to tell him about the house when Mac was trying to figure out how to pull this off. His friend had been right. The place was eerily perfect.

Seeing she had barely taken ten steps, he said, “You’re going to have to pick up the pace.”

“You want me to speed up? Then be prepared to frolic your handsome naked ass off,” she retorted.

Even in a faux haunted house, she never missed a beat.

“Done.”

She moved a little faster into the large, empty living room. A staircase leading upstairs was off to their left. Shadows made spooky images dance across the ceiling and floor. She started humming. Distraction. Mac followed behind her silently, letting her get wrapped up in the surroundings…and forgetting he was there.

A loud
thump
, like someone pounding a fist against the wall, came from upstairs. Without even a squeak, Gayle did a one-eighty and bumped straight into his chest. He gazed down at her. “Going somewhere?”

“You will
so
pay for this.” She spun back around and crept forward.

“Does this mean no frolicking for me again?” he asked after she’d taken no more than five steps.

A mumble that sounded very much like, “I’ll show you frolicking, you jerk,” came from her, but her strides increased. Seconds later, a low moan echoed throughout the house. Every muscle in Gayle’s body stiffened, then she shot behind him and pressed against his back.

“Holy shit, did you hear that?”

He about lost his composure, but he cleared his throat. “Just the house settling. Now, get back in front of me.”

“Hell, no.”

“Well then you know—”

“I’ll take back the fucking frolicking. I’m
not
going first.” The flashlight clattered to the floor, then his T-shirt stretched taut against his chest as she grabbed two fistfuls of it.

Creaking footsteps sounded above them, moving closer and closer to the staircase. She climbed up his back, wrapped her legs around his waist, locked her arms around his throat and pressed her face against his neck, whispering, “Shit. Shit. Shit.”

“Jesus.” He coughed as her grip dug into his windpipe. “Let up, for God’s sake.”

Thankfully, she loosened her grip. He knew she’d be scared, but her choking him unconscious hadn’t occurred to him.

With her piggyback on him, he squatted for the flashlight, wishing he’d thought to video tape this. He might never see Gayle this ruffled again.

As he straightened, a movement from the stairs grabbed his attention. At the tiny white figure slowly making it way downstairs, he stiffened.

“Why’d you stiffen? Oh God! Why’d you stiffen?” The words warmed his skin as her arms tightened around him until he gagged.

“Gayle,” he rasped. “Can’t breathe.”

“I don’t care. You’re an ass!” she said, but her death lock loosened.

Seconds later, he lost a few decibels of hearing from her earsplitting scream and he smacked his palm to his ear, groaning. “Fuck!”

“That’s it. I’m out.” The weight of her body left his back and when he turned around, she was gone.

Scrubbing his palm against his aching ear, he walked over to the tiny ghost, hoisted her up into his arms and tapped her on the tip of her white painted nose. “Good job, kid.”

Skylar grinned. “Man. Gayle can scream. Did you hear her?”

Her childish cackle brought a smile to his face. “Oh, I heard her all right. Where’s your dad?”

“Right here, “Lance said as he jogged down the steps. “I had to get Skylar’s DS before I came down. Man, I didn’t know Gayle was capable of screaming like that.”

Mac hadn’t, either. Chuckling, he motioned for them to follow him. “Come out. Let’s find her and let her in on the fun.”

Finding her wasn’t hard. As they stepped outside onto the porch, she was already in the car. Lance waved at her. Gayle’s eyes rounded in disbelief, then she flung the door open. “Are you friggin’ kidding me?”

Grinning, Mac walked over to her just as the stopwatch in her hand started chirping. He tsked. “You didn’t make it the five required minutes. It seems our deal is off.”

She gaped at him, then she looked past him to Lance and Skylar on the porch. Her eyes narrowed. “This isn’t Graymore Manor, is it?”

“Nope. Rick made the flyer and printed it off for me. That man has some serious talent with art.”

“
Rick
was in on this.”

She shook her head, then stared at him for a moment longer. The shock slowly faded to amusement. A small laugh came from her, then another, until she was laughing so hard she doubled over. “Oh, my God.” She gasped, pressing her hand into her side. “You people could give
Scare Tactics
a run for their money. That was awesome.”

“And you.” She stepped over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, gazing up at him with her eyes full of happiness and awe. “Baby, you just took Gayle’s bag of dares to a whole new level. You just wait for what I pull out for you to do next.”

She tugged his head down and pressed her lips against his. Her warning was something to look forward to. Hell, he had a lot to look forward to. Finding out more of Gayle’s Achilles’ heels and using them to do crazy things like this were one of them. Yeah, he could definitely see himself spending a lifetime concocting his next dare for her.

And a lifetime anticipating hers. He hoped nothing changed that.

Chapter Fourteen

H
ow was she going to tell him?

Gayle leaned against the doorframe of her workroom and studied Mac as he sat on the couch watching a fight. Things between them had been going so well. After the ghost prank three days ago, she had been racking her brain for a dare that would top it. So far, nothing had come to mind.

Now it was possible that even if she thought of something, she’d never get to issue him the challenge.

The storm had arrived. Both literally and figuratively.

The two fronts that were about to collide would bring another massive outbreak of severe weather. She wouldn’t lie to him, though she was ashamed to admit she was real tempted.

This was the last hurtle.

The real test—another huge, dangerous system. The last one they’d experienced together had turned deadly. And this time he wouldn’t be with her. Could he take it—the fear for her safety? Or would he turn tail and run back to Atlanta?

The reality that she could still lose him—really lose him—hit her like a ton of bricks.

Because she’d gone and done the one thing she’d sworn to protect herself from—she’d fallen in love. With a man who was as wrong for her as it got. Even while he was so damn right.

Love alone wouldn’t save them, wouldn’t keep them together. She was terrified it wouldn’t be strong enough. Not against a killer storm and the fears it brought to the surface.

At the thought, her stomach knotted.

The fight on TV ended, and Mac clicked off the set. Concern furrowed his brows when he saw her expression. “What’s up?”

“Rick and I are leaving in the morning,” she said, stepping into the living room.

“Okay.”

No hesitation, just quick acceptance. She wavered about telling him the rest. But shook off the idea of lying. No. The only way to know if they were going to work was complete honesty.

“Mac. It’s a big system. I’ll be gone for a few days.”

The blankness in his eyes slowly diminished as her words sank in, replaced by anxious understanding. He swallowed, then averted his gaze. “Like the one we went on before?”

“Yeah.”

Nodding, he sucked on his teeth, then inhaled deeply. “Well.” He scrubbed his hand over his mouth. “We knew this was coming.”

Not really the reassurance she was looking for. “Yeah, we did.”

Tension crept between them. Mac vigorously shook his head, then grabbed her hand. Next thing she knew, he was tugging her up to her room. As they reached the edge of her bed, he spun her in front of him, cupped her face between his hands, and attacked her mouth with his.

That’s when she realized he was just as terrified of the outcome as she was.

Throwing her arms around his neck, she parted her lips and welcomed his tongue. Frantic hands fumbled with clothes and tossed them across the room. Naked, they fell on the bed, legs tangled. As he rolled her beneath him and settled between her thighs, their gazes locked. While he brushed back her hair, she cupped his jaw. No words were needed. Everything needing to be said was being done so by the fear saturating this moment.

As he entered her and began to thrust, they never lost eye contact. Taking a moment to just feel the other. Because the feelings were becoming too much. They stayed together, connected. Both knowing that tomorrow their connection could be forever broken.

Afterward, Mac tucked his body against her side, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. He kissed the top of her head, and muttered, “Everything will be okay.”

As she squeezed closer to him, she could only hope that was true.

F
eeling like a hundred pound barbell had formed in his stomach, Mac watched Gayle pack the SUV. Yesterday when she’d told him about the huge system she was going after, he’d felt like he’d been hit with a blinding right hook. The daze still hadn’t cleared from his head.

Gayle was about to put herself in harm’s way.

All the good she did while racing after those storms didn’t matter one fucking bit to him. The only thing that mattered to him was
her
safety. He couldn’t help the resentment that she was about to put her life on the line again when she didn’t need to. Understanding there was nothing he could do to stop her only increased the bitterness and frustration.

The thing was, those were
his
issues to get over, because he’d never try to stop her.

Storm chasing was what Gayle was.
Who
she was. If he couldn’t accept that side of her, he didn’t deserve her. So, as much as he wanted to yank out the suitcase she’d shoved into the SUV and toss it on the lawn, he forced himself to pick up a toiletry bag and help her.

She brushed her hands on her jeans and started toward him. “We’re ready to hit the road.”

A lump of panic threatened to choke him, but he swallowed it back. Would he always feel like this when she left, or was it because this was the first time? Would it become something he got used to?

He hated how he felt right now. Hated it. “Be careful.”

She stopped in front of him, shoving her hands in the back pockets of her jean shorts. “Always.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist, linking his fingers at her lower back as she looped hers around his neck.

“I’ll be careful, Mac,” she said with more fierceness. “I promise.”

Pulling her close, he hugged her tight, not wanting to let go. At one time, in his naïveté, he’d once believed himself invincible. That he and his wife would have a family, grow old together, and have a plethora of grandkids to spoil. The universe had given him one hell of a reality check.

Everything could change in an instant. He’d learned that with a woman who
hadn’t
taken risks with her life. How was he supposed to let Gayle go, knowing the immense risks she took? That she was willingly putting her future—their future—in such danger?

He squeezed her hard, feeling torn. She wasn’t a daredevil. She might go after these monsters, but she did it to save people, just like the brave men and women in law enforcement and the military. He had to be strong for her, just as their loved ones were.

He loosened his grip, and she lifted her head, leaning back. “Are you going to be okay?”

As always, she was worried for him.

He brushed back her hair. “I’m going to worry. No reason to pretend I won’t, but I’ll keep myself busy. So, don’t give me another thought. You just stay focused on what you’re out there to do.”

Please
.

The idea that her concern for him could distract her into making a dumb and deadly decision shot another stomach-twisting jolt of anxiety through him.

She tugged his head down and kissed him hard on the mouth. “When I get back, I’m going to turn all that focus on you, so you’ll know how focused I can be,” she whispered against his lips.

Despite his fears, a smile pulled at his mouth. “Then you better focus real hard, woman.”

Laughing softly, she pulled out of his embrace and climbed into the car. She rolled the window down. “I’ll call you.”

“I won’t call you.” Surprised hurt flashed through her eyes, so he quickly added, “Wouldn’t want to interrupt you during a crucial moment.”

The tension left her muscles and the carefree Gayle returned. Her eyes slowly ran over the length of his body. “One of my many talents is multi-tasking, handsome. I’ll be sure to make that clear in a few days.”

Rick put the SUV in reverse, and right before they zoomed off to go after their storm she gave Mac one of her filled-with-suggestion winks. Then they were gone.

He stared at the empty driveway, dread weighing heavy on his shoulders.
This was it
. Either they were going to get through this ordeal, or it would end them. The final square-off with his inner demons was at hand.

G
ayle settled back against the seat and rubbed her forehead. Tension crept back into her as she let out a tired breath. Mac had let her leave without laying on a guilt trip. Why did that fill her with both happiness and trepidation?

As she’d packed up the car, she’d been aware of his anxiety. Knew he’d wanted to beg her to stay. But he hadn’t. He’d kept his fears to himself, and she had to give him credit for that. He really did want this relationship to work between them. And in just a few short days, they’d both know if a future for them was possible.

The outcome terrified the hell out of her. She didn’t want to lose him. At this point, the odds of him leaving her were just as great as the odds of him staying. If this whole situation had been a storm she was tracking, she would have backed off for sure because of the extreme unpredictability.

Safety first. Protect herself, always. She hadn’t followed those rules with Mac. Now she was in danger of one hell of a hurting.

“What are you thinking?” Rick asked, breaking the heavy silence.

“That I might have just kissed Mac for the last time.”

Rick sighed, shaking his head. “You’ve seriously got to let go of the past, Gayle. Mac’s not Mark or Brian.”

“No, he’s not. He lost his wife and unborn child to the very thing I chase for a living. That’s a pretty big hurdle to jump.”

“Not really. You lost your family to the same thing.”

“I didn’t experience the horror myself, though. I didn’t find my house destroyed. Didn’t have to frantically look for Sam and my family, praying they were okay. I didn’t find them
dead
. I don’t have memories like those branded in my mind, Rick. Mac does.” She tapped the pencil against her knee. “A big part of me feels I’m being selfish to keep doing this.”

Rick shot her a what-crazy-talk-is-this look. “What in the hell makes you say that? You wouldn’t consider giving up your career for him, would you?”

“No. Even though I know how hard this is on him, I’m not willing to stop—not even for him. That’s selfish, isn’t it? If I really loved him, wouldn’t I be willing to give it up?”

“You act like this is some kind of drug addiction, Gayle. It’s not. Your work does a lot of good for a lot of people. Even Mac sees that, or he would’ve demanded you stop.”

“He’s going to want kids one day.”

“So? You do, too.”

“Yeah, I do. But I’d always thought I’d end up with someone with an understanding of meteorology. Maybe not another chaser, but someone like me with a love of weather, who wouldn’t balk at what I do. After everything Mac has been through, how can I ask him to stay home while his wife and the mother of his children goes off looking for the very thing that killed his last family?”

“Gayle—” There was a warning in Rick’s voice. “You’re
looking
for reasons to run.”

“I’m trying to think ahead.”

Because there was no way this was going to end well.

“Listen, I’ve been there with you through all of this. Trust me, I do get the skittish act. But I’m telling you, Mac is different. It’s time to take a leap of faith. He’s not going to ditch you because of your job.”

She wanted so badly to believe Rick. But it was so hard. Knowing the next few days would make or break her relationship with Mac. And decide whether she would be happy for the rest of her life…or was destined for a life filled with storms and loneliness.

“H
ow’s Gayle?” Lance asked as he hopped from foot to foot. The mouth guard and protective blue headgear around his face muffled his voice.

Mac lowered his arms and removed his guard. His friend did the same. He and Lance had been sparring for the better part of an hour. It was time for a break, anyway.

“Good. They’ve seen a few touchdowns and she’s gotten some decent data. They are down toward the border of Oklahoma and Texas today. Hopefully, they’ll be headed back up this way in a day or so.”

Gayle had been gone for three days. Surprisingly, each day had gotten a little easier for Mac. He missed her like crazy, but the fear had abated more with each passing minute. And with the abatement, his nightmares had stopped
before
she was even finished with this chase. A very, very promising sign for his and Gayle’s future.

She called or texted him constantly. Sent him pictures over the phone of the storms she was chasing, and kept him informed almost every hour she was out there. The fact he wasn’t completely cut off from her made it easier not to worry.

“How are
you
?” Lance asked.

Sighing, Mac tugged off his headgear and tossed it on a bench. “What am I supposed to say? That I like her chasing tornadoes? I don’t, probably never will, but if I’m going to be with her, I have to accept it. Hell, the way she loves weather, it’ll be my luck she will one day become an extreme weather reporter and branch out to more than just tornadoes. At least right now this worrying will only be a few weeks out of the year.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to handle it?”

“After she left, I was really nutted up over it, but she’s been out there with some huge storms this time and it’s not been as mind-fucking as I built up in my head. I’m feeling pretty damn positive.”

“So, does this mean you’re going to become my neighbor?” Lance asked with a sly grin. “I’ve liked this arrangement we’ve had since you got back.”

Mac chuckled. “Things are certainly looking that way.”

Lance thumped him on the back. “That would be so fucking awesome. I’ve missed you, man. What would you do about training?”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. One thing at a time. Gayle and I need to have a long talk when she gets back. Hammer out our relationship, now that this obstacle is out of the way.”

When he finally told Gayle Matthews he loved her, it would only be when he was certain his demons wouldn’t surge forward and ruin what they had together. When he was completely confident he was the man she deserved. Not before.

They walked back into the house, and Lance flipped on the TV. Breaking news immediately caught Mac’s attention, and he froze at the grainy video clip of a monster tornado churning a path of epic destruction through a city in Oklahoma. His throat closed as dots formed before his eyes. His knees threatening to buckle, he reached around for something to hold on to. He finally found the back of a chair. He latched onto it, squeezing until his knuckles turned white.