Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88463 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88463 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
With P!NK blaring in my ears, I get to work, starting with the shower. Halfway into scrubbing, I get too hot, so I shed my T-shirt and continue working in my bralette and shorts.
Of course I notice the flashes of light through the windows, but I do my best to ignore them, safe in my music from the thunder.
When that bathroom is finished, I work my way down the hallway to the one off my old room and get busy in there. When I turn to the vanity, I get lost in going through my makeup, deciding what’s old enough to toss and what I should keep.
But then there’s a noise I can’t ignore. Even through the noise-canceling headphones and the music, I can hear it.
Or it’s the rumble making its way through my body that I recognize, and that has me pulling the earphones off, and I gasp.
Holy shit.
The rain! It’s coming down in sheets, no droplets anywhere in sight.
And then the thunder starts again, and my stomach climbs into my throat.
Shit, this is a bad one.
Without overthinking it, I rush down to my studio and close the door, and it blocks out all the noise, and I huddle in a corner, pull my knees to my chest, wrap my arms around my legs, and pray that the storm passes quickly.
Chapter Fifteen
Ryker
Last night’s wind blew so many trees down over my fence line, and cows got out, got lost in the woods, and it’s been a goddamn clusterfuck all day.
“More storms blowing in,” Spike says, lifting his chin at the clouds on the horizon.
“Yeah, I know.” I want to know if my girl is okay, but I haven’t had time to text her, and there’s definitely been no time to go to the house to check in with her. “How’s that southern border coming?”
“We got the fence patched and the cows back in the pasture,” he says. “But the north side is a fucking nightmare.”
Wincing, I brace my hands on my hips, looking out to where Dusty’s wielding a chainsaw, working to get trees moved.
Aiden and Micah are both on horseback, guiding cows back into the pasture.
“I don’t like the boys being up that high with lightning coming.”
Spike nods. “I’ll get them off. I think those are the last three cows we lost.”
We ride over to where the others are, and I start barking out orders.
“Those clouds look nasty, and there’s a lightning warning for this whole area,” I tell them. “Let’s patch this fence and barricade what we can’t fix, and then I want everyone to head to the barn and get the horses put away before this storm hits. Spend the rest of the day safe in the bunkhouse.”
They nod, and we work together to patch the fence. Thunder rolls over us as we ride back to the barn, and just as we’re getting the horses brushed and put into stalls, the sky opens up in the loudest downpour I’ve ever seen.
I glance at Aiden, and he looks nervous.
“Are you okay?” I ask him, setting my hand on his shoulder.
“I am,” he says, shaking his head, “but Aunt Wills won’t be. She hates storms, and this will freak her out.”
I nod, already feeling like shit that I’m not with her.
“As soon as I finish putting Billy away, I’ll go to the house,” I assure him.
“I’ve got Billy,” Aiden replies. “I’ll take care of it.”
He licks his lips and watches through the door as more rain pelts down.
“Thanks. I’ll head in. You go to the bunkhouse, you hear me? Go ride this out with the others.”
“I can come to the house to check in on Aunt Wills.”
“I’ve got her. If anything’s wrong, I’ll call you.”
He doesn’t look happy about it, but he nods. “Yeah, okay.”
I quickly check in with Dusty, and then I’m running for the house in an all-out sprint, through rain that feels like it’s trying to tear the skin from my body.
My poor cattle.
By the time I run up the stairs and onto the front porch, I look and feel like I’ve been swimming with my clothes on. I’m fully drenched. My jeans are heavy as fuck, but I don’t give a shit.
“Wills?” I call out as I burst through the front door. I stop to listen, but the only sound is my heart hammering in my chest. So I try again. “Wills?”
Nothing.
I run back to the kitchen, but she’s not here, and it’s dead quiet because it occurs to me that the power is out.
Shit, I have to get the generator running, but not until I find my girl.
I rush through the downstairs, and when I don’t find her, I take the stairs two at a time and poke my head into every room.
When I get to the bathroom off her old bedroom, I find a bucket with a bunch of cleaning supplies. Obviously, she was in here cleaning, but there’s no sign of her now.