Chapter 3
It’s late by the time we step into Twisted Tina’s Diner.
Unfortunately, there were no other tornadoes today, and I’ll never admit this again, but I’m glad. I’m drained. I have no energy to chase storms for the rest of the evening. All I want to do is call it a night and start fresh tomorrow.
My head is pounding. My heart is hurting. My patience is dwindling.
And I don’t understand why. I’ve never felt this way before.
“Nari, are you okay?” Millie whispers as we wait for the hostess to seat us.
Am I?
Ever since I met that mean, grumpy cowboy, I’ve been out of sorts.
He was rude. One of the rudest people I have ever encountered.
I can’t get him out of my mind. Driving away from him hurt me in ways I can’t explain.
It’s like there is someone digging around in my chest to pull my heart from my body.
Every twist of the wrist, every scratch of their fingernails, brings me more pain.
“I’m fine. Just tired,” I lie, scrubbing my eyes for added effect.
A bright-eyed waitress with a high blonde ponytail greets our crew with a big smile. “Hi there, welcome to Twisted Tina’s. Follow me, and I’ll take you to your booth.”
“Thank you.” Ruka’s gaze falls to her nametag. “Dixie.”
“No problem at all. Right this way, folks.” She waves at us to follow behind her.
Millie loops her arm through her wife’s and Jessica tucks her hand in Millie’s back pocket. They always have to be touching. Usually, I find how in love they are so sweet.
Right now, I’m irked.
And I’m blaming the hot cowboy with bad manners. Ever since he and his horse galloped up to me, I haven’t felt the same.
A weatherman’s voice drags my eyes from the hardwood floors to the TV that’s mounted above the breakfast bar.
“There’s a weather system moving in tonight that has very strong winds and a lot of rain that could bring flash floods with a chance of tornadoes.
This is the year of the tornado, folks. You’ll want to make sure you’re prepared.
Check your storm shelters, keep them stocked. This season might be a rough one.”
The person I was this morning would have been thrilled about hearing this weather update. There’s nothing I love more than storms. It isn’t like me to feel this way over a man—over anyone, for that matter. Nothing and no one comes between me and what I love.
No one is worth sacrificing what I love, what makes me…me.
Dixie seats us in a large, round corner booth with dark blue leather cushions and a wooden tabletop to match the floors. I slide in first, wanting to be near the window so I can stare outside and get lost in my thoughts.
Ruka slides in next to me, then Reina. Millie and Jessica take the other side of the booth.
Thunder rolls in the distance, and rain falls, softly patting the window. Even the lightning is gentle when it flashes between the clouds. There’s no loud crack in the sky, only hushed rumbles of thunder.
I plop my chin in my hand and sigh, my thoughts lingering on Oklahoma. Even now, I want to push Ruka and Reina out of my way, get in the car, drive back to Oklahoma’s ranch, give him a piece of my mind, then kiss him so hard, he loses his cowboy hat.
“Hey, are you okay?” Ruka whispers in Japanese. “You have this faraway look in your eyes that you get when something is bothering you.” His fingers dance in front of his eyes to gesture what that emotion looks like.
“I can’t hide anything from you.” I nudge his arm, doing my best to hide a genuine smile. “I don’t want to talk about it because I don’t understand it. But when I do, you’ll be the first to know.”
He stares at me for a minute, his reddish-brown eyes analyzing me for the truth. His hard gaze softens when he lets the subject go.
“Hi there, what can I get you all to drink?” Dixie flips her blonde ponytail over her shoulder, clicks her pink pen with a fuzzy feathery top, then yanks out the order pad.
“I’ll take a sweet tea and a decaf coffee, please,” Reina says.
“Same.” Ruka raises his hand at the same time he yawns.
“Me too,” I chime in, not really caring what I have to drink.
“Same order all around,” Jessica states, wrapping an arm around Millie’s shoulder so she can melt into Jess’ side.
Oklahoma comes to mind. I want him to wrap his arm around me like that. I want to sink into his embrace, hold his hand, and trace the veins that slide down his arm.
Knowing I won’t ever have that stings more than I ever imagined. Not once have I ever been relationship motivated. I’ve had a few, and none of them excited me like storms did. If the person I’m with can’t make my heart beat louder than thunder, why bother being in a relationship at all?
What’s worse is that I only feel this way when it comes to Oklahoma. No other man has ever had this kind of hold on me.
My love affair with thunderstorms started when I was just a little girl, watching the hurricanes come and go in Hawaii. I knew storm chasing was meant for me since I was seven years old, enraptured by how the hurricanes formed. Nothing ever gripped me so fast. My attention has never deviated.
Until now.
Until him.
My encounter with Oklahoma was short-lived too. I know nothing about him other than that he is rude and doesn’t deserve a second more of my time.
Get over it, Nariko. He isn’t worth it. They never are.
“Here you go.” Dixie delivers our drinks just as a loud bolt of lightning cracks across the sky.
Dixie jumps, slamming her hand against her chest as she screams.
It’s so bright that the inside of the diner glows white for a split second.
I sip my coffee, unbothered by how talkative the storm is.
“My goodness. That was close, wasn’t it?
” Dixie asks, her thick mascara-coated lashes blinking in wonder.
She stares out of the window while chewing on pink bubble gum.
“More days are like this than not recently. It freaks me out. Good thing we have you storm chasers, right?” Her eyes widen, which has me holding in a chuckle from how comical her lashes appear to be now.
“What do you think will happen with this storm? Think we will get a tornado?”
I can’t see the clouds, so I can’t say for sure.
It’s too dark out, but if I had to try to guess, no.
I think the cap is too strong. It won’t allow the warm air to mix with the cool air, keeping the storm stable and less severe, but no one ever really knows.
We do our best with the information we have.
Weather is unpredictable and can change in an instant.
“It’s always a possibility,” I say, my eyes skimming over the menu.
I’m not even hungry anymore.
“All we can do is listen to the weather alerts and be ready for the worst,” Millie recites what we say word for word, since so many ask the same question every day.
The lights in the diner flicker. Conversation dies down. The loud, boisterous noise of conversations, silverware scraping across the plates, and children laughing all come to a brief halt.
The wind howls, smashing the rain against the glass. Food sizzling on the grill mixes with the TV’s broken connection. The sky lights up with electrified rods, showcasing purple hues around the clouds.
One of the worst tornadoes I’ve ever seen had a dark green sky. When I see that color, I know to run and get to safety as soon as I can. Purple, though? This is just a nice thunderstorm I can fall asleep to.
Dixie blows out a breath and slumps her shoulder. “Oh my goodness, that’s great news. I’m not one for running, definitely not in heels. I get bigger tips when I wear three inches or higher.”
Millie peeps down and over the table. “Cute shoes, though. Love the studs on the back.”
Dixie poses, kicking up her back foot, the heel nearly touching her backside. “Thanks, girl. I got them on sale.”
Millie pushes her glasses up her nose. “I love a good sale. Especially when it comes to books.”
“Right?” Dixie has her pen and pad ready. “Do you need more time to order your food? I’ve talked your ear off. That’s my fault. I become…”
Her chatty voice fades, the ache in my chest lessening to the point where I can inhale without my soul wanting to be ripped from my body. The bell over the door rings, and I lift my head up to see who it is.
Only to hold my breath.
It’s Oklahoma and a few other men standing at the entrance.
Oh my god.
No, no, no. This can’t be happening.
He doesn’t scan the diner. He doesn’t see who is here. Oklahoma’s powder blue gaze lands on me as if he knows where I’m sitting. He’s soaking wet from the rain. He must have changed since the last time I saw him because the white shirt sticks to his muscular body.
His skin is tan from hours spent in the sun, and it peeks through the soaked cotton, leaving nothing to the imagination.
My lips wrap around the straw to take a sip of sweet tea. My throat is dry, but my lust is high, and the longer he stares at me, the more I want to drag him to one of our vehicles and get whatever this is between us out of our systems.
“Isn’t that the guy from earlier?” Reina’s voice snaps me out of my dirty thoughts.
“Yep. That’s him. Bad manners and all,” I mumble with all the disappointment I can muster.
As if he can hear me, Oklahoma frowns at the same time his friend pats him on the shoulder.
“Oh, Oklahoma Richards?”
Right. Dixie is still here. We still haven’t ordered yet. Oklahoma is good at interrupting…everything.
“You know him?” I hate that she seems to know more about him than I do.
“Mmm-hmm. He is such a sweetheart. He comes in here every Thursday evening with a massive to-go order that he takes back to his rescue ranch. He’s also one of the best steer wrestlers in the country.
He lost his riding partner a few years ago, though.
Horrible accident. Oklahoma retired and now focuses on rescuing animals who need it.
He still runs his ranch, but the rescue is a big part of his life now.
He must have been in a bad mood or something if you’re saying he was rude. That’s unlike him.”