Page 69 of Lasso Lovebirds

“You son of a gun,” I yelled, running to him.

Thank god he was a mini horse and I was a strong cowboy. His eyes were wild as I wrapped my arms around him, and he didn’t fight me. I knew he was scared.

I needed to get to the storm shelter. I ran as fast as I could, trying not to look at the tornado heading straight for us. Straight toward everything I loved. Everything we had.

It could be gone in a blink.

I went through the gate and rushed toward Priscilla. Sky was the last one to go into the shelter aside from us. Pris was keeping the doors open for me and Dennis.

“Go!” I yelled at her.

I barreled past Pris with Dennis, letting go of our mini disaster. He snorted and trotted straight to Wylie and Boone.

I went back up the steps and helped Pris slam the doors shut. We turned the lock just in time, the door rattling as the wind screeched.

My entire body was shaking, but everyone I loved was accounted for.

Everyone was safe for now.

Pris arms wrapped around me and pulled me back down the steps, everyone hunkering together. I grabbed Sky, dragging them between us as we listened to the storm, everyone silent. Scared.

I sent up a thousand prayers, hoping that everything would be okay. Maybe it would just miss us. Maybe it wouldn’t.

Everything shook, the doors rattling violently. I swallowed hard, looking at my siblings. At our friends. My family.

“It’s going to be okay,” I said calmly. “We’re together. We’re safe.”

Dennis let out a soft, worried neigh.

“I’m sorry,” Sky whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“Shh,” Pris murmured, holding them close. “It’s okay, Sky.”

The sound of metal screeching and wood snapping interrupted the horrific sounds of the storm.

But then . . .

It grew more distant.

And then slowly, but surely, it disappeared.

The silence that followed was deafening. Boone breathed out, slumping against Wylie. Billie, Benny, and Winnie melted against the walls of the shelter.

“That was a terrible way to wake up,” Billie announced.

That broke the tension. I let out a laugh, and then a groan, a weight lifting off my chest.

We’d made it.

Everyone was safe.

“I’m scared to see the damage,” I whispered.

“Whatever it is, we’ll handle it,” Pris said. “Together.”

Everyone agreed.

I stood up and went up the stairs, unlocking the hatch. With a shove, I managed to open it, letting in cool morning air.