Page 11 of Through the Storms

Before Britt could answer, Asher called from behind her. “About time you showed up, little sister.”

It was their shtick, but today she wasn’t in the mood for it. “Would you two give me a fucking break? You’d think I’d shown up two hours late or something.”

“Jesus, what crawled up your ass?” Asher asked as he came around the side of the van.

Britt tossed her clipboard into the side window and approached Oakley. “Man, you look like hell. Did something happen to the Brittmobile?”

“Don’t you mean the Ashatron?” Asher added.

Oakley couldn’t work up the energy to argue with them, so she just shrugged. “It seems to be driving okay. Time will tell.”

Asher and Britt exchanged looks. Oakley detected a subtle tilt of Asher’s head, which she assumed meant Britt was supposed to handle Oakley.

“Come on,” Britt said. “We ain’t stupid. What happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Oakley went around the back of the van and slid her suitcase into the cargo area. “Where’s Jimmy with the pickup?”

Asher came around the back. “I take it Lana doesn’t share our enthusiasm for the Oakanator.”

“You need to clean your ears out.” Oakley slammed the door, causing the entire van to shake. “I said I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Dude, careful with the equipment,” Britt said.

“Right.” Oakley snorted and ran her finger across one of the many divots caused by hail. “I think it’s been through much worse than me slamming the damned door.”

“Come on, Oak,” Asher said. “We’re only trying to help. Besides, you need to have your head in the game. Have you checked out the weather maps lately?”

No.She’d tried to before she left the house but hadn’t been able to concentrate. “Lana’s more pissed than I’ve ever seen her,” Oakley blurted out. “I think this time she might be done with me. She said I’m never gonna choose her.” Oakley rubbed her jaw. “I don’t know what she’s talking about. I chose her the moment I laid eyes on her and have never stopped choosing her since.”

Britt cocked her head and stared at Oakley without speaking.

“Don’t give me that look.” Oakley pointed at Britt.

“Oak, you know I love you, but you can be an idiot sometimes,” Britt said.

“Me? Says the woman whose longest relationship lasted three months.”

Britt laughed and held up her hands. “I never said I wasn’t an idiot.”

“Come on.” Asher put his arm around Oakley’s shoulders.

Since he stood four inches taller than her, it would be easy to lay her head against his chest, but she feared it would likely open the floodgates. “I can’t do this,” Oakley said as she pushed him away. “And male genes suck.”

He gave her a puzzled look. “What’s wrong with my jeans?”

“Not your pants, dumb ass. Genes. Genetics.”

“What the hell is she talking about?” Britt asked Asher.

Oakley scowled and waved her hand in the direction of Asher. “Why is he so much damned taller than me? Male genes. That’s why.”

“Uh, we’re not identical twins, ya know.”

Oakley shot him a look. “No shit. I hadn’t figured that out.”

Britt held out her hand. “Come on. You and I are going for a walk.”

Oakley stared at Britt’s outstretched hand for several beats before she took it.