Page 24 of Through the Storms

Several in the crowd chuckled, obviously aware of Oakley’s ties.

Oakley grinned and glanced around the room. “For those that didn’t get the laughter, one day, I hope Lana Monroe will be my wife.”

There was more whispering from the crowd, probably those not in the know trying to figure out whether Oakley was serious.

“Enough of my personal life,” Oakley said. “Let’s talk tornadoes.”

Lana slumped into her chair. As much as she loved the weather, generating enthusiasm for the broadcast was hard while her heart was breaking. No matter how hard she tried to push her conversation with Oakley aside, her mind kept wandering back to their fight.

With a sigh, she dropped her head into her hands. The heaviness in her chest hadn’t lifted, despite their talk. If anything, it had grown worse to the point of making it difficult for her to breathe. Lana knew Oakley’s reaction would be the exact opposite, which was both infuriating and endearing. No doubt, Oakley would be buoyant and assume the issue was resolved, but it never was.

Sometimes Lana wished she could be more like Oakley—less practical and able to live for the moment. When they’d first met, Oakley had brought Lana out of her conservative, ultra-responsible shell. Now it felt as if Lana was sliding backward. Maybe a leopard couldn’t change her spots, or perhaps she didn’t want to. She was raised by a hardworking single mother who struggled to support her family and was the oldest of four, and her personality had served the family well. Lana had often wondered if ultra-responsibility was part of her makeup or if the circumstances created it.

Lana shoved a pile of file folders that were neatly stacked on her desk. Several folders slid off the pile, so Lana shoved them harder, causing most to tumble to the floor.Mature.But she could be spontaneous and irresponsible. Just watch. She’d leave the mess.

She turned away and tapped the keyboard to bring her computer back to life. The email from California filled her screen. They wanted her to set up an interview right away, but she hadn’t spoken to Oakley about it. Although she knew what Oakley’s reaction would be, and it wouldn’t be good.

With deliberation, she read through the email again. The job was practically hers if she showed up for the interview. Lana sucked in a deep breath and held it as she thought. When she couldn’t hold it any longer, she puffed out her cheeks and let her exhalation seep out slowly between her lips as she hit the reply button.

Her response was brief:

I’m available for an interview on Friday evening. Please advise with flight times and accommodations once they are booked. I look forward to meeting with you and your team.

Sincerely,

Lana Monroe

She glanced toward the corner of her desk where her favorite picture of her and Oakley sat. One of the other storm chasers had taken a candid photo on their first chase together. They were drenched from head to toe and were laughing like maniacs. She still remembered that day.

No.Lana knocked the picture over, and it landed face down. No way could she send the email while looking at Oakley’s smiling face. Just because she scheduled an interview didn’t mean she had to take the job, right? She could at least hear what they had to say, what they offered. Her hand trembled as she hit send.

She’d expected to feel lighter, but instead, she felt empty. With a loud sigh, the kind someone let out to garner attention, she shut down her computer. Since nobody was there to hear her, it was pointless, but still she let out another, louder sigh. Maybe a hot bath and a glass of wine would make her feel better. One could hope, but she wouldn’t count on it.

At thirty-seven, she was supposed to be in her prime, so why did she feel washed up? She rose from her desk. Nothing good would come from sitting here any longer. She grabbed her purse and started to walk around the files she’d pushed from her desk. For several seconds, she glared at the files as if she were in a battle of wills with them.

Fuck it.She bent, picked up the files, placed them on the stack that remained on her desk, straightened the entire pile, and marched from her office.

CHAPTER 12

Riley clutched her notebookas they left the briefing room. She leaned over to Chloe. “Do you see anything leaking out of my ears?”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Riley’s ears. “Did you hurt yourself?”

“No.” Riley laughed. “Oakley gave us so much information I’m sure some of it must be seeping out.”

Chloe chuckled. “She was talking fast. Thank god you took notes.”

Riley held up her notebook. “Want to study in the van?”

“Absolutely, but she said we weren’t expected to remember everything.”

“She also said by the end of the week we’d be pros. If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to get a head start.” Riley’s cheeks heated. “I never was the best student. I had to study twice as hard as everyone else when I got my EMT license.”

“But you passed.”

Riley couldn’t contain her smile. “Ninety-eight percent.”

“That hardly sounds like someone who struggles to learn.”