“And will there be visitors?” Tandy asked. Was it his imagination or did she sound excited? “A training facility for cutting horses, here? Lynnie’s place is big enough, isn’t it?”
He nodded. It was—and then some. “Do I want to raise Pearl here? Surrounded by folks that might never accept her?”
Tandy frowned up at him. “So they win? What about you?”
“I won’t make out so bad if I sell.” He chuckled. Still the idea sat wrong. How could he sell? How could he lose the only tie he had to the woman he’d loved and admired. “I keep waiting. Things like this don’t happen for people like me.” He hadn’t meant to say that last bit out loud.
“People like you?” Tandy asked. “Hardworking? Responsible?”
“Loyal and kind,” Scarlett added. “I wish you could see you the way we do, Click. I know your upbringing was rough. But you aren’t.”
Tandy pressed a hand to his chest. “Listen to her,” she murmured. Her gaze was fixed on her hand. Was it the out-of-control pounding of his heart that held her fascination? Or something else?
“I think you should stay,” Scarlett spoke up. “Is...is Pearl’s mom not coming back?” She glanced at Pearl, sitting on the floor beside Banshee and flipping through her board books.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly.
“You have someplace to go? Work that’s waiting on you?” Scarlett asked. “If not, think on it a while. You’ll figure out what’s best for you and Pearl.”
He nodded, his attention wandering back to the woman in his arms. Tandy looked pale, too pale. He nodded at Scarlett. “Check the radio. See if it’s safe to get Tandy to a hospital.”
Scarlett hopped up, turning on the old weather radio. It was some time before they announced the all clear. Once they did, he helped Tandy sit on the bench and peeked through the storm cellar doors. Nothing out of the ordinary. He cracked the door then pushed it wide, climbing up and out of the cellar to take stock of the damage.
The grass was flattened, an odd swirling pattern cutting across part of his property. The fence between him and Tandy’s cabin was curled back into a tangled knot of cedar posts and barbed wire. Beyond that was what remained of Tandy’s cabin.
His heart sank. Her truck had smashed through the back, bringing the structure down on top of it.
If Banshee hadn’t come to him, she’d be
dead. The blood seemed to drain from him, leaving him numb. As far as Click was concerned, Banshee had earned a T-bone steak for the rest of the week. Hell, the month.
Lynnie’s home—his home—was still standing. One window was broken, but there were no other visible signs of damage. The barn, too.
“You were lucky,” Scarlett said, peering out. “I should check in with the family, so they know I’m okay. I can keep Pearl,” she added. “That way you can take Tandy in to get her head patched up.”
Ten minutes later, Pearl and Scarlett were headed to Fire Gorge and he was driving Tandy and Banshee into town. As they drove the debris-covered road into Fort Kyle, he gazed out the windows, looking for damage or anyone needing help. Considering how vast the Wallace and Boone properties were, there weren’t many homesteads to worry over.
He kept asking Tandy questions, hoping to keep her focused. In the big picture, a concussion wasn’t a big deal. He’d had a couple in his lifetime. But the headaches were no fun. And, if he remembered it correctly, there was a general fog of disorientation and dizziness.
He glanced at her, wanting to take her hand and comfort her—and himself.
She looked his way, her big eyes studying his face. Her smile was unexpected, and beautiful. He smiled back, shaking his head.
“What?” she asked.
“Been a long time since you smiled at me like that.” He swallowed back the lump in his throat.
“Must be the concussion,” she said, giggling.
He chuckled, too, turning onto Main Street and navigating the short distance to the hospital. It was surprisingly quiet. But then, the locals knew how to handle a tornado. He signed Tandy in and followed her gurney back. No way he was going to sit in that damn waiting room. He’d left her once when she needed him. He wasn’t about to do it again.
Chapter Eleven
Tandy was tired of resting. For two days, Scarlett had hovered. If Scarlett wasn’t, then Renata was calling her on the phone. Aunt Evelyn was relentless... Tandy had pretended to sleep twice just to avoid her. She meant well, but Tandy couldn’t shake the feeling she was being interrogated. About who and what, she wasn’t sure. But her aunt was looking for something. Hell, even Toben had called and texted. She appreciated their concern, but she truly was fine.
Other than her cabin and truck, a storage facility and a car lot a county over, the tornado hadn’t left too much damage. While everyone was getting back to normal activities, she was trapped in Scarlett’s bed. Banshee was just as stir-crazy as she was, tugging her blankets and scratching the door. “Agreed,” she said to the dog. The doctor had said twenty-four to forty-eight hours of rest. She was calling it.
As soon as Scarlett left for the afternoon kid activities, Tandy kicked back the covers and got dressed. Banshee’s tail was wagging a mile a minute when she pulled open the door. And came face-to-face with Click and Pearl.