Blown Away (3 page)

O
NE
Y
EAR
L
ATER

Cindy Jameson ran a hand over her freshly highlighted blond hair as she approached the salon's reception desk.

“I love it,” I said of her new cut, color, and style.

“Me, too,” she said, grinning. “When I hit the lotto I'm hiring Shayla as my personal stylist.”

I smiled and typed a few numbers into the computer, giving her a total for her visit.

“So how
are
you, Drew?” She took out her checkbook and gave me a sympathetic look.

I'd gotten used to
the look
. In a small town like Lipton, everyone knew everyone. For the past year, I'd been unable to go anywhere without getting the look. I reminded myself it was because people cared.

Well, mostly. It was sometimes because they were gossips mining for information.

“I'm good,” I said, busying my hands with organizing papers on the desk.

“Really?” Cindy's tone was skeptical.

I sighed inwardly. Cindy had been in my high school class. We hadn't been close then. I was tired of people who actually knew me asking how I was, let alone people like her.

Besides, when I said I was good, I either got a skeptical
no, you're not
look or a surprised
you must be a cold bitch
look. I couldn't win.

“Really,” I said, taking the check she handed me.

“Are you seeing anyone?”

Last week had marked one year since Colby's death. Everyone knew it because of an article in the local paper with the headline
ONE YEAR LATER, MOTHER HONORS SON'S LIFE
. Carla had set up a scholarship fund with Colby's life insurance money. I'd cried—happy tears, for once—when she told me about it. It would've made him proud.

But now that it had been a year, people were focused on my social life. Or rather, lack thereof.

“No,” I said to Cindy. “Between work and friends and family, I'm pretty busy.”

It was sort of true. My only friends were Shayla and Jackie. I was living in the basement apartment at Shayla's house. As soon as Daniel moved for school, I'd left our mom's house, too. There was nothing good left there. And those marathons of
Law & Order
I watched every weekend—well, they were close enough to friends.

“Do you feel ready?”

I tried not to cringe. Another no-win question.

“Because I know someone,” Cindy continued. “My brother's friend Zane. Remember him? He was three years ahead of us in school.”

“Uh…” I tried to think of a tactful way to brush off the idea. Truth was, looking for a man had never been my style. I hadn't been looking for Colby when I'd run into him at the grocery store. Specifically, the produce section. He'd loved telling the story of how he impressed me with his melon-squeezing skills.

“Drew!” Jackie cried from behind her styling chair. “Crap, I am
so
sorry. I need some color mixed right now. I ran out.”

I shook myself out of the daze I was in. “Oh.”

“Call me sometime,” Cindy said, waving and ducking out of the salon.

I went to the small room where the stylists mixed hair color and looked around, confused. I'd never mixed color before, and Jackie knew it.

Peeking around the doorframe, I looked at her. “Do you really need color mixed?”

“No. I just wanted to get rid of Cindy. Since when is your personal life any of her business?”

I shrugged and returned to the front desk, grabbing a peanut butter cup from the candy bowl we kept on the counter. The bowl was almost empty, so I added a line to my list of supplies needed from Walmart.

“You going to Walmart soon?” Shayla asked as she approached the desk to look at her schedule.

An outing sounded good right now. It was that dead zone in the afternoon when motivation was hard to come by. “I think I will.”

“You mind picking up lunch for me?” She reached into her apron for some bills, knowing I never minded.

“No problem,” I said.

Jackie furrowed her brow, looking stumped. “I know there was something we needed, but what is it?”

“Candy? That's on my list.”

She nodded vigorously, her pile of bright red curls shaking. “Yes! And then there was…”

“Iced tea?”

“That's it!” She nodded. “You and those lists, Drew. You keep this place running, I'm tellin' ya.”

I smiled as I took Shayla's money and the salon's credit card from the locked register. It was a good feeling, being appreciated by my bosses. I'd taken on pretty much everything but the actual styling work at the salon, even preparing the records for tax time last month. I also did the payroll and had renegotiated the contract with a supplier to get a better deal for the salon.

Shayla and Jackie were capable of that work, but they had full schedules of clients and families at home. Our new balance worked well for all of us.

But was this it for me? I wondered as I slipped on a hoodie and left through the back door. Did I want to be anything other than a glorified shampoo girl at To Dye For? I did have a two-year college degree, but it wasn't much use in such a small town.

Not to mention that Shayla and Jackie were like family to me. Ashley had been my roommate in the basement apartment until six months ago, when she'd moved in with her firefighter boyfriend. She'd gotten a teaching job at the elementary school we'd attended as kids.

Ashley and I still talked often, but I saw Shayla and Jackie more than anyone else. The salon was my home base, my comfort zone. In the months after Colby's death, I'd clung to the sense of normalcy it gave me.

But I was starting to feel a little restless. For several years, my life had been about reaching a goal. I'd waitressed, delivered newspapers, and even babysat to bring in enough money to keep the lights on and the pantry full when I was in college. And things hadn't lightened up much when Ashley was in college and Daniel was in high school. She'd insisted on being the one to help Daniel with money now that he was in college. He had a full scholarship, and she gave him a couple hundred dollars a month to pay for extras so he could stay focused on his classes.

And that left me…where? I was like a ship rolling along in the sea with no course. It was unsettling. Working hard, having few options, and scraping by was what I knew best. But this aimlessness had started keeping me up at night.

The Lipton Walmart was on the outskirts of town. I parked and went in, nodding at a woman I recognized as a customer of the salon.

I went to the aisle where the iced tea was first, bending to get a case from a low shelf.

“Can I get that?” a male voice asked behind me. I turned and looked up into the face of Murph, the leader of Colby's storm-chasing team.

“Drew,” he said, grinning and pushing up his glasses.

“Hey, Murph.” I stood and put the case of tea in my basket. “How's it going?”

“Good. It's good.” He nodded at his full shopping cart. “Just stocking up for a chasing trip.”

I didn't know Murph well, but Colby had always spoken highly of him. He was close to thirty with a wiry build and a Red Sox hat in bad need of washing. It was hard to imagine such an unimposing man leading a team with Aiden and Tex on it. They both had at least a foot and fifty pounds on him.

“Where to?” I asked.

“Oklahoma. To start, anyway. We may move at some point.”

“Sounds like fun.” I gave him an appreciative smile. “Colby really loved his work on your team. He talked about you guys all the time.”

Murph's expression clouded. “Yeah, it isn't the same without him. I've thought about you since he passed, hoping you're…you know, okay and stuff.” He pushed up his glasses again.

“I am. I've been thinking today about finding a new challenge, and that feels good.”

He arched his brows. “Yeah? Like what? Skydiving, maybe?”

“Not quite that challenging,” I said, laughing. “I don't even know. Just…something new. I'm happy working at the salon, but wishing I could try something new at the same time.” I waved a hand dismissively. “It's probably just a mood. I'm sure it'll pass.”

“Grab hold of the mood before it passes,” Murph said seriously. “Life's too short not to.”

His words sent a small shiver over my skin. There was truth there, and we both knew it all too well.

“Anyway…” He cleared his throat. “If you ever decide to try storm chasing, you'll always have a spot on my team.”

My mouth dropped open and I broke into a laugh. “Me? I've got no storm-chasing skills. Unless you guys need your hair shampooed after a chase.”

“You don't have to be experienced. I'd pair you with someone who is. We can always use another set of hands.”

“Really?”

He nodded and pushed up his glasses again. “I've got a multiyear grant that covers our food and fuel and expenses, but I can't pay a salary to anyone. It's tough to find good people who can take time away from their jobs and lives to do this.”

“I could,” I said softly, my mind spinning. “I mean, I
could
.”

“Yeah?” His eyes lit hopefully. “Would you want to?”

“Yes.”

Had I just said that out loud? I realized I had, and it was true. I'd always admired the storm-chasing work Colby did. Maybe I could do it, too.

“Yes,” I repeated. “If you'll have me, I'd love to come. Anytime.”

“Great. We're heading out Friday morning if you want to ride with us. Or you can join us at the campground later.”

His mention of a campground reminded me that the team lived in Murph's motorhome while chasing. Aiden had a camper because apparently the motorhome setup was too much togetherness for him.

“Let me check with my bosses and get back to you,” I said.

He pulled a wrinkled business card from his pocket and handed it to me. “Give me a call. Hope you can join us, Drew.”

I nodded and waved as he headed off with his cart. A surge of excitement made me want to break out in a dance right there in Walmart.

The idea had taken root, and I shopped quickly. By the time I got back to the salon and walked in with my purchases, my excitement had an edge of nervousness. I was handling a lot at the salon. What if Shayla and Jackie didn't want me to go?

By the time they both had a break in their schedules and came over to the desk, my heart was pounding. I passed Shayla her sandwich and she leaned against the counter and unwrapped it.

“You're having peanut butter cups for lunch?” she said to Jackie, arching a brow in amusement.

“One of those days,” Jackie said, popping open a can of soda.

“So,” I said, clearing my throat and tucking my hair behind my ears. “I've got something to ask you guys.”

They both looked at me, waiting.

“Yeah.” I smiled weakly. “I know this is out of the blue, but I'm wondering if I can take some time off.”

“Of course,” Shayla said, waving a hand. “You don't have to ask us. Just put it on the schedule.”

“You never take time off.” Jackie reached for another piece of candy. “It's about damn time. You need a break, girl.”

“Are you going somewhere?” Shayla's expression brightened hopefully.

“I might be gone a month,” I blurted out. “And I want to go soon. Like,
Friday
soon. I am going somewhere. Oklahoma.”

They both looked at me, their expressions silently telling me I'd have to give them more than that.

I sighed deeply. “Storm chasing. I'm going storm chasing with Colby's old team.”

Shayla stared at me silently, her lips parted with surprise. Jackie, on the other hand, had plenty to say.

“Drew, are you out of your ever-lovin' mind? Why the hell would you want to haul off and chase tornadoes? It's dangerous. Is this about Colby? Is it him you're trying to chase after in a way? Because there are better—”

“No,” I said, stopping her midsentence. “I know the rest of the team. They're good at what they do. And I need…something. Something new.”

“Well, take up knitting,” Jackie muttered. “Or square dancing. Hell, even taking up drinking would be a better idea than driving into a tornado.”

A client walked in the front door and we all turned.

“Hey, Jules,” Jackie said, standing up. “How are you, my dear?”

“Not bad.”

I looked between my two bosses. “Don't worry about me. Is it okay if I go? Will you guys be all right without me for that long?”

“Of course it's okay,” Shayla said. “My niece, Dana could use some extra money. She'll come in and help out.”

A wave of worry hit me. “Please don't replace me. I need this job. And also…I love you guys.”

Jackie gave me a pointed look. “We love you, too. And that's why I don't want you running into tornadoes like a damn fool.”

I smiled at her concern. She shot me a look that said
This conversation isn't over
before turning her attention to her client.

“You always have a job here, Drew,” Shayla said. “We'll miss you awful bad, though. A month is a long time.”

“Maybe I'll be back sooner. Who knows? I just need to try something new.”

“Is it about Colby?” she asked softly.

I shook my head. “It's about me. I can't really explain it, but it feels right.”

“Then go for it. And keep in touch while you're gone.”

She smiled and went back to eating her sandwich. I started thinking about all the things I needed to do to leave the salon's books and supplies in good shape before I left. But my mind kept wandering to excited thoughts of storm chasing.

Storm chasing? Really? Practical, levelheaded Drew McGovern, a storm chaser?

It was very out of character for me, but somehow I knew that was exactly why I needed to do it.