Page 8 of Faith for the Cowboy
Harper’s mouth dropped open and her eyes grew wide. She paused only for a moment before she said, “What do we do?”
Lawson furrowed his eyebrows as he thought. “There’s a storm shelter up the road. There’s nowhere safe to go here at the rodeo grounds.” He threw the truck in gear and peeled out of the parking spot.
“Wait, what about my car?”
“Don’t worry about it right now. Better for us to get to safety and come back for it later.” He squinted as he tried to peer through the pelting rain making his way toward the shelter.
He saw Harper nod out of the corner of his eye. He wanted to reach out to her. Maybe put a hand on hers to comfort her, but he resisted. He couldn’t do that. He barely knew her.
Lawson gripped the steering wheel tighter as the wind threatened to push them off the road. They would have to move quickly to get inside the building. When he reached the parking lot, he didn’t concern himself with the lines and correct spaces but drove as close as he could get to the front door of the building. “Let’s go.” He raised his voice to make sure she heard him.
They jumped out and ran towards the door. Several other people from the rodeo were already inside or rushing for the building like them. They made their way inside and followed the others down to the basement.
As the crowd thickened, Lawson worried that he might lose track of Harper. He glanced down at her and saw the look of fear in her eyes. “Hey,” he said, “It’s gonna be okay.” He reached out and took her hand, tugging her close so they wouldn’t get separated. Finally, they reached the safety area in the basement, and Lawson found a spot by the wall where they both sank onto the floor.
“Thanks Lawson,” Harper said quietly. “Without you, I might still be standing out there in the rain.”
He chuckled as he reluctantly let go of her hand. “Nah, I’m sure you would have figured something out.”
The sound of horrific winds overhead silenced them both. A hush washed over the entire group of people. As the storm moved right over the top of them, he tucked Harper under his arm and held her close as she buried her head in his shoulder. He closed his eyes and grimaced, knowing the damage would be severe.
6
Harper opened her eyes and lifted her head from the window of Lawson’s truck. She must have drifted off on the drive. She hadn’t slept since the tornado. After it passed over the building where they had taken cover, the weather officials declared the area was safe, but they were warned that there was widespread damage. Lawson had taken charge, driving them to the rodeo grounds to look for her SUV. But it was no use. The grounds had been reduced to a parking lot, except most of the cars were gone.
Harper could hardly breathe as they took in the sight. Everywhere she looked, she saw buildings with roofs that had been ripped off and powerlines twisted and dangling. She stared at her feet at the scattered debris, while she listened to the sounds of sirens. Lawson had gently pulled her back to the truck and she climbed in, not sure what they would do next. When he explained that he would take her to his family’s ranch, she felt both relief and panic, but she couldn’t think of another option for the time being.
Before she could get her bearings, they were at the ranch. She hopped down from Lawson’s truck and surveyed the scene before her. Ranches in this part of Texas were common, but Whispering Oaks Ranch was something special. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it was a feeling she had when she was here for the event, and she had it again as she sat beside Lawson pulling up to the main house. It wasn’t just a ranch, it was a family who lived and worked here together. There were at least eight vehicles parked in front of the house. She knew from their conversation on the way here that those must be his family, including all of the brothers. She had met a few of them at the event at the ranch, but not all. Most had wives and kids too. Harper wasn’t sure she could keep up with all of them.
But hopefully she wouldn’t have time. Hopefully, she just needed a few days to figure things out. She jumped at the sound of the driver’s side door slamming shut.
“Sorry,” Lawson said.
Harper waved a hand to say he didn’t need to be. It was her fault she was the one so jumpy after the storm. Before she could reach the front porch, the door opened and a woman who must be Lawson’s mother appeared.
“Hello! Welcome!” She held out her arms as if Harper were a long-lost friend, instead of what she actually was — a complete stranger coming to stay at her house.
Harper sucked in a breath as the older woman embraced her. She felt flooded with emotion as warmth from contact with another person filled her. How long had it been since she had been hugged? That wasn’t something she did on the rodeo circuit. Cowboys were a rough and tumble group, and while there might be a few of them who gave her a second glance, they weren’t interested in a friendly hug that made her feel like she was coming home.
Mrs. Macklin released her and stepped back to look at her. “I’m so glad you’re alright after that storm. We’re thrilled to have you here.”
“Thank you so much for letting me stay. I promise not to be any trouble.” As the words tumbled out, Harper felt like a little girl. Without a car, a home of her own, or a plan for the next few weeks, she felt her normal control slipping right out of her fingers.
Lydia Macklin waved a hand in the air. “You could never be any trouble. We’re so happy to have you. You know, for years I thought none of these boys would ever move out of the house, and now it feels practically empty with so many of them gone. I’m thrilled to fill one of those rooms.” She put her hand to her mouth and pretended to whisper. “Especially with a female instead of more of these smelly boys.”
Harper let a giggle escape her lips. “Well thank you. I’m very grateful.”
Lydia looked behind Harper at Lawson. “Son, bring in Harper’s bags for her.”
Harper winced. “I’m afraid I don’t have anything. The hotel where I was staying was hit. It’s possible my stuff is there somewhere, but we couldn’t even get close. Everything else was in my SUV when it got carried away.”
Lydia put a hand to her mouth. “I’m so sorry.”
“We were lucky we made it to the storm shelter in time, and that Lawson’s truck was alright.”
Lawson cleared his throat as he stepped up beside Harper. “There’s some hail damage, but on that old thing, who can tell? I told Harper that between all the sisters-in-law, I was sure we could find her something to wear for now.”
“Oh, of course!” Lydia looked her up and down. “I think you are about the same size as Grace, or maybe Katie. I’ll text them and let them know to bring some things over when they come for dinner.”
