harmonic_tempest

He didn’t say anything, just stared down at her with love and lust in his gaze, as if drinking in every detail of her, as if he wouldn’t get that chance again.

Then he leaned in and kissed her, softly at first, then quickly deepened it, lightly nipping her lower lip, then slipping his tongue into her mouth when she let out a soft squeak that quickly turned into a low moan.

“I think,” Elizabeth managed to say between kisses as Tyler’s lips moved to her neck, peppering hot, open-mouthed kisses along her skin, “we should take this somewhere private,” she continued, before he leaned in and lightly nipped a pulse point below her left jaw and ear. She let out a soft squeal, which Tyler immediately silenced with his lips moving back up to hers.

“Shh, gotta keep quiet, honey,” Tyler murmured, his voice low and husky. “Don’t wanna draw attention, do ya?”

“No,” she said before moaning softly when his lips traveled back down to where he’d nipped the pulse point, where he lightly sucked at the spot until he left the beginning of a bruise behind.

“Then be a good girl for me and keep quiet,” Tyler ordered quietly, and the command in his tone sent a shiver running down her spine. He felt it ripple through her body. “That turn you on, honey? Bein’ my good girl?” he teased, his voice growing huskier as he trailed his lips down her neck to her collarbone, exposed by the tank-top she wore.

“Tyler…” she moaned softly.

“Hang on, darlin’, hang on.” he murmured, pushing himself upright and wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her with him as he moved towards the back of the truck, conveniently pointed away from where the others were gathered.

He was quick to lower the tailgate and lift Elizabeth up into the bed of the truck. He reached over top of her to grab two blankets from the toolbox. One he laid out in the bed of the truck for them to lay on. Though there wasn’t much of a chill in the air, he covered them both with the second.

She wrapped her arms around his waist as he kicked off his boots, which landed with soft ‘thumps’ on the ground behind the truck. Then he shifted to where Elizabeth was on top of him, the two of them covered by the second blanket.

“Are we really about to do this? In the back of your truck with the others so close by?” Elizabeth whispered, and Tyler smirked up at her.

“Well, as I always say, if ya feel it, chase it, honey.” he said in that low, husky voice, before his lips parted, inviting hers to meet them. Their lips met, and Tyler sank back with a low, contented groan, his shoulders hitting the bed of the truck. Elizabeth reached one hand up, attempting to protect the back of his head as he came down.

“Easy there, Cowboy. Don’t need you getting another concussion on my watch.” she said as Tyler started pulling her tank top up so that he could cup her full, perky breasts.

“I’m okay, honey, don’t worry about me.” Tyler assured her. She unbuttoned his shirt, finding nothing underneath – no surprise – save for the soft, dark chest hair that made him look so much more mature, so much sexier than when they’d been younger.

She drew in her knees on either side of his hips, and Tyler wasted no time dipping his fingers down to her belt, unbuckling it, undoing the button and unzipping her jeans.

“Tyler,” Elizabeth giggled softly, “what if someone sees?” she asked, her fingers doing the same with his jeans. He tilted his head, reaching out to adjust the position of the blanket closer around them.

“We’re good,” he said after adjusting the blanket around them, then hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of her jeans and pulled them down, which made her smile. “No one’s gonna see you ‘cept for me.”

Elizabeth swallowed hard as she helped him work her jeans down her legs, and she did the same for him in return. Her fingers danced up and down his chest, catching in the soft, dark hair as she did so, which only heightened Tyler’s arousal.

She could feel how hard he was growing, now that his jeans were gone, and Elizabeth was grateful for the blanket covering them. She settled over top of his hips and straightened up, the blanket falling to her waistline. They were still covered, but when she started to take her shirt off, Tyler was quick to stop her.

“Keep that on, honey. We’re good as long as we got the blanket, but just in case. ‘Sides, I can feel those beautiful tits of yours just fine through that tank top for tonight.” Tyler drawled out.

Elizabeth breathed in sharply as Tyler’s hands went for her breasts, almost to punctuate his words, cupping them both – one in each hand – and smiling up at her with a mischeivous look in his sage-green eyes. Her brows knitted together as she leaned in to press a kiss to his lips.

One of his hands traveled lower, to the middle of her lower back, then hooked two fingers into the band of her panties and snapped the fabric gently against her skin. Elizabeth couldn’t help the moan that slipped out.

Their tongues battled for dominance as Elizabeth cupped Tyler’s length through his boxers. Tyler’s fingers trailed down over the curve of her ass, then around her thigh, before puling her panties aside, careful not to rip them away.

She was quick to free his cock from the confines of his boxers, palming him in her hand for a moment before guiding him to her entrance. She hesitated a moment, taking a deep breath and holding it a moment later before pressing the head of his cock through her folds.

She let out a soft gasp of surprise and pleasure as Tyler’s hands reached down to grip her hips as he seated himself fully inside of her, deeper than he had in the past. When he felt her walls tighten around him almost out of instinct, he let a low groan slip from his mouth and pressed his head into the blanket that they’d set in the truck bed.

“Fuck, baby girl, you feel so good,” he murmured, voice barely audible over their shared breaths. Elizabeth simply held onto him, letting him set the pace, set the rhythm. He rolled his hips up into her, almost out of muscle memory from being a bull rider.

True, it had been several years since he’d used his muscles in such a way, but it still worked like instinct. It was easy. Elizabeth laid herself over him, her arms folded between their chests, hands splayed flat.

Her eyes fluttered shut as she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his collarbone as he rocked her gently, switching back and forth between grinding his hips into her and thrusting his cock in and out of her.

This is a different Tyler, Elizabeth thought to herself. He’s careful, he’s soft, her thoughts continued. In truth, he always had been, but for the life of her, Elizabeth couldn’t think of any other time when they’d been together before where Tyler had seriously made love to her, aside from the night before the events of El Reno.

Most of the time they’d been together, Tyler would have just gone at a steady pace and finished her afterward, using either his mouth, or his fingers, or perhaps both. But now, he was making sure she was pleasured in a way that she finished at the exact same time he did, if not shortly before.

She could tell by the heaviness of his breathing that he was trying to hold off his own orgasm in favor of getting her as close as he could to the edge of her own.

His fingers worked their magic with her clit, stroking the bundle of nerves as his other hand traced patterns up and down her back. Her brain had stopped firing on all cylinders – it had shut off by this point – and the only thing that truly registered was how good Tyler felt inside of her.

Part of her knew that this was stupid and reckless, but in Tyler’s arms, his gentle, loving hold, she knew she’d be safe. No matter how much her instincts warned her that she shouldn’t be doing this, that he should have him pull out instead of coming inside of her, the feeling of their bodies wrapped together so intimately made her disregard every warning. She knew that this was it, that Tyler was the one she wanted. And that he wanted her, more than anything.

“I’m getting close, Belle, I can feel it… God, honey, can I… can I…” Tyler groaned as his hips stuttered, a sign he was reaching the edge. Elizabeth reached up, cupping the back of his head with her hands and cradling him, their faces so close that their noses nearly touched.

When she spoke, her voice was unsteady, but Tyler could see the certainty in her gaze.

“Yes, Ty, I want it. Come inside me, baby, please.” With a few more smooth, solid rolls of his hips, he spilled inside of her, groaning her name like a prayer into the cooling Oklahoma night air. She wasn’t far behind him, her breathing heavy, the euphoria rippling through her mind, body and soul as she collapsed on top of him.

“I can’t believe we just fucking did that.” Elizabeth said, voice coming out in a wheeze, before they shared a chuckle as they came down from the unbelievable high.

“Would you expect anythin’ else?” he asked with a grin, still panting.

“No, never,” she breathed, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips, smiling like a love-sick idiot. Tyler pulled the blanket up and wrapped his arms around her underneath it as they stared up at the stars in the summer sky, both of them drifting off to sleep.

Elizabeth’s head was throbbing the next morning. Tyler got them both up before the sun, pulling her into the shower to clean themselves off from the night before. Tyler’s fingers were gentle as he washed her hair, gently combing through the wet, golden-brown strands. Gentle as he washed her body. He pressed a soft kiss to each shoulder as he washed her back.

The space between her legs was still sore from the previous night’s shared passions, but his fingers still wandered their way between her folds. He kept one palm on the shower wall as he stood behind her, rubbing her clit until she came, shuddering and sobbing softly.

His lips, teeth and tongue at the base of her neck were the only coaching she had through it, “that’s my girl,” he whispered, praising her as though she’d just wrangled her own kind of storm. A storm that he caused.

But it was also a storm that helped soothe the pounding headache, more so than the eggs that Dexter placed on her plate when she made her way to where the others had gathered for breakfast.

“Man, I’m fuckin’ miserable. I think I’ll go sober for the rest of the summer,” Boone groaned from between his palms, which were doing their best to keep his drooping head from falling into the eggs on his own plate.

“Lily’s makin’ her flamin’ peppers tonight.” Dani grinned from the head of the table as she munched on a piece of bacon.” The reaction was as they all expected. Boone picked up his head, perking up as he feigned excitement.

“Really?”

They all laughed, despite how much it aggravated the headaches that they all felt after last night.

“You’re supposed to be soakin’ up the sun and heat, not staring at me, Owens.” Elizabeth chided.

She squinted from where the sun was overhead as she turned to look over at him, the two of them lying out on a dock. They’d found a lake nearby to cool off at, since the pool at the motel they’d chosen was out of order, still, after the most recent bouts of storms.

They’d gone swimming a short while earlier, and were letting the sun dry them off. Something that should have been relaxing.

But as usual, Tyler was clearly distracted. By staring at his girlfriend.

“Who says I can’t do both?” he grinned, laying on one side, head propped by one hand.

“You’re gonna get the worst farmer’s tan that way.”

“It’ll be worth it for the view,” he countered as he leaned in and kissed her, his finger and thumb lightly pinching her chin.

It wasn’t long before the kiss progressed from a sweet peck on the lips to something deeper as he sneakily slipped his tongue into her mouth. She moaned softly as his thumb circled one nipple through the swimsuit top she wore, before his hand moved down her torso to her cut-off shorts, and her bathing suit bottoms underneath, easily slipping past the waist band of both.

“Tyler,” she warned breathlessly as his fingers ran teasingly along her folds, making her shiver.

“What?” he asked innocently, smiling against the soft skin of her neck. “It’s just us out here, honey.”

“Dani and Dexter are literally out on the water.”

“They’re tryin’ to catch dinner for tonight; they’re long gone.” the pad of one finger rubbed against her clit in a slow circle, making a wild gasp slip out from Elizabeth’s lips, her hips bucking to chase his touch.

“Boone,” she swallowed hard, trying to remain the level headed one. “Lily. Kate. Javi.”

“At the store,” he said simply. She yelped as his teeth nipped at her ear. “Let me make my girl feel good.” he added pressure with his finger to her clit, making another moan slip out. “Please,” he whispered softly into her ear.

There were times when Tyler Owens drove her absolutely insane, like now. The sane part of her wanted to pull his hand away, make him take her inside and have his way with her there instead of out in the open.

But sanity had next to no place in their relationship. Sanity didn’t send her chasing after tornadoes with him. Didn’t have her riding him in the back of his truck like she had the previous evening, chasing that other high with adrenaline still flooding her veins.

Sanity always flew out the window when it came to being in love with Tyler Owens. Made her throw caution to the wind, sometimes getting herself into trouble. Made her chase those highs. Made her almost ride the wind.

But above all, it made her want and beg for more every time.

His love for her was soft and yet all-consuming. At times it was a gentleness that made up for the chaos and intensity otherwise. And in other moments, it was a fiery passion that burned hot inside both of them, and the fire never seemed to go out between them.

That was the reason why her legs opened for him, against her better judgment, and why she allowed his fingers slip inside of her past her folds, one thumb rubbing her clit and setting her body alight, her pussy clenching and pulling his fingers in deeper.

“Oh…” the soft moan that slipped past her lips was instinctual, fueled by the fire suddenly rearing up inside of her.

“Don’t stop, honey, don’t stop,” his voice was low growl in her ear as she moved her hips, and Tyler continued his ministrations as her orgasm inched closer and closer. Then, the band in her lower belly finally snapped.

At that same instant, Tyler wove one hand into her hair, turning her head and pulling her mouth to his to silence the louder moan that slipped out. Held her through the euphoric high that left her shivering even with the summer sun beating down on them.

He slipped his fingers out, wet and coated with her cum. His eyes stayed locked on hers as he brought his fingers to his mouth and licked them clean before he grinned at her, grasping her jaw gently with the same hand, kissing her and sharing the ‘fruits’ of his ‘labor’.

Elizabeth couldn’t help another soft moan as she kissed him back, tasting herself on his lips and tongue.

A door slammed. “Hey, lovebirds!” Lily hollered. “We’re back with snacks! Come help us unload!” she continued.

“Comin’!” Tyler yelled back, then looked down at her with a smirk, eyes waggling at the innuendo.

“You’re an idiot,” Elizabeth snickered, pushing at his chest as she rose to her feet and walked down the dock towards the van.

Arms wrapped around her from behind, forcing her pace to slow to a waddle the rest of the way as Tyler pulled her close, planting kisses along her cheek and jaw. She could feel his arousal pressed against her from behind – hardness that he subtly ground against her hip as they moved.

“I love you,” he murmured.

“Love you more,” Elizabeth countered.

Tyler scoffed. “Impossible.”

“Nothing’s impossible, Ty.” she finished their mini ‘argument’.

As they stepped off the last wood plank of the dock, Tyler stopped her, turning her around to lean in and kiss her. She lifted one hand to run her fingers through his lightly-damp sandy-blonde hair.

“Oh, don’t worry ‘bout it, y’all! We got it!” Lily called sarcastically.

Elizabeth laughed softly against Tyler’s lips. “Let’s go help before she refuses to share the good snacks with us.”

“Damn right, I will, Tempe! Move your ass!” Lily yelled, raising and shaking a box of the snacks in question in her arms.

Tyler chuckled and pressed one last kiss to her lips before disentangling himself from her and ran over to the van, leaving her laughing and running after him.

“Seriously?!”

“Quit slackin’!”

“I’m tryin’, a’right?!”

Elizabeth had to stifle her laughter as she and Tyler were playing beer pong against Boone and Lily, both sinking their shots. Lily scowled as she downed her chosen drink. Boone raised his high with a frown before doing the same.

Lily managed to get one in their next turn, even though Boone missed. The way they cheered and high-fived warmed something deep inside of Elizabeth instead of being disappointed. Brought joy to the buzz already humming in her veins from the sips she’d had so far tonight.

Her cheeks were on fire, hurting from all her laughter.

She reached for the cup, ready to down its contents, only to be blocked when Tyler placed his hand over top it, taking it and downing it in one go and winking in her direction. She couldn’t help but stare as his Adam’s apple bobbed before he leaned over and whispered in her ear and placed the empty cup alongside the others. “I wanna take you somewhere.”

It was all the explanation she needed – he didn’t want her too drunk, too far gone. Interestingly she hadn’t seen him drink much that night, save for the few cups that Lily and Boone – mostly the former – landed their ball in.

And some nights, he stayed completely sober, not drinking a single drink.

On the nights that Elizabeth would have just a little too much to drink, he’d send her to the room they were staying in (if they were chasing) until after the others had gone off to bed. He’d pause before joining her in bed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close, face buried in the back of her neck, or if her hair was down, in the sweet-smelling golden-brown locks if she’d freshly showered.

Only for her to surprise him the next morning, waking him with her mouth wrapped around his cock, already half-hard with his arousal.

His hips would push up into her mouth, sporadic and uneven, until he’d fully woken up. His jaw would grow tight before falling open in surprise when he looked down to find her in that position, and watched her circle the tip of his cock with her tongue.

Then she’d pull away, smirking, for just a moment. “Mornin’, Cowboy,” she’d say with a soft smirk. Tyler could only groan softly, matching her smile with one of his own, his expression one of lust and desire that transformed his beautiful features into something that was almost needy.

He would try to speak, to try and say something sweet, more likely filthy, but the words would never come. Just a heavy pant of breath, his teeth biting into and swelling his bottom lip as he watched her, before throwing his head back against the pillow with another groan.

After pulling her mouth away and straddling his hips, she reached down to guide his cock through the wetness accumulated at her folds, keep his eyes on hers as she did so. Her mouth twitched as she slid down onto him slowly. Her eyes fluttered closed as she embraced the familiar, burning stretch.

She began rocking her hips, riding him slowly while leaving marks along his neck and chest from her lips and her nails, the latter digging into his skin when he tried to buck his hips up to meet her – to fuck her harder and set the pace he craved so much when she was on top, a pace he adored, from how much she would lose herself in the pleasure, her breasts bouncing in his face.

But as soon as she felt his hips move, she’d stop her movements completely. The look he gave her was sinfully beautiful, caught between pitiful and needy, and so full of affection.

“Fuck, baby, you feel so good.”

She simply smiled, leaned down and kissed his chin as she started rocking her hips again, just as slowly as before. “I’m just makin’ up for last night.”

“Fuck, you’re gonna kill me.”

Tyler took Elizabeth’s hand and led her to the truck, opening the door on her side for her to climb in.

“You sure it’s safe for you to drive?”

“Honey, have you ever known me to put you in a situation where you weren’t safe?” he lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed the top.

Knowing Tyler the way she did, she could tell whenever he was buzzed or drunk. His cheeks would grow flushed, eyes squinting more than usual when he laughed or smiled. She didn’t see any of that. He was completely sober.

When they finally arrived at their (surprise) destination, Elizabeth turned in her seat to give Tyler a look. He only smiled as he drove through a field of tall grass, then turning to back the truck up the rest of the way before coming to a stop. At first, it look like nothing but marsh land as Elizabeth got out of the truck.

Until she fully stepped out and then walked around the back. The sight before her was incredible – a lake bigger than the biggest EF5 Elizabeth had ever seen, filling the rest of their surroundings and the horizon beyond.

The moon and stars shone like diamonds off the water, painting it the darkest blue Elizabeth had ever seen before. Water lilies floated along the surface, with pickerel weed and cattails lining the shoreline. Crickets and lightning bugs added to the beautiful ambiance of the scene.

“How’d you find this place?” Elizabeth asked quietly as Tyler climbed up into the bed of the truck, pulled out a blanket and pillows… and something else.

“Dex told me about it the other day. Figured it’d be nice to check out.”

“You saps.” Elizabeth teased with a small smile, reaching for his shirt collar and pulling him in for a kiss.

Tyler only proved the sap allegations true when he pulled out two of their favorite bags of snacks. He leaned back against the pillows, and Elizabeth leaned back against his chest. Tyler kept his arms wrapped around Elizabeth as they shared the salty and sweet treats – mini Butterfingers, guacamole and nacho cheese-flavored Takis, honey BBQ beef jerky pieces, and more – their own version of a trail mix made up of their favorite snacks.

Periodically, Elizabeth reached up to feed him one of the snacks as they laid back looking up at the stars.

“I don’t think I can say it enough, honey – you’re so beautiful,” Tyler whispered against her lips once the snacks were gone, fingers licked clean, before pressing a kiss to her lips. The mood began to change, and it wasn’t long before Elizabeth found herself naked under Tyler, his hips thrusting slowly between her thighs, his cock sliding in and out of her.

“So pretty,” he ran a series of kisses along her cheek and jaw before latching onto the soft skin of her neck, “perfect” he whispered between kisses. “My girl.” his words punctuated his thrusts.

His fingers were woven into her hair, at the back of her neck, down at her chest, playing with her nipples and squeezing a hand around one before bringing his mouth down to the pert bud.

Teeth nipped at her collar bone, tongue licking teasingly along the valley between her breasts, and grunts reached her ears.

Fingers trailed down to her hip – to her clit. He was everywhere all at once, consuming her, pulling her apart, putting her back together again in the most exquisite way – slowly, gently, with each stroke, each touch, each kiss, and each nip.

Fucking her like it was the first time all over again. Making love to her like he had all the time in the world.

Like he wanted her to feel every bit of his love and affection with each thrust. Every whispered praise in her ear from his lips.

She dug her fingers into his biceps, legs lifting up and wrapping around his waist, pulling him deeper inside of her. Her heavy breathing, her moans and soft whimpers – all of it was music to his ears.

“Tyler,” she whimpered against his shoulder at one point, the pleasure building up so much that she was nearing her breaking point.

His arms bracketed either side of her head, the pace of his thrusts picking up when he felt her pussy tightening around his cock. “I know. I know, baby.” his words came on a breath, weak and heavy, letting her know that he was just as close to his own release. “I’m gonna come – you gonna take it? Take everything I give you, sweet girl?” she nodded, her nails digging lightly in his back as they reached their shared euphoric release.

Tyler stayed on top of her even after their breathing had even out. He ran his thumb along her cheek as he gazed down at her, his smile soft, expression filled with love and affection. It made her stomach flutter – something that he never failed to do since she’d known him.

When he finally pulled out, neither of them moved for a moment to right themselves, or to head back to where the others were. Instead he covered them both with a second blanket pulled from the tool box. Elizabeth laid her head on Tyler’s chest, eyes closing occasionally as she looked up at the sky.

Tyler’s fingers played with hers, a peaceful silence lingering between them for what felt like forever, basking in the afterglow of the moment between them. Listening to the crickets and frogs around the lake, the fireflies flickering in and out of existence around them.

“Marry me, Belle.” Tyler’s voice was so soft, Elizabeth almost missed what he’d said.

Elizabeth laughed softly. “You just got done rocking my world, and that’s the first thing ya say?” she joked.

She didn’t think twice about it. Yes, Tyler had said countless times that he’d wanted to marry her since they were children. But it also hadn’t been the first time he’d playfully said it either.

So she didn’t think that much of it, until she felt some cold being slipped onto her left ring finger. Tyler lifted her hand so that the moonlight shone down on it, a beautiful diamond twinkling softly.

“I mean it, Belle. Marry me.”

Her heart stuttered in her chest as she sat up, one palm resting against her chest, looking at him with wide eyes. The smile on his face had never been so beautiful.

“Tyler.”

“Belle.”

“Is this for real?”

He let out his loud, bellowing laugh before pulling her into his lap. “I sure hope it is. I’ve been holdin’ on to that for weeks now, waitin’ for the right time.”

“It’s beautiful, but… where did you…?”

“It was my grandmother’s. I told my mom and my aunt before I came back to Oklahoma that I was gonna take the chance at askin’ you to marry me. They insisted on me givin’ you that ring rather than buyin’ one. But after the rodeo I noticed the stone was loose, so while we were at that farmer’s market in Wakita I stopped by an artisan jeweler’s stand, and the lady runnin’ it helped me adjust it. And make sure it would fit.”

Then after Tyler fell silent, his expression changed. The amount of seriousness combined with affection in his gaze as it locked on hers made her heart stutter.

“Tyler? What is it?”

“There’s somethin’ I need to say to ya, Belle. Somethin’ I’ve been wantin’ to say but never could find the right time.”

“Okay, let’s hear it.” Elizabeth replied, watching him closely.

Tyler took a deep breath to steady his sudden case of nerves, letting it out before he began to speak. “Belle, these last few weeks, since comin’ back to Oklahoma, and everythin’ that’s happened since then, has only made me realize that I’ve fallen more deeply in love with you than I’ve ever been. I told ya time and time again that I’ve loved ya since we were kids, and I’ve meant it every time. And I’ve meant it every single time. But tonight… tonight it feels like it’s become a whole lot more than that.”

Elizabeth went to speak, but Tyler held up a finger against her lips, silencing her. “Let me get this out, honey. Please. You know this don’t come easy to me.” Elizabeth nodded, and he pulled his finger away. “I know you, Belle. Even when we were kids, you didn’t really let people in. Not a lot of ‘em, anyway.”

You were an exception. Elizabeth thought. A big one. She stared into his eyes.

“When we were doin’ rodeos together, especially after your accident in Austin, I wanted to tell ya how I felt, and how deeply I felt it. But then I pushed ya away after my accident, when all you were tryin’ to do was help me. Even to this day I keep thinkin’ I was the world’s biggest fuckin’ idiot for pushin’ you away and not seein’ what was right in front of me. Til Boone set me straight, that is.”

Elizabeth couldn’t help the soft snort that slipped out. That brought a small smile to Tyler’s face before he continued.

“I didn’t deserve your forgiveness for how much of an asshole I was then, and I still feel sometimes like I still don’t, even now, when I push ya too hard or get on your case.” Tyler admitted. His voice grew strained, but didn’t break. “That night I ran into you in that bar in the city? I’d coasted into town on fumes, mentally, after a rough week. When I saw ya, it was like a beacon of hope. The calm after the storm.”

Elizabeth nodded soundlessly, encouraging him to continue.

“But when I laid eyes on ya, I didn’t see the Belle I knew and loved. I saw a broken, empty shell of who she used to be, the light in her eyes damn near extinguished, and as miserable as she could be. And that damn near broke my heart and had me fuckin’ terrified all at once. ‘Cause it was like a part of you – the best damn part of you – had died along with your friends, and I didn’t even know if I could help you get it back.”

Elizabeth’s lip trembled, tears burning in the backs of her eyes.

“So I decided then and there to try to help ya get back in the saddle, even if ya ended up hatin’ me for it. Better that ya hated me for it than for me never to try at all. Because then all the chases we went on after that night, including that one near Moore when I kissed ya, never woulda happened. And I never would’ve had that chance to fall for ya, more and more each day. Even if it meant spendin’ time apart at the end of the season with you workin’ and me stayin’ with my team.”

“It all mattered so much to me because it meant takin’ the chance to find the old you again, to see you smile again, to hear you laugh again, to see that light in your eyes that I only see when you’re doin’ somethin’ you love so much, somethin’ that is so much a part of you.”

“That day near Moore, with the EF3, I finally saw the old you, from six years ago. The light in your eyes had come back, almost like it never left. Your smile could’ve lit up the dark side of a storm. And your laugh… God, Belle, your laughter was like music to my ears. I’d been waitin’ and waitin’ to hear that after what you went through. And when I kissed ya, I… I realized that I’d do anything to keep you by my side.”

“Up til now I’ve never really bought into the whole idea of soulmates. But after everything we’ve been through, I can’t really find any other way to describe it – to describe how I feel. But I’m givin’ it my best shot right here and now.”

“Belle, you light up every room ya walk into, make everything about my day better, and my heart aches when you’re not here with me. You’re the first thing that’s on my mind when I get up in the morning, and the last thing I think about before I got to sleep. There’s never been a day I haven’t wanted to wake up with you in my arms. There aren’t many people lucky enough to meet their soulmate. But all those years ago, when I nine and you seven, I met mine. And she’s right here in front of me, just as she’s always been.”

“I love you so much that it hurts, Belle. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. So will you make me the happiest man in the world by being my wife? Will you marry me, Elizabeth Harding?”

Elizabeth was chewing on her bottom lip, trying to hold back the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She looked down at the beautiful ring that Tyler had placed on her left hand. Looked back up to him and was surprised to see that his eyes were watery.

“You been waiting this long? That’s insane.” Elizabeth managed to say.

Tyler chuckled. “Well, if ya want somethin’, ya take it.”

“You already have me, Tyler. You always have.”

“And I ain’t ever lettin’ go, honey.” He grabbed her hands in his, his thumbs running over the rings on either finger – the gold wire-wrapped peridot ring he’d made and given her so long ago, and now the diamond ring on her left hand. One represented the history they’d shared over so many years. The other represented the bright future that stood before them, if she would have him.

There wasn’t anything Elizabeth had ever wanted more in her life.

“Yes.”

“Yes?” he asked, as though he was surprised, his smile and laughter filled with a childlike joy, the epitome of happiness. Like a child finally getting the wish he’d made forever.

“Yes!” He took her face in his hands, kissing her. Kissing her until they both were laughing, all teeth and tongues and lips. One of them was crying, and while she wasn’t sure if it was Tyler or her that was shaking or cheering.

“I love you,” he whispered. Under the palm that rested on his chest, Elizabeth could feel his heart beat, strong and steady and sure. His hands were hot against her now tear-stained cheeks. Thumbs swiped loose tears away.

“I love you more.” Elizabeth countered.

“Impossible.” Tyler argued amid a wet chuckle.

“Nothing’s impossible, Tyler.”

She’d barely finished speaking before Tyler kissed her again. Whispering over and over that she loved him, hearing him say it back, made her heart stutter. This man was going to be her husband. This man who had taken up such a big place in her life, in her heart. Given her a love that put storybooks and fairytales to shame. Given her a family that would only grow if they decided on it together.

And it was absolutely perfect.

Elizabeth couldn’t imagine marrying anyone but Tyler Owens.

And she couldn’t wait to.

The next morning, it was impossible to hide the shift. Elizabeth was absolutely glowing at breakfast.

Kate and Boone had been the first to spot it. Boone had teased Tyler about ‘getting it’ the night before.

But it was Kate who zoned in on the ring. After she pointed it out, Elizabeth and Tyler raised their joined hands into the air, the ring gleaming in the morning summer sun. The entire crew erupted into cheers.

“Yes!”

“Hell yeah!”

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

“That’s ma man!”

“Bout damn time!”

Boone grabbed Elizabeth’s hand, spinning her around and laughing excitedly. Lily and Kate already started mapping out the perfect location for the wedding, and Dani, Dex and Javi were hugging and/or clapping Tyler on the back. That day marked more celebration than after the success of the tamer project at El Reno.

Dex prepared the biggest breakfast Elizabeth had ever had on the road, so big that everyone groaned and lounged in the common room of the motel, watching movies and shows they’d all seen a dozen times, aiding in their heart meal putting them all to sleep.

It was a nice nap that had them all waking up more rested than they first had that morning, spending a wonderful afternoon out at the lake again out on the water. Tyler and Dex grilled the fish they caught over the bonfire.

Elizabeth had her legs in Tyler’s lap, all of the Wranglers sedated and full once again, and laughing around the bonfire until Boone emerged from the camper with two bottles in hand: one tequila, one whiskey.

“Oh, no,” Lily said, laughing into her hand.

“No way.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Ya never mix light and dark, c’mon, Boone, ya know this!”

“Guys, c’mon, we’re celebratin’.” Boone ignored everyone’s protests and grabbed shot glasses he’d been keeping safe in his pockets. He filled them up with tequila after asking the bride-to-be what she wanted, a huge grin on his face.

He slid Elizabeth her glass and Tyler’s, Tyler shaking his head with amusement written across his face. Elizabeth frowned playfully. “Happy wife, happy life?” she said.

Tyler snorted and pinched her legs teasingly before grabbing his glass. “I’m not helpin’ you if you get stuck some place, Boone.” Boone made a face, but it vanished when everyone clinked their glasses together, throwing back the liquor.

The next night, the weather was a bit cooler than anticipated for a summer night. A cold front had moved through behind a strong storm system (no potential for tornadoes, sadly, so nothing to chase).

So they were all hanging out around the bonfire – a rare night of sobriety, to give their livers a break, no doubt – telling stories and laughing around the fire. Dex was telling one particularly interesting one, while Dani and Lily were getting dessert from the camper. Boone was laying in the grass, listening intently to Dex, while Kate and Javi sat across the fire from Tyler and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth sat in Tyler’s lap, smiling to herself as his fingers roamed along her legs. Every now and then, his fingers would wander to find the ring on her left hand, twisting it gently around on her finger, as though he were making sure it was still there. Then he looked over to her, smiling at her before leaning in for a kiss.

The night was filled with more laughter by the time Lily brought out the s’mores kits she’d gotten for everyone.

“Eight is a bit much.”

“Uh, have ya seen the way Boone eats?”

“She’s got ya there.” Boone agreed before tearing into a burnt marshmallow on the stick in his hand.

Tyler roasted one, holding the stick while Elizabeth happily ate the melted, sugary marshmallow. “Want some?” she asked, turning to him. His answer came in the form of planting his mouth over hers and kissing her until her mouth parted, and his tongue ran along her bottom lip and into her mouth. Elizabeth giggled softly.

“When you guys get married, will we see less of this?” Kate asked.

“More, probably.” Javi shrugged, smirking teasingly.

“Less. They’ll have their own place by then.” Dani said.

“What? We won’t all be shackin’ up together anymore?”

“Boone, they’ll be married, ya dummy.”

“They’re already practically married now!”

Elizabeth laughed against Tyler’s lips. Then he pulled away, long enough to say, “Y’all are losing your invites real fast.” he warned.

“What did I do?!” Dex asked innocently around a marshmallow.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

“Where is she?” Tyler’s voice was hard, cold, and filled with anger.

Boone and Lily both turned to him as he approached. They shared an uncertain glance before turning back to him.

He’d slammed the door of his truck, approaching the other Wranglers at a gas station parking lot near Guthrie with a look on his face so completely out of character that it made them all shift with unease.

“Where’s… who?” Boone tried weakly, unsuccessfully playing dumb. Lily just rolled her eyes, elbowing him in the ribs while glaring at him.

“Don’t play around, Boone.” Lily hissed.

Tyler clenched his jaw – for once not in the mood for his friend’s antics, knowing it was a stall tactic. “You know damn well who I’m talkin’ about.”

That led to a round of nervous glances shared around the team. Even Kate and Javi, relatively new to the Wranglers, could tell something was off. This wasn’t the calm, collected yet also charismatic and charming Tyler Owens, the Tornado Wrangler they all knew.

“She’s in the RV waitin’ to go over the data with Dex, but I don’t think -” Dani began, but he was already moving, speed-walking towards the camper before she could finish.

He could hear and feel his heartbeat pulsing in his ears as he nearly burst through the door, finding Elizabeth sitting alone at the little table in the back, her back to him. It looked like she had her head in her hands.

Her head came up and spun around at the sound of his entrance into the RV, and her face immediately turned pale when she saw him practically fuming. “Tyler -” she began to say, getting to her feet as he approached her, looking as if she was about to have to defend herself.

But he wasn’t in the mood.

“You wanna tell me what the hell you were thinkin’ back there, Belle?” he seethed, quickly towering over her, jaw clenched, hands on his hips.

She swallowed hard, nervous around this version of him. She was terrified – terrified to have upset him, terrified to have disappointed him – again.

“Tyler, I swear,” Elizabeth pleaded, “I was just trying to do the right thing.” she continued. Tyler just scoffed at her words.

“’The right thing’?” he questioned, voice filled with disbelief, having cut her off while shaking his head. “You call nearly getting yourself killed – again – ‘doing the right thing’?” he demanded.

She took a shaky breath, squeezing her eyes shut at the reminder of what she’d done, the venom in his voice that was ordinarily so gentle, so sweet and tender when directed at her making her heart ache.

Memories of what had transpired nearly an hour earlier flooded her consciousness, and she felt a lump begin to form in her throat.

“I couldn’t lose the data,” she whispered softly, her gaze never leaving the ground as she looked down in shame.

“Bullshit,” Tyler snapped, jaw clenched as his breathing picked up. His sage-green eyes scanned her face, trying to understand what the hell had driven her to risk herself the way she had.

“You of all people should know that ya don’t go into the path of an oncoming EF3 to recover equipment, especially when it’s replaceable when you sure as hell aren’t. So why in God’s name would you go and do something so stupid, running headfirst into danger like that?” Tyler continued angrily, practically spitting, his voice rising and growing more emotional.

Her breathing hitched, eyes welling up with unshed tears at the reminder of her brash, reckless actions. She felt ashamed and almost embarrassed as Tyler practically berated her.

He was her best friend. Her boyfriend. Dare she say it, her soulmate. They were a pair that the rest of the team more frequently referred to as “the dynamic duo”, though a few of them jokingly also called them ‘lovebirds’, unless they were arguing.

Their shared passion for storms and taste for adventure amid the danger had lasted more than half of their lives. So in that moment, Tyler’s harsh reminder of her choices stung more than one would expect.

Aside from the accident more than a decade ago that ended his rodeo career, she’d never seen or heard him be so upset with her, so emotional in the worst way.

His tone was always soft, teasing, and sometimes so overtly flirty with his teasing jokes that would leave her with blush-flushed cheeks and a racing heart.

But this was different, so very different. His gaze and expression were harsh, curses tumbling from his lips while all she could do was try to explain herself. And she was starting to hate every moment of it, of his scrutinizing, penetrating stare.

“I… it’s just, you worked so hard to get everything together for this. I didn’t want us to have to start from scratch, not after all the effort we’d put into it.” even as the words tumbled past her lips, they sounded pathetic. Her voice cracked as her emotions began to show.

Tyler shook his head before stepping closer into her space. “And you thought it’d be worth risking your life for? Belle, you know better than that. I know you.” he gritted out, brow furrowed, down-turned lips looking so out of of place on his normally easy-going, smiling face.

Another shuddering breath escaped her as she tried to keep herself under control. The real reason she’d been so willing to act so recklessly had been born from the thought that he would be devastated at losing everything they’d worked for, all because they’d pushed a bad position.

It hurt so badly that she would’ve done what she could to save that equipment, or at least most of it, anything to be the hero that he was to her. That he’d always been to her.

“I didn’t get hurt, though,” she spat finally, “I knew I had enough time to get what mattered -” she continued, but Tyler cut her off before she could get the rest of the words out.

“You didn’t have time, Belle.” his voice was deadly calm yet angry all at once, and he gripped her shoulders as he shook her gently. She dared to look up into his eyes, seeing his burning gaze as he stared down at her, trying to understand.

“If Boone hadn’t been close by, you very easily could’ve been killed. You would’ve died, and there would’ve been nothin’ I could’ve done to stop it.” he choked out, his grip on her tightening.

She could see his eyes watering now, his anger gradually fizzling out and being replaced with something verging on desperate, on panicked.

He could still remember the purely unadulterated feeling of fear as she’d slipped out of the safety of his truck before he’d been able to stop her, watching helplessly as she sprinted out into the open field where the heaviest winds and torrential rains were the worst, and getting worse by the second.

He heard the echoes of the devastated scream of her name that had ripped itself free from his chest, something that hadn’t happened since El Reno, lost to the howling winds.

And he sure as hell couldn’t forget the overwhelming fear and helplessness that took hold of him when the rains became so heavy that he could no longer see her, no longer be sure that she hadn’t been sucked up into that raging funnel, or wounded by the flying debris. Or worse.

It was only a few minutes later when Boone had radioed in that Elizabeth had made it to the van with the most critical equipment intact that Tyler felt he could finally breathe.

Save for the events of El Reno when she’d taken his truck to tame the tornado, it had been the most terrifying moment of his life.

“Belle, do you understand how important you are to everyone on this team? What you mean to me?” he rasped, his voice softer now, gentler, yet more broken-sounding. “That damn equipment ain’t worth your life. Not in the slightest. I need you to understand that.”

His eyes were softer now, his gaze tender as it raked over her face, her body. He took in the scrapes and cuts that littered her cheeks, a patch of dried blood on her forehead near her left temple.

His heart ached at the thought of her getting hurt again, even if the injuries had been relatively minor this time.

She noticed that nearly all the anger had left his expression, that his demeanor had completely changed, replaced by the one emotion that had been truly brewing beneath the surface: the crippling fear of the possibility of losing her.

A single tear slid down her face at the sight, along with the more vulnerable tone of his words, her heart breaking as she realized the consequences of her actions and what effect they’d had on him – the man she loved – and he clocked it immediately.

He was quick to gently wipe away the tear with the pad of one thumb, his touch lingering on her cheek as he stared silently into her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice breaking as she tried and failed to hold back a sob. Without hesitating, he wrapped her up in his arms, cradling her head to his chest and pulling her so close to him that no space lingered between them, their bodies practically molded together.

“Shh, it’s alright, it’s alright, sweetheart,” he cooed softly, one hand stroking through her hair as she cried softly. He was back to his old self for the most part, all the anger and frustration having bled away.

Through the tears, Elizabeth felt her face grow warm with blush at his use of the term of endearment. No matter how many times he used it, it always made her heart flutter, always made her feel special.

“I’m the one who should be apologizing. I shouldn’t have yelled at ya, sweetheart. Ya didn’t deserve that, ‘specially with what you’ve been through.” he murmured into her ear, tightening his arms around her.

He silently wanted to smack himself, angry with himself for defaulting to anger and frustration, when she likely had been scared and upset, too. But thinking in that moment that she’d died in that tornado, especially after what had happened in El Reno just over a month ago, it had struck a nerve so hard and so deep inside of him that he’d reacted irrationally.

He stewed in his remorse for just a moment longer before he spoke, forcing himself to admit something that might’ve painted him as being a little too vulnerable, but he had to get it off his chest before it threatened to consume him.

“You scared me half to death, darlin’. You know I can’t stand the thought of losin’ you. I just can’t. It… it would tear me apart worse than any damn tornado ever could.” his whispered words were so raw, so tinged with emotion and the horror he’d felt, that her breath hitched.

She pulled herself away from his comforting embrace to look at him, really get a good look at him, and what she saw made her heart ache. His eyes were red and glassy – a clear sign that he’d been crying. His muscles were taut with what she knew to be anxiety, as though every fiber in his body had been stretched to the limit after she’d jumped out of his truck.

His hair was messy – and she knew he’d been running his hand through it – the way she knew he did when he was stressed, or worried.

The thought that she was causing him that much worry, that much pain, stole the breath from her lungs, leaving her feeling dizzy, bordering on nauseated.

“I only tried to save that equipment because I knew how important the research was to you. To both of us.” she whispered, voice shaky, but full of sincerity; she meant every word. “I know how much it means to you, trying to find a way to keep these killer tornadoes from causing so much damage and ruining so many innocent lives. I just… I wanted to do something brave and selfless for you, the way you’ve done for me since you came back into my life.” her voice caught, soft but steady, and she swallowed hard as she met his gaze again.

His lips were parted slightly as he processed her admission, the affection and reverence in her words staggering him slightly. The knowledge of how deeply she cared, that she found him brave and selfless (aside from the cockiness that was mainly just for show), and wanted to return the way that it made her feel filled his heart with so much love, so deeply, that he felt like he might drown in it.

“Belle, honey, you’re-” he rasped out, pausing long enough to clear his throat so that he wouldn’t sound as raw and weak.

“You’re so damn sweet, honey. You’ve got such a big heart, and that’s what I love most about you. But please, please don’t be as reckless as I am. I’ve thrown myself into danger headfirst so much because I’ve developed the bad habit of not thinkin’ it through first. When the adrenaline hits, my judgment gets clouded by the thought of helping someone, and I wind up getting tunnel vision because of it. It’s gotten me in trouble more times than I care to admit, a few too many times where it could’ve been the end of me.” he murmured gently, his hands resting on her shoulders and squeezing gently. “I won’t let you be that reckless – I refuse to let you be that reckless. You mean too damn much to me.”

Her eyes widened at the tenderness in his voice after all the anger and frustration that had poured out, the affection and worry practically dripping from his every word. It felt like their conversation was verging on something deeper, something more vulnerable and terrifying.

“Tyler…” her voice threatened to break under the overwhelming swirl of emotions racing inside of her. “I love -” his lips were on hers before she could even finish.

The feeling of Tyler’s lips against hers in that moment had never felt so raw yet so real at the same time, but she knew for damn sure she didn’t ever want him to stop if he could help it.

One hand tenderly cupped her cheek, the other snaking its way into her hair, his fingers tangling through the golden-brown strands as he pulled her closer to him. She let out a soft gasp as his grip tightened, his lips moving against hers with an almost feral level of desperation, and something more.

The salt from their tears mixed with his sweet taste – honey and peppermint and something uniquely Tyler – leaving her to melt deeper into him and the warmth of his presence. She could feel every ounce of his turbulent, pent-up emotions being poured into the kiss, and it threatened to leave her completely breathless.

After thinking he’d lost her that day, Tyler would have been content just to kiss her like that forever if he could, reassuring himself that she was still there, that she was still his. And showing her over and over again what she meant to him.

He finally got a handle on his emotions and pulled away for just a moment, looking down at her, eyes soft, wanting to make sure he hadn’t pushed too far. A soft, breathless laugh escaped her lips as she looked back up at him, looking a little woozy. Had his taste been that intoxicating?

He huffed a laugh, unable to say anything at first, and she could see his eyes shining with an almost limitless level of adoration for her. Then his eyes roamed over her, taking in every inch of her muddy, soaking wet clothes, her scraped-up hands, the shallow cut at her temple.

Regret coursed through him again at the way he’d raised his voice at her, even if it had been out of fear over losing her. “You sure you aren’t hurt, honey?” he asked in a soft murmur, his expression growing tense with seriousness.

Elizabeth nodded, one hand moving up to rest on top of his as it cupped her cheek. “I’m okay, Cowboy, I promise. Just a little scraped up from slipping in the mud. Remember, I ain’t the most graceful thing on two feet when it rains.” she reassured him, her tone verging on joking at her last words.

But she could feel the lingering weight of his gaze on her slightly bloodied-up face. Could feel the apprehension in his stare, the constant worry for her well-being that was so endearing she wanted to kiss him again and again as a means of soothing those worries.

“I won’t do anything like that again, I swear. I got carried away and lost in the moment and didn’t think before reacting.” he nodded slowly, letting her words wash over him, a comforting balm to his racing, raging thoughts.

“You’d better not,” he teased softly, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I still plan on marrying you one day, so no more runnin’ headfirst into tornadoes, ya hear me? Can’t have my girl actin’ like a crazy daredevil like me, ‘specially when I know first hand she’s so much smarter than that.”

She felt her cheeks grow warm as he called her ‘his girl’, the words rolling off his tongue so easily that she swore her heart skipped a beat or two.

She laughed as she leaned into his touch, the sound resonating around them both like music.

“Alright, alright,” she giggled with exaggerated exasperation, “no more runnin’ headfirst into tornadoes, I swear. On my honor. But you have to promise me that you’ll be careful. You’re a frickin’ adrenaline junkie and more of a troublemaker than I’ve ever been.”

He laughed at her jab, and his body felt lighter than it had the whole day since she’d bolted from the truck. She’s safe. He told himself.

She’s safe, she’s here, alive in my arms and teasing me as she always does. He couldn’t help the smile growing across his face, making him look like a grinning fool.

“Sweetheart,” he murmured with a teasing glint in his eye, “you’d need to get my head checked if I were to ever run away from you and into a tornado. No man in their right mind would leave someone as beautiful and smart as you behind. And if they did, they’re a fuckin’ moron for doing so.”

He leaned in and kissed her one more time, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly as he felt her smile against his lips.

Time had gone by faster than Tyler cared to admit. The weather had finally mellowed enough for Kate and Elizabeth to fly to New York to speak to the review board. And Tyler was not ready for Elizabeth to leave, even though it was temporary.

Tonight’s gonna be the night. He thought. Why do I keep putting this off? This is getting ridiculous.

He’d stopped her at the airport all those weeks ago, thinking she was running. He knew now that she wasn’t. That she was helping Kate, and ultimately helping with their continued research. The grant money would help them keep the PAR radars.

But it didn’t lessen the sting of the thought of spending time apart from her.

Their flight was scheduled to depart in the morning. So when the last tornado of the day had dissipated, the Wranglers had stumbled across a motel and had agreed to clean up and get some rest.

“Belle?” He’d stopped her as she’d begun to trudge up the stairs to their room, and she turned around to face him.

“Yeah?”

“Do you think -” he hesitated. “Could I take you out to dinner tonight? Just us?” he reached up with the intent of brushing some dirt from her cheek, though his hand lingered longer than necessary. She automatically leaned into his touch.

“You mean on a date?” she teased quietly.

Tyler chuckled, a little nervously. “Yeah, exactly that. I’m pretty sure the only place open around here is the Lucky Spur, so I can’t guarantee how good it’ll be, but -”

“Sounds good to me. Kate wanted me to go over the notes one more time tonight, so, eight o’clock?”

He nodded, a little too vigorously. “Eight o’clock.”

At seven-thirty, Tyler entered the bar determined to stow these unexpected, uncharacteristic jitters and make his goddamned move already. The box in his pocket felt heavy though, which didn’t help his nerves one bit.

As far as romantic settings went, upon entering the Lucky Spur Tyler determined he’d just have to make the most of what looked like a meager atmosphere. Country music blared from a cheap, substandard sound system, and filled the bar with muted, crackled country ballads. The air was stale, and smelled of peanuts, various types of alcohol, and over-perfumed patrons.

He spotted Elizabeth, who smiled and waved at him from a booth across the room. Her beautiful hazel-green eyes drew him in like a magnet. His stride was confident as he walked through the room, crossing a packed dance floor of denim, cowboy hats, and the clacking of boots on the oak floor.

“You’re early,” he noted as he sat down beside her.

“So are you, Cowboy.” she observed, smirking.

Backlit by the honey-colored piss-poor attempt at ambient lighting, her hair seemed to have an ethereal glow, her eyes bright, warm and inviting. As long as he’d known Elizabeth, Tyler had been accustomed to seeing her in multiple states of being: completely disheveled, freshly scrubbed, but his absolute favorite was when he saw her completely polished, which stirred a fresh feeling of love, affection and even yearning inside of him.

She looked absolutely beautiful in the light blue sundress she’d worn the night before El Reno, along with her horseshoe and lightning bolt necklaces and the earrings that matched the latter. On her right hand was the familiar gold wire-wrapped peridot ring he’d given her so long ago. And if tonight went the way Tyler hoped, that wouldn’t be the only ring she’d wear.

Her golden-brown hair hung in soft, loose waves over her shoulders, and Tyler could faintly smell the scent of her shampoo – tonight’s pairing being desert grass and sandalwood – that mingled with the familiar, comforting undertones of lavender, sage, apples, leather, and cinnamon.

“I’ve always said that you’re beautiful, darlin’,” Tyler murmured, trying not to looked as stunned as he felt, “But tonight you look fuckin’ stunning.” he added.

“You cleaned up nicely yourself, Cowboy.” Elizabeth replied teasingly.

In truth he’d done more than his usual level of effort to clean himself up – the dark-blue button down he’d worn on their first date, his usual jeans, cowboy boots and buckle belt, and, of course, his hat. But he’d added a soft, dark-brown blazer. His wild, normally unruly hair had been tamed somewhat, but still looked a bit windswept.

Jake would’ve given him hell for paying so much attention to his appearance tonight of all nights. But Tyler didn’t give a shit. Wasn’t like the cocky little shithead was there to judge him, anyhow.

Tyler gave her a soft, loving smile before his eyes moved from her to notice a notepad in front of her at the table, along with a glass of whatever it was she was drinking. “Thought you were takin’ a break tonight from the presentation?” he asked.

Elizabeth sighed and shrugged. “I wanted to go over a few final details. Kate thinks everything’s perfect – I just want to be sure we get this right since we have so much riding on it.”

“Make any progress?” Tyler asked, grabbing the notebook and scanning over her neatly-written notes.

“Not really,” she sighed again. “Would you want to read through it? Let me know what ya think?” she asked.

“Sure. But I’d bet Ol’ Red that you’re overthinkin’ it, honey.”

“Don’t be betting your truck on that, Owens. You overestimate my confidence.” Elizabeth warned.

“And I have every confidence that you’ll be fine, darlin’.” Tyler told her. “But send me a copy – I’ll read through it.”

She pulled out her phones, tapping at the keys and sending the file to him. Without looking up from her phone, she said, “I’m glad you came early, Tyler.”

“Oh, yeah?” he smiled, teasingly, “why’s that?”

Finished with her phone, her hazel-green eyes evaluated their immediate surroundings before she leaned in closer to him, lowering her voice. “Before you got here there was this creep that wouldn’t take no for an answer. He keeps comin’ around and circling me like I’m a piece of meat.”

That made the hairs on the back of Tyler’s neck bristle. “Need me to scare him off, darlin’?” he asked, voice low, an edge of something dangerous in his tone.

“Need? No. I could probably do it myself. But want? Yes. Very much so.”

“Okay, I can do that.” he smiled widely.

Elizabeth tilted her head, curious. “Why do you look so eager all of a sudden?”

Tyler chuckled. “Because I like bein’ helpful to you.”

“Have I not already told you how incredibly helpful I find you?” she teased.

“Not nearly enough, darlin’.” his eyes stayed trained on her, drinking in the sight of her in the moment.

The creep seemed to appear out of nowhere at their table, too tall and too attractive, Tyler thought, with dark hair and bright blue eyes. His choice of dress was similar to Tyler’s, minus the blazer. Everything on him looked polished, brand new. As if bought that same day.

He placed a glass of liquor in front of Elizabeth, ignoring Tyler’s presence entirely. “Hello again, there, beautiful. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, neat, right?”

“Well, that’s mighty generous of you,” Tyler drawled before snatching the glass and downing it in one go, setting the empty glass back on the table. “This sure is a friendly place.”

The creep glared at him, seething. “That wasn’t for you, cowboy.” he sneered.

Tyler decided the best thing would be to feign confusion, to hopefully keep from getting into a fight. “Well, my apologies, then. When you said ‘beautiful’ I thought you were talkin’ to me.”

Elizabeth giggled softly, covering it by clearing her throat.

“And just who the fuck are you?” the creep snarled at Tyler.

“See, now here I thought for sure you were a fan of mine.” Tyler continued the act. “I get a lot of free drinks from my fans.”

“Is this your boyfriend?” the creep asked Elizabeth.

She gazed over at Tyler, hazel-green eyes shining affectionately. “You could say that. Along with the distinct and growing possibility of being more than that.”

Tyler smirked, although it took everything he had not to let out a victory crow. “You hear that, buddy? A growin’ possibility.”

“You’re a dick is what you are.”

Tyler shrugged. “Eh, I’ve been called worse. Today even.”

Elizabeth laughed softly again, and the creep turned towards her again. “What kinda bitch doesn’t say she’s got a boyfriend?”

Tyler stood in a heartbeat, physically putting himself between Elizabeth and the creep. Arms folded and voice going cold, Tyler nearly growled, “You’re gonna walk away, right now. Nope, don’t even look at her. Don’t talk to her. Just walk the fuck away. Go, now.”

The creep stared him down a moment, as though weighing his options. Despite the creep’s height advantage – he was well over six feet – Elizabeth wasn’t worried. Tyler’s sturdy presence and unshakable conviction made it all the more believable that height didn’t matter.

“What a waste,” the creep finally snarled, and stomped away like a petulant child. For a beat or two, Tyler didn’t move, eyes trained on the other man’s back until he’d left the bar.

Then his posture finally relaxed, and he sat back down next to her.

“My knight in shining armor.” Elizabeth teased warmly. “You white-knighted me there.”

Tyler chuckled. “Told ya before, darlin’. I’m more of a knight in a cowboy hat. But let’s get back to that distinct possibility you were talkin’ about.”

Elizabeth laughed softly before leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips. “You know I’m flyin’ out in the morning, baby.” she said as she pulled away, touching her forehead to his.

“But you’re comin’ back.” he countered.

“Yeah. Don’t know how long it’ll take though. Kate said she wanted to show me around.”

Tyler scowled. “That’s the first I’m hearin’ about that part. You’re not thinkin’ about stayin’ in New York with her if she stays, are you? You don’t belong there, darlin’.”

“What makes you so sure?”

His expression soured further, looking more than a little irritated. “C’mon, Belle, you’re tellin’ me you’d be happier in New York? I mean, I’ve seen your face when we’re out there chasin’ storms. You light up brighter than a firefly! You sure as shit aren’t gonna let us do this without ya.”

She blinked softly at him, a teasing edge to her expression.

Confusion and then relief melted onto his face. “You’re makin’ me squirm on purpose, aren’t ya?”

“Just a little.” she shrugged, smiling slightly.

Tyler snorted. “You little demon.”

She laughed. “I’ve been called worse by better.” Under the glow of the lights, almost like cozying up beside a crackling fire on a cold winter evening, it was damn-near impossible not to feel the deep, familiar warmth and joy of being the sole recipient of his full attention.

“And yet you still love me.” Tyler teased.

“More than anything.” she replied softly.

In spite of knowing Tyler for years, every flirt and tease sometimes felt like the first time all over again. Just when she thought she had him figured out, he went and surprised her. Though, to be fair, the same could be said about her.

“Jesus Christ,” Tyler said a moment later, jarring her from her thoughts. “What kinda whiskey are you drinkin’, darlin’?” he glanced down at the glass still in front of her, feeling slightly buzzed. “That shit’s strong.”

“Seriously? It’s just Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey.” she replied.

“Huh. Stronger than I thought.”

“Or you’re turning into a lightweight since you mostly drink beer.”

“Says the one who gets buzzed on three shots of tequila.”

“Seriously? It was one time!”

As the playful banter continued back and forth, Tyler casually slid his free hand – the one that hadn’t reached over to hold hers on the table – into the pocket of his jeans. But just as he was about to slide out of the booth and ask the question that had been burning all evening, a sudden wave of vertigo hit him, hard, and he quickly put both of his palms on the table to steady himself.

“Tyler, are you okay?” The teasing was gone from Elizabeth’s voice, replaced by concern, if not fear.

Tyler squinted as a sleepy warmth spread through his limbs, through his body. “I had one drink – the one that creep brought for you – and that was it.”

“What’re you talking about? Are you getting sick or something?”

“Or something.” His jaw muscles clenched, eyebrows drawing together, his expression looking as though he was deliberating on something painful, or difficult.

“Tyler?” Elizabeth managed to slip past him and got out of the booth, kneeling in front of him, gently placing her hands atop his on the table. “Talk to me. Are you okay?”

He met her gaze, and Elizabeth was startled by the dawning edge of fury in his eyes. “I think that sonofabitch roofied your drink. The one I took.”

Horror hit Elizabeth all at once. “What?! Are you sure?”

“Yeah, and I’m gonna feed him his fuckin’ teeth for that.” he growled as he stood, then immediately sat back down when he swayed on his feet. “After the room quits spinning.”

“Tyler, we… we need to get you to a hospital.” she grabbed the notepad from the table and slid it into a messenger bag that she’d left sitting beside him, slinging it over her shoulder.

“I don’t need a hospital, darlin’.”

“You don’t even know what he might’ve put in there, or how much of it, for that matter.”

“I don’t need a damn hospital, Belle.” he scowled. “I’m fuckin’ wasted, not dyin’.”

Her face twisted in concern, brows drawn together, a familiar flicker of fear in her hazel-green eyes. “How do you feel?”

He shrugged. “Like I had those three shots of tequila.”

“If you won’t let me take you to the hospital, then we need to at least get you back to the room before you pass out.”

“Not gonna pass out, honey.”

“How can you be so sure?” she asked, tilting her head. A thought came to mind, and it horrified her. “Have you been roofied before?”

“Nah, ‘course not.”

Elizabeth took a deep breath. “I have. So trust me when I say we need to get you somewhere safe before you pass out. And fast.”

Tyler’s expression morphed into one of outrage and horror. “You – Belle, honey, you’ve been -”

“Back in college, yes. I was fine, though. I was with Jeb and Kate and Addy and the others, and they kept me safe. Unfortunately it happens more often than ya think. Now, let’s get you out of here. Because if I’m being honest, Tyler, I don’t know if I can carry you by myself.”

Tyler swallowed hard, a pained look on his face. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

He rose unsteadily to his feet, inhaling deeply while Elizabeth stuck her phone in her messenger back slung over her shoulder before she turned to him.

“Put your arm around me in case you get woozy.” she warned him.

“I know you’re strong, honey, but if I go down, it’s gonna be like getting clobbered by a redwood.”

“Can you please just do as I say?” she asked as she gripped his hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder before wrapping her free arm around his waist.

“When did you get this bossy?” he grumbled.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “You like it.” then she let out a scoff. “Pfft, a redwood. You’re thinkin’ quite a lot of yourself tonight.”

Tyler chuckled ruefully, before letting out a sigh, his expression going sour. “I didn’t really imagine tonight goin’ this way.” he mumbled.

“Maybe later you can tell me how you’d wanted it to go.”

“That a challenge?”

“You tell me, Tyler. Now, let’s get out of here.”

They made their way across the room, feet crunching on the husks of tossed-aside peanut shells. To his credit, Tyler was walking fairly well, despite a growing sense of instability. They carefully weaved around the little tables as they made their way to the front.

Elizabeth had Tyler lean against the door as she went up front and paid for her drink, and informed the bartender of the incident. The bartender’s face grew solemn before he told Elizabeth he would keep an eye out if the creep came back, and advised that she contact the police, which she assured him she would.

As they exited the bar, both Tyler and Elizabeth looked up out of habit, catching a glimpse of the sky and checking conditions. The fresh, somewhat cool air brought back a sense of normalcy to the otherwise peculiar circumstances.

They crossed the road arm in arm. By the time they reached the stairs of the motel, Tyler felt he’d walked at least five miles. He plopped himself down on the bottom step. “If you stop there, you’re gonna end up there the rest of the night. Get up, Tyler, please.”

“Yes, ma’am.” he pulled himself up using the railing, then trailed an arm around Elizabeth’s waist again. He was leaning more on her than he’d been before, which made Elizabeth frown in concern.

They managed to make their way to the room, and after fishing the key out of Tyler’s back pocket (to which Tyler teasingly asked if she was getting handsy on purpose, which she snorted at) they finally got back into the room.

“Sit over there – that way if you pass out you won’t fall.” she said, pointing to the bed. He obliged quite readily.

“I need to step out for a sec, but I’ll be right back.” she told him, grabbing her phone from her bag and stepping out.

She dialed Kate’s number as soon as the door shut behind her. “Hey, Tempe. How’s date night?” Kate asked as soon as she answered, a teasing edge to her voice.

“It came to a premature end. Tyler’s been drugged.” Elizabeth said, lowering her voice.

“What?!” Kate’s voice was filled with shock and outrage.

“There was a guy at the Lucky Spur – kept hitting on me, wouldn’t take no for an answer before Tyler got there – and he took the drink that the creep tried to give me. He’s pretty out of it, could pass out at anytime. I’m just glad we got back to the motel before that happened.”

“Tempe -”

“This isn’t like back at Muskogee, Kate. I’m fine. I didn’t drink any of it. Tyler drank the whole thing, smarted off to the guy before he finally walked away. We were talkin’ when it hit him.” Elizabeth assured her best friend.

What she didn’t say was that she was feeling a little woozy herself from kissing Tyler after he’d drank the spiked whiskey. A sick feeling in her gut began to stir as a sleepy warmth invaded her limbs.

“What’re you going to do? We fly out in the morning.” Kate asked, weary.

“I can’t leave Tyler like this.”

“I figured you would say that. If I were in your shoes I’d be saying the same thing. Don’t worry about the flight out, then. Focus on taking care of Tyler – and yourself – and I’ll get with Javi to reschedule the presentation, tell them we had an unexpected medical emergency over here.”

“Are you sure?” Elizabeth sounded uncertain.

“You’re not gonna be able to focus if you’re worrying about Tyler’s well-being, not to be mean. I’m just saying that the two of you are so close that you worry more about each other than most give you credit for. It’s really sweet, though, and it shows how deeply you both care.” Kate told her gently.

Tears welled in Elizabeth’s eyes at Kate’s words. They held a ring of truth to them. “Thanks, Katie. Goodnight.”

“’Night, Tempe. Hope Tyler gets to feelin’ better.”

“Me too. And thanks.” she hung up before walking back into the room.

Tyler was still sprawled on the bed where she’d left him, and his gaze immediately snapped to hers as she stepped back into the room and closed and locked the door behind her. “Everythin’ okay, honey?” Tyler’s words were slurred slightly.

She realized she probably had tears in her eyes, or rolling down her face. “Yeah, it’s fine. I was just talkin’ to Kate.”

“And?”

“She says we’re gonna reschedule.” she didn’t say anything further.

“You tell her about what happened?” Tyler asked.

Elizabeth nodded. “She’s able to read me as easily as you do – lying to her and saying everything’s fine was out of the question.” she replied as she walked over to the fridge in the room and pulled out a bottle of water, opening it and drinking half of it fairly quickly.

Some of the warm, sleepy feeling went away, but she could still feel it. “I wouldn’t be able to focus on the presentation if I was worried about you. She called me out on it, but not to be mean. Just pointed it out.”

Tyler nodded. Then his expression grew troubled. “Belle?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m hammered. And I’m at least twice your size.” he frowned. “That drink would’ve knocked you out cold.”

“I know,” Elizabeth’s voice grew soft.

“He might’ve… I mean… if you’d drank that instead of me like he’d planned… if I hadn’t been there… he could’ve… he might’ve…” he looked both furious and on the verge of tears.

“I know, I know,” Elizabeth said softly as she sat down on the bed beside where he’d sprawled out. “But it didn’t, and he didn’t. I’m right here. I’m safe, because of you. So please don’t try to think about it.”

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that back at Muskogee.” Tyler’s voice grew rough. “Shitty people and all that.”

“It’s okay.”

Tyler scowled, despite his growing wooziness. “It’s not.” he nearly growled. “How are you not angry about this?”

“I am. That and thoroughly disgusted and horrified. I just… I’m more worried about you right now.” she told him gently.

He stared off at nothing for a moment before his gaze moved back to her. “Don’t ever accept a drink from someone you don’t know, okay, honey? Especially if I’m not there.”

“I don’t.” she told him gently as she helped him remove his blazer.

“You don’t?”

“No. I learned the hard way back in college. But I learned. And never forgot.” she hung his blazer on the back of a chair.

“That’s good. Still sucks, though.” he said before laying back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, before falling asleep.

Elizabeth watched over him for a few minutes, at one point running a hand through his hair, before she grabbed her phone again and made a few calls.

A short while later, Elizabeth was reading over some notes when she heard Tyler stir, and she turned in her chair to look at him.

He let out a grunt as he rolled over, then bolted upright. “Oh, shit, Belle, what if that asshole goes someplace down the road and drugs some other girl?”

“I called the cops and reported it. And I told the bartender before we left, so he’s keeping a lookout.”

“When did you call the cops?”

“After you passed out a little while ago. They talked me through filing a report online, and they contacted the other two bars in the area and gave them my description of the creep.”

“I didn’t pass out, Belle.”

“You did. For about forty-five minutes. You snored.” He eyed her, skeptical, those sage-green eyes of his piercing through her. “Trust me, baby, you did.” she added.

“Are you gonna relax about the presentation since Kate’s rescheduling?” his voice was still slurred.

“In a bit.” she replied. “Get some sleep, Tyler.”

“A’right. Oh, hey, Belle?”

“Hm?”

“I was gonna propose to you tonight.” Tyler’s slurred voice got her attention, more so with what he was saying.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, but you gotta pretend to be surprised by it when I try again since I just told ya.” Tyler chuckled ruefully. “I woulda gotten down on one knee, asked ya to marry me and make me the happiest man alive by bein’ my wife. I’ve wanted to ever since we were kids.”

“I know,” she said softly. “But I’ve told you before – I don’t need any grand gestures. All I need is you.”

“Still wanna put a ring on your hand, though. Show the world that you’re my girl. I mean, how’re creeps like that one tonight ‘sposed to know to stay away from what ain’t theirs?”

Tyler’s words, though slurred due to the spiked whiskey, pulled at Elizabeth’s heart. She walked back over to the bed and knelt beside it to where she was at eye level with Tyler.

“Your girl, huh?” Elizabeth smiled softly as she looked into his eyes, though glazed over and slightly unfocused, she could see the love he had for her shining in those sage-green depths.

Tyler smiled softly, lovingly. “Yeah. My girl. So sweet and beautiful and brilliant and snarky -”

“I am not snarky.”

“You can be, darlin’. You get it from your mama. Just like you get your temper from your daddy.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

“Hush now, darlin’, I’m tryin’ to woo you with my words since my fuckin’ body feels like goo.” Tyler teased.

“Well, go on then. You’re doing fine, Cowboy.”

“Am I?”

“Oh, yes. Tell me more.”

Tyler grinned drunkenly. But then his grin vanished. “But what if I don’t remember all of this? Later, after this shit’s worn off?”

“Then I’ll remind you.” Elizabeth said gently.

“Promise?” His eyes went so round Elizabeth was reminded of what he’d looked like when they were children.

“I cross my heart. Now please, try to sleep. I’ll be along in a minute.”

“’Kay.” he stretched out across the bed and nearly instantly went back to sleep.

She pulled out her laptop with a soft sigh and spent half an hour researching drugs used in date rapes – narrowing her search criteria by state, and then by county – and reviewed the short and long-term effects of the ‘top three’.

Worst case scenarios lapped her brain, especially given her own exposure to it, though not nearly as thoroughly as Tyler’s had been, so the research helped ease the anxiety. She reassured herself that they both would be fine – especially since Tyler likely metabolized quickly.

After shutting off her laptop she changed into more comfortable clothes – an old t-shirt of Tyler’s and a pair of sleep shorts – before Tyler suddenly sat up, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and stood.

“Whoa, hey, where you going?” Elizabeth asked hurriedly.

“Bathroom,” he closed one eye, pointing toward it.

“Need some help?”

Using the edge of the bed like a handrail, he worked himself around it and closer to his destination. “I got it, don’t worry.”

She tried not to picture him passing out and hitting his head as he closed the door. After she heard the toilet flush and the water running for a good five to ten minutes, she called out, “Tyler, you okay?”

Tyler opened the door, shirtless, a toothbrush hanging out of his frothy, toothpaste-covered mouth. “I’m good,” he said before he resumed brushing his teeth.

She spotted his black tee, button down and belt abandoned on the bathroom floor at his feet.

“Couldn’t stand my teeth feelin’ fuzzy,” he mumbled through the mouthful of toothpaste. He stopped brushing as something occurred to him. “Oops, I think I grabbed your toothbrush by mistake.” he blushed.

“It’s fine.” she assured him.

“What time is it?” he asked after he’d gargled and spat.

Elizabeth glanced at a clock. “2am.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“We should get some sleep.” he said sheepishly.

“Yeah. I agree.”

He dropped to the bed with the grace of a felled tree, and again fell asleep instantly. Kneeling at the foot of the bed, Elizabeth attempted to wiggle his boots off his feet, which took more effort than she thought, accidentally jostling him awake in the process. “What’re you doin’?” he rose onto his elbows, watching through half-lidded eyes as she struggled to pull his boots off with fond amusement.

“Trying to help you,” she let out a grunt as she straddled his leg and yanked at the unyielding boot.

“You wanna help me, darlin’, come on up here and cuddle me.”

She dropped his foot and peered up at him, eyebrow arched. “Cuddle you? That’s a first coming from you, Cowboy. You don’t normally cuddle.”

“Mmhm, c’mere, honey.” he held out his arms to her as he easily toed off his boots, to her consternation.

She lowered herself onto the bed next to him, and he immediately pulled her flush against his chest, both arms wrapped around her. She adjusted herself slightly, making herself comfortable.

“Damn, you clicked right into place like a Lego. Fit perfectly like you were made to be right here.” his voice rumbled in his chest. “Legos click together, right? Did that make any sense? ‘M still feelin’ a little smashed.”

His soft, dark chest hair tickled her cheek. “Made sense and also accurate. Very sweet, too.”

“Try to be, at least.” he mumbled. “This is nice. You smell good, too. Like… sandalwood and… sage?”

Elizabeth giggled softly. “It’s my shampoo.”

Being this close to him, his familiar, comforting scent wrapped around her along with his warmth like a blanket: the familiar scent of his cologne, mixed with earthier traces of dirt, leather, engine oil, Irish Spring soap, and rain. The scent of home.

She smiled into his chest as she closed her eyes, the strong, steady sound of his heartbeat lulling her to sleep, feeling warm, safe and loved in Tyler’s arms. “G’night, Belle. Sweet dreams.” Tyler murmured.

“’Night, Tyler.” she sighed softly in response.

When daylight came, Elizabeth woke, blinking and disoriented, the little spoon, with one of Tyler’s arms wrapped around her waist, his hand resting at her hip, fingertips just brushing under the edge of her t-shirt.

Her head hurt slightly, whether from the alcohol or the trace amount of whatever drug Tyler had ended up being dosed with, she wasn’t sure. But for the moment she simply lay there, eyes closing partway, wrapped in the warmth of Tyler’s presence.

He stirred not that long after, which prompted her to roll over in his arms to where she faced him. “Mornin’, Sleeping Beauty.” she teased him lightly.

“That’s ‘sposed to be my line, ya little demon.” he fired back. She laughed softly.

“Still callin’ me that, huh?” she snuggled in closer to his chest.

“Only when you’re threatenin’ to be the death of me, darlin’.” Tyler’s voice was rough from sleep. At least he could remember the events of the previous night. And what he’d meant to do.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Around the yard in a sort of ring was one of every kind of diesel truck, ranging from a RAM 1500 to a semi. Eileen, also a veteran, had taken to raising and training service dogs as well as those that became police and military K-9s – mostly Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois – and often had a few litters that were just about ready to find forever homes or be trained.

One night after a long day working on the truck at the garage, while Tyler, Elizabeth, Robby and Lakota were camped out in chairs around a bonfire relaxing over pizza and beers, Eileen brought dessert out to everyone, accompanied by the latest litters of puppies. One in particular, a sandy-haired Golden Retriever, seemed to be drawn to Elizabeth and hopped up in the young woman’s lap.

“Oh my goodness, they’re all so adorable,” Elizabeth giggled, “Where are the others?” she asked. As if on cue, a pair of adult Retrievers and the rest of the litter – four more puppies in all – came running out.

Then a couple of German Shepherds, a Belgian Malinois, and a litter of Shepherd puppies – about four or five in all – also padded out to the bonfire.

Elizabeth’s eyes lit up as one of the Shepherd puppies immediately took a liking to her, much like the Retriever had. Tyler, meanwhile, had picked up a little brown-and-white terrier-poodle mix – one that Robby pointed out was a rescue that he and Eileen had found after a storm about a month and a half ago that no one had claimed.

The rest of the puppies soon dispersed, some going under the chairs, while others bolted straight for Robby or Lakota.

Eileen sat across from Elizabeth, the mother Golden Retriever and the adult German Shepherds sitting at her feet. “We haven’t given them any names yet,” she said. “And they’re young enough yet to be given names to where they’ll remember when they get older.”

“Even this little guy?” Tyler asked, indicating the poodle-terrier mix that had all but fallen asleep in his lap.

Eileen laughed softly. “Yes, even that one.” she answered. “The retriever puppies are typically trained to be service dogs, usually helping those with medical conditions, mental disabilities, and even some forms of PTSD. The shepherds and any Malinois we might have are typically trained to become military and/or police dogs, and they are fiercely loyal and protective of the families they become a part of. Would you guys want one? Or two?”

Elizabeth giggled softly as the German Shepherd at her side reared up on its hind paws and was trying to sniff her neck and lick her ear from where she sat so close to the ground.

“Actually, we’d like to take these three.” Tyler said, pointing to the poodle-terrier mix asleep in his lap, along with the Shepherd and the Retriever that had all but fallen in love with Elizabeth, the former currently playing with her belt loops while the latter had fallen asleep in her lap. Elizabeth’s hazel-green eyes grew wide, the smile curving across her lips unmistakable.

“Tyler,” she gasped. She wanted nothing more than to lean over and kiss him, but… she was taken at the moment. “Are you sure?”

“Two of ‘em have a soft spot for ya, darlin’. As for this one… I’m pretty sure he’s grown attached to me already.” Tyler chuckled.

“You got any ideas for names then, son?” Robby asked.

“I was thinkin’ Smokey for the shepherd and Sandy for the retriever.” Tyler said.

“What about that little guy you got there in your lap, Tyler?” Elizabeth asked.

Tyler looked down at the little terrier mix in his lap. That was when he noticed a patch on the dog’s forehead that looked like meat marbling.

“What about Brisket?” he asked. Elizabeth giggled. “What?”

“You want to name one of our dogs after barbecue?” she asked amid her laughter.

“I like it,” Lakota chimed in.

“Alright, alright. Brisket it is.” Elizabeth smiled. “Welcome to the family, guys.” she said to the puppies.

Later that night, as they settled in with the puppies at the cottage, Tyler had asked Elizabeth to take a walk with him down to the little boat dock by the lake. They stopped at a little bench near the end of the dock and sat, looking out over the water.

Tyler was quiet for a long while, his sage-green eyes locked on something in the far-off distance.

“Somethin’ on your mind, Cowboy?” Elizabeth asked softly as she wrapped an arm around his waist and snuggled in close to his side.

“Yeah, you could say that. Mainly about what I’ve been meanin’ to tell ya about my family.” he admitted. “’Specially since there’s never been a good time til now to really talk about it.”

“I know,” Elizabeth agreed quietly. “Are you… are you okay to talk about it, yet?” she asked carefully.

Tyler hesitated a second, then nodded. “Yeah. Just don’t know where to start.” he said softly.

“Well, you mentioned in the hospital that you had a brother? An older twin brother?”

“Yeah. His name’s Jake. Well, Jacob Seresin, but he goes by Jake. Or his callsign, Hangman.”

“Seresin? I thought your last name was Owens?” Elizabeth wrinkled a brow in confusion.

“It is.” Tyler’s voice grew rough for a second. “I’m adopted.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “What?”

“It’s not what ya think, honey. The people you know as my parents… well, they’re actually my aunt and uncle. My mother’s sister and brother-in-law.” Tyler explained.

“My aunt and uncle found out they couldn’t have children – they’d tried more than once but never any luck, and… well, it’s complicated, but they ended up adopting me. And Jake’s not the only sibling I have. I also have two sisters.”

Elizabeth’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit,” she whispered softly.

“Yeah. Their names are Lauren and Leslie. Lauren’s older than me and Jake. Leslie is the youngest outta the four of us.” Tyler chuckled.

Elizabeth was silent for a minute, trying to wrap her head around everything. “I’d love to know what you’re thinkin’, honey.” Tyler said quietly, pulling her from her thoughts.

“It’s a lot to take in. Could you tell me more about Jake?”

Tyler snickered. “Well, for starters, he’s only older than me by a few hours. He’s a pilot for the Navy – a Naval Aviator – and basically a carbon copy of me, give or take a couple little details, only more of a cocky shithead than I choose to be. He’s definitely a ladies’ man, but he swears up and down he wants to find what I’ve got. Or, what I hope I’ve got.” he explained.

“Which is?” Elizabeth arched a brow, intrigued.

Tyler leaned in and kissed her forehead. “That special someone that grounds him. Sees through the cockiness to what’s underneath. But most of all, someone to come home to, to make it all worth it in the end.”

Elizabeth laughed softly. “Sounds like a tall order if he’s that cocky. Sounds like you’d have to take your level of cockiness and then, what, double it?”

Tyler chuckled. “Yeah. You’d think. But the cockiness and all that isn’t how he’s always been.”

Elizabeth’s brow furrowed again. “How come?”

Tyler swallowed hard. “He’s been in the Navy for years, been through a lot. From what he’s been allowed to tell me, there were a couple missions he went on years ago with his wingman – who’s still flyin’ with him, by the way – that really got to them both, even though they both came back alive. I mean, I’m no shrink or anythin’ like that, but whatever happened up there, it must’ve really gotten to him. Since then he’s been cocky, borderline arrogant. Not at all like the person I met years ago.”

“Somethin’ I might understand, then.” Elizabeth said softly.

It was Tyler’s turn to arch a brow. “You think so?” he asked.

“Maybe.” Elizabeth shrugged. “I mean, trauma takes different forms. Same with near-death experiences. It messes with your head in all sorts of ways. And there’s different ways of coping with it, or so I was told when I was talking with my therapist after Muskogee. I didn’t develop much of a coping mechanism – that’s why I kept havin’ the intense nightmares and the panic attacks.”

“So you’re sayin’ Jake’s cockiness could be a coping mechanism to deal with whatever he faced up there?”

“Partly. I can’t say for sure, having never met him, but it sounds like it’s partly born from confidence, ego and pride, but it’s also used to hide what’s underneath, especially if it left any kind of emotional scars. It could be because he doesn’t want everyone to see it, only certain ones that he trusts. Like you.” Elizabeth reasoned.

Tyler swallowed hard, his eyes prickling a bit. “Damn, darlin’, that got a little deep.” he managed to chuckle.

Elizabeth laughed softly. “Comes with experience, I guess. Tell me about the rest of your family – your parents, your sisters, whatever you feel comfortable sharing with me.”

They talked for a little while longer – and while Jake never came back up in the conversation til the very end – it became clear that out of everyone in the family Tyler never knew he’d had, Jake was the one he was closest to, though he loved his sisters fiercely, along with his biological parents, Tom and Cyndy Seresin.

Meanwhile, the parents who had raised him – his uncle Kenny and aunt Susan – were in the process of moving back to Dardanelle. While they hadn’t been able to buy back the exact property that had been bought out from under them when Tyler had been a teenager, they’d been able find a nice place for themselves with a decent amount of land.

Tom and Cyndy had been in Texas for a while after Tyler’s adoption – having spent the next twenty years or so in Austin until Jake had gotten into the Naval Academy – but were also moving back to Dardanelle. In fact, they’d been helping Kenny and Susan with their move, and Kenny and Susan were returning the favor.

Tyler’s sisters, Lauren and Leslie, still lived in Austin. Lauren was married with two sets of twins, and Leslie had just gotten married and was expecting her first child.

From the pride and affection in his voice, Elizabeth got the impression that Tyler loved his siblings fiercely, Jake especially, even though he’d only known them a short amount of time.

In some ways, Tyler’s growing relationship with his siblings reminded her of her own relationship with Luke, the brother she hadn’t known about until they were both adults.

The morning of the events in El Reno, Tyler had called Jake while Elizabeth had been on the phone with her mother. He’d confided in Jake his fears and worries about the possibility of getting Elizabeth pregnant, and Jake, in turn, had talked Tyler down and gotten him to get out of his head, if only a little bit, to help him focus up.

He told Elizabeth about the promise he’d made – that he’d go and visit Jake when he got the chance – and that Jake had requested that he meet Elizabeth, to ‘meet the girl who had ahold of his little brother’s dumbass tornado chasin’ cowboy heart’, to which Elizabeth had let out a decidedly unladylike snort before she broke out in full-bellied laughter.

All joking and teasing aside, Elizabeth genuinely hoped to be able to meet the rest of Tyler’s family one day soon – his parents, his sisters – and especially Jake.

Tyler noticed the look on Elizabeth’s face had changed over the course of the conversation – she looked like her thoughts were a million miles away – the way she did when she was thinking about the past – or thinking about the future.

“Somethin’ on your mind, darlin’?” Tyler said at one point, jarring her out of wherever her thoughts had gone.

“Just thinkin’ about some things.” she murmured absently.

“I can hear the gears turnin’ in your head loud and clear, honey. What’s goin’ on in that beautiful mind of yours?” he said gently.

“You said we were fixin’ to take a road trip once Ol’ Red’s been fixed up.” she didn’t phrase it like a question.

“Yeah…”

“Would this trip happen to take us to Dardanelle, to see your parents? And your aunt and uncle?” Elizabeth asked cautiously.

“And possibly to meet my sisters over in Texas, if you’re okay with it?” Tyler asked hopefully.

“And Jake?”

“I’d have to talk to him to find out if he’s stateside or deployed – if the latter’s the case we’d have to wait til he comes back – but yes, potentially.” Tyler replied.

Elizabeth swallowed. Nerves were blooming in her gut at the prospect of meeting Tyler’s family – the part she’d never known about – but was excited to as well, especially since these people were an important part of Tyler’s life.

And, by extension, if everything turned out the way they both hoped – they’d come to occupy an important part of her life, too.

“You okay, honey? If you don’t wanna do this, we can always wait a bit,” Tyler asked cautiously, before Elizabeth cut him off with a kiss.

When she pulled away, leaning her forehead against his, she whispered softly, “I’d love to meet your family, Tyler. Especially since they mean so much to you.”

Tyler smiled softly as he reached down to take Elizabeth’s hands in his. “You know I love ya, right, Belle? Like, I really fuckin’ love you,” he said quietly.

“And no matter where we end up goin’ from here, whether it’s stayin’ in Oklahoma or goin’ to Arkansas, I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Can’t wait to have a big ol’ family with you.”

“I know. And I want that too, more than you know.” Elizabeth said softly. She kept her forehead pressed to his as her eyes fluttered shut a moment.

“God, I can’t wait to marry you some day,” Tyler murmured as he leaned in to kiss her. “Even if I haven’t proposed to ya yet.”

“You know I don’t need any grand gestures or anything. You’ve been wanting to marry me since we were children.” Elizabeth laughed softly. “Besides, all I want, all I need, is you.” she added.

“And you’ll always have me, darlin’.” Tyler murmured, leaning in for one more kiss. “I know we’re kinda goin’ about this in a funky way, but I’m hopin’ that the puppies are a step in the right direction.”

“Definitely.” Elizabeth replied.

A week later, after the last of the repairs had been finished, Tyler and Elizabeth loaded up the truck to head out.

They were headed to El Reno first – Boone had insisted on doing an end-of-season celebration of sorts outside of town to celebrate the team’s success with the taming project – and the addition of three new members to the team, including Elizabeth.

Then, once that was over, Tyler and Elizabeth were headed to Dardanelle, to meet Tyler’s parents and visit with his aunt and uncle, followed by a run to Austin to meet Tyler’s sisters.

If Jake was still stationed in California and not deployed overseas, the plan was to continue on to there. If not, they’d be returning to Oklahoma and would make plans with Jake to meet him later.

As Elizabeth and Tyler got into the truck, with Smokey and Brisket in the backseat behaving perfectly, Sandy, the little Golden Retriever puppy, managed to wriggle her way to the front, eventually curling up on Elizabeth’s lap.

Elizabeth laughed softly, gently petting Sandy on top of her head before leaning across the console and pressing a kiss to Tyler’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she whispered to him.

Tyler, wearing his cowboy hat again, tipped it back as he glanced her way. “You’re welcome, though you don’t need to thank me.” he murmured.

Then he reached over, scratching between Sandy’s ears, his voice softening a degree further. “She’s definitely got a soft spot for ya, sweetheart.” he added teasingly.

Elizabeth smiled softly. “So do you, Cowboy.” she teased back.

Tyler chuckled as he shook his head. “You’re not wrong there, sweetheart.” before she could tease him any further, Tyler leaned over, cupping her cheek with one hand and pulling her in for a long, slow and lingering kiss, with Sandy nestled between them.

His lips were warm and soft this morning, tasting faintly of his coffee, and when he pulled away, he brushed his thumb over her cheek as his signature smirk returned.

“C’mon,” he said, pulling away and turning to the truck’s dash. “Let’s get our furry kids to El Reno so they can meet the rest of our little family.”

Elizabeth smiled softly in response to that. Her heart felt full, and with little Sandy nestled in her lap, she had a feeling that wherever she and Tyler ended up, home would never feel any sweeter than it did with him, and the puppies.

After a few more weeks of craziness following El Reno, things were finally starting to slow down. The end of the season was mere days away. And a rare quiet day meant the chance to slow down and catch another breath.

There were a great many reasons for Elizabeth Harding to love the promise of summer. Picnics under a favorite tree (or in the bed of Tyler’s truck, especially on date nights), ice cream shops coming out with seasonally outlandish sugary treats that could take down even the most hyperactive child.

The days would be longer, hotter, and filled with laughter and bonfires and fireworks – as if the last of those things had a designated season for setting them off.

But Boone would take on just about anyone who dared try to say otherwise.

Tornado season would soon be over, which, depending on who Elizabeth asked, was not exactly a reason to love the stifling heat that would come with the change in seasons.

So, for the time being, Elizabeth enjoyed the quiet.

That day in particular, they were all camped out in a field near the outskirts of El Reno – Tyler, Elizabeth, Boone, Dani, Lily, Dexter, Kate, Javi, and even Ben, who had extended his stay in Oklahoma long enough to finish his article – working on why some of the sensors appeared to be malfunctioning and giving them wonky readings that were throwing off their data.

The sky that day was a brilliant blue – the storms expected for the area didn’t look like they would do much as far as spinning up any tornadoes – so it was either find a motel or set up camp some place.

Ultimately, they’d unanimously decided to spend some time away from the rest of the ‘chasing circus’ at Javi still called it would do them all some good.

Ben, Javi, Kate, Boone and Dani were all sitting in camping chairs. Dexter was camped in the doorway of the camper. Lily was in the back of the van, working on Cairo II, while Elizabeth and Tyler were on the roof of Ol’ Red. The puppies – Smokey, Brisket and Sandy – were lounging in the grass along with Boone and the others.

A burst of laughter caught Elizabeth’s attention. Ben, Javi, Kate, Boone and Dani were huddled in their circle of camp chairs, their faces flushed with amusement, and what looked like mirth.

“Wonder what they’re up to down there,” Tyler muttered, his attention fixed on the barometer. Elizabeth was supposed to be helping him by handing him tools, but she’d gotten distracted.

“Who the hell knows,” Elizabeth snorted, “Let them have their fun, though. I think we could all use a laugh.” she added.

Tyler chuckled, pointing at her with a wrench. “Careful what ya wish for, sweetheart.”

"No way, Dex!" Boone exclaimed, slapping his thigh with one hand. "There's no way that actually happened!"

Dexter sat back, a mock look of offense crossing his face. "I swear it on my mama's peach cobbler that it's true! That cow went flying right over my truck! I thought I was going crazy!"

"Please," Dani scoffed, rolling her eyes. "If we're talking crazy storm stories, let me tell y'all about the time I saw a whole trailer park get rearranged by an EF3. It looked like some demented game of Tetris when it was over."

Elizabeth couldn't help the chuckle that escaped as she listened to them try to one-up each other. It had become a tradition among the Wranglers, each storm chase adding to their repertoire of unbelievable tales.

Hearing them banter like this reminded her of her parents' old team. And of the Tornado Tamers.

She couldn't help herself. "Hey," she called out to them, "don't forget about the time that Tyler here almost got taken out by a porta-potty!"

Tyler groaned beside her. "Seriously, Belle? Did you have to bring that up?"

The group erupted into laughter below them, and Elizabeth turned to Tyler with a wide, innocent smile. "What? It's a classic!" the mischievous glint in her eyes didn't match the innocence in her smile.

"Yeah, yeah," Tyler grumbled, but she could see the amusement in his sage-green eyes. "Keep it up and I'll push you off the roof of the truck."

Elizabeth gasped in mock horror. "Tyler Owens, you wouldn't dare."

"Try me, Harding." he challenged, reaching towards her with mock menace.

"That's soon-to-be Owens to you, mister." she retorted, poking him in the chest with her left hand, feeling the cool yet familiar weight of the ring that hadn't been there long, its presence having already grown on her.

Tyler's face softened as he caught her hand, bringing it to his lips. "I like the sound of that." he murmured softly.

"I know you do." Elizabeth replied quietly, leaning in and touching her forehead to his, closing her eyes, the softest of smiles crossing her face.

"Damn! Get a room, lovebirds!" Lily yelled, earning another round of laughter from the rest of the team.

Elizabeth felt her cheeks grow warm with blush, but she couldn't bring herself to care that much. She was too happy, too content in the moment.

But it didn't last for long.

“You know what the nice thing is about all this?” Javi asked, gesturing with the can of beer he held in hand for emphasis.

“What?” Dani asked.

“The way things are goin’, I can see Crazy Kate and Devil-Girl Elizabeth returning.”

“Javi,” Kate warned, shaking her head with a good-natured grin on her face.

Javi just grinned at her. “Evil mastermind Kate. And even more diabolical Tempe.”

“Lies. False accusations.” Elizabeth protested playfully. Tyler chuckled at her side.

“Y’all have no idea the forces of nature you have on your side now.” Javi continued, undaunted.

That did it. Despite Kate and Elizabeth trying to shut it down, Boone jumped at the bait.

“Alright, spill, Javi. What’cha got?”

Now they were all listening. Even Tyler had quit fiddling with the sensors on the top of his truck to focus on Javi, giving Elizabeth his tell-tale smirk when he noticed her watching him a moment too long.

Elizabeth just rolled her eyes. Kate let out a snort.

“Right, so Kate and Elizabeth as chasers? Fantastic, crazy, absolute naturals. Mother hen friends? They’re your ride or die, and you’ll never have anyone better at your back. Which we proved time and again. But Kate and Elizabeth as your enemy? You’d better run.” Javi said.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes a second time, refocusing on the barometer she and Tyler had been working on. “You need some new stories, Rivera.” She said.

Javi wasn’t phased by it. “So as you probably know, Kate and Elizabeth were the leaders of our little rag-tag team. Our bosses. The Mama Bears. Hell, I could tell a million stories about Kate and Tempe lookin’ out for everybody. But there’s a couple that you guys will absolutely love.”

Uh oh. Kate and Elizabeth shared a look. There was no telling where Javi was going with that one.

“So to start, I have to explain about Addy. She was bubbly, outgoing, and smiley, and all too willing to hang out the window of the car to get a good photo of a storm.” Javi began.

At this, Tyler playfully ribbed Elizabeth, smirking at her with a loving look in his eyes. "Sounds like somethin' you might do, darlin'." he teased with a chuckle.

Elizabeth shook her head at Tyler’s teasing. She should’ve seen it coming when Javi started telling the story, but decided to let it go.

“She was also super-unassuming. We used to get her to check into the motel when we stayed somewhere, then the rest of us would all sneak in later, just to save the money. They never suspected her. But she came alive under a supercell, just as any chaser does. Yet she always had this air of… I don’t know, sweetness?”

“It was authenticity,” Kate and Elizabeth said in unison without thinking. They gave each other a playfully annoyed look.

“It was like she couldn’t possibly be up to anything. She’d always have your back, just because. And she was unfailingly kind, always ready to help someone. That was especially true from the first time we met.” Kate added.

“Right,” everyone’s attention refocused on Javi. “So, one time she met this guy. They’d had a few dates – casual things – college football games, a few nights out, even trivia night. Things were going pretty well. Then the idiot decided to open his mouth.”

Elizabeth snorted. “Yeah, the moron basically told her she was ‘too pretty’ for tornadoes,” she had decided to jump in. If Javi really wanted to tell this story, they might as well get it right. “I wish I was making this up, but he said that ‘her magnificent beauty was made for sunny beaches and the Cali morning forecast, not something as dangerous, manly and ugly as chasing storms’.”

The reaction was exactly what Kate and Elizabeth expected. All of the Wranglers choked on their drinks and their laughter, eyes wide with a combo of shock and disbelief.

“Addy was not happy with him after that conversation went down. So, she, Kate and Belle started scheming.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, she was scheming. I was supervising.” Kate protested.

“WE were supervising, damnit! Get it right, Carter!” Elizabeth cut in, almost howling. That led to another round of snorts and laughter.

“Supervising. Sure. Well, at that time, we were still drawing up plans for the Tamer project – testing our dispersal methods, working with different radars and scanners, all sorts of technical stuff. About a week after the conversation with the moron, we set out after a storm. And it was Addy’s idea that we were going to be testing.

Kate decided to cut in. Again. “We found the tornado – though it was all Addy’s doing – since we decided it would be her chase. We found ourselves a beautiful EF1, got into the damage path, deployed the barrels we had and got out of the way and set up for filming.” She said.

“Now, bear in mind, the girls hadn’t said a word about what it was they had planned. Jeb, Praveen and I had no idea. I’m on one side of the van, with Praveen on the sensors, while Jeb’s over with the girls on the other side, having pulled out of the way and set up the cam. Then, boom. Glittery pink tornado, here we come.”

There was a moment of silence as Javi let this set in with the others, save for Kate and Elizabeth.

“Glittery pink tornado?!” The synchronization among the Wranglers would’ve been impressive if it wasn’t so hilarious at the same time.

Elizabeth started cackling from the top of Ol’ Red, as she and Kate reveled in the mixed reactions.

“Yep. Pink tornado.” Kate confirmed. “Tempe and I were on board with it. To this day, I still don’t know how she managed to get a hold of 300 gallons of non-toxic biodegradable pink glitter in three days.”

“Yeah, me neither, and I was the one helpin’ her mix it all together, remember?” Elizabeth agreed with a chuckle.

The shocked faces, the awe, the disbelief and eyes darting from her to Kate to Javi and then to the barrels on the trailer hooked to the back of Ol’ Red were amusing enough.

Then there was the realization that Addy had developed the deployment method they were using now, in part just to spite a misogynist moron.

In that moment, Elizabeth couldn’t help the giggle that cut loose as Javi pulled up photos, including ones of each of the girls posing in front of the glittery pink funnel.

“Holy shit, dude, that’s like, fully glittered and pink. Cloud to ground.”

“That is a very pink and glittery tornado.”

“Storm Chaser Barbies, in stores when?”

“That. Is. Amazing.”

“Hey, Javi, Tempe, what was it she yelled?” Kate asked.

“Feminine enough for you, Erik?!” Elizabeth cackled.

“’Course you missed the conversation about trying to launch a fourth of July level of fireworks into a tornado.” Javi said casually, which made Boone’s eyes nearly blow out of his skull.

“What?!”

“Remember, Javi, she was as crazy as the rest of us,” Elizabeth said. “Never let the sweetness fool you.” She added. “There was a devil in there that occasionally came out to play.”

“Sounds familiar,” Tyler said as Elizabeth showed him the photos she’d pulled up of the funnel, and she saw the way his eyes lit up as he scanned the pictures. Something inside of her felt warm and gooey, as it so often did when that look entered the equation.

Then, as he handed her phone back, that familiar, trouble-making smirk returned.

“Impressive. Very Wrangler of you two.” Tyler said, “But, having said that, I’m not seein’ the evil mastermind side. Protective and supportive, for sure, but not evil.”

“Naw, that was Addy’s other ex, Daniel.” Javi sighed, “I loved her, I really did. But damn did she attract some brainless weirdoes.”

“That’s one way of putting it.” Elizabeth’s tone darkened slightly.

Kate drew in a breath she hadn’t meant to. They hadn’t spoken that much about that particularly worthless rat after the breakup. Addy had deserved much better than trash like him.

Fortunately, for the most part, everyone was too focused on Javi’s story to notice her working to regain her calm. Save for Javi himself, and Elizabeth, the latter looking to be in the same boat.

Javi looked over at her, silently asking if she was okay. She nodded and managed a small smile. Their relationship was still so new in the aftermath of the events at El Reno, but she appreciated the concern he had for her in moments like this.

Elizabeth took a deep breath. At her side, Tyler’s sage-green eyes darted over to her, a flicker of concern in them. You okay? He seemed to ask without speaking. Elizabeth nodded tightly. He looked skeptical, but didn’t say anything.

“When I say the guy was an asshole? I mean that he was about the worst. Of course, he was a nice enough guy for what, five months?” Javi said.

“Yeah,” Kate agreed, “From Halloween to about 2-3 weeks into chasing season, so about five months.”

“So, yeah, he seemed nice enough – a pretty reasonable guy, if a bit full of himself.” Javi said.

“I personally didn’t like the guy – none of us really did – but she was happy, so we went with it to keep the peace.” Elizabeth added.

“But then we started chasing again. We were working around classes so we never went far from campus, and we never went for more than a few days at a time for the same reason.” Javi said.

“Then the asshole started showing his true colors about 2-3 weeks in. He somehow got it into his head that she’d been lying about chasing. He’d decided that she was cheating on him.” Elizabeth said, her voice growing colder.

The reactions were as expected.

“Oh, God.”

“Ugh, what a bastard.”

“Fuck that guy.”

Elizabeth smirked. At least her friends had their priorities right.

Kate continued where Javi and Elizabeth had left off.

“Well, they started having arguments about it between classes, then, one day, she showed up at the apartment I shared with Tempe, looking madder than hell. He’d apparently lost it on her – threatened her if she didn’t tell him who she was sleeping with – even some shit worse than that. He basically went full psycho on her. So she came over absolutely furious and vowing never to go back to him.”

“Good on her, if you ask me. Asshole was asking for trouble.” Elizabeth nearly growled.

The entire mood had gone cold, understandably so. From the corner of her eye, Elizabeth saw Tyler’s expression darken, his lips pressed tightly together, but he didn’t interrupt.

“Well,” Kate continued, “We talked - the three of us – and hugged it out and ate a tub of ice cream together. Then Tempe and I offered Addy some options. She could call him to break up and stay with us, call him to break up and stay with us but also invite the others over as backup, if she thought he was going to react badly, or…”

“And here comes evil Kate and Tempe.” Javi warned.

Kate smirked. “Or, we prove the truth before she breaks up with him. So, we invited him on one of our chases.”

The realization rippled through their captive audience. Boone snorted. Dexter grinned like a maniac. Dani slapped her hands together, clapping madly. Elizabeth smirked, a wolfish glee in her eyes at the shift in the story, and everyone’s demeanors.

She couldn’t see Boone’s expression down below them, but at her side, Elizabeth saw that Tyler’s face had lit up again, though some of that shadow still lingered.

Elizabeth reached over and took one of Tyler’s hands in hers. “I’ll take the story from here,” she said, raising her voice. Everyone fell silent. “So, we brought this SoCal overconfident, Mr. Me, jackass along with us. We let Addy take the lead and make a lot of the calls, and we got closer that day than I’d ever seen even Kate get before that day. I mean, we were right up on it. And it wasn’t a small storm either. It was easily an EF3, a frickin’ beauty. Kate and Addy and I were cheering and whooping it up, havin’ the time of our lives. Meanwhile the jackass was –“ she paused as she let out a decidedly unladylike snort, “- he was in the backseat, clinging to the front seat with everything in him. Never seen such a tough guy brought so low. The only way it could’ve been funnier is if he’d pissed himself out of fright.”

Once again, there were ripples of jeers and laughter in response to the story.

Elizabeth had to stop to let herself laugh a couple of moments before she regained her composure, and her audience. “Eventually he managed to crawl out of the car on shaking legs. He was kneelin’ in the dust, beggin’ and pleadin’ for Addy to forgive him, sayin’ that he believed her, sayin’ that he was so sorry. What a marshmallow.” She said with a snort.

The memory of that asshole brought so low, and finally seeing Addy at her most powerful and authentic self, came back to her, along with the way Addy had smiled and pulled out of his grasp, fueled by the confidence that the chase had given her.

What was one pathetic coward compared to the pure power of nature?

“She broke up with him right then and there,” Kate took up the end of the story, giving Elizabeth a break. “She said good riddance, and that was it. We got in the car, and left. We watched him get smaller and smaller just sitting in the dust like a moron.”

There was another round of cheers.

God, how Kate loved her new friends. The Tamers would have fit right in.

“She was smiling – it was ‘I can do better, have a nice life, bye’ with a wave, and then into the car and away we went.” Elizabeth laughed.

Boone’s face popped up over the side of the truck’s roof. “I’m glad you’re on our side, Belle. And you too, Kate. That was savage.”

Lily and Dani chimed in a second later.

“I can go along with that.”

“Always figured there was somethin’ more to ya, Kate.” Lily said, high-fiving Kate.

“Yeah, there was a gas station like a half mile away, and he had his phone and a signal and stuff, so he was fine. Still, it felt great to get Addy smiling again. And to see that asshole realize she was greater and stronger than he could’ve imagined? Priceless.” Kate said with a smirk.

“That was badass,” Lily said, giving her another high-five, then doing the same with Elizabeth.

“Protective Kate and Elizabeth stopped an EF5,” Tyler interjected, giving Elizabeth’s hand a squeeze. “How many of y’all are actually surprised by this?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna be honest, the glittery pink tornado was more impressive than scaring some jackass. Though both make me glad you’re both on our side. You too, Javi.” Dani said.

“I too would devise a way to glamorize a tornado if someone told me girls couldn’t chase.”

“Better or worse than what Lily did in Jacksonville to –“

“Whoa, hey, let’s not.”

Below Tyler and Elizabeth, a heated discussion quickly broke out debating over the best revenge you could get on a jackass ex. Tyler leaned in close, brushing some loose hair behind Elizabeth’s ear.

“Too pretty for chasing. As if storms aren’t one of the most beautiful things to come from nature.” He said softly.

Elizabeth snickered before pulling Tyler’s arm around her shoulders and leaning in close. She nestled her head under Tyler’s chin.

“Damn right,” she agreed quietly. “Hope those stories didn’t scare ya, Cowboy.” She added.

“Never,” Tyler chuckled. “You’re my wild girl, Belle. And I wouldn’t change it for anythin’. If anythin’ it just gave me another reason why I love you.”

Elizabeth closed her eyes, smiling softly, as she snuggled in close to Tyler’s chest. She felt his lips on the crown of her head as he softly kissed her. “Love you too, baby.” She whispered.

A brilliant crack of thunder cut across the conversation below them, making Elizabeth raise her head, ears perked as her hazel-green eyes opened and scanned the skies. The storms that hadn’t looked that promising earlier in the day were starting to look more invigorated.

The beautiful blue sky had turned to a slate gray, a greenish tinge to the sky below the approaching thunderheads, but it only made Elizabeth’s heart begin to race in the best way possible.

"Goin' green," she whispered, just audibly enough for Tyler to hear.

"Greenage," Tyler muttered. "Let's ride, guys! She's gonna give us something!" he added, raising his voice.

Every one of the Wranglers came alive in that moment as they started packing up, finishing various adjustments and preparing to head south where the storm was starting to come alive.

There was no mistaking the goofy, joy-filled grins that graced Elizabeth’s and Tyler’s faces as they jumped down from the roof of Ol’ Red and got in, Boone jumping into the backseat.

As the other Wranglers started checking in over the radio while everyone got moving, Elizabeth was struck by a single, simple thought. She might’ve been through hell the last five years, having lost three friends in the Muskogee EF5. But the way she saw it now – one door had been closed, opening another one that she never would have imagined.

Yeah, it still hurt that Jeb and Addy and Praveen were gone. She would always wonder what would have been if they were still alive. Wonder about how they would interact with the Tornado Wranglers. Wonder about just how far they could go with the Tamer project.

But at the same time, Elizabeth had found something special that helped filled the void that they had left behind. Something amazing. The way her mother had put it when she was younger, if a person was lucky enough, you would end up with two families in life.

One was the family you were born into – the one you were related to by blood and by marriage. And by extension, if fate was good to them, that would continue when she and Tyler decided they were ready to have kids and start a family of their own. She smiled at the thought, seeing a mini Tyler or a mini of herself running around the ranch back over near Wakita. Or maybe one of each.

But the other was just as special. Just as precious. And that was the family that you chose – the friends who had the most profound impact on your life, the ones who supported you, laughed with you, and cried with you.

And Elizabeth was lucky enough that the Wranglers had come to occupy that place in her life, along with Kate and Javi, just as the Tamers had in the past. It made her think of a line from a movie she’d loved as a kid, "Lilo and Stitch". This is my family. I found it, all on my own. It’s little and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good.

“You good, Belle?” Tyler’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. She looked over at him, seeing the soft smile on his face, one reserved only for her, when they weren’t on camera.

“I’m good. Just thinking.” She replied.

“Alright, Tyler, looks like the storm’s about to spin somethin’ up.” Dani called over the radio.

“Copy, we’re checkin’ the radar now.” Tyler answered, as Elizabeth focused on the radar.

“Damn… CAPE’s off the charts. Wind shear’s lookin’ good.” Elizabeth murmured as she glanced at the radar between them. “Dew point’s right in the sweet spot.”

“So which way, then, Tempe?” Boone called from the back seat. “It looks like it’s gonna split. Part of it’ll head towards El Reno, the other out into the countryside.

Elizabeth scanned the radar again, processing everything as quickly as she could. Then her eyes shifted from the radar to the sky. As they closed in on the highway, she could see the subtle shift. It was going to split alright. And she could see where they needed to go.

“What’cha think, darlin’?” Tyler asked, and she looked over at him, a smirk slowly crossing her face.

She grabbed the mic for the radio from his hand. “Dani, the battle zone is gonna be northeast of 81.” She called.

“Copy that, Tempe.” Dani answered.

“You ready?” Tyler asked her. She turned back to him again. The smile was still there, but now there was also a hint of that familiar smirk. The one that always made her heart skip a beat, no matter how many times or ways she saw it.

“I was born ready, Cowboy. Let’s ride.” She answered.

Yeah. She had two families, though sometimes it was more like one extended family. And she loved them both unconditionally.

Even if said family (or families) were a bit unconventional, maybe a little insane, Elizabeth had never been a conventional person. Being the daughter of Bill and Jo Harding and having the instincts she had as a chaser pretty much ruled that out.

And if anyone told her that being in love with someone like Tyler Owens made her a sane woman by being the voice of reason, she would have to call them out on being wrong. Because sanity had no room when it came to Tyler.

Sanity didn’t send her into a tornado with him. And it certainly didn’t lead to what came in the backseat of his truck after, the adrenaline still pumping through their veins as they chased a different kind of high.

Nope. Being in love with Tyler Owens made any sense of sanity completely fly out the window with no hope of coming back. Made her throw caution to the wind and chase that high. Made her ride the edge.

Made her want and beg for more.

Tyler’s love for her was soft and ever-consuming, a gentleness that made up for the intensity of everything else. It was why it was so easy for her to put her life in his hands every single time they went out into the storm. The same way he put his life in her hands.

She heard Boone let out a whoop behind her. As she settled back into the seat, her eyes glanced down of their own accord to the ring on her left third finger, and a smile crossed her face, though her cheeks turned a little pink at where her thoughts had gone for the briefest of moments.

Yeah. This was her family. And she wouldn’t change any of it for anything.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

She currently sat in the back seat of Javi’s truck, Kate and Javi up front, outside Rogers World Airport, with a duffel bag at her side.

She was prepared to fly with Kate to New York – to help her present their data to the National Weather Service Review Board in hopes of landing a grant to keep their research going into taming tornadoes.

She hadn’t said a word about it to Tyler – he’d been busy with some of the repairs on his truck, affectionately dubbed Ol’ Red after El Reno since it had essentially survived mostly intact and due to its age.

And he’d been busy with chasing when he wasn’t fixing it, having borrowed her truck in the interim. The season wasn’t winding down anytime soon.

She fully intended on coming back home once she and Kate were done in New York, regardless of whether Kate decided she was coming back for good. Elizabeth wasn’t running.

At least, that was what she was trying to convince herself of.

Her left leg and side were aching again – the weather had been looking pretty nasty throughout the day to that point – with more storms building all over Oklahoma. But she was determined to push through the pain, to get this done.

She was also determined not to distance herself from Kate. That was why she’d volunteered to fly with her to New York, and to help present their data, to land that grant.

She couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride whenever she thought about it. Their fallen friends would be proud that they were taking this chance. She could feel it.

“Door to door service,” Javi said to Kate as he came to a stop. “Just like I promised. Brought you back in one piece.” he continued.

“Yeah, just about.” Kate chuckled.

The three of them laughed and got out of the truck, Javi helping with their suitcases. Then he looked between the two women.

“Look, when you two get to New York with the review board, they’re gonna say it was the fire from the refinery or the smoke or a million other things that caused that tornado to vanish. And that’s fine, too. But the point is that we know these things can be disrupted.” he said.

As Javi spoke, a shuttle bus heading to a nearby hotel pulled away from the terminal, revealing a familiar red truck covered in dents. And the driver was knee-deep in an argument with airport police.

To Elizabeth, Javi’s next words went in one ear and out the other. She swallowed dry. Tyler was not going to be happy to see her.

“We need a whole new branch of research on how to harness these storms,” Javi went on.

Kate raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you don’t wanna do the pitch? Sounds like you wanna do it.”

Javi smiled sheepishly. “Naw. A partner? No, go get us that money, you know what I’m saying. I ditched Riggs. A fresh start, a’right?”

“Maybe it’s time to renovate the old barn.” Kate offered, hinting at the possibility of her return.

“I like that. I like that.” Javi said, looking forward to more time with her. Then he spotted Tyler walking over, who didn’t look too happy despite the tight smile on his face. “Oh, Owens!”

“Storm Par. Sapulpa. Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth bit the inside of her cheek when he didn’t use either of her nicknames, proof enough in the moment that he was not happy with her. His next words were directed at Kate.

“Still not tellin’ me when you’re comin’ back? Thought we were becoming best friends.” Tyler’s teasing tone didn’t match the tension in his jaw.

“I don’t know. This could be it.” Kate lied.

Javi scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

Then, Tyler finally looked at Elizabeth. “Can I get a minute alone with this one?” he asked, his voice deadly calm.

Elizabeth swallowed dry again as Kate and Javi shared a look before stepping to the side, leaving the two alone. Elizabeth looked at the ground, avoiding eye-contact.

“The hell are you doin’ here, Belle?” Tyler asked with a frown on his face.

“What’s it look like?” Elizabeth asked, nodding to her suitcase. “I’m gettin’ on a plane.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me?” Tyler asked, sounding hurt.

Elizabeth winced. “Kate asked me to help present the data from El Reno to the review board, to get some grant money – it’s not gonna be cheap to keep the PAR radars.” she said quietly.

“And what happens when you get back? You gonna go back to the city?” Tyler challenged.

“Not if I had a damn good reason to stay.” Elizabeth replied.

“I thought you told me I’d given you a reason to stay, Belle. Was that not enough?” Tyler asked.

“It’s more than enough. But I can’t let Kate down. I promised I would help.” Elizabeth answered.

“Then let me come with you.” Tyler said.

“Not a chance. You’d hate it in New York.” Elizabeth said with a snort.

“Not if I was with you.”

“Come on, Tyler, you don’t mean that-”

“Yeah, I do, Belle. From the bottom of my heart.” Tyler cut her off. “I know things are movin’ fast and in a bit of a funky direction, but I swear to you, I've never loved anyone as much as I do you. You promised me you were done runnin’. You tellin’ me you lied to me?”

Elizabeth’s heart skipped a couple of beats before it began racing the way it did during the El Reno tornado. Because she could see it in Tyler’s eyes that he meant every word.

“Tyler,” she whispered softly, stepping closer. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her to him. “I love you. And it scares me sometimes how much I do.”

The corners of Tyler’s mouth turned up. “You ain’t scared of nothin’, sweetheart.”

“Maybe I’m not as fearless as I thought. Moving because the man I love asked me to? That’s fuckin’ terrifying.”

“Does that mean you’ll stay, though?” he asked hopefully.

“I already bought my ticket, Tyler.” she told him.

He moved even closer, pressing his forehead to hers. “Then I’ll reimburse you.”

“I don’t wanna let Kate down. I promised her. I can’t go back on my word, you know I can’t.”

“Then I’ll buy a ticket. And I’ll help ya move out of your apartment here in the city.” he murmured, his nose brushing hers. “’Sides, you won that bet. I owe you servitude. Packing boxes and hauling them around sounds like a good punishment.”

Elizabeth laughed, though she still wasn't convinced. “I still have my job.”

“You know you can always do that part time, and make bein’ a Wrangler your full time job.” Tyler said.

This argument again.

Elizabeth sighed before wrapping her arms around his neck. “You’re drivin’ a hard bargain, Cowboy.”

“Is it workin’, sweetheart?”

Elizabeth smiled softly and stood on her toes, brushing her lips against his. “You tell me.”

He was grinning as he kissed her again, Elizabeth tangling her fingers into his hair as he did so, his body pressing against hers. There was no way she could ever leave him, and they both knew it.

She should’ve tried harder to at least say something to Tyler.

“Okay,” Javi said, clearing his throat awkwardly, as the kiss went on longer than probably necessary. “No tongue, please.” Tyler and Elizabeth pulled apart slightly, both chuckling.

“So I’m alone now?” Kate asked, shooting Elizabeth a knowing look.

“For now, yeah. Sorry.” Elizabeth said, looking at her apologetically as she leaned into Tyler. He slid his hand into her back pocket, keeping her close.

“I’ll forgive you,” Kate teased. Then she hugged Elizabeth.

“Give me a call, let me know how it goes, okay? If you need anything, you know where to find me.” Elizabeth said, squeezing Kate tightly.

Soon, Elizabeth was watching Kate disappear through the doors before turning and seeing the look on Javi’s face. He looked devastated that Kate was leaving. "You know,” she said, catching Javi’s attention, “I’ve suddenly got a ticket for sale.”

“What? Naw.” Javi said, shaking his head.

“Well,” Tyler smirked, “You know what they say – ‘they’ being me and Belle. If you feel it…”

“You should chase it.” Elizabeth finished with a grin.

Javi glanced through the window of the building, seeing Kate looking for the line to get her boarding pass. He glanced once at Elizabeth, who gave him an encouraging look and her ticket. Then, he took a deep breath and took off, running into the airport.

“Atta boy,” Tyler said, grinning.

They watched as Javi caught up to Kate, surprising her. After saying a few words, she smiled softly and stepped closer. Then, Javi grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into a deep kiss that had been years in the making.

Though they couldn’t hear it, Elizabeth brought her fingers to her lips and wolf-whistled for them, happy to see Javi finally get the girl.

“You ready to head out, sweetheart?” Tyler asked, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her neck.

“Where we going?” Elizabeth asked, before leaning in to kiss Tyler back.

Just then, an announcement came over the intercom, which they were able to hear even from outside.

“Due to increasing winds from a nearby storm, please expect delays.”

Elizabeth looked up at Tyler, both of them sharing a wide grin. Javi and Kate were already heading back outside, having the same idea. Tyler grabbed the handle on Elizabeth’s duffel to load it into the back of his truck.

“You ready, honey?” Tyler asked as they climbed into the truck.

Elizabeth looked over at him, eyes shining, that warm, familiar smile that made Tyler’s heart skip a beat curving across her lips. “I was born ready, Cowboy. Let’s ride.”

Elizabeth had what was probably going to be a permanent smile on her face on the way to Tyler’s motel room late that afternoon.

After a wild day of storm chasing – including several EF3s and an EF4 – they’d agreed over a late lunch that once she’d gone with Kate to New York to present the data – when the weather allowed them to fly out and back – she would stay with him before going back to the city to move out of her apartment, since her lease ran out at the end of the month. Tyler would help her move out.

Whether this meant Tyler was staying in Oklahoma or if she’d be going with him back to Arkansas was still unclear, but one way or the other, she would be on the road with Tyler and his crew, officially becoming a Tornado Wrangler at last.

She’d spoken with her superiors at the SPC. While they were disappointed to be losing her as a full-time operations officer, an agreement had been reached for her to continue as a part-time researcher – mostly in the field. It would take a few weeks for everything to transition completely, but it would go more smoothly than Elizabeth initially anticipated.

After the chase, Tyler had been quiet on the drive to the motel, one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting on Elizabeth’s thigh. And the closer they got to the motel, the tighter his grip became on both. Elizabeth smirked softly, outwardly anticipating what he might have had planned.

She was expecting a repeat of that night in his parents’ house in Wakita, or the night before El Reno. She craved more of the gentle, loving side of Tyler that only seemed to surface around her. But part of her wondered if his grip on her was out of agitation rather than desire.

When they got to the motel, Tyler helped her out of the truck before reaching back and grabbing her duffel bag. The truck, even with just basic repairs to make it able to be driven, had held up well in the storms.

Yet it was still pretty beat up from El Reno. It would take some time before Ol’ Red was completely back to the way it was before.

Then, while Elizabeth had been lost in her thoughts, Tyler came to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist as he led her to the first floor room. Before Elizabeth had joined the Wranglers, Tyler usually shared a room with Boone. But since joining the Wranglers, Boone had willingly chosen to go solo.

When the door shut behind them, Elizabeth reached for the light as Tyler released her to set their bags at the foot of the bed. “Truck held up pretty well today,” Elizabeth began. “Ya know, despite the-”

“Shut up.” Tyler’s voice had gone cold and hard. Elizabeth turned to look at him.

“Excuse me?” Elizabeth sounded appalled.

“Shut the hell up, Belle.” his voice only grew colder. It surprised her. And scared her, more than a little.

“Tyler -”

“I said, shut up.” he stepped closer to her. “Now, I didn’t wanna make a scene in front of Kate and Javi at the airport, but what the actual hell were you playing at? Thinking you could leave me behind without so much as a goodbye? After everything we’ve been through?” he demanded.

Elizabeth’s mouth felt dry all of a sudden. Her heart skipped a beat – she hadn’t seen this kind of attitude from Tyler in more than ten years – and she felt a prickle of fear. “I – I already told you why.” she stammered.

“And that wasn’t a good enough reason for me, Belle. So, damnit, I’m allowed to be fuckin’ pissed at you right now. You would be in my place if I did somethin’ like this, right?” he drew even closer.

“Wait, hold on – you’ve been silently stewing over this all day, since leaving the airport?” Elizabeth asked, eyes widening slightly as she furrowed a brow.

“What if I have?” Tyler huffed. “How am I supposed to feel when the only woman I’ve truly loved was ready to leave me behind, even though she told me she felt the same way, had told me she was planning to stay?”

“I’m sorry, are you trying to imply that I didn’t mean any of it?” Elizabeth asked, her voice beginning to rise. “That I lied? I told you I’d be coming back when we were at the airport. I’m not runnin’.”

“But you were gonna go, Belle. You were gonna fly to New York with Kate. What if I’d been five minutes slower, huh? You would’ve been gone, and I would’ve had to catch a flight to go after you. Why? Because I care enough to chase after you. But you don’t seem to care enough about me to even say goodbye? Or say anything at all?” Tyler’s words came out in a torrent. The hurt in his eyes was clear to see.

“There was never a good time to say anything. You were busy with the repairs on the truck, or out on a chase while I finished recovering.” Tyler scoffed at her words. She took a deep breath.

“But I also didn’t say anything because,” she cut herself off, her emotions making her throat grow tight. “I knew that if I did, you would’ve convinced me to stay and break my word. And yet look where we are now. So don’t be questioning me about whether I was tellin’ the truth.”

“Were you?” he asked as came closer, until their chests touched. “Are you, now?”

Elizabeth glared up at him. “It should be obvious, you idiot.” she snapped. When he didn’t respond, only glared back at her, his sage-green eyes practically aflame, she scoffed, and turned to walk away from him. But Tyler snatched her wrist and pulled her back, roughly.

She stumbled back toward him, catching herself on his heaving chest. She looked up into his eyes, surprised and a bit frightened to see that they had gone dark, the sage-green having nearly been blotted out, his pupils so deeply dilated.

Tyler barely gave her any time to steady herself, before he cupped the back of her head and neck and pulled her into a rough kiss – so unlike any of the others they had shared, full of tongue and teeth and anger – and a noise of surprise slipped out before she kissed him back just as hard, her hands trailing up his chest, arms going around his neck, then threaded her fingers into his hair, tugging on the sandy-blonde strands, making him grunt into her mouth.

He quickly dominated the kiss, backing her into a wall with a thud, his hands gripping onto her hips so tightly, Elizabeth thought for sure he’d leave bruises. Her stomach flipped at the thought, already picturing herself tracing them while looking in the mirror tomorrow morning.

This side of Tyler was vastly different from the sweet, gentle one she’d known for so long – the one who joked with her during sex, held her like she was something precious when it was over – had been replaced by someone fueled by desperation and frustration, and, she could sense, vulnerability as well. It had her heart thrumming inside of her chest with excitement and a hint of fear.

Finally needing to breathe, Tyler pulled back, pressing his forehead against hers, eyes clenched shut, jaw taut.

“I love you, so goddamn much, Elizabeth Harding.” he finally spoke, his voice sounding strained as he worked to keep himself – his frustration and desire all at once – in check. “Don’t ever leave me like that again. Promise me.”

With one hand still buried in his hair, Elizabeth cupped his cheek with the other. “I love you too, Tyler Owens. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” she said softly.

“Promise me, Belle.” he repeated, his eyes pleading for her reassurance.

“I won’t leave you. I promise.”

Tyler nodded his satisfaction before kissing her again, teeth nipping at her bottom lip. As his kisses deepened, his hands slid under her shirt, reaching for her breasts under her bra and squeezing them.

His touch was anything but gentle as he continued pinching and rolling them until she was a breathless mess under his lips and his tantalizing touch.

When she finally let out a moan, he pulled away from her, taking a few steps back. Lust-darkened hazel-green eyes scanned his disheveled form, taking note of the fact that he was already growing hard beneath his jeans, his arousal growing more evident with each passing moment. And it made Elizabeth’s mouth water in anticipation.

“Take your fuckin’ clothes off.” Tyler ordered, voice still hard.

In that moment, Elizabeth suddenly felt a bit shy. It was one thing to have him strip her himself. But stripping herself as he watched with an almost feral look in his eyes? That was something else entirely.

Her palms grew clammy from how nervous she’d become, unsure of how the rest of the night would go. He certainly wouldn’t be making love to her like he had that night in the bed of his truck or the night before El Reno.

She started with her shirt – in truth, a borrowed one of Tyler’s – carefully shedding it to reveal the tank top underneath. She shimmied out of the tank top next, leaving her bra.

Then she kicked her boots off and to the side and peeled off her jeans. She paused, looking at Tyler expectantly, thinking she’d followed his ‘order’ completely.

“All of ‘em, sweetheart,” Tyler said, gesturing to her undergarments as he sat on the edge of the bed, waiting, none too patiently.

Her cheeks glowed with a fast-burn blush as she removed her bra and panties, letting them fall to the floor. The longer Tyler simply stared at her without saying a word, the more flustered and turned on she was becoming.

“Get on your knees,” he said after a long moment’s silence.

Her eyes widening, she scrambled to the ground, going down right in front of him as she knelt, balancing her hands on his thighs as she did so. But he shoved her hands off and away from him, then rose to his full height, towering over her.

Her eyes fixed on his hands as they steadily worked his belt loose, then unzipped his jeans, pushing them down his thighs. Elizabeth leaned in closer on instinct, brushing her nose against the painful-looking tent in his boxers, noticing the small, dark bead of pre-cum that had soaked the light gray material.

Tyler called on his restraint, holding back the soft noise that threatened as she touched him lightly through the fabric. He would not give her the satisfaction of knowing how she affected him in this moment. Though it was becoming really fucking hard not to when she licked him through the fabric, the friction damn-near driving him insane.

Then, Elizabeth hooked her fingers into the waistband of his boxers, pulling them down to join his jeans, watching his cock spring free. And he was huge, the pink tip swollen and leaking pre-cum.

Elizabeth wrapped her hands around him, feeling him grow harder as she pumped him a few times before leaning in and licking up what had gathered at the tip. She heard the quietest of sighs escape Tyler’s lips, which only spurred her on.

“I’m sorry, baby.” Elizabeth said softly before running her tongue along the underside of his cock, tracing a vein. “I’ll do anything for you to forgive me.” she added.

“Trust me, honey, you will.” Tyler said, voice low, almost a growl, as he gathered her long, golden-brown hair in one hand like a ponytail, pulling it back and out of her face. Elizabeth fought the urge to shiver.

She took him into her mouth, finally eliciting a low, short moan out of the man above her. She took him as far as she could, her nose still at least a full inch from the base of his shaft, her lips stretched so wide that the corners of her mouth started to hurt.

Then she began sucking him off, hollowing her cheeks as she bobbed back and forth, moaning softly around him. Her hands reached for his thighs, her fingertips digging into them slightly as she tried to ground herself. When he grew tired of her agonizingly slow, steady pace, however, his hips bucked forward.

For a moment, as the head of his cock brushed the back of her throat, Elizabeth gagged quietly, tears pricking at the backs of her eyes. But she breathed in through her nose and relaxed her throat as much as she could, taking him just a bit further.

His grip on her hair tightened as he began fucking her mouth, low moans and groans slipping past his lips. The sound was like music to her ears.

“Just like that, baby,” Tyler grunted between thrusts. “Fuck, look at ya. Chokin’ on my cock – I’ve wanted to see you like this since – fuck – the moment I saw you at that gas station.”

She let out a soft whine around him, the vibrations making him curse softly. Elizabeth knew her throat would be fuckin’ sore in the morning. But in the moment, she found she didn’t care. It hurt in the best way possible, as she rubbed her thighs together, seeking out some friction of her own to ease the ache in her core. While Tyler was blissfully distracted, she reached down with one hand, seeking out her clit.

When Tyler opened his eyes and glanced down at her, he was at first entranced by the sight below him - Elizabeth looking up at him with glassy hazel-green eyes, his cock sliding in and out of her beautiful mouth. Then, he caught sight of where her hand was moving to, and he nearly growled, his frustration resurfacing.

“Did I say you could touch yourself, darlin’?” his voice grew gravelly in its roughness as he ceased his thrusts for a moment. It proved to be a mistake that nearly undid him, as she simply sucked deftly on his cock, causing a shiver to run down his spine. “Hands off, Belle.” he snapped.

Elizabeth’s brows drew together as she let out a low huff of displeasure, though she did as told, her hands landing back on his thighs. Not trusting her to keep put, with his free hand, Tyler took her hands and brought them to rest on his abdomen just below his belly button, holding them in place.

If she’d really wanted to, she could have pulled out of his grip if she took him off guard. But she didn’t want to.

Then, Tyler was back to fucking in and out of her mouth, letting out a string of curses as his bobbing length was practically swallowed. Soon, his thrusts grew sloppy, signaling that he was close to release.

Suddenly, he ripped away from her, leaving her with swollen lips that shone with spit and an aching jaw as she looked up at him with wide, slightly fearful eyes. Her hands still rested on his stomach, her fingers toying with the patch of his hair leading down to his happy trail, loving how he closed his eyes for just a moment to savor her gentle touch.

Try as he might to hide it, he was just as deeply affected by her as she was by him.

Tyler recovered his composure and lifted her underneath her arms, practically throwing her onto the bed instead of gently guiding her. Elizabeth laid back, unable to hide her eagerness as he began crawling up her body, his hardened, aching cock brushing against her stomach as he reached her lips.

Again and again, he kissed her hard, his hand cupping the back of her head, keeping her close to him as he explored her mouth with his tongue, not giving her an inch to move. She hummed softly, happily against his mouth while shifting her hips upward, seeking some friction from his muscular thighs.

But instead he pinned her down with his full body weight. She gasped in surprise, then moaned softly into his mouth, wishing more than anything that he’d do something other than just kiss her. Even just run his hands along her body, for god’s sake. But he just kept her hands above her head, torturing her as he shifted his own hips, his cock trapped between their stomachs as he slowly teased himself.

“Tyler,” she moaned softly as he pulled away and began kissing her neck. She let out a soft squeal when he bit down, hard, on her skin at her pulse point, no doubt leaving a mark behind that he was quick to soothe with his lips and tongue. “Tyler, please…”

He sucked in a breath through his nose before looking down at her, his sage-green eyes dilated but still blazing. “Unless you’re tellin’ me to stop, Belle, I don’t wanna hear another fuckin’ word outta you right now.”

A whine of protest died in her throat as she clamped her mouth shut. God, the last thing she wanted was for him to stop. It sounded more than a little painful to her in her current state.

Instead of saying anything that would only antagonize him, she clawed at his back as he kissed her collarbone, sucking marks that would be painful to the touch come morning. Once he was satisfied with his work, he pulled away, admiring her like she was a work of art. His work of art.

“Roll over onto your stomach, honey,” his next order came, his voice not quite gentle yet not as hard and demanding as before.

Elizabeth nervously complied, feeling even more on edge now that she couldn’t see him.

Tyler hooked one arm around her waist and pulled her ass back and up. Elizabeth sucked in a sharp breath as the head of his cock teased her entrance, slowly rubbing back and forth until she was a writhing, whimpering mess against him. The knot in her lower belly was becoming painfully tight.

“Tyler, do something – ah!”

It wasn’t slow or gentle like the other times when he slid inside of her, instead bottoming out inside her within seconds, barely giving her any time to adjust as he pulled all the way out again.

Her forehead fell against the pillow as she moaned at the feeling, crying out softly when he rammed back into her, hitting her deeper than he ever had before due to the new position.

As he began thrusting in and out of her, his thrusts more powerful than they’d ever been, she was lost to the world, her only thoughts on Tyler and the euphoria he brought to the surface. It was messy and rough, raw and angry, and a part of her didn’t want it to stop.

“You’re mine, Belle,” his grunt sounded like a growl, his arm still locked around her waist so that he could pull her back into him as he pushed into her. “Mine, you hear me, baby?”

At the same time that he thrust particularly deep into her, she cried out, her words inarticulate. It was almost too much.

“Fuck, Tyler I’m all yours.” she practically sobbed after another thrust.

He hadn’t wanted her to speak, but he forgave her for the slip up, since she’d given him the answer he wanted to hear.

Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut, digging her fingers into the pillow, overwhelmed by the feeling of euphoria that was washing through her, every nerve-ending sending jolts of electricity through her whole body as though she’d been hit by a lightning strike.

The orgasm that had been building hit her fast and hard, the sounds in the room absolutely sinful as he fucked her cum right back inside of her.

And when his own release came, he leaned down and bit her shoulder hard at the junction with her collarbone, groaning against her skin as he buried himself deep inside of her and let go.

Neither one said a word about the fact that again, he hadn’t worn a condom – it was something they’d already talked about – something that they’d deal with come morning.

It didn’t matter when he was still slowly thrusting in and out of her, her walls clenching around him one more time.

Finally, as Tyler’s frustration bled dry and he calmed down, he removed his mouth from her shoulder, taking note of the good-sized mark he’d left behind.

Then he slid completely out of her, both letting out a moan at the loss of connection. Elizabeth all but collapsed onto the bed, exhaustion leaving her feeling boneless. She tried to calm her breathing as she came down from the intense, euphoric high, tears welling in the backs of her eyes.

If she expected Tyler to continue acting cold towards her, she was surprised as he began leaving gentle kisses along her spine until he reached the back of her neck. Then he fell beside her on the bed before pulling her into his warm, albeit sweaty embrace. She closed her eyes, letting a few tears fall as he nuzzled his nose against the back of her neck.

Finally, after catching her breath, she turned in his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close, until their chests were touching.

“Tyler,” she said softly, her voice hoarse, as her fingers toyed with the hair at the base of his neck. She could see the frustration and vulnerability still swimming in his eyes.

“I wasn’t going to leave for good when I went with Kate to fly to New York. I’m done running, I promise you. But I also knew that if I had told you I was going, you’d come to the wrong conclusion and think I was leaving, and try to talk me out of it, thinking I was pushing you away again.” her words died, her voice trembling.

At her words, and seeing the look in her eyes, his demeanor shifted, his gaze softening, finally.

“I wouldn’t think that of you, Belle. I know you’re not pushin’ me away anymore. Nothin’ you could do would run me off.” he promised.

The tears that had been welling up in her eyes finally spilled over in their entirety, her throat growing tight as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her completely. She tried and failed to stifle the soft sob that had been building.

Tyler was immediately on alert, his sage-green eyes clocking the growing emotion in her hazel ones. “Belle? Baby, are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked gently.

Elizabeth shook her head. “No… I think I’m okay…” Elizabeth replied, voice unsteady. “Just… a little overwhelmed. I didn’t expect that to get so intense.” she added, voice shaking slightly.

Tyler pulled her closer, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before wrapping her in a hug. “I know. I know, and I’m sorry if I pushed ya too far back there. I’m sorry if I lost control.” he murmured.

Elizabeth shook her head. “You didn’t go too far. I just wasn’t prepared for something that intense, is all.” she said softly, as tears welled up again and she let out another quiet sniffle.

“Still, I went pretty hard on you. I should’ve dialed it back. I’m sorry, honey. I’m so sorry.” he gently rocked her in his arms, frowning when he felt tears land on his skin. He pulled back slightly and brushed the tears away with his thumb.

“I don’t know why I’m crying,” Elizabeth admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed by her emotional response. “It’s… it’s silly.”

“No, it ain’t.” Tyler said, his voice suddenly growing firm, but still somewhat gentle. “What we just did… you’re right, it was pretty intense.”

“You’re not the one crying, though.” Elizabeth countered.

“Who says I’m not?” Tyler fired back.

Elizabeth took a deep breath before pulling away, looking up at Tyler’s face with still-damp eyes, surprised to see that his sage-green eyes were glassy with tears of his own. “Tyler,” she whispered.

“C’mere, honey,” Tyler murmured, pulling her close once more against his chest. He shushed her gently when she let out a soft whimper. “I know, I know.” he said gently as he stroked her hair.

Elizabeth nestled closer to him, drawing comfort from his embrace as the unexpected emotional response ebbed.

“I love you, Tyler.” Elizabeth whispered before tilting her head back to kiss him softly on the lips. “I love you so much. And I’m sorry if I scared you, made you think I was leavin’.”

“I believe you, honey.” he whispered back, tucking a tuft of her messy hair behind one ear. “I love you, too. I’ll just have to tell you everyday to make sure you never forget that.”

A soft, tired smile crossed her face at that as she leaned in and pressed her forehead to his. “Every day with you… I like the sound of that.” she said quietly.

“Well, me and the rest of the team, if we’re bein’ technical.” Tyler amended.

“Yeah, I kinda figured y’all were a packaged deal.” Elizabeth teased.

Tyler just chuckled.

After a week of general repairs, Ol’ Red was mostly drive-able. But until certain things had been completely fixed, chasing with it was still kept to a minimum.

So a couple of weeks later, Tyler and Elizabeth took the truck to an old friend of theirs from the rodeo circuit, a mechanic named Lakota.

The damage hadn’t been quite as severe as they’d originally feared. Thanks to Tyler’s handiwork to begin with, the roll cage had saved most of the truck from significant damage when it had rolled. They would have to reattach the augers and the rocket launchers along with some other equipment, but for the most part it was fixable, though it would take a while.

“Long time no see, Belle, Tyler. I’ve heard you guys have been busy.” Lakota said as he hugged Elizabeth before shaking Tyler’s hand.

“That’s putting it mildly.” Elizabeth smirked. “Season’s not letting up anytime soon.” she added. Tyler’s hand at her hip tightened its grip slightly. She gave him a look, as if to say, down, boy. Later.

“Oh, I know. And it would seem that Tyler here can’t keep his mouth shut when he keeps talkin’ about ya, Belle. It’s cute, honestly.” he punched Tyler’s shoulder before pointing to Ol’ Red. “Where you gonna take her?”

“She needs a little TLC on the roll cage, and we’ve got some equipment to repair and replace.” Tyler answered.

Lakota nodded. “In that case I could haul her over to Uncle Robby’s for ya, over in Chickasha, and give ya a ride.”

“That’d be great. Thanks, Lakota.” Tyler said. “We’d like to get her good and primed before we take a little road trip.” he added before glancing down at Elizabeth, who nodded in agreement.

“Then let’s get her loaded up.” Lakota replied.

There would be more storms over the next few weeks as the regular chasing season drew to an end, but Tyler and the other Wranglers all agreed they needed a break, especially after the events at El Reno.

They’d come dangerously close to losing Kate, Elizabeth, and Lily. Not long after El Reno, Kate soon joined them on a semi permanent basis, similar to how Elizabeth had, and so did Javi, soon after. When there was time, everyone agreed that Elizabeth and Kate would fly to New York to present the proposal to get funding from the NWS Review Board.

The Wranglers parted ways, if only for a few weeks or so. Javi had a lot of work to do to sever ties with Storm Par, especially the likes of Marshall Riggs and Scott Miller, but still keep the PAR radars to be able to continue utilizing them in their research into disrupting tornadoes, especially since they needed more of a baseline set of data to prove that the sodium polyacrylate/silver iodide combination had worked.

Especially with the growing (if somewhat new) relationship between him and Kate. Dani, Dexter and Lily headed home to their various places dotted around Little Rock, but Boone insisted they all get back together near El Reno for a post-season celebration to celebrate their success with the Tamer project - and the addition of three new Wranglers.

Luke and Sophie were in the process of moving into a small ranch near Sapulpa. While neither showed any interest in joining the Wranglers, they invited the whole crew to their wedding in the fall, especially since Tyler was supposed to be Luke's best man, and Elizabeth was to be Sophie's Maid of Honor. They also invited the team to stay at the ranch (once they settled in) during chase season to cut down on the motel stays.

Boone was headed to Dardanelle before joining the others in Little Rock. Elizabeth didn't know what he had planned, but knowing her old friend, there was bound to be some kind of mischief involved.

Elizabeth and Tyler were headed to Chickasha to get work done on Ol’ Red. She didn't have the faintest idea what Tyler had meant by 'a little road trip', but she suspected that it had something to do with his looming discussion with her about his family, which he'd only hit the tip of the iceberg with in the hospital.

Well, for one, I have a brother. An older twin brother.

The words wouldn't stop rattling around in her head. Did he have just the one brother? Did he have other siblings? Would the rest of his family even like her? Especially if they knew about the rough spots in their history together?

As she got into the truck, she shook her head. Knock it off, Harding. You're being silly. She told herself. Besides, if she was pregnant as Tyler suspected, she could blame her rattled nerves on her hormones. If not, then... she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

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A chance meeting with the man in question starts to bring back memories to the forefront of Mia’s mind. Memories of all the good times that she shared with Becket. Every memory of his love and support, especially when she was grieving the loss of her father, and the little bit of sleuthing she did to determine whether Benoit Blanc had been onto something when he’d said that there was more to her father’s death than met the eye.

Over time, Mia and Becket begin to reconnect, until he admits one night that he misses her, or at the very least misses being friends with her. She tries to rebuff him, stating that things are complicated and would keep her from being a good enough friend for him, careful not to reveal a secret she’s hiding. Especially after she sees him with Ruth, a schoolteacher, and the girlfriend of one of Becket’s deceased recently deceased relatives.

Then enter Julia Steinway – now married – who has been behaving strangely in the few interactions Mia's had with her, and the ones between Julia and Becket that Mia’s discretely observed without the latter knowing, or so she thinks. Even when she and Becket were together, Mia suspected that Julia seemed to be leading Becket on for years. So why did it look like she was coming on to him now more than ever? Or like she had some kind of hold over him?

And what was motivating Mia now in keeping Becket around, even at arm’s length, instead of letting him go his own way as she’d done six years ago?

Was it jealousy in seeing Becket with someone else? Was it protectiveness, wanting to keep Becket from being hurt by Julia and her femme-fatale, manipulative nature? Or was it possessiveness?

As secrets are revealed and lies continue to pile up, Becket and Mia will both soon find themselves asking the same question – how far will you go for revenge?

Inspired by/based on How to Make a Killing (2026) with references/character mentions from Knives Out (2019).

Becket Redfellow x OFC - Exes to Lovers

"Since the day I was born, my mother told me we were different."

"There were seven of them. Seven rich pricks between myself and 28 billion dollars."

"I don't know if it'd be a good idea for us to be friends again. Things are... complicated for me right now, and I wouldn't be a good friend to you. Not the friend that you deserve."

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Table of Contents (Links to be added)

Cast and Playlist (Coming Soon)

Chapter One - TBD (Coming Soon)

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You would think that she gets along with the younger family members – her niece and nephews – right? Wrong. Ransom, Richard and Linda’s son, tolerates her at best and outright despises her at worst, with no explanation despite how close they are in age. Meg, Joni’s daughter, constantly shifts back and forth between being her ‘best friend’ and completely ignoring her. And Jacob? Walt’s son and Mia’s youngest nephew? His harsh criticism of her work – if he even bothers to read the previews that are released – has her second-guessing herself at every turn, and it hurts like hell.

There’s only a few bright spots in her life, which are the only constants she can rely on, aside from her father. There’s Fran, the housekeeper who has become like an older sister, more so than Linda has been at times. And, of course, there’s Marta, her father’s caregiver and confidante (and Mia’s as well) who has become one of her few friends. And finally, there’s her boyfriend, Becket Redfellow, the second most important man in her life. He’s sweet, gentle, and supportive, if a little naive. While he’s estranged from his own family – due to his mother’s disinheritance prior to his birth – he’s hopeful that he’ll one day inherit his family’s $28 billion fortune.

Yeah, her life isn’t easy, but to Mia, it couldn’t possibly throw anything harder her way, right? Well, she thought so, until the night of her father’s 85th birthday. First, there’s a heated debate between her siblings (and siblings in law) that she, Marta and Becket nearly get dragged into. Then, Ransom gets into an argument with her father, which results in the former storming out of the party.

After the party finally ends, and after returning home and settling in with Becket (and the intimate moment between them that follows), Mia has a terrifying nightmare involving Becket and her father, that leaves her shaken to her core. Only after Becket calms her with soft words and gentle reassurances is she able to fall back asleep, only to get the call every child dreads no matter how old they are the next morning: her father is dead. And it appears to have been a suicide.

Everything after that seems to blur together. The coroner’s autopsy. The police interviews. Planning and going to the funeral (even though that asshole Ransom ditched). All the while, Mia tries to focus on her daily life, and her next book, It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Murder, which she decides to dedicate in her father’s memory.

Then, a week after her father’s death, another phone call. The police are interviewing everyone again, including Mia, Becket and Marta. They’re looking for additional information. And this time, the interviews are being conducted under the sharp eye of ‘gentleman’ private investigator Benoit Blanc. For some unknown reason, he’s been hired to look further into Harlan’s death, and suggests that it may have been more than just a suicide. He suspects that something more may be at play, something more sinister. But what?

In a house full of suspects – the dirty liars and the ones with equally dirty secrets – hell, any one of them could’ve done it.

Becket Redfellow x Female OC

Based on/inspired by Knives Out (2019) with mentions of characters from How to Make a Killing (2026). This story serves as a prequel to Part 2 - Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (also coming soon).

"She was a successful writer coming into her own. She had practically everything she ever wanted, so why did it still feel like there was a void?"

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Table of Contents (Links to be added)

Cast and Playlist (Coming Soon)

Chapter One - TBD (Coming Soon)

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Roughly one year ago, Jake and Nick were sent on two bombing missions while on deployment in the Middle East, paired with two other pilots with the callsigns "Cobalt" and "Vigilante". The first mission was completed without incident. But during the second mission - which started smoothly with successfully taking out all assigned targets - the four pilots were ambushed by multiple enemy fighter aircraft as they were pulling out. The incident led to Nicole Mitchell getting three kills - the most for an active duty female aviator - and her callsign, Valkyrie, 'chooser of the slain'. Jake Seresin came away with one kill, and his own callsign, Hangman. While there had been speculation about the origins of the latter's callsign, neither of them spoke of it. The other end result was that Valkyrie became increasingly cold and calculated, while Hangman became cockier than those close to him knew him to be, even arrogant and insufferable at times. Though this led to arguments between the two, the two still flew well together, and never considered being reassigned or requesting a different wingman.

Now, called back to North Island for a special training detachment, Nick is forced to confront her demons when she learns her father has returned, along with her adopted brother, and must also navigate an emotional minefield when it comes to both men, along with the wingman who in her heart has become so much more.

Based on/Inspired by Top Gun: Maverick (2022) with some references/connections to Top Gun (1986) along with Twisters (2024).

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Female Mitchell! OC

Friends to Lovers

"Her dreams were always up in the clouds, and she might as well have been born with jet fuel in her veins"

"Don't think, just do."

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Table of Contents (Links to be added)

Cast and Playlist (Coming Soon)

Chapter One - TBD (Coming Soon)

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