“Don’t. You touch me, and I’m lost.” I slid into the small opening of my car door, and he recognized it for the escape maneuver it was.

“You know I had to pick North Carolina. I had no choice,” he argued.

“I know, but you left me with none, either. Just cut our losses, Grayson.”

I shoved the lid on the feelings box and got the hell out of there.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Sam

“Ice cream?” Morgan asked, sliding a pint over the counter island before taking spoons out of the drawer.

“Why not, after all, no one will be seeing this ass for a while.” I shrugged and popped the top on the chocolate-chip cookie dough. That little beach trip two days ago was definitely the last of bikini season.

“We could always head out for a drink if you need something stronger,” she offered. “Tornado watch be damned.”

A year ago I would have jumped that offer so hard I would have bounced. But using alcohol to cope meant I’d wake up in the morning hungover and still heartbroken. No thank you. “This is perfect, thanks.”

“Well, ice cream is the only real action I’ve been getting, so I’ve become quite the connoisseur.” She dug out a bite.

My phone buzzed.

Avery: Hey, I have news for you. Want to meet me at the gym?

As if on cue, a branch from the hydrangea bush outside the kitchen window slapped the glass. The sky was dark for six o’clock at night, and the wind was moving with the approaching thunderstorm. “Looks like we’re in for an evening, anyway,” Morgan said, securing the latch on the window. “Guess I’ll go take off the bra. Want to marathon some Netflix?”

“Sounds good. Anything but One Tree Hill,” I answered automatically, pretty sure I’d never see it again without thinking of sitting in Grace’s hospital room.

I texted Avery back.

Sam: We’re under tornado watch. Why don’t we meet up tomorrow?

My curiosity would have to wait. I didn’t want her out in this.

“You and Grace.” Morgan laughed.

“What?” My head snapped up.

She waved her spoon. “Oh, you know. The One Tree Hill comment. I went over to the house with Paisley one day when you were at school, and when I asked her if she wanted to watch TV she said the exact same thing.”

Huh. Odd. “Weird. Mia said it was her favorite show.”

“Not sure.” Morgan shrugged. “She said something about hating the last season, and it being overplayed? Anyway, I’m seriously getting in my pajamas. Meet you at the couch?”

I couldn’t even escape Grace in my own kitchen. She was everywhere.

My cell phone buzzed, and I nodded at Morgan. Jammies weren’t a bad idea, and definitely more comfortable than my jeans.

Avery: I’m actually here already.

The wind picked up, and a weather alert sounded on my phone.

Tornado Warning, Coffee County, AL until 9 p.m. Seek shelter immediately.

Trained weather spotters reported a funnel cloud near Kinston. A tornado may develop at any time. Doppler radar showed this dangerous storm moving Northeast at 45 mph. Locations of impact include…Enterprise…Fort Rucker…Take cover immediately.

Crap. Looked like we’d be watching television from the cozy confines of the downstairs bathroom.

Sam: Hey, there’s a tornado warning.

Avery: I saw. Mom already shut the gym down.

Sam: Good. Get home, okay?

I took a bite of ice cream and savored the chill on my tongue. Since the proposal, I’d been numb. No tears, no pain…nothing. Even this tornado warning? Meh.

Maybe I’d exhausted every possible emotion in my body, wrung myself dry until all that was left was an overdose of lidocaine that made me bite my tongue more than anything else.

But maybe that was good. Maybe it would be easier to move on now.

Avery: Grady dropped me off here. Mom is in Dothan.

My stomach fell.

Sam: You’re there alone?

Avery: Yeah. No worries. Mom will be here in an hour or so. I’ll bunker down in the sauna or something.

Alone? No way.

I pulled up the weather map. She didn’t have an hour if that turned into a tornado. I looked out the window. Weren’t the skies supposed to turn green? Mom had raced us to the shelter in Kansas, it wasn’t like I’d actually seen anything.

A few clicks and I had the television tuned to a local channel, where the six o’clock news had been commandeered by the meteorologist.

“…away from windows or flying debris. Again, a tornado has been spotted traveling northeast at what looks to be about thirty miles an hour. If you are in the city of Enterprise, take cover. Folks, this one is coming right at you.”

The remote fell from my hand.

“Morgan!” I ran to the entry hall, where I’d dropped my shoes, and put them on.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, coming down the steps in flannel pajama pants.

“Tornado headed for us.” I threw on my hoodie and raced back to the kitchen, where I’d left my cell phone on the counter.

“Confirmed on the ground?”

“Yeah. You need to get in the bathroom.” My fingers flew over the text screen.

Sam: I’m coming. Keep the door unlocked and get away from the windows.

“Well so do you.” She grabbed the emergency pack from the hallway.

“I have to get Avery. She’s all alone at the gym.” Where the hell were my keys? The entry table? My purse? The coffee table. Right.