Riding the storm - By Julie Miller Page 0,59

a day or a week for the water to go down enough to walk or ride out of here.”

“If we had a boat, I’d say we could paddle.”

Nate turned her way. “Do you have a boat?” Maybe there was a way he could get beyond the barriers of floodwater and find help after all.

Jolene shrugged. “Sorry. Looks like you’re stuck with me.”

He could think of worse ways to spend the next few days of his life.

“I’m not complaining.” Nate straightened, pulling his gloves from the pockets of his jeans. “There’s plenty of work I can do around here.” He pointed across the rain-pocked yard. “And that ton of trouble is my first priority.”

Jolene stared at the empty, broken pen. She twirled a finger in the air as she spoke. “You don’t think the hurricane spawned a tornado…that Rocky…” He could tell she was imagining what she’d have to report to her friend, Lily, if the Santa Gertrudis bull turned up dead. “The cows blew away in the movie Twister.”

Shaking his head, Nate grinned. “Now that’s Hollywood. But I suppose anything’s possible. Knowing our friend, though, I’m guessing he took himself for a walk at the first opportunity. He’s probably trying to find your neighbor’s herd or some dry food.”

“Or he’s lying in wait for us somewhere.”

“I wouldn’t put it past him.” He pulled out his work gloves. “Better keep your eyes open. I’ll saddle up Checker and go look for Rocky so we don’t get any nasty surprises. I can see how far around your property the flooding goes while I’m at it. Find if there’s a way out cross-country.”

“Here. If you’re going riding, you’ll need this.” She held out a red, white and blue Texas Rangers baseball cap. “To replace the one I lost in the hurricane. I bought it as an early Christmas present for Dad, but I think you’ll need it.”

“If it’s for your dad—”

“It’s only August. I’ll get to another game.” When she smiled like that, he couldn’t find it in him to protest.

“Thanks.”

She bypassed his outstretched hand and set the cap on his head herself. Nate groaned as she moved in close enough to give his nose a reminder of the maple toaster pastries they’d had for breakfast.

But he stood patiently while she frowned, then turned the bill around to the back. Then she pulled it back to the front. “I don’t know which way I like better—the professional man of duty and honor. Or—” she flipped the bill around to the back and tapped her lips as if she was studying some classic work of art “—the boyish, flirty look that shows off those eyes.”

Boyish and flirty had never been a part of Nate Kellison.

Until Jolene.

Even now, he wasn’t sure what she saw in his old soul that made her think he could ever be young and carefree. But he felt like trying.

He plucked the cap from her grasp and turned it around, pulling the brim low enough to shade his eyes. “How about the let’s-get-down-to-business-and-get-some-work-done look?”

She stood back and grinned in a way that tickled him down to his toes. “That works, too. You want me to get the horses?”

She’d gotten down to the second step before he grabbed her by the elbow and stopped her. He circled around and stood on the ground in front of her, meeting her at eye level and blocking her path.

“No. One horse. You’re staying here to check the other animals while I ride out.” He deftly changed the subject before she could argue. “Did you have any luck contacting your father?”

She raised an eyebrow indignantly, telling him she recognized the diversion tactic for what it was. But she answered, anyway. “The ground lines and cell phone are both still out of order. I wish I hadn’t left my truck at Lily’s so we could try the radio again.”

“That truck couldn’t have made it over the roads, much less cross-country the way we came yesterday.”

“I know. I just feel so isolated. No communication, no running water. And since the generators have run out of juice, no electricity. Just us.”

Was the us a good thing or a bad thing? Not wanting to dwell on the possible answer, Nate released her. “There’s a lot to be said for peace and quiet.”

She crossed her arms and squinched up her face in a disbelieving frown.

Oh, right, Nate thought. “Peace” and “quiet” probably weren’t in her vocabulary.

“Let’s get to work,” she said. “I’ll try to reach Dad again a little later.” Her