Storm Warning - By Kadi Dillon Page 0,24

mix of toughness, intelligence, and compassion. The last should have surprised him, but every emotion Tory felt or provoked was as intense as the storms she chased. With extreme independence and exasperating stubbornness came a deep, profound empathy for the people around her. She made him feel things he shouldn’t be able to feel right now.

Billy ran a hand through his shaggy hair, shaking his head. “What’s she got going on through that head of hers now?”

“You know Tory. Best thing to do now is grin and bear it. Car wash, tomorrow. Guess I got to go buy a suit.” Adam grimaced.

“Same here. I don’t think I packed one.” Gabe thought about Tory in a suit and had to bite back a groan.

He’d been a perfect gentleman the past four days—taking care of Tory, listening to Tory, and being a friend to Tory. It was slowly driving him mad.

Every minute he had to spend with her in that little room was pure, agonizing torture. He had to see her all soft and rumpled when she woke up every morning. He had to see her when she was warm and sweet in her sleep. He’d penetrated some of the layers to her and could help but admire what he saw.

She was strength and compassion bundled into a desirable little package.

Gabe left Adam’s room and went to his own. He smelled her there, he thought as he crossed the room to start a fresh pot of coffee. Once he had that done, he sat down at the table with his laptop and opened the file he’d been secretly working on.

He scanned the list of miniature pictures as they displayed on the screen. He’d been taking snapshots of the team throughout the season. He had a project in mind and took some time every night to work on it. It would be a gift to the team when his time was up.

He ignored way his stomach turned as it did every time he thought of leaving. After the season ended, he would no longer have an excuse to hang around Tory or the other team members. Hell, he thought wryly, he had plenty of shots for his portfolio. He was basically paying five grand a month to spend time with Tory.

He saved the picture of Adam at his tripod and went on to the next photo. He paused—his fingers going still as they hovered over the keyboard—when Tory’s picture emerged on the screen. His heart took several hard knocks against his chest and his stomach sank the way it did every time he thought of that moment.

He hadn’t even meant to take this picture. His mind had already told his feet to move—to chase after Tory, but his thumb had pressed the button on the shudder release on its own accord. Gabe zoomed in and stared at the picture, once again facing the moment that had cost him hours of sleep.

There was a white house in the background. The massive tornado was breaking it apart. A small, tawny haired girl ran toward it, her hair was flying all around her. The image brought back the same helpless feelings he’d faced as he’d watched in horror as someone’s home was destroyed and they’re life turned upside down.

The picture was amazing, superb. It would make him thousands of dollars. It would give him more endless nights of no sleep.

He sighed and drank the coffee that had gone cold. After grabbing his wallet and camera bag, he left his empty room. Tory would be back after she bought the supplies for the car wash. She’d act nonchalant about the whole thing, but he knew she would be as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. Adam would tease her and she’d hide her embarrassment behind a wall of verbal insults and sneers.

God, he was starting to love her.

Tory picked out a turquoise bikini with a sparkling diamond in the center. Being the height of swimming season, her choices were somewhat limited, but she liked the color even if the bottoms were a little too skimpy.

She would just throw on a pair of cut off shorts, she’d thought as she’d paid for the suit.

She found the perfect lot at a pet store where they could set up. She was able to talk the owner of the store into letting them use part of the parking lot from nine to five the next day—and he agreed to let them use it for free.

Tory was high on luck as