His laughter joined hers and built into a loud bellow. “What...are we...laughing at?” he gasped between guffaws.
“Us and our silliness.”
Another warning rumble of thunder sounded closer than the first, sobering them both. Their laughter gave way to broad smiles, and then softened as their gazes locked for a long moment.
Rick’s mouth twitched at one corner. “Was it just me, or was Kenny’s timing last night as terrible as I thought?”
“That depends.” Summer raised an eyebrow. “Were you about to kiss me when he came in?”
“I was.”
She grinned up at him and nodded. “Then his timing was terrible.” A large drop of rain plopped on top of her head, followed by another and another.
“Good to know.” Rick gave her a wink and slung the quiver over his shoulder as the sky opened up.
With a squeal, Summer took off in a run, Rick right behind her. Exhilaration pumped through her, propelling her across the field.
The slower kids had fallen behind, and she and Rick caught up easily. They slowed their pace to stay in the rear, encouraging the kids to hurry, but Summer found it difficult to hold back. She wasn’t worried about getting wet, but rather her heart was skipping in her chest, and she had the most remarkable urge to skip along to the beat.
By the time they reached the dining hall, everyone was drenched. The yellow in the air had shifted to a green hue that made the hairs on Summer’s neck rise. The barometric pressure was dropping fast.
“We need to get to the storm shelter,” she said to Rick just as Charlie came charging from the back of the building.
He visibly caught himself and cleared his throat before he spoke. “Weather radio just went off. Everybody to the storm shelter for a little while. Ginny’s already got the door open.” He motioned to Rick to join him in the kitchen.
Summer saw fear register in some of the kids’ eyes. This was a time when they needed the assurance of order and control. “Everybody line up...quietly. Girls behind Ms. Tara. Boys behind Mr. Neil.”
Wordlessly, the kids followed orders. Tara and Neil led them through the kitchen and out the back door.
Rick and Charlie grabbed a couple of boxes, and Summer stopped to see if she could help.
Charlie shook his head. “Go on. We’ve got these.”
“What’s the report?” she asked.
“Tornado warning for the county. Funnel cloud spotted near Benton.”
Ten miles away wasn’t very far. Summer’s stomach twisted as she recalled the marina that had been virtually destroyed when a tornado touched down two years ago only three miles from here.
When she opened the back door for Rick and Charlie, a gust of wind jerked it from her hold, slamming it against the building. Stinging rain pelted her face, making it difficult to keep her eyes open. More by feel and instinct than sight, she forced the door closed and made a blind dash for the safety of the underground shelter a few yards away. Rick caught her hand as she reached the steps and guided her in. She heard him throw the bolt behind her.
The rain had broken the heat and the thick concrete walls were damp with condensation. A musty, earthy scent permeated the air. Although the room was built for double the number of people, the kids huddled against one another, cold and scared, on the wooden benches that lined the walls.
“Whew! I feel like a drowned rat!” Summer forced a bright smile as she made a mental head count but felt it fade as her heart leaped into her throat. Something was wrong. Someone was missing. Her chest tightened as she counted the kids again. Twenty. Rick. Ginny. Charlie. Tara. Neil. “Oh, my God! Kenny!” The name exploded from her lips.
Before she could reach the door, Rick already had it opened and was outside. “Bolt it back!” he shouted as he forced it closed against the wind.
* * *
RICK RAN, TRYING TO KEEP HIS concentration on Kenny and not the trees whipping ominously around him...or the rain blowing straight-line into his face...or the lightning that every few seconds edged his surroundings in opalescent blue and brought a crackle of static with it.
As he ran, he scanned his memory. He hadn’t seen Kenny out today. Maybe the weather had kept the security guard from his normal afternoon activity, which was fishing. Was it possible he was sleeping through this? The wind had to be giving his travel trailer quite a