She swallowed the lump of emotions stuck in her throat. “I often wonder what they were thinking in those final moments. I know they had to be terrified, but were they thinking of me, wishing they’d taken a different way, stopped for lunch…?” Her voice broke and she pressed her lips together.
She tried not to think about that day too often, but days like this made it hard for the memories to stay repressed. Amazing how she was the one sitting here so helpless, and Mac seemed to be so strong after what he’d gone through. But, after one of these big twisters that leveled towns, it sometimes took a few days to collect herself. It was like the past came roaring back and all the questions that had haunted her the last few years refused to leave until she could get back into her routine and tuck them away again.
“I wasn’t even aware they were killed until two days after the tornado.” Her vision swam with unshed tears.
Mac’s hand found her lower back and rubbed circles, but he remained silent, for which she was thankful. For the most part she dealt with these moments alone. It felt good finally to get them out.
“For two days I was hurt and angry they didn’t remember my birthday. I left some nasty voicemails I can never take back, but I thought they were safe, thought they’d just forgotten me.” She stared straight ahead. “Twenty people died in that storm. It didn’t level any homes or hit any towns, but it crossed a busy interstate and took twenty people’s lives. I even watched it on TV, having no clue my family and boyfriend were dead.”
“Jesus, I’m sorry, Gayle.” He tugged her to his side and kissed the top of her head.
“They were all I had. We were close, too. Sam and I had dated since high school, and somehow had made a long distance relationship work when I went off to college. I was so lost afterward. My home—the place where I’d grown up, had celebrated birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas—was still standing, but the day I returned it was just a shell. The people who’d made it a home were gone.” She pulled away to look at Mac. “I suppose if you think about it, our reactions weren’t so different. I sold our house. I haven’t been back to my hometown since. I threw myself into my studies like you threw yourself into fighting, and I started chasing the season after they died. I’m determined to further tornado research and, in the process, if I have the chance to save one life directly in the path of Mother Nature’s destruction, then I’m going to save that life. Nobody should have to die like that. The people I loved shouldn’t have died like that.”
She laid her head on his chest, and he was silent for a long time.
Then he whispered, “No. No one should.”
Chapter Ten
The next afternoon, Mac was using a chainsaw to cut through a tree that blocked a street. After the tree trunk split in half, he released the lever and let the engine idle as he searched for Gayle among the volunteers and displaced homeowners. He found her, standing with an older woman, picking through a pile of wreckage. He’d checked her whereabouts a lot over the course of the day. He needed her within sight at all times…although it bothered him how much he stressed over her well-being. A little worry was healthy, but this was borderline obsessive. He ran his arm across his forehead, wiping off the sweat.
The morning and most of the afternoon had passed fairly quickly. Rick was hauling debris to the side of the street, while Mac was helping wherever someone needed him. Gayle had mostly hopped from person to person doing the thing Gayle did best—making them feel special while helping search for whatever missing items they hoped to find in the rubble.
Just as he was about to go back to sawing again, a ginger-headed man with rounded glasses came striding toward him with the little girl from yesterday in his arms. She was still clutching the teddy Gayle had given her, her face buried in its fur. The man didn’t say anything. Just put the little girl down, then grabbed Mac in a bear hug.
He didn’t question the man, knowing he had to be the husband of the woman he’d freed yesterday. He clapped the man on the back and let him hug his fill.
When he released Mac, he stepped back and picked up the little girl again. “I’m Dennis King. You saved my wife.”
Mac gave him a compassionate smile. “I’m thankful I could help.”
“I was at work. I was on the phone with Brandi as it hit. I thought I’d lost them both. Never felt so helpless in all my life. When I saw the neighborhood…the house”—the man swallowed heavily—“th-thank you.” He looked as though he might break down any second.