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Authors: Amy Vastine
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Summer and Ryan could catch up in private. Ryan listened patiently about the latest drama at work. When she finished her tirade about the ridiculousness of Texas football, he asked her to join him outside. “Let’s go check out that paint job.”
The front porch wrapped around the west side of the house. Brick-based pillars supported the hangover roof that provided the shade Summer and Ryan were enjoying. Mimi had set two stone urns filled with sweet-smelling pink, purple and white alyssum on either side of the front door. Ryan took a seat in one of the rocking chairs, gesturing for Summer to take the other.
“So...” he started.
“So.” Summer rocked her chair back and forth in an attempt to ease her nerves. She knew he didn’t want to hear about the house. Ryan had something up his sleeve, and she wanted to know what it was almost as much as she didn’t.
“Tell me something,” he said. “When you hear my stories, how do they make you feel?”
Truth be told, they made her jealous. Jealous she didn’t have stories like that to tell. She decided not to lie, but not to tell the whole truth, either. “I love your stories. You tell them well.”
“What if I could offer you the chance to tell your own stories?” He watched the curiosity almost kill her, then relented. “I’m starting a new show. It’s going to feature someone with a pure passion for storms past and present. Someone who isn’t afraid to chase a tornado or explore a polar ice cap. I need someone who knows more about weather history than all of my researchers combined. I need you, Summer. I want you to star in your very own weather show.”
Summer was speechless. This was it. The kind of adventure she dreamed about. Her gut told her to say yes, but her heart made her pause. There was no way this job would allow her to live in Abilene. Leaving Mimi and Big D was something she couldn’t do. Not right now. The timing was all wrong.
“It sounds amazing, it does. It’s just that my life is here. Mimi and Big D—”
“—seem like they’re doing great. Mimi looks better than I’ve seen her in a long time.”
Ryan knew how hard Mimi had taken her son’s death. He was well aware of the depths of her depression. Summer hesitated. “She’s doing really well, but—”
“But you think if you left, she’d what? Fall apart again?”
“No.” Summer wasn’t that arrogant. She knew Mimi was stronger than that, even after the episodes this past week. Summer’s presence wasn’t exactly necessary. Still, she felt better knowing she could watch over her grandparents. They weren’t getting any younger and she felt a responsibility to both of them. “She’d be fine. I just... I like it here.”
Ryan dropped his chin and gave her the look that said he knew better. She’d just spent the past twenty minutes complaining about work. There was no way he was going to believe she had a perfect life. “Think about how you’d never have to worry about losing thirty seconds again. Never have to go to any football games. The whole show would be yours. I’m telling you, Summer, I can’t imagine anyone more perfect for this job than the daughter of Gavin and Gracie Raines.”
She couldn’t deny that the idea was more than appealing. The thought of seeing the storms she only got to read about was enough to make her ask him to take her away with him tonight.
“We start filming in a couple months,” Ryan said. “Give me a chance to woo you a little bit. I won’t accept any answer other than yes until the end of next month. Promise me you’ll think about it.”
Summer nodded. Even if she did turn him down, something told her this job was all she’d be able to think about anyway.
“Y’all ready to head over to the cemetery?” Big D popped his head out the front door. Summer wondered how much he had overheard. The look in his eyes told her it was more than she would have liked.
* * *
E VERYONE RODE TOGETHER out to Gavin and
The front porch wrapped around the west side of the house. Brick-based pillars supported the hangover roof that provided the shade Summer and Ryan were enjoying. Mimi had set two stone urns filled with sweet-smelling pink, purple and white alyssum on either side of the front door. Ryan took a seat in one of the rocking chairs, gesturing for Summer to take the other.
“So...” he started.
“So.” Summer rocked her chair back and forth in an attempt to ease her nerves. She knew he didn’t want to hear about the house. Ryan had something up his sleeve, and she wanted to know what it was almost as much as she didn’t.
“Tell me something,” he said. “When you hear my stories, how do they make you feel?”
Truth be told, they made her jealous. Jealous she didn’t have stories like that to tell. She decided not to lie, but not to tell the whole truth, either. “I love your stories. You tell them well.”
“What if I could offer you the chance to tell your own stories?” He watched the curiosity almost kill her, then relented. “I’m starting a new show. It’s going to feature someone with a pure passion for storms past and present. Someone who isn’t afraid to chase a tornado or explore a polar ice cap. I need someone who knows more about weather history than all of my researchers combined. I need you, Summer. I want you to star in your very own weather show.”
Summer was speechless. This was it. The kind of adventure she dreamed about. Her gut told her to say yes, but her heart made her pause. There was no way this job would allow her to live in Abilene. Leaving Mimi and Big D was something she couldn’t do. Not right now. The timing was all wrong.
“It sounds amazing, it does. It’s just that my life is here. Mimi and Big D—”
“—seem like they’re doing great. Mimi looks better than I’ve seen her in a long time.”
Ryan knew how hard Mimi had taken her son’s death. He was well aware of the depths of her depression. Summer hesitated. “She’s doing really well, but—”
“But you think if you left, she’d what? Fall apart again?”
“No.” Summer wasn’t that arrogant. She knew Mimi was stronger than that, even after the episodes this past week. Summer’s presence wasn’t exactly necessary. Still, she felt better knowing she could watch over her grandparents. They weren’t getting any younger and she felt a responsibility to both of them. “She’d be fine. I just... I like it here.”
Ryan dropped his chin and gave her the look that said he knew better. She’d just spent the past twenty minutes complaining about work. There was no way he was going to believe she had a perfect life. “Think about how you’d never have to worry about losing thirty seconds again. Never have to go to any football games. The whole show would be yours. I’m telling you, Summer, I can’t imagine anyone more perfect for this job than the daughter of Gavin and Gracie Raines.”
She couldn’t deny that the idea was more than appealing. The thought of seeing the storms she only got to read about was enough to make her ask him to take her away with him tonight.
“We start filming in a couple months,” Ryan said. “Give me a chance to woo you a little bit. I won’t accept any answer other than yes until the end of next month. Promise me you’ll think about it.”
Summer nodded. Even if she did turn him down, something told her this job was all she’d be able to think about anyway.
“Y’all ready to head over to the cemetery?” Big D popped his head out the front door. Summer wondered how much he had overheard. The look in his eyes told her it was more than she would have liked.
* * *
E VERYONE RODE TOGETHER out to Gavin and
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