4. Sadie

One second after I confirmed that Bowen broke up with the girlfriend he didn’t even know he had, in the nicest but clearest way possible, a tornado alert rings on my phone.

What the heck?

In fact, most everyone’s phones are going off, in the cell and around the lobby. Isn’t it a bit early in the season for this to be happening already?

There’s a buzz of fear and movement all around me. I look out the windows and can see our windy day has upgraded. Already outside leaves and bits of trash fly in the wind.

“Holy shit a tornado. I hate it when this happens.”

“And it’s coming fast. Where are we going to shelter?”

“I can”t believe this is happening today of all days.” The director of the food bank whines. She crosses her arms. “Talk about bad luck. I hope everyone”s okay.” The charity run is instantly forgotten as everyone starts texting loved ones and making plans.

Bowen is already inside the jail cell again and behind me with his arm across my chest and his rough hand on my hip.

How did he move this fast?

His lips press against my ear. “I will keep you safe.”

I smile and pat his big green hand. It’s so cute how his Sheriff brain is wired for help and protection. This guy is definitely a keeper.

“Wow, this day is just getting crazier and crazier,” someone shouts.

“Ain’t that the truth?” I say as all of us exit the jail cell. “I thought I’d be spending the day making cakes and delivering them to special occasions, and instead I was arrested and now I’m about to ride out a tornado in town hall.”

“We need to shelter in the basement,” a man next to me shouts anxiously.

“There is no basement in this building,” a nearby security guard states.

My mind flashes to the nice public storm shelter that was recently built on our street near the bakery.

“We all need to go into a central location without windows. The most fortified, lowest location in this building.” Bowen looks at the mayor. “Where is that?”

She points at the emergency shelter plan posted on the wall.

Bowen puts his hand on my back and guides me as everyone in the lobby leaves to move together to the gathering spot.

R u okay?I text my sister.

No worries we’re all rushing into the storm shelter down the street. Where are you?

Townhall. Are mom and dad with you?

No, they went home awhile ago. But they have their own storm shelter so they’re good. I’m worried about the kids though because they’re at school. Stay safe.

I take a deep breath, You too.

I feel Bowen’s rough, comforting hand on my shoulder which helps. “I get worried every time I go through one of these storms,” I admit to him. “Tornadoes are a fact of life around here and I should be tougher about this, but I’ve heard terrible stories my whole life of the F5 tornado of ’54. So, I tend to stress, thinking this is ‘the one’ again.”

We make it to a room which looks like an old storage room.

“This is the designated storm shelter with no windows and the exact inside of the building,” the mayor announces. “Everyone get comfortable.”

The space becomes crowded quickly. Lights flicker and then the power goes out but it’s not entirely dark because of cell phone lights and a few emergency flashlights. Bowen never leaves my side, not that I want him to leave. He holds my hand.

“We have to get everybody inside.”

There are so many people that keep arriving from all floors and parts of the building we have to back up, and then back up again to let everybody inside. Soon I’m standing with my back to a wall in a crowded room.

The security guards help everyone get down the halls and into the room. Bowen leaves me for a moment to talk with the chief of security for the building and his other deputies. He returns. “Everyone”s accounted for.”

The guard shuts the door. “Okay everyone, hunker down, it”s going to be a long wait before we can safely exit.”

“Not too long,” the mayor comments. “It sounds like it”s close. It’s probably right on top of us now.”

Then Bowen is behind me again and his arms are around me. I lean into him and can hear the muffled scream of the storm. The whistling, the hum of wind, the vibration of walls.

“This building is really old and tough,” The mayor tells me. “It was built to last. I”ve been through many tornadoes in my day and rode out quite a few of them in this same building. Townhall even survived the tornado of ‘54.” She winks. “We”ll be okay.”

“Thank you. I appreciate you telling me that.”

“And at least we have an alert system. When I was a kid you had to figure it all out yourself and there was almost no warning until it was on top of you and you were running for the storm cellar.”

“Oh my god, do you hear that? It”s overhead.”

We waitwith bated breath for a full eight minutes as the storm clocks through our town. Which seem like the longest time of my life. An hour instead of minutes.

“Alright,” the mayor finally announces with preternatural storm awareness. “It’s all over, we can all go out now.”

The door opens.

Everyone starts leaving and we all go back down the dark hallways.

Sheriff Underwood pulls me into a dark corner and his arms are fully around me and his nose in my hair again, which is the best feeling ever. My arms go around him in return. I have a feeling this orc likes hugs. “You are mine,” he groans.

“I am?” This is the man who was ignoring me for months. I mean, everything he says is what I”ve secretly wanted but it”s just amazing to discover that the person I wanted wants me too. When Amanda left I felt good that no one had been mean to her. In truth, I want I try to go forward in life treating others as I’d want to be treated in a similar situation and so I tried my best to counsel him tell her in a way I’d want to be told.

Normally with a guy it’s baby steps toward commitment. A date and then six months later you start leaving something at his house and then you have to talk him into letting you move in. And then he says one day you”ll get married.

Nope. Not with Bowen.

He tells me upfront that he wants me as he mate, that he’ll never be able to cheat on me, which means I’m certain he’s hoping I can promise him a lifetime of monogamy too. Butterflies flutter in my stomach. Basically, he wants to marry me, and everyone heard him say that too.

“I heard him say that he wants to marry you,” Nelson the head librarian whispered as we all watched him talk with Amanda.

“I”ve recorded it,” someone else said. “So he can”t take it back later and act like he didn”t say that. We”ve got your back.”

Bowen wraps his arms around me. “I need to repeat to you that had to keep you at a distance because it was the dark of winter. I had to stay away from you to keep you safe. I could have easily behaved very primitive and kidnapped you. I dreamt of it often.”

“And now you don’t feel this way?” I say with a hint of disappointment.

“Let me show you how I feel. May I kiss you?”

“Hell yes, of course you can kiss me.”

And then he literally possesses me.

I’ve had a few make out sessions in my life, but this puts all of those to shame. This one kiss is easily the best of my life. His lips are so plush. His arms go around me and at first he gives me a tender kiss. Tentative, as if he’s waiting to make sure this is what I want.

I kiss him back with everything I’ve got so he truly understands I’m right there with him. This man is so cute. An enormous, powerful male who is so very careful with his consent and how he treats me with care. He knows he could harm me and wants to make sure it never happens. And yet at the same time he’s so protective, making sure no one harms me with words or actions on his watch.

I’m already basically in love. It’s crazy how simply spending about two hours in his vicinity causes all the puzzle pieces to lock into place. I want this man’s babies and I want to make vows of commitment with him in front of everyone I know.

But first, I have to make sure he’s here to stay.

The licks flick back on.

“That’s the generator. I’ve got to go. I’ll be gone for a long time. Let me have your phone.” We exchange phones and program our numbers.

“Sheriff Underwood?” a Deputy shouts. “We’re getting a bunch of calls…”

I pull him in and give him one more swift kiss. “See you later.”

He grins, turns around and stomps off down the hall.