“I’m going home.” He stomped up the stairs.
“See you in the morning,” Cassie called after him.
Dread twisted his gut as Dash shoved the door open, cursing his demented dick and his cold heart. He’d slept with his coworker and his boss. Who’s next? Heather? Marissa? He jumped in his truck and peeled out of the parking lot, shouting at no one in particular. “Bring on the awkward! I can take it.”
CHAPTER 5
“Superintendent’s real name is Daschle?” Flynn walked into the command center early the next morning and dropped into a chair next to Simone. She’d been playing with her new equipment, getting familiar with its capabilities and limitations.
She smiled at her new assistant. Too bad the young man worked for her. He’d have been a fun date. She hadn’t had time to check out the men in this town, but she suspected her options were limited. “Yes, but don’t ever call him that unless you want his immediate attention. Then be prepared to suffer the consequences.” Though she doubted Dash would kiss Flynn senseless. “In high school, we called him Mad Dash. He liked that.”
Flynn cracked a smile. “How’d he get that nickname?”
“My cousin, Micah, gave it to him during a football game. The other team’s defense rushed before we snapped the ball, should’ve been called offsides, but the refs missed it. Dash hurled the ball down the field, overshot the intended receiver by a mile. Fortunately Micah caught up to it and hauled in the touchdown. Then Dash gave the refs hell for missing the penalty.”
“So, mad for his temper and his risk-taking. It fits him.” The fanboy assistant beamed. “How long have you two known each other?”
“Forever.” She jumped as high-pitched feedback screeched from the radio. “I fell down the stairs the first time I saw him.”
Flynn laughed. “Sorry. What?”
“He thinks I was staring at him, captivated by his dashing good looks.”
“Ha! Dashing. I love it.”
Finally someone got her joke. “But in seventh grade, boys were icky.”
“Girls had cooties.”
“Exactly. So I let him think what he wanted. I never told him the real reason I tripped.”
“But you’ll tell me?”
Simone’s smile faded as Cassandra Storm blew into the room. “Have you checked the radar this morning?”
“No, was I supposed to?”
The words ‘fucking slut’ caught Simone’s ears as Cassie grumbled something under her breath and turned on the monitor.
Flynn elbowed Simone. “What happened?”
“Dash must’ve told Cassie about—” She stopped in mid-sentence and scowled at Flynn. “Our personal lives are to be kept private.” There, that’s professional. She stood and strode over to the weather workstation, prepared to smack the professional into Cassie if she had to.
“Oh, come on.” Flynn followed her. “What made you ‘fall’ for Dash all those years ago?”
A streak of satisfaction rolled through Simone’s limbs as the pencil Cassie had been holding snapped in her fingers. When she’d first spotted Dash, his brother Wyatt had been standing behind him, holding up two fingers to give him rabbit ears. Other kids joined in, and soon Dash had more ears than a herd of bouncing bunnies. He’d never noticed and she never told him. Her eyes had squeezed shut as she laughed, missed a step, and tumbled down the stairs.
She ignored her pesky assistant. “Has the storm moved at all?”
Cassie studied the radar motion and the satellite imagery. “It’s wobbling around, but it hasn’t taken a specific direction. It’s gained strength, though. Sustained winds are at seventy-five miles per hour.”
“So that means it’s a hurricane.” Simone had spent the morning watching The Weather Channel. They’d named the storm Hurricane Opal and given it a decent amount of coverage, but none of their forecasters saw any cause for alarm.
“Category one, yes.”
Simone stood behind Cassie and paced. “But
“See you in the morning,” Cassie called after him.
Dread twisted his gut as Dash shoved the door open, cursing his demented dick and his cold heart. He’d slept with his coworker and his boss. Who’s next? Heather? Marissa? He jumped in his truck and peeled out of the parking lot, shouting at no one in particular. “Bring on the awkward! I can take it.”
CHAPTER 5
“Superintendent’s real name is Daschle?” Flynn walked into the command center early the next morning and dropped into a chair next to Simone. She’d been playing with her new equipment, getting familiar with its capabilities and limitations.
She smiled at her new assistant. Too bad the young man worked for her. He’d have been a fun date. She hadn’t had time to check out the men in this town, but she suspected her options were limited. “Yes, but don’t ever call him that unless you want his immediate attention. Then be prepared to suffer the consequences.” Though she doubted Dash would kiss Flynn senseless. “In high school, we called him Mad Dash. He liked that.”
Flynn cracked a smile. “How’d he get that nickname?”
“My cousin, Micah, gave it to him during a football game. The other team’s defense rushed before we snapped the ball, should’ve been called offsides, but the refs missed it. Dash hurled the ball down the field, overshot the intended receiver by a mile. Fortunately Micah caught up to it and hauled in the touchdown. Then Dash gave the refs hell for missing the penalty.”
“So, mad for his temper and his risk-taking. It fits him.” The fanboy assistant beamed. “How long have you two known each other?”
“Forever.” She jumped as high-pitched feedback screeched from the radio. “I fell down the stairs the first time I saw him.”
Flynn laughed. “Sorry. What?”
“He thinks I was staring at him, captivated by his dashing good looks.”
“Ha! Dashing. I love it.”
Finally someone got her joke. “But in seventh grade, boys were icky.”
“Girls had cooties.”
“Exactly. So I let him think what he wanted. I never told him the real reason I tripped.”
“But you’ll tell me?”
Simone’s smile faded as Cassandra Storm blew into the room. “Have you checked the radar this morning?”
“No, was I supposed to?”
The words ‘fucking slut’ caught Simone’s ears as Cassie grumbled something under her breath and turned on the monitor.
Flynn elbowed Simone. “What happened?”
“Dash must’ve told Cassie about—” She stopped in mid-sentence and scowled at Flynn. “Our personal lives are to be kept private.” There, that’s professional. She stood and strode over to the weather workstation, prepared to smack the professional into Cassie if she had to.
“Oh, come on.” Flynn followed her. “What made you ‘fall’ for Dash all those years ago?”
A streak of satisfaction rolled through Simone’s limbs as the pencil Cassie had been holding snapped in her fingers. When she’d first spotted Dash, his brother Wyatt had been standing behind him, holding up two fingers to give him rabbit ears. Other kids joined in, and soon Dash had more ears than a herd of bouncing bunnies. He’d never noticed and she never told him. Her eyes had squeezed shut as she laughed, missed a step, and tumbled down the stairs.
She ignored her pesky assistant. “Has the storm moved at all?”
Cassie studied the radar motion and the satellite imagery. “It’s wobbling around, but it hasn’t taken a specific direction. It’s gained strength, though. Sustained winds are at seventy-five miles per hour.”
“So that means it’s a hurricane.” Simone had spent the morning watching The Weather Channel. They’d named the storm Hurricane Opal and given it a decent amount of coverage, but none of their forecasters saw any cause for alarm.
“Category one, yes.”
Simone stood behind Cassie and paced. “But
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