CHAPTER SEVENTEEN : STEAL MY THUNDER

SAPULPA, OKLAHOMA

THERE IS A PLAN TO SLEEP ON IT. The final "just in case"—cautious of their ever-changing minds, their ever-shifting traumas. In the morning, they will reconvene for a final vote, and then ask him together, with Kate at the forefront, to assure him that his pretty face has certainly not made Willow any more pliable to his will.

The clock hits seven, and there is no sign of her. The early risers even push their limits; Willow thanks the stars she is tempting enough for him to want to linger in bed for an hour or two, soaking in each other's warmth, making out like a couple of teenagers, teasing each other about taking another trip to the barn before he leaves. Tyler still sticks to his plans to head out, though, and by the time the little red numbers shift to eight, he drags them from the bed, packs up his duffle, and sits down for breakfast.

Jo takes breakfast with them before she heads out herself, just to make sure she's well-fed before her lecture at noon. She bats Willow away at her last bite, demanding she give Tyler her world-renowned 'shovel talk.'

(It is more of a plea than a threat Tyler receives. Jo is entirely soft when it comes to her niece, her daughter in all but blood, telling Tyler how much of the world Willow deserves and how she hopes he thinks the same.

He promises her that it would kill him to deny her of it.)

Willow panics as another hour slips by, her teeth pressing into her bottom lip as she glances again toward the still-empty stairs. The first two hours, she could excuse—Kate's 3 AM venture surely deserves some grace for sleeping in—but this? Her nerves churn restlessly. She knows she can only keep Tyler dragging his feet for so long, and she refuses to ask him to stay without Kate at her side, per their carefully agreed-upon "just in case" clause.

Tyler has to go. The cuckoo clock chirps eleven, and his phone vibrates with another flood of messages from the Wranglers. Their sights are set on a cell brewing to the east, and the tone of the alerts has shifted from playful banter to gentle insistence. He stands from the table with visible reluctance, brushing down his jeans and stretching as if that could stave off the inevitable. He gives Cathy a warm hug, his farewell a promise to stay safe out there.

Willow sighs, heavy and resigned to see the hope of their experiment die, before rising to walk him to the door.

He doesn't let go of her hand as they step out onto the porch, the light rain tapping against the overhang. His duffle is slung over his shoulder, his hat already catching droplets at the brim. He looks down at her, the quiet hesitation in his expression matching the heaviness in her chest. She wants to cling to him, beg him to stay just a little longer, but she can't ask him to keep missing work for her—not when there isn't much of a reason to, not without Kate's word.

The rain picks up as Tyler steps off the porch, and Willow insists on walking him to the truck despite his protests. "You're gonna get soaked, baby," he warns.

"The rain doesn't bother me," she replies, firm, already halfway down the steps. She's waded through storms far worse than this and lived for the adrenaline. A little rain won't stop her.

Tyler gives in with a shake of his head, tossing his duffle into the backseat before turning to her. The rain darkens the shoulders of his shirt, beads of water rolling off the brim of his hat. He steps close, one hand finding her waist, drawing her into him.

"Sure you don't wanna tag along?" he asks, his voice low, his eyes fixed on hers like a magnet. "I bet I could boot Boone to the backseat for you."

Willow's lips curve into a warm smile, imagining Boone at the suggestion. She squeezes Tyler's hand, a silent thank-you for the offer. "You'll get me in a few days," she reassures him.

"Yeah," he murmurs, his tone softening, "but I'd rather get you now."

Her heart flutters and she tilts her face up, gifting him a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth. It's a touch of reassurance, but Tyler, as always, wants more. He chases her lips with a desperate fervor, capturing her in a long, searing kiss. When they break, her breath hitches, her cheeks flushed as she looks up at him with unabashed adoration.

"Patience is key, cowboy," she reminds him, though her teasing tone falters as she longs for him before he's even gone.

"Real hard to be patient with you looking at me like that," he replies, his head dipping closer. The brim of his hat tilts forward, shielding them both from the storm as his voice drops to a soft, mischievous drawl. "I can beg, you know. I'm real good at beggin'."

"Tyler..." she practically whines, her voice caught somewhere between a plea and a laugh, her hands pressing against his chest to ground herself.

"Alright, alright," he responds with a grin, reaching up to brush his thumb gently along her flushed cheek. The grin softens as the shared silence settles over them, his gaze lingering like he's committing her to memory. "You gonna be alright?"

"I will," she says, though the words feel more like a promise to herself than an answer to him. Her heart aches, fractured at the edges to see him go, knowing Kate backed out. But she doesn't want to hold him back. "Just gonna miss you."

"I know," he murmurs, his voice low and warm, filled with understanding. "But patience is key, right?"

He leans down, capturing her lips in a lasting kiss, lingering like it's their last moment together. He kisses her as if he's heading off to war, pouring every ounce of his feeling into the touch. When he finally pulls back, his fingers sweep through her damp hair, brushing it into place as the rain trickles down around them. He pauses, studying her with admiration—her natural beauty untouched, a woman standing defiantly in her element.

"I'll call you tonight, weather girl," he promises, his eyes still holding onto her.

(It had been one of his proudest moments, sliding his phone across the table to her and watching her type in those nine little digits under "weather girl", complete with obnoxious yellow hearts and twister emojis.

He ain't ever gonna let her see her contact photo, though. The one from those early days, taken with a quick flick of his camera in his childhood kitchen. It was supposed to save a Snapstreak with Boone—a random shot—but her smile was radiant, her hair in wet tendrils dripping onto his old T-shirt hanging loosely off her shoulder.

She doesn't know how often he's stared at the picture, wondering where in the world she was, and now he's got her right there with him.)

Willow nods and presses her lips into a small, brave smile. "I'll charge it right up just for you, cowboy."

Tyler lets her go reluctantly, his fingers brushing her hips as he pulls away. He lingers for a moment, still reluctant to leave, before jingling his keys from his pocket and climbing into the truck. Willow steps back, arms crossed over her chest as the rain soaks through her shirt, her hair sticking to her face.

He glances through the window, his eyes soft as they land on her. With a slow roll of the window, he leans out, a playful grin tugging at his lips. "One more for the road?" He puckers his lips in her direction, eyebrows raised.

Willow huffs a laugh, warmth blooming in her chest despite the chill of the rain. She steps forward, standing on her tiptoes to reach him. Her hands curl around the window frame as she leans in, brushing her lips against his in one last fleeting kiss. "Drive safe," she murmurs, her voice tender.

Before he can respond, a shout breaks through the rain.

"Wait!"

Willow freezes, her breath hitching as she spots Kate tearing out of the house, barefoot, jogging down the gravel path toward the drive. Relief washes over Willow, easing the tightness in her chest, and she's already grinning as Kate skids to a halt, panting.

"You said—" Kate pauses, hands on her hips, catching her breath. "You said you could get a new model running?"

Tyler's eyes flicker to Willow, wordlessly asking for confirmation. But Willow is too busy beaming, ready to throw herself into Kate's arms in thanks for not backing out.

He looks between them, a chuckle rumbling from his chest as he shuts off the truck. "Yes, ma'am," he says, the corner of his mouth quirking upward.

Willow shakes her head at Kate, leaning in with a whisper. "I thought—"

"I slept in," Kate groans, cutting her off. She narrows her eyes at Willow, giving her shoulder a light shove. "Why the hell didn't you knock on my door to wake me up?"

Willow gasps, feigning deep offense. "I was just respecting the 'just in case' clause!" she retorts.

Tyler steps out of his truck, his boots landing in the wet gravel as he heads up beside Willow. Without hesitation, he throws an arm around her shoulders, tugging her close to his side. His grin widens, pleased as all hell to have an excuse to stick around. "Guess fate's lookin' out for me today," he muses, his gaze shifting to Kate. "I owe you one, Sapulpa."

Kate crosses her arms, smirking. "You're lucky I decided I could handle another day of you hanging around, Owens."

"What made you change your mind?" he asks, curious.

Kate shrugs, her expression softening just a bit as she looks at Willow. "We decided last night it's time to give it another shot."

Tyler arches a brow, glancing down at Willow. "And you let me pack up, get ready to hit the road, and everything?"

Willow squeaks when he pinches her side, a burst of laughter escaping her. "I wasn't allowed to ask alone," she protests. "Had to wait for her. Rules are rules."

He chuckles, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "Rules, huh? I guess I'll let it slide this time." He leans down, pressing a quick, warm kiss to her temple before straightening up. "Alright, then, Sapulpa," he says, turning his attention to Kate with an exaggerated seriousness. "Put me to work."

◆ ◆ ◆

CATHY MOTHERS THEM THE MOMENT THEY ARE BACK INSIDE. A towel hits Willow in the face before she demands she wander back upstairs and take a hot shower. Kate begins to snicker at her until she is ordered to do the same, the order from most to least soaked. Their work is delayed until all three are in new, dry clothes, sworn to take an umbrella to the barn lest they catch a cold.

Tyler stands at their workbench, focused on his laptop, proving himself more than just an adrenaline junkie. He's every bit the cowboy scientist Boone claims him to be. Willow sidles up beside him, Kate flanking her, both peering over his shoulder as the digital tornado on his screen spins to life. He grins at the display, clearly proud of his work.

"This is an EF1, perfect conditions," he explains, sliding the laptop toward them. "Run your experiment. Let's see what happens."

Kate leans in, her lips pursed as she starts typing. "Okay, so, um, 1,500 kilos of polymer absorbing 300 times its weight."

Willow does the math aloud. "That's 450,000 kilos of precipitation loaded into the water-filled polymer to weigh down the updraft."

Tyler's grin widens as he reaches over and presses the enter key. "Let's see how the model reacts."

It details everything they ever theorized; a model of how it should have gone if things had worked out that day. Willow watches as the data changes, the numbers reducing, the digital polymers working against the moisture to dissipate the tornado.

"Buoyancy of the rising air is reducing," Tyler points out.

Kate nods, her tone cautious but hopeful. "It's slowing the updraft. Temperature's dropping."

The digital tornado finally dissipates and Tyler is in absolute awe at the sight. He glances over at Willow, his brows raised. "In theory, this should've worked," he says.

"In theory," Willow murmurs, shaking her head. The phrase stings, a reminder of that day, theory is just theory. "But it wasn't an EF1 then. We never had a chance."

Tyler glances down at her, his tongue brushing across his bottom lip in thought. His next words are confident, almost a dare. "You want one?"

Willow's eyes light up with excitement, her breath catching. "Seriously?" She looks to Kate for confirmation, her heart racing.

Kate gives a small shrug, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "Go get your boots, Will."

Cathy grins when she sees Willow stumbling back through the front door, one shoe already being tugged off, Kate's camera bag danging off her shoulder, having gotten it out of Javi's truck. Tyler trails close behind her, hand outstretched to steady her before she trips. Upstairs, her frantic rush sends echoes of chaos through the house.

Kate watches the scene unfold, arms crossed as a fond smile slips onto her face.

Cathy shakes her head, her own grin softening with affection. "What's got her all...?" She pauses, searching for the right word. "Willow, again?"

Kate lets out a breath, surprising herself with her next words. "We're going to try and tame a tornado."

Pride washes over Cathy's expression, warm and steady. She presses a kiss to Kate's temple, all of the faith in the world in her daughter. "I'll wrap up lunch, then."

◆ ◆ ◆

KATE IS WORSE IN THE TRUCK THAN WILLOW HAD BEEN. Where Willow held back, Kate does not. She's in the backseat, rummaging through its contents, digging around like she's in a gold mine. Tyler hasn't noticed just yet, his eyes darting between the road and the blonde head of hair in his passenger seat, as if he's checking to make sure she's really there, minding his radars for them.

(Willow offers the front seat to her, happy to sit in the backseat as she always did if it meant Kate could see their experiment work firsthand. But she does not see Tyler shaking his head behind her, mouthing 'please' over and over again until Kate rejects her— as if it will kill him if she does not share that front seat with him on their first chase.

Kate rolls her eyes; she was going to say no anyway.)

"What's all this for?" Kate asks, tugging at the harnesses on the back seat. Her voice finally breaks Tyler from his admiration to catch her in the rearview mirror.

"Wait, what are you touching back there?" Tyler reaches behind him to blindly swat at her like a pair of bickering siblings. "Stop."

Nothing deters Kate. She leans over the center console, her head appearing between them. "You have a lot of stuff in here," she notes as she reaches in front of Willow, the girl not minding at all as her friend tugs down the visor.

Tyler groans at her. "Yeah, that's a mirror."

"Will, open that," Kate commands, ignoring him completely as she points to the glove compartment.

"Baby, do not—"

Willow does it almost absentmindedly, following Kate's orders, only looking up when she hears the scatter of papers falling out. She meets a collection of his headshots, various poses, all ready to be signed. She lets out a laugh when Kate pulls her wide eyes, insisting she closes it with a choked, "Oh, god."

"Have you ever been in a car before?" Tyler questions Kate, half-amused, half-exasperated by her. It doesn't phase her.

"You got a lot of gadgets," Kate observes her attention now on the dashboard switches. There's a new one on there, labeled with KW Barrels on a piece of tape, the trigger for their polymer barrels on the hooked trailer. She reaches out, her hand hovering over one of the toggles. "What do those do?"

"Don't—"

"Oh!" Willow bounces up, shifting in her seat to look at Tyler. "You said I could press it."

"I never said that," Tyler replies quickly, shaking his head.

"You said 'we'll see,' which is pretty much a yes—"

"In what world is that a yes—?"

A sharp hiss fills the air, cutting them off, neither noticing as Kate sends a rocket launching from the truck, streaking into the sky. Kate jumps back, startled at the noise, while Tyler tries not to facepalm into the steering wheel.

"Sorry," Kate apologizes, startled enough that she sits back again, ending her digging and searching.

"That would be the rockets," Tyler informs Kate, but his gaze quickly shifts to Willow, catching the way she pouts a little. He pauses, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips as he watches her. "I will let you, baby," he relents finally, his voice softening, "later."

Willow will forgive him for now, especially with what they're set to do. "What you thinking, cowboy?" she nods toward his laptop, a teasing smile on her lips.

"All right, what about these two little ones? Just west of Enid." He taps the screen with a short glance.

Kate and Willow share a grin, clearly not as sold on the smaller storms. Kate speaks up for them. "Yeah, but this one to the east has the sky all to herself."

"Yeah, I'm not falling for that again." Tyler considers for a moment, glancing between the two of them with furrowed brows. "You serious?"

"Tell you later."

The larger storm is more than perfect. On the cusp of formation, the updraft already rotating in the sky. Willow can't hold back, her excitement bubbling over. She bounces in her seat when she sees the dark skies ahead, practically flying out of the truck the second Tyler pulls off on a hillside. Her boots kick up dust as she rushes to the front, pulling Kate from the backseat, eager to share the view.

Willow can't contain herself when she sees it, the rush of the storm feeding her energy. "Dew point is steady! Wind shear is good!" she hollers over the wind, gesturing out toward the sky. "Holy shit, look at her!"

"Oh my God, the whole updraft is rotating!" Kate exclaims, lifting her camera to capture the formation on film.

Tyler doesn't forget to share this with her. His excitement mirrors hers, amplifying the moment as he hollers just as loud. "I mean, look at those striations! It's low precip! You can see everything!" His hands wave in the air, wild. "Aw, she's perfect!"

"She's gorgeous!" Willow responds, her laughter ringing out like music, bright and free. Tyler's gaze snaps to her, catching the way her face lights up, the same way he does. She grabs him, tugging at his arm as he is absolutely mesmerized by her. "She has to be the one!"

(It's the way he's always imagined it, this infectious energy, the storm captures her, drawing her in until they are twins themselves. It had been a brief glimpse into the world to see her out on the last chase, hanging from the truck, eyes set on the storm, but this is entirely something else. Sharing their world, finally, their lives finally verging on the same path of chasing.

She has to be the one. Oh, baby, he knows she is. He could drop to one knee right now.

And lord, he hoped she would say yes.)

Kate grabs Willow from him, laughing. "She's gonna give us something! Come on!"

They settle back in the truck. Tyler instantly tugs at the harnesses on the driver's seat, pulling them over his shoulders with practiced ease. "All right, let's harness up."

"Uh, we're just gonna drop the trailer in its path, right?" Kate asks her frown tight with anxiety.

Willow's stomach flutters, her heart pounding in her chest. The harness isn't just an extra safety measure for their chase—it's for the storm, the wild ride Tyler's been on before her very eyes. This time, she's in for it too. Her chest burns, whether from fear or excitement, she isn't sure. She's been close to twisters before—her trucks and vans clipped by them, caught out in the open, forced to latch on as they tear apart everything in their path—but she's never been in the heart of it all so willingly.

Tyler glances over at Willow, his grin wide, full of anticipation, and something shifts inside her. Her fear doesn't vanish—she doesn't think it ever will—but it shrinks, overtaken by the thrill that begins to build in her chest. That's the chase, isn't it? Constantly on edge, close enough to touch the storm, knowing what it's capable of, but still loving it anyway.

Her heart picks up; this is it again, isn't it? She will never be that old version of herself, she knows that now, but she is meeting this new version, one that has evolved and merged with what was left, building something new. 

It feels like this moment—right here, right now—is everything she's been waiting for. Her rebirth.

And she gets to have it all with him. Lord, if he wasn't driving, she would jump across the truck and kiss him.

"I'll tell you later," he says with a wink, glancing back at Kate before kicking the truck into gear. Willow and Kate strap on their harnesses, knowing there's no denying him.

The truck roars to life as it barrels down the road, all eyes fixed on the horizon. The dust shield is visible in the distance, debris swirling in it, and Tyler is set on it. The wind picks up around them, slamming hard against the truck's body, but the vehicle never budges, staying true to its path.

Kate braces herself, hands gripping the seat in front of her. "Well, you don't have to drive into it. It's really dangerous."

"Oh, that's why we have to drive into it," Tyler argues with a grin, his voice crackling with the kind of recklessness that she remembers hearing all her life. "Can't miss from in there."

"Kate," Willow reaches back, her hand finding Kate's and squeezing it, grounding her friend, just as Tyler's words ground her. "We've got this."

Kate looks at her, wide-eyed, a mix of skepticism and awe on her face. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because we've stood through a hell of a lot worse storms without the truck." Willow feels the words as they leave her mouth. It's true—they've been through worse. Two of them ranked higher than what they were about to drive into.

"And, this thing's rated for EF1s, okay? We've got extra weight on the chassis. We've got anchoring down two feet." Tyler's voice is confident, every word designed to reassure both Kate and Willow. "Don't worry: I'm a professional."

Kate winces, her eyes closing as she leans back. "You're an asshole."

Willow can't help but smile, even as her heart pounds in her chest. Tyler's voice cuts through the tension as he hollers. "Hold on! Hold on!"

Kate, however, is far from thrilled. She's gripping the seat for dear life, her voice pitching into something between a groan and a curse. "Oh, Tyler, this is dumb. This is really dumb. This is really dumb!"

"Uh-huh," Tyler responds, completely unfazed. "All right. We got this. Here comes the kick!"

The truck barrels into the dust shield, the world around them vanishing in an instant. The wind slams into the vehicle with relentless force, rattling every bolt and panel until Willow can feel the vibrations coursing through her entire body. She squints ahead, but there's nothing to see—just an impenetrable wall of debris swirling in the storm's grasp, obscuring every direction as they press closer to the eye.

Kate groans again, her hand fumbling until it finds Willow's. The touch is grounding, a brief reminder that they're in this together, even if Kate's grip nearly cuts off circulation.

"Oh, all right, slowing down," Tyler says, his voice cutting through the howl of the wind like a lifeline. He narrates their movements with practiced ease, keeping them tethered to a sense of control. The truck grinds to a halt deep inside the shield, the roar outside deafening but steady.

They're not quite in the true funnel yet, but they're close enough that every nerve in Willow's body feels electrified. Tyler flips switches on the console and the truck hums to life in a new way as the augers engage. The sound of anchoring mechanisms deploying reverberates through the cabin.

"Anchoring," Tyler announces, his hand hovering over a final switch. "Barrels. Hold on. Here she comes," he shouts, a warning and a thrill all rolled into one as the storm truly hits them.

The truck is swallowed whole, pulled into the heart of the chaos. Willow's not sure she's even breathing anymore as the storm roars around them—until, suddenly, the world changes, a brief break in the debris.

They're in the eye.

Willow's gaze lifts, her mouth gaping open in awe. Above them, the sky opens up in a way that seems almost surreal—a swirling tunnel of light and darkness at the same time, stretching so high she can't follow it to its end. She's staring into the heavens, the beauty of this natural miracle somehow more profound than she ever imagined.

She barely registers Tyler deploying the barrels, sending their experiment into the storm's grasp. Her eyes remain fixed on the polymers, caught in the wind, spiraling upward, carried away by the storm.

For a moment, there's nothing else—just her and the storm, the pair that had always been meant to be.

It passes, leaving them safe and sound, wind-whipped and breathless. Willow cannot help the laughter that escapes her when she turns around to Kate, their worldview shifting together. "Did you see that?" They exclaim at the same time in absolute awe.

Then, she finds Tyler, who's already watching her, his smile stretched wide and genuine at her amazement. She goes to ask the same question but he shakes his head at her, amused. "I saw it, baby." He looks at her like she's the only thing that matters right now, even though they just tore through a storm, and it makes her heart throb in her chest.

Without thinking twice, she unclasps her harness, leaning across the console and cupping his face as she kisses him. It's not careful or hesitant—it's a surge of everything she feels for him. Gratitude, thrill, wonder for everything that he is, for everything he's done for them, for her. 

When she pulls back, she's breathless for a whole new reason. "You're amazing, cowboy," she murmurs, her voice full of awe.

Tyler blinks at her, his lips parting as if he wants to say something but can't find the words. He licks his lips, his gaze dropping to hers again, like he's already longing for another kiss.

But Willow's already turning back to Kate, the storm's lingering energy crackling between them. "Did it work?"

"Oh, right." Kate jumps to it, trying to free herself from her harness as Willow climbs out of the truck. "So many belts."

Willow is already out there when Kate appears, their experiment clearly ineffective with the way the tornado still tears through the countryside.

Kate swings her arm over her eyes, shielding them from the sunlight breaking through the dissipating storm. She watches the tornado fade into the horizon with a pout. "It's not working."

Tyler steps up beside her, his arm finding its way around Willow's shoulders, tugging her close in a comforting squeeze. She leans into him, trying to ignore the sting of disappointment. Every experiment has its trial and error, and this was just their first real trial. They'd regroup, go back to the drawing board, recalibrate the calculations—

Her thoughts spiral, but Tyler's voice cuts through. "Hungry?"

Willow blinks, then decides he's right. It's probably best not to dwell.

Cathy had set them up earlier with a picnic basket, brisket sandwiches from last night's leftovers. They spread out near the truck—Willow takes a perch on the roof with Tyler, while Kate opts for the truck bed, her feet swinging lazily over the edge.

As they eat, Tyler seems unable to keep his hands to himself. When a stray bit of sauce lingers at the corner of Willow's mouth, he reaches over without hesitation, swiping it away with a smirk. His right leg tangles with hers, and every few bites, his gaze drifts her way. There's a spark in his eyes like he's waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

Willow, however, is too lost in her own thoughts to fully notice. She chews slowly, her mind cycling through weather models, storm dynamics, and the endless list of ways they could tweak their setup.

"What if it's the model that's the problem?" Willow muses aloud, her sandwich waving absently in the air as she gestures. Tyler raises a brow at her. "No offense, cowboy," she continues, "but it's running on DOROTHY parameters. You know I love my girl, but she might be a little outdated at this point."

"How do we create a better one?" Kate asks, glancing up from her spot on the truck bed.

"We'd need something that captures more of a whole picture—" Willow starts, but she stops short, groaning. "Ugh. StormPAR."

Kate immediately shakes her head, firmly. "They're not giving us that data."

Willow exhales heavily, setting her sandwich down on her lap. She fiddles with the crust, hesitating, before speaking. "They might. If you ask."

Kate looks at her like she's grown a second head. "No. Javi hates me," she says, sure of it. She shakes her head again as if trying to rid herself of the very idea.

Willow snorts softly; she truly doesn't know. He had been willing to chase after her when he threw hateful comments her way when he let them stew with Willow, a true sign of it all. "Kate, come on. Javi doesn't hate you." She pauses, her voice softening. "The guy's actually in love with you."

Kate blinks, stunned. "What?"

Willow presses her lips together, glancing away for a moment before continuing. "He's been obsessed with you since undergrad. All those times he helped you with your classwork? That stupid handshake only you two could do? It was always for you."

Kate's mouth falls open in disbelief. "You're kidding."

Willow shakes her head, managing a faint, rueful smile. "Nope. He'd do anything for you, Kate. Even this."

For a moment, Kate just stares at her, processing. Then she sighs, running a hand through her hair. "That's so..." She trails off, shaking her head. "God, I don't even know what to think."

"Think of it like this," Tyler interjects, a playful grin tugging at his lips as he leans back against the truck. "You gotta give that truck back anyway, or StormPAR'll nail you for grand theft auto. Might as well face the music."

Kate groans as she rubs her temples. "Fine. I'll call him."

The silence that follows feels heavier, with the weight of Willow's revelation on Javi's behalf still lingering between them. Tyler, ever the mood-lifter, doesn't let it stay heavy for long.

"So, are secret handshakes romantic to you or somethin'?" he teases, his smirk directed at Kate.

Kate rolls her eyes, a laugh escaping despite herself. "Shut up, Owens."

—AUTHOR'S NOTE

TITLE FROM THE SONG THAT MADE ME WANT TO WRITE THIS FANFIC

KATE AND TYLER AS BICKERING SIBLINGS IS WHAT GETS ME THROUGH

tyler and willow on their first chase, but willow is the one who gets even more obsessed in the end. probably more smut incoming (they deserve a real bed NOT in cathy's house yall and imma get them one)

FEEDBACK ALWAYS APPRECIATED: I'm starting to feel a little bit of writer's block and I think its because I'm getting close to the end here AND IM GROWING SAD AB IT. we've probs got ab ten chapters left at most

I'm also working on a boone. here's the plot I got going and would love some feedback:

boone fic deals with scott's ex who is working for stormpar, only sticking to the company as she has a share in it and wants to see it out of rigg's hands. when the wranglers end up in Oklahoma, boone sees her at a gas station, decides she's too pretty to be a storm chaser but he's damn lucky she is one. it's kind of a sappy story of getting a prim and proper girl to let loose and love life

let me know your thoughts!

as always, thank you for reading,

kari