UNDER MY SKIN

thirteen. over

Kate regretted joining them before they ever reached the arena. They were in the parking lot of the motel, headed towards the rodeo when Tyler pulled Sam into him and pressed a kiss to her lips. It didn’t last long, thankfully, but Kate felt even more like she was crashing her sister’s date and that just wasn’t fun.

Sam’s smile was wide as they sat in the bleachers, her brown eyes huge as she looked around, soaking everything in. It felt like coming home, only difference was that she was in the stands.

“I love this place,” Sam mumbled, leaning against Tyler with a content sigh.

“I know ya do,” Tyler mused, softly kissing her forehead despite being very much in public. It seemed he didn’t care who saw. Then he looked over at Kate, who was watching the team ropers, “you ever seen anything like this, city girl?”

Kate scoffed a little and Sam chuckled, “you keep calling me that. You know I grew up on a farm?” His eyebrows jumped a little, “yeah, Sapulpa. Couple hours from here. This ain’t my first rodeo.”

“Sapulpa?” He asked before looking down at Sam, who smiled wide as she looked up at him. “Wait, she’s your sister?”

“Can’t believe it took you this long.” She told him, patting his cheek before looking over at Kate. “He’s pretty, but he ain’t the brightest.”

Kate chuckled, shaking her head a little, “can’t believe you didn’t tell him.”

“I thought he knew.”

“How was I supposed to know?” He asked, his eyebrows creased.

“I told you I was going to New York to see my sister, thought you’d figure it out when she told you she was from New York. I mean, we even have the same eyes.”  She told him and he scanned her face before looking over at Kate, they did have similar eyes and the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. “It’s okay, baby,” she patted his chest. “You’re still handsome.”

He chuckled, shaking his head a little as he wrapped his arm around her, but instead of pulling her towards him, he tickled her sides making her laugh.

“Ty…” She gasped for air, her hands around his wrists as she laughed, her eyes squeezed closed and Kate slid away to avoid getting kicked. “Okay, okay! Can’t… breathe.” He stopped and she took in a deep breath before looking up at him. “I didn’t keep it from you on purpose. I even tried to tell you this morning, but Javi interrupted. I can make it up to you.”

He smirked, a glint in his eyes as he leaned closer to her, his voice low, “wearin’ my hat?”

“You got a fetish?” She whispered, her voice low as she raised an eyebrow.

“For you in my hat, hell yeah.” He nodded, pulling her closer to him, then he brushed his lips against hers.

Kate scrunched her nose up, having heard the tailend of their conversation, but she said nothing of it as she watched the next team rope a steer. She cleared her throat a little when the kiss lasted more than a few minutes – she knew she should’ve stayed at the motel.

“Sorry,” Sam mumbled, her cheeks pink as she turned back towards her sister.

“So, Kate…” Tyler started, trying to make sure she didn’t feel like too much of a third wheel. “What was your first tornado?”

“Tell me yours,” She shot back, not really ready to dive into her past with storms.

“Oh, I love this story.” Sam mumbled, turning to look up at the cowboy with what some might call stars in her eyes.

Tyler chuckled, a smile on his lips, not only did he love telling this story but he loved the way Sam listened so intently, even if she had heard before, “I was eight, drivin’ with my aunt. Sirens were going. All the sudden, this vortex just lowers down right in the center of the road.” He lowered his hand as if to demonstrate. “I was just mesmerized. Then I looked at my – she’s got this look on her face. I realized at that moment I was supposed to be scared.”

“Were you?” Sam asked softly.

“Yeah,” he nodded, an earnest look in his eyes. “Yeah, I was.”

“Wow,” Kate mused, a teasing tone wrapped around the word. “The Tornado Wrangler scared of tornadoes.”

He rolled his eyes, “okay, Sapula.” 

Sam chuckled as she looked between the two, she liked that they were getting along, then one of the bull riders got their attention, he did the tornado motion with his hand, a wide smile on his face.

“Greg!” Sam shot out of her seat and rushed down the stands, apologizing to people as she went. Greg laughed as he watched the blonde, then he jumped up onto the fence, meeting her in a hug.

“Hey, Sammy.” He patted her back, “good to see you out and about.”

“Good to see you still ridin’.” She told him as she pulled back, holding onto the fence before she hopped down and he did the same. “You were good.”

“I’m the best,” he told her, making her laugh as they walked towards the shute. “You with Owens?” He nodded towards the stands where the cowboy still sat with Kate, but Tyler’s eyes stayed on Sam.

“Something like that,” she nodded, her cheeks pink.

“Finally, damn.” He breathed out and she reached through the fence to punch his shoulder.

“Well, I’ll let you get back. Maybe we could meet up later. Be nice to catch up.”

“Yeah, for sure.” He nodded, his smile wide and after a quick hug through the fence, Sam made her way back towards the two she had left in the bleachers.

“Greg says hi.” Sam told the cowboy as she plopped down in between him and Kate.

“You know him?” Kate asked, her eyebrow raised a little.

“Yeah, used to compete.” Tyler nodded.

“Damn good bull rider, too.” Sam added, as she always did when his time on the circuit was brought up. “That’s how we met, what, fourteen years ago?”

“Really?” Kate asked, her eyes wide. “You never… wait, he’s the Ty you had a crush on when you were a teenager?”

Tyler's face lit up, his eyes bright and his smile wide, “you had a crush on me?”

“So, Ty, tell her about why you quit.” She told him, changing the subject, but the smirk on his face told her that he wasn’t gonna forget.

“You get hurt or something?” Kate asked, knowing that’s why many bull riders quit.

“Naw, just got my head stomped on by one too many bulls,” He told her, wrapping his arm around Sam’s waist as he tugged her into his side. “Thought college might be better for my brain.”

“And you’ve got such a pretty head,” Sam mumbled, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. The action made him smile, his eyes fluttering closed for just a second as her nails lightly scraped his scalp.

“You’re scared of tornadoes, but not riding bulls?” Kate asked, like she was trying to wrap her head around it. She never understood why Sam rode broncs, and she wanted to understand.

“Tornadoes, bulls, same thing.” He shrugged a little. “Here’s the reason you do it, you don’t face your fears – you ride ‘em.”

Sam smiled to herself, she loved that that was how he saw it. She sat up a little, watching as the rodeo clowns rolled out the barrels for the next event, “I wanna ride again.” She looked up at Tyler.

“And you will, I know you will.”

“Have you been cleared to ride?” Kate asked, her eyebrow raised.

Sam took a deep breath, “yeah, about eight months ago.”

Kate’s eyes went wide, “I thought you said-”

“I lied. I didn’t want to admit that I was too scared to even ride my own horse.” She told her, leaning into Tyler, she liked having his arms around her.

“You could’ve told me.” Kate told her softly.

She shrugged, “didn’t wanna tell anyone. Mama was the only one that knew, until I told Ty.”

Kate just looked at her sister for a moment, nothing but understanding in her eyes. She felt the same way about storms, or she had before. But before she could say anything, a strong gust of wind blew through, shaking the leaves from the trees.

All three watched the fluttering leaves and Kate bent down to pick one up just as lightning struck in the distance, “you tracking cells out this way?” He shook his head, looking around. “Air feels heavy. This isn’t good.”

“What’s that mean?” Sam asked, looking over at her sister.

But before Kate could answer her, every phone in the arena blared with a storm warning. Tyler pulled his phone out, reading the warning before the sirens wailed.

“Time to go,” he quickly grabbed Sam’s hand and she latched onto Kate so they didn’t lose each other in the chaos as everyone rushed from the stands.

“Ladies and gentleman, I just received word that a tornado had touched down near the area!” The announcer called over the speakers as people scrambled to their feet to get away. “We need to evacuate this arena right now!” 

“Come on, baby, Keep moving,” Tyler kept his hand on Sam’s back, making sure she and Kate stayed in front of him. “Keep moving.” And when she felt his hand leave her, she turned, her eyes a little panicked, “I’m here.” He assured her, grabbing her hand and she wedged her fingers between his.

It was utter chaos. The bulls ran around the arena, horses escaped, trampling people just trying to get away.

“Come on!” Kate shouted over the rushing wind, leading them towards the exit in hopes of reaching the motel. Then a woman tripped and Tyler was quick to help her to her feet before he grabbed Sam’s hand, keeping her next to him.

People were screaming, scrambling into their cars and driving into one another as they tried to get away, not caring about the damage they were causing in the midst of all the panic.

They quickly ran into the road, “Whoa, stop!” Tyler shouted, holding his hand up as a truck skidded towards them. And when they were in the clear, they ran for the motel. “Keep going. Keep going,” he ushered the two towards the door, then something to the left caught his eye.

A woman was trying to get her daughter into their car, “ma’am, stay outta the car.” He rushed to meet them, lending them inside as Kate rushed towards the counter where a guy was yelling about the cable and the ac.

“Do you have a storm shelter?”

“Or like a basement,” Tyler rushed out. “You got a basement?”

“No—”

“There’s a line here, buddy,” the boy that was complaining pushed Tyler’s shoulder.

“Fuck the line,” Sam told him, her voice a little pitchy with her rising panic.

“We need to get these people underground right now,” Tyler told the manager, ignoring the boy.

“Okay, there’s no tornado,” the girl in the corner leisurely fanned herself with a magazine. “Nine times out of ten, it's a false alarm.”

“You’re gonna feel real stupid real soon,” Sam told her, rolling her eyes. She’d have said worse, if not for the little girl in the room. Then the sirens faded out, the sound cutting off completely.

“You hear that?” the girl snarked, a smug smile tugging at her lips as she made a face at Sam.

Then the power cut out, making the boy groan, “and now the power’s out.”

“No tornado,”

“We gotta find a shelter. Fast,” Kate rushed out before she rushed past the counter and into the back room as the manager yelled at her. Sam watched out the window, her eyes squinted a little, but it was too dark to see anything.

“Ty,” she mumbled, moving to his side. Her hands shook and he rubbed her back.

“We’re gonna be just fine,” he whispered, resting his forehead against hers for a moment.

Kate rushed back towards the lobby, “everybody, come with me!”

“Follow her. Follow her!” Tyler pushed Sam towards her sister, before ushering the mother and her daughter after her. “Come on, move. Move, move!” he ushered the two annoyed customers, just as the speakers smashed through the window, making the previously smug girl scream.

“There’s a tornado! There’s a tornado!”

“No shit,” Sam muttered under her breath as she followed Kate outside, but she made sure the mom and the little girl were in front of her.

“Go! Go! Go!” Tyler shouted, bringing up the rear just as they reached the gate that led to the empty pool and Kate pulled it open.

“Down the ladder, go!” She told them and the mother was down first and Sam helped the little girl down.

“We gotta move faster!”

“Wait, where-” Kate shouted, looking for the other two but when she saw them they were in their truck. “No! No! Stop!”

“Kate! Get in the damn pool!” Sam grabbed her arm and pulled, but Kate fought against her as she watched the truck get flipped on its side before it was whisked away.

“We gotta go! We gotta go!” Tyler shouted, pulling them towards the pool.

“Kate, go!” Sam pushed her forward, and the younger girl quickly made her way down the ladder before leading the mother and her daughter towards the exposed pipes in the deep end of the pool.

“Come on, baby!” Tyler urged and she started down the ladder, “there you go!”

“Ty!” She shouted once she was on her feet and he jumped down, his hand on her waist as he turned her towards the others. Then the manager jumped down, stumbling back when a vending machine landed right in front of him. The impact knocked them all off balance.

“Go!” Tyler pushed her towards Kate before he turned, crawling towards the manager.

“Tyler!” She moved after him with tears in her eyes, but held his hand up, stopping her.

“No, baby! Please, please, stay with Kate.” He begged, fear in his eyes and she stopped, then Kate pulled her back as they watched the cowboy make his way towards the manager on his stomach.

“Help me!”

Sam’s eyes filled with tears and her shoulders shook as Kate pulled her backwards, both staying low. And while Kate was trying to keep the two against the wall calm, Sam was helpless to look away as Tyler reached the manager, only for him to lift his head too high and the updraft got him.

Then a horse trailer landed right where the manager had once been, entirely too close to Tyler, “Tyler!” She shouted, dropping her hands and knees as he scrambled towards her, away from the trailer as it slowly slid down the incline leading to the deep end. “Tyler!”

She reached her hand out and his fingers curled around hers, she let out a breath and pulled as hard as she could. Then the trailer started to tip towards them and just as he got his feet under him, he grabbed her and led her towards the pipes. He used his hands to make sure she had a good grip as the trailer finally fell. It caught on the lip of the pool, giving them a sort of shelter from the raging storm. Kate held onto the pipes, Sam right next to her with her eyes closed and tears streaking her face.

Tyler covered them with his body, his hands tight around the pipes and his face tucked close to Sam’s shoulder, which shook with her sobs. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you, baby.” He muttered, hoping to bring her some comfort.

And then it was over nearly as fast as it had started.

It grew quiet, but no one moved for a few moments, all breathing hard.

Tyler was the first to move, pulling back and the absence of his warmth had Sam turning, tears brimming in her eyes, but a sigh left her when she saw him.

“I’m right here, baby,” he breathed out, pulling her in close, his voice a little rough. She squeezed him, leaning into his chest as he rubbed her back and kissed the side of her head. “I'm right here.”

“Are you okay?” The mother asked, keeping her daughter close to her.

“Yeah,” the girl’s voice shook a little but she was okay.

“Is it over?” The woman looked up at the three and Sam pulled back from Tyler, latched onto his hand as they stepped out from under the trailer that had saved their lives. Kate stepped out behind them. As they made their way towards the shallow end of the pool all they could see was the aftermath.

The rodeo, the motel, everything was reduced to rubble.

"It's over."

NOVA SPEAKS

i love the fact everyone agrees that sam and tyler should only have girls, it cracks me up lol

anyways, here's another chapter!! enjoy!!