Evan sat in his car and slammed a fist against the steering wheel. He should have told Janie the truth before they ever started dating. But he’d done what was right. He couldn’t give her the baby she wanted.

She didn’t have to tell him—her eyes said everything. Janie was born to be a mother. Contentment exuded from her as she fed Ava and rocked her to sleep. She probably didn’t even realize the happy sighs she’d let out.

However, he could have handled the situation better. His emotions had taken over. Only a fool—or a real jerk—would think it didn’t matter.

Frustrated with himself and the impossibility of a long-term relationship with Janie, he backed out of her driveway. He braked at the stop sign on her cul-de-sac and reached for his phone. The least he could do was send her a text and say he was sorry and they’d talk later. Too late, he realized he hadn’t grabbed his phone off the charger. Neither had he eaten yet, but that didn’t matter.

Unable to face her yet, he decided to go home and swing by in the morning to collect his phone. By that time, he’d prepare a speech, confessing that what the doctors had told him and explain why they couldn’t be together. He’d tell her it was him, not her. In this case, it wasn’t a lame break-up excuse but a legitimate reason why they should go their separate ways.

Pressing his foot on the accelerator, he drove away from her house. Before he left the subdivision, a tornado warning blared over the radio waves. His chest tightened when he heard the direction of the spotted rotation. Unless it changed its path, the funnel would come straight for this neighborhood.

He made a split-second decision and jerked his car into the nearest driveway. He turned around and sped back to her house, his gaze constantly shifting to the pitch-black sky to the west, behind an eerie green he’d never seen.

Leaves swirled in the air, and he swerved to miss a trashcan blown in his path. Dime-sized hail pelted his car as he pulled back into Janie’s cul-de-sac. He’d think about potential damage later. His only concern right now was for Janie’s safety.

He shifted into park, and the wind caught his car door when he first opened it. Using both hands, he slammed it closed. Ran to Janie’s front door and knocked hard with his fists. He didn’t want to wake the baby, but what if Janie hadn’t heard the warning?

She didn’t answer. Maybe she hadn’t locked the door behind him. He twisted the knob, relieved when it turned and opened the door.

“Janie?” His shout echoed through the house. He spotted the empty playpen and moved further into the house. “Where are you?”

He grabbed his phone from the charger, only a priority for access to further alerts. An empty flower pot flying over the deck distracted for him a second. He ran to the office, frenetic in his search. She had to be in the house—he’d only been gone for a few minutes.

More than ever, he wished the houses along the coast had basements. Who cared if they flooded if they could save a life during a tornado. “Janie?”

“In the utility room,” she shouted.

Relief flooded him when he opened the door and saw her huddled in the corner with Ava clutched tightly to her chest. Her eyes showed fear, but her body language demonstrated a collected strength. He shut the door behind him and rushed to embrace her.

She wrapped an arm around him while one still held the baby. “You came back.”

“I heard the warning and had to.” Nothing could make him move away from her. In those moments of needing to reach her, he knew unequivocally that he loved her.

“Did you mean what you said?” Her voice trembled.

“I…I don’t know.” He didn’t want to mean it. “We have to talk, but not now. Let’s get through this.”

His cell phone beeped loudly, alerting him to the tornado warning, at the same time a voice spoke on a radio. Good, she has a weather radio and brought it in. He swallowed the fear which arose when he heard the tornado’s path was only two miles from River Mills subdivision.

Janie’s nails dug into his skin. “I’m afraid.”

“We’ll be safe. I didn’t survive enemy attacks just to die in a tornado.” A chill ran through his body.

A loud rumbling sounded from outside the house.

“It’s here.” Janie huddled in the corner closest to the center of the home. “I’ve always heard it sounds like a train.”

He knelt in front of her, hovering his body over her and the baby as added protection for them if the tornado struck the house. “Protect us, Lord, shield us with Your strength and might. Please lift this tornado from its path of destruction. In Your name, amen.”

Ava awoke when something crashed loudly against the house, and she started crying. Janie prayed under her breath, intermittently whispering soft, soothing sounds to her.

The barreling noise continued, and the power flickered several times before cutting off completely.

Fear stronger than he’d ever known—even more than those days stranded after the crash—attacked him. For Janie and Ava, not himself. If he succeeded in anything in life, it would be protecting these two from the devastating force of nature outside.

He wished for a window so he could see the enemy and know what he was up against. Then again, sometimes it was better not to see, and simply to know of its presence. When the rumbling increased in volume, he shifted his body to better shelter the girls. Ava’s cries had transitioned to full wails. He glanced down and saw silent tears of terror in Janie’s eyes. Please let this end soon, Lord. Protect everyone in the tornado’s path.

Eventually, the noise faded away. What felt like hours had only been minutes. With legs like gelatin, he stood upright and stepped backward. “Are you okay?”

Janie nodded. “Is it over?”

He helped her up. “I think so.”

Holding the quieted baby on her hip, she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I never want to go through that again.”

“Me either.” He opened the flashlight app on his phone to give them light. “Stay here, and I’ll go check things out.”

“Be safe.” Her hand stayed on his arm until he walked out of reach.

He left the utility room and inspected the house’s interior. So far, so good. Not so much when he reached the kitchen. An unknown object had broken the window above her sink. He looked out the back door, saw her deck was ripped to shreds, and portions of the siding were gone. It was a miracle her house still stood. A tree had fallen in her backyard and another across the street.

The houses he could see hadn’t fared as well. Three within view were destroyed, torn into mere splinters. He prayed for the safety of the occupants. Sick to his stomach, he forced himself to look out the front door. A lawn chair from somewhere had crashed through his windshield. Janie’s car appeared untouched, but debris littered the front yard and cul-de-sac.

Night encroached, and would soon cover the damage. Small blessing to delay seeing the vast damage in full light.

His phone rang in his pocket. He took it out and answered the call from Jared whom he hadn’t talked to in weeks.

“Have you heard from Janie?” Jared’s question rushed out in a torrent of words and short breath. “I just heard a twister touched down in River Mills, and I can’t get in touch with her.”

“She’s fine. I’m here with her.”

A loud whoosh echoed through the line. “Good. How are you guys? Is it bad?”

“Shaken up. Damage is pretty bad from what I can see, but her home is intact. Others weren’t so lucky.” He rubbed a hand on his neck, still trying to process what had happened.

“What can I do?”

“Can you come pick us up? I don’t think Janie should stay here tonight, and the streets are blocked with debris—besides the fact that my car has a lawn chair in the front seat and is blocking in Janie’s. We’ll have to walk up and meet you. Hopefully, there’s nothing else in the way of you getting here.” He forgot about the baby. Ava’s mom must be worried sick. “Don’t head out yet. Janie’s babysitting her neighbor’s kid. Let me see what’s going on with her.”

“Give me a call when you’re ready, and I’ll be there.” Jared paused. “Where’s Janie going to stay?”

He hadn’t thought that far. “My place I guess, and I’ll crash somewhere else.”

“I have a spare room with a futon.” Jared’s deep breath sent a whistle over the connection. “I owe you and Janie an apology, and I’m sorry for walking out at Easter.”

“Let bygones be bygones.” Life was too short for grudges, and he was just glad to have his friend back and them all safe. “We can talk more later.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

Evan walked inside after the call ended and found Janie still in the utility room. “Your house has damage, but it fared better than others.”

“What did it do?”

He relayed the damage to her. “Jared called while I was out front. I figured you wouldn’t want to stay here tonight, so he’ll pick us up, and you can stay at my place tonight. He offered to let me crash at his place.”

“Ava’s mom is on her way. She called and was frantic when she heard. I assured her Ava is fine.” She edged toward the door. “How is her house?”

“I only saw the front, but it looked fine other than debris in the yard.” He reached for the baby. “Want me to hold her while you pack a bag?”

“That would be great. Thanks.” She stopped at the door. “About earlier…”

“We’ll talk tomorrow. We’ve both been through the wringer tonight.” He pressed a hand to her cheek. “For now, know that I love you.”

She furrowed her brows, and he couldn’t blame her for her confusion. “I love you, too.”

One day he’d probably look back and regret telling her he loved her for the first time in such a way, but he had to tell her then. After what they’d experienced moments before, he couldn’t wait another minute.