Page 74 of Steadfast

Chapter 23

Hurricane

It was well into the late night hours when Maeve stepped off the flight and onto the stairs leading to the tarmac below. The rain mingled with ice stung her eyes as she examined the bleak conditions around her. She reached up and clasped her tan cowboy hat, battling against the strong gust that threatened to take it. It wasn’t often that she would spend the money for a chartered flight, and it was a miracle that she had found a pilot who would fly in the harsh conditions. Sawyer and Crew trudged down the steps behind her, their footsteps clanging on the metal stairs. After the busy week and the exciting win that evening, they had slept most of the flight home.

Maeve was envious of their ability to rest.

She had put her effort into being mentally present at the event. And was bursting with pride that Crew had won his first national rodeo. Big Slim had also stolen the night with his ruthless performance. Through it all, Maeve couldn’t seem to shake the worry from her mind. She found herself constantly checking her weather app and looking for text updates fromOakleigh. She had even scrolled social media to see if there was any news. The boys had begged her to relax and enjoy the time away, but she couldn’t deny her instincts that something was wrong.

“We gotta get us one of these jets, Maeve,” Crew announced with a mischievous grin. “Can’t you just see it? Callaway Ranch in big letters splashed right down the side.”

“I suppose he’ll want a mural of his face right next to it.” Sawyer laughed, which turned into a wide, breathy yawn as he stretched his arms from side to side. “That big gold champion belt buckle has gone straight to your head.”

Maeve yanked the door open on the old blue Dodge truck that was parked right where she left it. “Come on, guys. Stop messing around.” Her unease made her words sound stern.

Knowing better than to try to rationalize her fears away, they quietly obeyed her order and climbed into the passenger seats of the truck. She was so distracted that she hadn’t even noticed the large private jet beside theirs. It had a large logo painted in bright purple and edged in gold that read—

Davenport Ministries.

The weather was becoming increasingly worse as they drove north toward the ranch. The cheerful excitement from Sawyer and Crew turned somber as they now understood thatMaeve’s concern might be valid after all. When they arrived at the highway, the town sheriff was placing a large bright barrier in the road. He wore a white poncho that reflected off the truck’s high beam headlights.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Maeve exclaimed, rolling down the window. “Harry, is that you?”

He turned at her voice with immediate recognition as he shielded his face from the pounding rain. His shiny black boots splashed across the highway as he went to the driver’s side. “Road’s closed, Maeve. You should know better than to be drivin’ in this weather.”

“I’ve got to get home. I think Oakleigh might be in trouble,” she replied. She kept calm despite the overwhelming urge to jam her foot on the gas pedal and plow right through the road barrier. “If something should happen, I’ve got the boys here to help.”

Harry peered through the window, shining his flashlight in their eyes. “Congrats on the win, Crew. We were watchin’ it live up until the power went out.”

Maeve tapped her hands on the steering wheel, giving her anxiety an outlet that didn’t involve ringing Harry’s neck. “So then, can we pass?”

He considered, eyeing the road ahead of them with concern. Finally conceding, he gave her a nod. Lifting the heavy barrier, he waved her through.

She slowed to offer her gratitude as they passed by. “Thanks, Harry, I owe you one.”

“We’re real proud of you all, Maeve,” he said. “Drive careful now.”

Even though she wanted to burn rubber down the road, she left at a reasonable speed well below the limits. All she needed was for Harry to change his mind. They had gone to war with each other on more than one occasion and yet still maintained mutual respect.

“You want me to drive?” Sawyer asked, noticing Maeve’s white knuckled grip on the steering wheel.

“I’m fine,” Maeve responded. The truth was that her heart was pounding out of her chest. A mixture of sideways rain, hail, and fog was becoming so thick that she could barely see past the front end of the truck. The dim headlights on the old beast were working against her in the harsh weather, and the old cracked windshield wipers had no chance against the pounding rain. Heavy wind gusts forced her to battle against the steering wheel while the truck’s wheels struggled to maintain traction with the road. She could only pray they would arrive home safely and the ranch would still be in one piece.

When they finally hit the dirt road, the tires spun chaotically in the sopping mud. Sawyer reached over and grabbed the wheel.

“Slow down,” he commanded in a serious tone that he rarely dared to use with his mother.

“Sorry,” Maeve murmured despite stepping on the gas once again. The truck fishtailed before regaining control as it pressed on through the muck. Visibility was low acrossthe pitch black fields, but Maeve knew from her years of experience that there was slim chance the property had come through unscathed.

“Who is that?” Crew pointed at what appeared to be headlights heading past them on the dirt road.

Maeve’s eyes narrowed. She pulled the truck over to the side as a black Escalade slowly passed them. The luxury vehicle bounced chaotically across the deep trenches cut into the road by rushing streams of water. If circumstances hadn’t felt so dire, she would have asked Sawyer to step out and inquire what they were doing on the property. She felt trepidation taking over as she pressed her foot on the gas pedal.

“We’ll find out soon, I’m sure.”

When they arrived at the house, it was dark and quiet.

“Grab the generators, boys,” she instructed while stepping out of the truck. Her feet splashed into the flooded driveway next to the porch. Taking a deep breath, she prayed that she would find the house at peace with everyone tucked safely in their beds. Knowing somehow that wouldn’t be the case, she had to acknowledge that something felt amiss.

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