I HATE SURPRISES.

Javi met them in just a few hours, unfortunately arriving with Scott also in the car. Dakota sneered childishly at the man who had his window rolled down as Javi walked toward the girls, clearly upset. And he shot one look at Tyler, who instantly went back in the house to keep the peace.

"Hey," Javi greeted, "uh, 'bout what I said earlier, I didn't mean any of that."

"It's fine," Kate mumbled even though it wasn't.

"If there's anything that I can say or do to make it better..."

"Give us your PAR data," Dakota said, crossing her arms. "That's a start."

He nodded solemnly and went back to the car, heading for the back seat. And Scott clearly wasn't pleased.

"What are you doing?"

Javi looked at him like he was stupid, and for a moment, Dakota was reminded of the old Javi. "Giving this to them. What does it look like?"

Scott just scoffed as Javi came back, handing the hard drive to Kate. Then he felt he needed to explain himself. "Look, I needed money to start Storm PAR. That's why I went into business with Riggs. I want to help people too, Kate. I really do. And I said what I said 'cause I... I carry that guilt with me too. Every single day of my life. So, I'm sorry. To both of you."

"I'm sorry I said what I said too," Dakota whispered. "You... you were there that day. And you lost just as much as we did."

He nodded to her in thanks, and then Kate broke the silence. "Javi, why don't you stay and help us?" she asked, her eyes wide. "We can finally solve this together."

"Yeah," Dakota said. "Between Tyler and Kate, I need someone that cares about data like me."

Javi just chuckled sadly, knowing he couldn't leave his job behind after everything he'd put into it. "You know, there was a time when I'd do anything for you, Kate."

Dakota could see the hurt on Kate's face, and she hated it. Javi had been in love with Kate for years — even back when Jeb was alive. So, it hurt to see those feelings dying out because Riggs and Storm PAR had a hold on him.

"Javi," Scott called from the car, "let's roll. We got a storm developing out near Eden. Team's waiting."

"Alright. I gotta get back to work," Javi muttered. "The more data I get, the better for business."

Kate nodded and then pulled a set of car keys out of her pocket. "Sorry, I stole your car."

"It's alright as long as Kota didn't drive it," he said teasingly, looking to her. And Dakota just punched her fingers together. Kate had needed to sleep, after all. "Look, be careful out there. Both of you."

✵︎

Though Kathy didn't understand, she was still in the barn as they loaded up the new data into their model to be supportive. Dakota leaned on her elbows, not tearing her eyes from the screen as a beautiful 3D scan of the tornado from the other day showed up.

"Wow, these scans are impressive," Tyler said.

"It's a complete map of the chaos," Kate said. Then Dakota just pointed to the screen, showing Kate what she was seeing. "Kota, our moisture numbers are off."

"Currently, the polymer is only absorbing the existing raindrops. Not the moisture from the humidity. I mean, we need it to precipitate out more," Dakota explained, more-so for Kathy's sake.

"So, we need to make it rain," Tyler said, not sure how he'd do it.

Kathy took a sip of her beer before giving her input. "They were cloud seeding in Enid a few years ago for the farmers."

"Yeah. Yeah, silver iodide."

Tyler looked at Dakota, knowing she was gonna like the idea. "We could shoot rockets of that. So, silver iodide converts the moisture into rain, and then the sodium polyacrilate — we'd need a lot of it — could pull the water from the storm, increasing the cold pool."

Kate and Dakota shared an excited look. "No faster way to choke a tornado."

✵︎

"It's nice of Mrs. Carter to let me stay another night," Tyler said.

"Don't let her hear you call her that. It's Kathy to you," Dakota said, laughing. "Now, where are we going?"

The pair were loaded up in the truck, and the sun was close to going down. Tyler had only been driving for about five minutes, and though the roads were familiar to Dakota, she couldn't guess where he was taking her.

"Not telling," Tyler said with a cute little smile.

"Ty, I hate surprises," she whined.

He raised an eyebrow. "I find that hard to believe."

"Okay, I don't. But still," she grinned. "There ain't exactly much around here. Just the Dollar General fifteen minutes down the road."

"I'll give you a hint. Dollar General is not the romantic scenery for our first date."

Dakota perked up, her heart nearly skipping a beat as he told her that. "We're going on a date?"

He nodded. "Yup. While you and Kate were fixing up the barrels for tomorrow, Kathy gave me a picnic basket to fill up. It's under the blanket in the back."

Dakota looked over her shoulder, spotting a dark blue blanket that hadn't been there during their storm chasing earlier that day. Getting more excited, she leaned over and kissed Tyler's cheek, making the tips of his ears turn red.

"I love it," she said softly.

"I ain't much of a cook though, so don't expect much," he said, not wanting to disappoint her.

"Ty, it's the sweetest thing any boy has ever done for me," she assured him. "And Javi once literally carried me after the heel of my cowboy boots broke my sophomore year. Did it to impress Kate."

"Did it work?"

"Well, they ain't datin', so nope."

Five more minutes later, and the truck was parked at the top of a hill that looked over the nearest big town — and big was still small, but it had a Walmart. They were spread out on the blanket, and Tyler had been right. It wasn't much. Just some barbecue sandwiches, some chips, and sodas. But it was better than any five-star meal to Dakota.

They spent the night swapping stories. Some about storm chasing, others from growing up and going to college. He couldn't believe she went to college so young and was proud of her for it even if she didn't graduate. And she wasn't surprised at all when he told her he graduated at the top of his class.

"So, you've had Casa de Dakota since you were sixteen?" he asked, wanting to know more about her ending up in Oklahoma instead of Alabama.

"Yeah. Kate came home with me for that first Christmas we knew each other. And, well, she met my Mama. And Mama ain't much of a mother. Never has been since Daddy died," she said, keeping her eyes low. "So, Kate throws this big fit to Kathy, who insists that I move in with them during the breaks so that I don't have to go home when we were kicked out of the dorms. Next thing I know, I'm basically Dakota Abernathy-Carter."

"I'm glad you had her. And she had you," Tyler said softly. "You two are good for each other."

She smiled and reached for a second Coke. "I'd like to think we are."

After that, she asked Tyler how he ended up storm chasing. She wasn't surprised at all. He'd grown up with Boone, and as all dumb hillbillies did, they did something stupid. That stupid thing was driving out to their first tornado and filming it on their phones. It blew up on YouTube, and the rest was history as they met the rest of the crew along the way.

As the stories kept coming, Tyler laid back and pulled Dakota into his arms, them looking up at the stars as they continued to talk.

The date was perfect for both of them, and neither really wanted to leave as midnight approached, but they knew they had to with how long of a drive they had the next day.

"Does it make me clingy to say I don't want this night to end?" Tyler asked as he opened the passenger side door for Dakota, who hopped in.

"Well, there's a Luke Bryan song about it, so I'll say no," she said with a smile. Given how tall the truck was, she towered over him for once. So, she leaned down and kissed him for the twentieth time that night. "I don't wanna go back yet either."

Tyler kissed her again, covering her hands on his cheeks with his own. Then he slid his touch up her arms, pulling her closer. Getting tired of stretching, he stepped up on the little ledge that was used to help climb into the truck so that he was taller.

As the kiss grew deeper, Dakota grasped at his t-shirt, wanting him even closer. So, she ended up pulling him into the car. And since the seat was all the way back, it wasn't as uncomfortable as it could've been. But it wasn't exactly spacious either.

When Tyler hit his head on the roof of the cab, both of them laughed. His lips brushed hers as he looked down at her. "How about we relocate?"

"We already packed the blanket up."

"I'm sure we can manage," he said, kissing her again.

Tyler then slid off her and helped her out of the truck. Once the door was shut, he led her by her hand to the bed of the truck, pulling the tailgate down so that she could slide up on it. He moved between her parted legs, wrapping his arms around her waist as he kissed her roughly.

As his tongue explored her mouth, his hands explored her body, moving down her hips and back up again, taking the fabric of her sundress with her. They parted for only a second so that he could pull the garment off of her. And he groaned when he saw she wasn't wearing a bra since the dress didn't require one.

"Scoot back for me, baby," he murmured against her mouth, and Dakota did as asked, moving up until her head was at the top of the truck bed.

After kicking his boots off, Tyler followed after her, kissing up her body, starting at her inner thigh, then trialing kisses on her hips, her stomach, her chest, the scar on her shoulder, her neck until he reached her lips again.

Moving carefully so that their lips didn't part, he shifted onto his side and kept her on her back, the hand that wasn't underneath her moving down her stomach until he reached her underwear. She sighed into his mouth as he began tracing light circles over her covered clit, teasing her. But when she shifted her hips forward, seeking out more pressure, he complied.

Deft circles were rubbed on her covered clit, making her toes curl as he picked up the pace. And it wasn't until her underwear was soaked that he pushed it down her legs, the cold night air hitting her aching cunt.

"Think you can take my fingers for me?" he asked, both knowing the answer.

She just nodded frantically before kissing him again, only to choke on a moan as he slid a long finger into her. She could feel him grin against her skin at her sudden reaction, and then he began kissing her neck, teeth scraping her as he continued driving his finger in and out of her. And just when she thought it couldn't get better, he added a second, stretching her even more.

"Tyler," she moaned, hiding her face in his chest. "Keep going."

"Not plannin' on stopping this time," he promised, still amused from the night before. "Want it all over my fingers, yeah?"

"Yeah," she repeated pathetically. Then, needing more, she reached down, beginning to rub her own clit. And Tyler moaned lowly at the sight, growing painfully hard at the sight of her touching herself.

"You're gonna kill me, baby."

She was too full of euphoria to even shoot back a joking remark at his expense. It was all so perfect — his fingers inside of her and his perfect lips on her neck, sucking a hard mark on her skin that she wouldn't be bothered to hide when morning came.

All too soon, she was coming around his fingers, crying out loudly for no one but Tyler to hear. Her whole body trembled as she finished, and then Tyler slowly pulled his fingers from her, loving how she whined at the loss of him.

Not caring about making a mess, he trailed his soaked fingers up her stomach, leaving a trail of cum, drawing a heart over her chest when he reached it. Then she snatched his wrist and brought his hand to her mouth, sucking his fingers clean.

"Yeah," he said, the corners of his lips turning up, "I'm dead."

She smiled at him and kissed him quickly. "Well, come back to life so I can suck your dick like I've been wanting to all week."

Tyler let out a booming laugh at her eagerness and blatant honesty. He ran his fingers through her hair before sitting in a better position so it'd be more comfortable for her.

Dakota peeled his tight shirt off his body, revealing his heavenly chest. And as she kissed down his body, licking and sucking as she went, she unbuckled his jeans and pushed them down his legs with his help. She brushed her nose against the tent in his boxers before hooking her fingers around the band and pulling those down as well.

As Tyler studied her, he recognized the bit of mischief that was swimming in her eyes. It matched his own when he was planning something. Good thing he could read her so easily.

"You're gonna stop right before I finish, ain't you?" he asked flatly, remembering his treatment of her the night before.

Dakota smirked at him and held back a laugh. "I'll tell ya later."