HOLY SMOKES

eleven. grapefruit

“Let’s go, angel,” Boone smirked and she nodded, her brain still a little fuzzy as she turned, then a yelp left her when he playfully smacked her ass. She covered her ass with her hands, glaring at him over her shoulder, but he just grinned which made her glare fade faster than it had appeared. Then he helped her into the truck, making sure her seatbelt was around her before he shut the door.

She watched him as he rounded the truck and climbed into the passenger seat, and once he was in his seat he sent her a wink before messing with his camera

“And you are?” She turned, seeing a man in the backseat next to her. He was a gangly fella, his hair was thinning and round glasses perched on his nose with a camera slung around his neck..

“I’m Magnolia,” she smiled, offering her hand. “Magnolia Carrington.”

“Better known as Boone’s girlfriend,” Tyler added, already pulling out of the lot and the girl reached up and smacked the back of his head.

“Shut up, Tyler.” She grumbled and he glared at her in the rearview mirror as she turned and smiled at the man to her right. “You must be Ben.” 

“And what do you do?” He asked curiously as Tyler sped after the StormPAR team.

“Oh, I’m not Wrangler,”

“Not yet, anyways,” Boone mumbled, sending a wink her way as she rolled her eyes a little and her cheeks flushed.

“Maggie runs a non-profit,” Tyler told the reporter and he raised an impressive eyebrow as he quickly wrote down her name. “She workin’ with us to raise money for tornado relief. It’s a good cause.”

“Ty, the article is about you and the crew, not-”

“Oh, hush, you’re just as much a part of the crew as the rest of us.” He told her.

“Got that right,” Boone reached back his hand resting on her thigh for a moment.

She chuckled, pushing his hand off of her, to which he pouted, “baby, get your camera ready.”

“Right,” he mumbled, getting everything ready as Tyler pressed the gas harder, pulling off the dirt road they were on.

Magnolia turned, looking out at the developing storm and her smile grew when both Tyler and Boone started cheering. Every time they saw a storm they acted as if it was their first time seeing one, and she loved it.

“Okay, rollin’.” Boone mumbled once his camera was ready, which only seemed to spur Tyler on. He hit the gas and passed the white StormPAR trucks, then he cut in front of Jav.

“Tyler James Owens!” Magnolia scolded, holding onto the handle above the door.

“Ohh, you got full named.” Boone chuckled, his camera pointed at the cowboy.

“What’s up, chat!” Tyler ignored both of them as he righted the truck on the road, smiling at the camera in front of him. “Welcome back! Thank you for joining us. It’s a perfect weather day. We just had tornado genesis. I’m looking at a tall rope due north of us, and she is pretty. Joining us today, per usual, got my chief storm hound, Boone.”

Boone turned the camera, getting a second angle of himself, “Booney, baby! Whoo!”

“We have Dexter and Dani in the caravan behind us. And Lily with her drone ready. And, back by popular demand, our honorary – but soon to be full-time Wrangler, fingers crossed-” both he and Boone held up their hands with their fingers crossed, making Magnolia laugh. “-Maggie’s sitting pretty in the back seat.”

Boone turned, the camera pointed at her as she waved. “Hey, baby.” He nodded his head a little with a wink then he blew her kiss. And like he had, she made a show of catching it, then she leaned back and stuck her hand in the front pocket of her shorts.

Tyler chuckled, but went on, “And our special guest today, we got Ben keeping Mags company in the back seat.” Boone turned the camera towards the reporter. “Ben you just came in from, uh, London yesterday, right?”

“Uh, uh, yes.” He mumbled, clearly a little uncomfortable being on camera. “South London. J - just between Streatham Hill and West Norwood.”

There was an awkward beat of silence, no one knowing what to say. Boone looked over at Magnolia, who simply shrugged her shoulders.

“Okay,” Tyler mumbled.

Then Dani’s voice came over the radio, “Tyler, tornado’s on the move.”

“Okay.” He yanked the wheel to the left, speeding off the road and into a field.

“Oh, God.” Magnolia muttered, holding onto the handle above her.

Tyler just laughed as he pressed the gas harder, tearing through a wind field, “Oh, yeah! It’s on now, Ben. You ain’t in London anymore! Starttonham, Berkshire, what the hell?”

"Why do I keep getting in this truck?” Magnolia mumbled to herself. “I’d hit you if you weren’t drivin’.”

“Oh, calm down, Mags.” He laughed it off, “just hold on to Boone’s hand.”

“Trust me, I want to.” She breathed out and Boone held the camera up with one hand. Then he leaned back a little and stretched his arm back. She smiled as she gripped his hand.

“Aren’t they just adorable?” Tyler smirked at the camera in front of him just as hail started to beat against the truck.

“We got golf balls, baby!” Boone shouted excitedly, and Magnolia couldn’t help but smile even if she was nervous. But Boone’s hand in hers was a nice comfort.

Tyler leaned forward, looking out the windshield, “are those golf balls or baseballs?”

They shared an excited look, their eyes wide, “grapefruit!”

Magnolia couldn’t help but laugh, they were little kids when they got excited.

Ben leaned forward, having to raise his voice a little to be heard over the hail hitting the truck, the music and the excitement of the other three, “I’m assuming this is safe?”

And just as the question left him, the faint groan of metal echoed as one of the turbine blades broke off. It impaled the ground barely a foot from the truck, making Magnolia scream as she closed her eyes and ducked forward. But Tyler was quick, veering to the right to avoid it.

Boone’s eyes grew wide and he quickly pulled his hand from Magnolia’s before covering her head with it as he watched the broken turbine fall mere feet from them. Tyler couldn’t do much other than keep going, the truck just barely making it under another blade.

The cowboy just cheered, hitting a bump, which had all four wheels coming off the ground for a second.

“You okay, baby?” Boone asked, glancing back at Magnolia as she took deep breaths, her head still between her knees. “Maggie?”

She sat up slowly, meeting his eyes as she wrapped her fingers around his, “I-I’m good.”

“Whoo!” Tyler cheered, smacking the steering excitedly.

“If a tornado doesn’t take you out, I will.” She glared at the back of Tyler's head. “You hear me, Tyler James?” She leaned back into her seat, taking deep breaths to try and calm her racing heart.

And he had the audacity to laugh, as he met her glare in the rearview. “You couldn’t hurt a fly.”

“You ain’t a fly.” She muttered, and for a short moment, he looked a little scared. But he covered it quickly as he watched the tornado.

“She don’t mean that,” Boone mumbled as he turned the camera towards himself, then he glanced back at the blonde. “At least I don’t think so.” He added.

“Oh, it’s shifting.” Tyler yanked the steering wheel yet again, veering off to the side. A smirk pulled at his lips when he saw a familiar white truck, and if they were trying to get in front of the tornado, they had failed. And he just had to mess with them, so he rolled his window down as he pulled up next to them, “StormPAR! Javi! What are you out here, man? Tornado’s that way.”

Then he noticed Kate sitting in the truck and a smirk pulled at his lips, “hey, Kate.” Magnolia pulled her hand from Boone’s and he turned, watching as she smacked the back of Tyler’s head. Kate chuckled a little as he turned to glare at the girl, “Ow, Maggie!”

Boone chuckled, but he stopped himself when Tyler narrowed his eyes at him. Then he looked over at Kate again, who looked like she was trying not to laugh, so he just drove off, straight for the tornado.

“You gotta stop hittin’ me.” He huffed, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

“I don’t think I will,” she shook her head, making Boone laugh.

“That’s my girl.”

Tyler just rolled his eyes, “Alright, y’all, harnesses on!”

“Harness time! Oh, yeah, it’s my favorite part, Ben.” Boone put his camera down and turned, making sure Magnolia got hers on, which she had pretty much mastered. This would be her fourth time riding with them. “Got it, angel?”

“Yeah, baby, I got it,” she nodded as she tightened it up. And only then did he put his harness on.

“Harness?” Ben questioned, clearly confused as he looked over at Magnolia, who was already done.

“Yeah, we’re entering the suck zone, baby.” Boone told him, tightening his harness.

“Ben, put your harness on.” Tyler scolded. “We’re going into a tornado for God’s sakes.”

“This is the last time, I swear,” Magnolia mumbled to herself, missing Boone’s hand in hers as she watched the tornado before them.

“Uh, my harness won’t do up.” Ben muttered anxiously. “My harness won’t do you!”

“Ben, you gotta hurry.” Tyler told him simply.

“That’s why you’re on that side,” Boone mumbled, looking back at Magnolia.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Ben shouted.

“Just put your strap on!” Boone told him, looking back at him.

“You didn’t tell him!?” Magnolia shouted, her eyes wide and Tyler just laughed. “You’re an idiot!” She huffed, reaching over to help the freaked out reporter just as they reached the tornado.

“Oh, God!” Ben leaned forward, holding onto the back of Boone’s seat as he tucked his head between his knees.

Tyler slowed to a stop and hit the button for the anchors, all the while he and Boone were shouting and cheering. Then Magnolia watched as Tyler flipped a few switches, then Boone hollered as he hit a button. She jumped when something exploded, but she leaned against the window and looked up as fireworks went off, lighting up the vortex.

“Whoa.” She mumbled, her face pressed against the glass as the truck shook under the wind.

“Oh, yeah!” Tyler shouted, pure adrenaline coursing through him. A moment later, the tornado moved past them and, like always, Tyler and Boone jumped out. Magnolia followed suit, her boots hitting the ground then she rounded the truck just as Boone did a backflip.

When he saw her, he rushed towards her, wrapping his arms around her as she lifted her off her feet. She giggled a little as she wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing her lips against his. He smiled against her lips, their teeth bumping a little, which only made them laugh before she finally pulled back. He reluctantly put her back on her feet and kissed the end of her nose before he went back to the truck to get his camera.

“Still hate me?” Tyler raised an eyebrow, his smile wide as he stopped next to the blond.

“Yes.” She nodded, but a small smile played on her lips. He rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side as Boone neared them, his camera raised.

“How you feelin’, brother?”

“Oh, top of the world, man!” He grinned. “All thanks to my crew. I got Boone on camera. We got Lily, Dexter, Dani. And, of course, Maggie.” He squeezed her shoulders a little and she rolled her eyes. “You viewers asked me, ‘can you shoot fireworks up in a tornado?’ and the answer is yes. Yes, you can.” Then he looked over his shoulder, “how we doin’ back there, Ben?”

Ben, who was several yards away, swayed on his feet before he bent over and threw up. Magnolia scrunched her nose up, looking away from the man as his knees hit the ground. She felt bad and she understood how he felt. She was fighting off a wave of nausea herself as the adrenaline wore off.

“Alright, alright. If you feel it, chase it. Remember, you kids, do not try this at home. We are professional Tornado Wranglers.” Tyler continued then he and Boone hands, whirling their fingers in sync before meeting in a fist bump.

“Yes, indeed.” Boone nodded as they cut the camera, his eyes falling on Magnolia.

She had gone quiet as she made her way back towards the truck as she toyed with her necklace under the bandana that still hung around her neck. The adrenaline had worn off and the events that had occurred were finally taking root in her head.

He quickly made his way towards her, his hand on her back. “Hey, angel, you okay?”

She managed a smile as she looked up at him, “yeah.”

He knew she was lying, he could see in her eyes. He always knew when she was lying, not that it had been often – at least not to him. Her daddy, on the other hand, had been fed plenty of lies when they were in high school.

“Wha-”

“Let’s load up!” Tyler nearly shouted, waving Ben back towards the truck and Magnolia rounded the truck before pulling herself up into the seat. And the entire drive back was quiet, albeit the questions Ben asked once he had found his voice again.

Boone couldn’t help the sinking feeling in his gut as he glanced back at the girl, who started out the window as she toyed with her necklace. Even Tyler had noticed she had gone quiet, but he still answered Ben’s questions.