Read Bad Penny for Free Online Page B

was just a couple of miles back. He could take shelter there.
     
    Cat was reaching for the cell phone to call Wilson and ask him about the weather when she drove into rain. It quickly turned to hail, which didn’t make her feel any better. It was common knowledge to those versed in the ways of tornadoes that they were often concealed by hail or a rainwrapped wall cloud.
     
    She was only a couple of miles away from the turnoff to the ranch. Suddenly, the wind was so strong that it shifted the truck into the wrong lane of traffic.
     
    “Oh lord…please help me get home in one piece.”
     
    Then she tightened her grip on the steering wheel and jammed the accelerator all the way to the floor.
     
    One mile passed, and then she saw the turnoff and took it without slowing down. The rain was hitting the truck like bullets, and she was no longer ahead of the storm. She was driving parallel to it, the wind buffeting the truck so hard it was almost impossible to keep it on the road.
     
    Suddenly her cell phone rang. She jumped but ignored it when a small tree flew past the hood of the truck. Her heart dropped. The only thing that would uproot a tree and then send it flying was a twister. She didn’t know how close it was to her, but she didn’t think she was going to beat it to
     
    the ranch, and she didn’t want to die just when she’d found the best reason to live.
     
    Wilson. Oh God. Wilson.
     
    It was the last thing she thought before the truck went airborne. Cat started to scream, but the sound was lost in the roar of wind and rain. She had one glimpse of a rooftop sailing past her line of sight, and then a pig flew by upside down. After that, everything went black.
     
    Wilson glanced at his wristwatch, then laid down the wrench and walked out of the toolshed. He looked up at the sky, then up the driveway. Cat should have been back by now. The wind was rising, and he could smell the rain. He was well aware that Cat could take care of herself, but that didn’t stop him from worrying. All he needed was to hear her voice and he would be fine. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and had just started to call her when his mother came running out of the house carrying a laundry basket.
     
    “Wilson! Wilson! The weatherman said there’s a tornado on the ground and headed this way. Get your Dad and get to the cellar.”
     
    He saw his mother heading for the doghouse and realized she was going to get the old cat and the litter of kittens, and take them to the cellar with her.
     
    “Dad!”
     
    Carter had heard Dorothy yelling but didn’t know what she’d said until he came out of the barn.
     
    “What’s wrong?” he asked.
     
    “Mom says there’s a twister on the ground and to get to the cellar.”
     
    Carter glanced toward the house. “Oh lord, she’s after those cats.” He took off running toward her.
     
    Wilson was punching in Cat’s number when he heard the sound of an engine coming fast. Thank God. He turned toward the driveway, but his relief was short-lived. It wasn’t Cat. Moments later, the car came to a sliding halt at the front fence and he recognized Stephanie Goodman. When he saw she was trying to get two little kids out of the backseat, he ran to help her.
     
    Stephanie was shaking so hard that she couldn’t unlock the seat belts on their car seats.
     
    “Here, I’ve got them,” Wilson said, then pushed her aside, got one boy out and handed him over. Seconds later, he got the second one out.
     
    “There’s a tornado on the ground!” Stephanie cried. “We’ve got to get to the cellar.”
     
    “Follow Mom and Dad!” he said.
     
    Stephanie grabbed her boys by the hands and began running as the first edge of the gust front hit. It knocked both boys off their feet and
     
    dragged Stephanie to her knees. Her scream alerted Carter, who saw her and ran to help.
     
    Once she was safely in his parents’ hands, he tried calling Cat’s number again, but before he finished