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“There’s not much here.”
    “I wasn’t going to say that. In fact, I find the emptiness kind of awe-inspiring. It’d be a great place to take pictures. I’ve never seen so much blue sky.”
    “We have great visibility in this part of the country, I’ll give you that. When a tornado comes through, there’s not much for it to hit. I’d much rather follow a storm out here than through a densely populated area.”
    “Damn, look at the size of that hawk. I sure would like to stop and take a few pictures.”
    She shook her head. “We don’t have time to waste. The storms won’t wait for us, you know.”
    “Has anyone ever told you you have a one-track mind?”
    He’d said it with a teasing note in his voice, but Victoria didn’t appreciate the comment. Probably because he was right. But keeping her attention focused firmly on weather matters was better than the alternative—thinking about him. And he was hard not to think about.
    “I’m on this trip for one purpose, yes,” she said inher most businesslike tone, “and that’s to find tornadoes.”
    “Are you always this intense about it?”
    “You haven’t begun to see intense. Anyway, this has been a slow season. I might get only one good shot this trip, and I don’t intend to blow it.”
    “Oh.” He paused, and she sensed he was poising himself for another assault. “Does that mean you actually are capable of carrying on a conversation that doesn’t have something to do with the weather?”
    “I have other interests,” she objected.
    “Really? Like what?”
    He was doing it again, flirting with her—no, seducing her with that voice of his. There was nothing wrong with his question; it was how he said it, the expression on his face.
    “I have a lot of interests—cooking, and … and gardening. I belong to a garden club.”
    His mellow laugh didn’t irk her as much as it should have. “Is that where a bunch of little old ladies in hats and white gloves get together for tea and to show off their prize roses?”
    “Not at all. It’s an organic gardening club, and a lot of members are men.”
    His expression grew thoughtful. “I see. You must meet a lot of men, then.”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “Amos told me you’re one of the few women who chase storms—one of the few in meteorology, for that matter. I was just thinking that between your career andyour hobbies, you must meet a lot of men. Haven’t you found one to marry yet?”
    Her cheeks grew warm as one caustic retort after another came to mind. Intellectually, she knew Roan was only trying to get a rise out of her. He was bored, and he obviously liked to entertain himself by getting her dander up. But the emotional part of her resented his implication that she was merely fooling around with this weather stuff because it was a great way to meet men.
    “I’m only trying to figure out why you chase tornadoes,” he continued cheerfully.
    “I have my reasons, and they’re none of your business, so I’d appreciate it if you would stop speculating.”
    “Okay, fine,” he said, unperturbed. “You ever been married?”
    She threw him a murderous look.
    “What? There’s nothing wrong with asking that. Jeez, if we’re going to be cooped up in a car for two weeks straight, I’d like to be able at least to talk to you. You know, brush up on my conversational skills.”
    She took a deep breath. Really, there wasn’t anything wrong with the question. She was just more accustomed to Amos’s less-demanding company. And perhaps she was being a bit of a poor sport because things hadn’t gone exactly as she’d wished. She resolved to try to be more pleasant. “I’ve never been married,” she said. “And before you ask why, I don’t know. I’ve never met the right person. And you?” She intended to meet him question for question.
    “Me, married? Not a chance. I never stay in oneplace long enough to establish a relationship. I was raised as an army brat and I’ve just kept