Break the Sky by Nina Lane

Author:Nina Lane
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Snow Queen Publishing
Published: 2014-07-28T23:00:00+00:00

I parked on Avalon Street and grabbed my notebook from the saddlebag. I walked to a coffeehouse for a large take-out coffee, then went to the outdoor terrace overlooking the lake. A streak of blue flashed across my vision as I scanned the crowded tables.

Kelsey sat with a younger woman at a table strewn with folders and papers. Since they looked busy, I started to turn away when Kelsey lifted her head. Her blue gaze arced right into me. Filled me with heat.

She gestured to the empty chair at the table. “Come sit down.”

“You look busy.”

“We’re almost done. Archer, this is Tess, one of my grad students. Tess, this is my friend Archer.”

“Hi.” Tess extended a hand. “Good to meet you.”

“You too.” I pushed the chair away and sat, putting my notebook on the table. “You’re also a storm researcher?”

Tess nodded. “Yes, I’m interested in storm genesis. We’re going out next week to chase in northeast Texas.”

“We?” I looked at Kelsey. “You’re going too?”

She shook her head. Tess glanced at her.

“You should go,” she said.

“I’m not going,” Kelsey replied in a curt, “I’m your professor” tone of voice.

Tess appeared unfazed by it. “The last several runs of the global models look promising.”

Kelsey started collecting the papers. “You go and send me the results. I’ll be base support, as always.”

“Why don’t you want to go?” I asked Kelsey.

“I have work to do here,” she replied. “Not that it’s your business.”

I frowned. What was with the attitude?

“Kelsey doesn’t chase storms,” Tess told me. “Though the guys and I are always trying to get her to come with us.”

I suppressed a bolt of jealousy. “What guys?”

“My graduate students,” Kelsey said. “They go out all the time to collect field data.”

“And you don’t go with them?”

“I stopped chasing storms years ago.”

“Why?”

“It’s grad student work,” Kelsey said. “I assimilate the data and results in the lab and write up all the proposals and reports.”

“Why don’t you go into the field anymore?”

“It’s not my job.”

That didn’t sound right. I’d seen TV shows about storm chasing. Those guys were always meteorologists and professors.

“Could you go if you wanted to?” I asked.

“For a limited time, probably,” Kelsey admitted. “But my contract with King’s has clauses about outside work and teaching duties. And it wouldn’t be good for my reputation in the department or with the administration.”

Though that made more sense, something still sounded off about her excuse.

“What about the Spiral Project?” I asked. “Doesn’t that require fieldwork?”

When Kelsey didn’t respond, I glanced at Tess.

“It’s mostly about getting data on tornados from the field,” Tess said. “But Kelsey has structured the project around the concept of her directing it from a home base while others travel with the field unit.”

“Why do you want to work from a home base?” I asked Kelsey.

She shot me a frown that only made me want to dig deeper. Apparently sensing the tension, Tess stood and shoved a few folders into her backpack.

“Kelsey, I’ll take these back to the office, okay?” she said. “And I’ll have the report to you tomorrow.

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