Lachlan
“Whose calling?” I asked, watching my brother’s eyes drop to his phone.
“Dunno. Some number I’ve never seen before.” Beau slipped his phone back into his pocket.
“You’re not gonna answer it?”
“Nah. They’ll leave a message if it’s important. Besides, we need to have a brotherly check-in. What happened last night?”
“I don’t think I should share that information with you.” I chuckled.
“I left Juniper with Jessie for a reason. And we all know what you were hoping last night would lead to.”
I choked on my water. “What?”
“Did you get to tell her how you’re feeling about everything? Her, Reid, the future you want? Did she freak out or is everything…good?”
“Oh.” I laughed, wiping the water off my chin. “Yeah. It’s good. More than good. I told her again that I love her and Reid, and I want them to be here, for good. Here. With me. If she’d have me.”
“And?”
“Seems like both Calloway sisters won’t be Calloways for long.”
Beau laughed, his hand clamping down on my shoulder. “I’m so happy for you. Lainey…man, she’s one hell of a spitfire, but it seems like that’s exactly what you need.”
“It is. She sees me better than I see myself sometimes.”
Beau nodded, his hand reaching back into his pocket. “I can’t wait to listen to Birdie freak out—in a happy way—over this. Oh, that number left a voice mail…”
“By all means,” I said as I gestured to the phone.
I took another gulp of water, my eyes scanning the trees in the distance.
“Oh, fuck.” Beau shook his head.
“What?”
“The donor showed up to meet with Birdie and Lainey, and somehow they’re all stuck in the garage together right now. Dad, too.”
“What do you mean stuck in the garage?” I asked, grabbing my cane as I got to my feet and followed my brother into the house.
“I don’t know. Birdie just said they were stuck in the garage and we needed to get up there to let them out.”
“Then let’s fucking go.”
I slipped my feet into my sneakers and beat Beau out the door.
“I’m driving. Lainey’s probably shaken up since she has Reid. I want to drive them home.”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll get a ride back with Birdie. Thank God Jess has Juniper.”
A minute later, we made it to the turn that would take us up to the safe house.
“Holy fuck, what is that?” I asked, my heart clenching painfully in my chest.
“Smoke. It’s fucking smoke. Shit! Drive faster, Lach.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. A fire on the ranch could be devastating. We were teetering on the edge of drought season, and even with the storms that had been rolling through lately, the land was parched.
But that wasn’t my worry. Because the smoke was coming right from where Birdie’s safe house was located.
I heard Beau barking into the phone, but my mind was solely focused on getting to Lainey and Reid.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Beau grab the oh-shit handle, and I pushed the gas pedal even harder toward the floor.
The drive at that point should have taken us another ten minutes, but we made it there in six.
I hated that it took even that long, but Beau and Birdie had picked that spot for the safe house because it was so remote.
“Fuck!” I slammed the breaks in front of the house. Flames were licking out the side of the house, smoke billowing around back.
“The fire department is coming! Help me with the door!”
“Lainey!” I yelled, getting to the garage door as fast as I could. “Lainey!!”
“Here, help me lift the door!”
We tried to lift against the handle, but it was no use. The two car door had to weigh upwards of five-hundred pounds, and what little grip we had on it just wasn’t going to work.
I didn’t hesitate. With Beau sprinting in front of me, we both made our way into the house. Flames engulfed the kitchen, thick smoke making it difficult to navigate the space. Thankfully, it seemed to be just a quick right from the living room, and we were at the garage door.
Holy fuck. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest it felt like it might explode.
“Wait outside! I’ll bring them to you!” Beau yelled.
“Fuck that!” I yelled back, following him to the door that led to the garage. It didn’t budge as he tried to open the handle.
“Stand back!” he barked, lining up before driving his foot into it. The door shook, but didn’t open. Another kick, and another. It wasn’t working.
I coughed violently, the heat and smoke overtaking me. I leaned harder on my cane as Beau tried one last time.
I wanted to fall to the ground and cry with relief as I watched the door explode into the garage. The space was smokey, but the fire hadn’t gotten to them.
Lainey’s eyes met mine, her arms wrapped protectively around Reid’s back, tears streaming down her face.
“I’m here. I’m here, baby. Oh, God. I’m here.” I rushed to her, pressing my lips into her hair as she cried. “Put your arm around my neck. I’m going to get you both out of here.”
Just like I’d done before, I scooped her up with my right arm, cradling her as she kept Reid secure, my left hand tight on my cane. “Close your eyes and tuck your face into my chest,” I instructed, following Beau who had Birdie in his arms.
“Danny?” she cried.
“He’s right behind me. Your face, Lain. We gotta go.”
She didn’t waste another second, and neither did I. The smoke and heat of the fire seared my body, but after the longest fifteen seconds of my life, we were outside.
“Are you okay?” I asked after getting them a safe distance away from the inferno, frantically running my hand over her body, trying to get a look at her and our son. “Please tell me you’re okay. Please.”
“I’m fine. I’m okay. Do you think Reid…his lungs are so little and there was so much smoke.”
I let my cane fall to the ground, grabbing him out of the carrier on her chest. Taking him out of his safe place set him off, right like I’d been hoping. His loud, angry cry pierced the air around us, and my knees almost buckled in relief.
“Birdie!” Lainey cried out as her sister embraced her. She turned, holding her hand out to me.
“Let me see him, Lach. I know Beau called 911, but I can check him over.”
Beau grabbed my cane out of the dirt and handed it to me while Lainey pressed into my side.
Birdie handed Reid back to Lainey with a smile. “His color is great and he doesn’t seem to be having any problem letting us know that he just wants to be with his mama.” I turned, sirens hitting my ears. “You guys need to be in the first ambulance.”
“Are they sending more than one? What about Jasmine?” Lainey asked.
“Jasmine?” I turned to the woman talking to my father. “Are you fucking kidding me? Why was she here? Did she start the fire?”
But there wasn’t time for my questions to be answered, because as soon as the first ambulance pulled in behind the fire truck, I ran with Lainey to get Reid checked out.