Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dakota
“ O kay, you need to get that stupid smile off of your face,” Addie says, throwing a French fry at me.
“You don’t need to resort to throwing food.” I pick up the fry that landed on my breast and eat it. “Plus, you’re the one that suggested burgers, fries, and ice cream. Those things make me happy.” I avoid her gaze; instead I focus on the cowboy dressed in black on the screen that reminds me a lot of my boyfriend, who may be the one making me smile like a loon since this morning.
Twice.
“We both know it’s not Yellowstone that’s making you smile, nor is it the fried food.” She rolls her eyes and puts her plate down on the coffee table. “All right, you can talk to me.”
“About what?”
“Don’t play dumb; I know you want to gush about your ‘ fiancé, ’ so I’m giving you the chance. Come on, lay it on me.” She moves her hands in a circular motion, encouraging me to speak.
“Why? So you can just tell me I’m being an idiot and wasting my time?” I roll my eyes. “Plus, you know we aren’t really engaged. We are…seeing where this goes.”
“While his mom’s ring is on your finger?”
I hold out my hand and look at it. It really is a gorgeous ring. It’s vintage and unique. It’s so unlike anything you would buy in a store.
I love it.
I’m going to be heartbroken when he asks for it back.
If he asks for it back, but I can’t let my heart go there.
“It’s just for a little while longer. It’s just easier to keep it on.”
“For him or for you?”
I drop my hand and narrow my eyes at her. “I thought you said you were going to be nice.”
“I never said that,” she gives me a sly smile that makes me throw one of my fries at her.
We both break out laughing as she eats hers off her lap.
“Seriously, though. What’s happening? Do I need to worry about you?”
“Not unless you hear of me dying of too many orgasms.”
“Ah! I did not just hear that!” Addie covers her ears with her hands and scrunches up her face, making me laugh even harder.
“No, everything is…good. I mean, Chance is really opening up to me and I think we’re hitting a groove, and not just in bed,” I add, just to wind her up.
“I’m going to ignore that. But really, I just can’t reconcile the asshole that picked you up that night with the one that you’re telling me about now.”
“I know; I can’t explain it, but it’s true. Last week at the rodeo he was—different. The last day it’s like something changed. He took me out into the stands, got me the most amazing pulled pork you have ever tasted in your life—seriously, it was better than what was offered in the sponsor’s suite. Then he took me and introduced me to some of the riders. I even got to pet some of the horses!”
“That must have been the highlight.”
“It was one of them. But then he also told me about his dad and how they would walk around the rodeo grounds together and I don’t know, it was different.”
“There you go with that dreamy look again.”
“Did I tell you he introduced me to the woman that heads up the local animal rescue organization? He invited her specifically to introduce her to me.”
Addie’s eyes open wide with her mouth agape. “Did you tell him about your dream?”
“I did. That morning, actually.”
“Wow.” She leans back against the couch, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Yeah, wow.” I eat another fry, thinking about everything that happened over the course of my time with him. It seems like it was so long ago, but really, it’s only been weeks. “Yes, Chance can be an asshole, but he’s also so much more.”
“I’m starting to see that,” she answers, still stunned.
“So I would like it if you laid off a little on the hate-train. Chance is a good guy—mostly.”
“Fine. But no promises when he’s around.”
I laugh. “I’ll take that.”
I pick up another fry when both of our phones make a high pitched sound, screens flashing at us from the table.
“What the hell?” Addie says, as we both grab our phones.
ALERT: EMERGENCY ALERT
The town of Whiskey Falls has issued a wildfire alert for everyone in town. Everyone is being asked to evacuate. Take your pets, important documents, medication, and food and proceed to the HILLSIDE RECREATION CENTRE in Cedar Valley Springs…
“Wildfire, here in Whiskey Falls?” I stand, dropping the rest of my fries to the ground as I scan the alert on my phone.
“Do you think it’s that close?” Addie’s eyes meet mine, the panic all over her face.
“I’m sure they’re just being cautious, but we should get moving. Why don’t you go home and gather your things and I’ll pick you up in twenty minutes?” I stand cleaning up what’s left of our meal and rush into the kitchen. “I’m going to call Chance and grab what I need. We’ll go together. I don’t want you to be alone.”
Addie rushes up behind me and pulls me into a hug. I know this is one of the moments when we need to switch on being strong for one another. Addie’s alone in town and hasn’t made all that many connections other than me. She’s scared, but I won’t let her go through this alone.
“Hey, we’ll be okay.” I hug her back quickly before putting her at arm’s length, making sure she’s looking me in the eyes. “I just need you to go home and pack a few bags, okay?”
She nods with tears in her eyes before grabbing her purse and rushing out the door.
Now that she’s gone, I give myself a moment to feel how scared I am. Rushing for my phone, I call Chance, praying for him to pick up.
“Dakota, you need to get out of town,” his gruff voice sounds on the other end.
“What about you?” I place my phone between my ear and shoulder, grabbing the first bag I see, and rush to my bedroom to pack spare clothes.
“I’ll be fine. I need to stay and get the animals sorted.”
“But you are going to evacuate too, right?” I push down the bile that’s rising in my throat. I try not to think of Chance at the ranch, fighting to get everyone and everything organized with the fires so close. “Chance? How close is the fire to you?”
“Close enough,” he grinds out. I can hear yelling and animal sounds in the background. “Do you have someone to get out of town with? Where’s Addie?”
“I’m picking her up as soon as I’m done.” I finish throwing all the clean clothes I can into the bag and move to the bathroom for toiletries. “Will you meet me at the evacuation site?”
Chance’s phone is muffled, but I can hear him yelling on the other end.
I close my eyes and focus on my breath, trying not to worry about him. I don’t want to keep him on the phone long and waste any precious moments that he might need to get himself and everyone else to safety, but I need to know he’s not going to do anything stupid at the same time.
“I have to go. Get yourself out of town and text me when you get there; do you hear me?”
“Yes, Chance, I hear you.” I stop for a moment and brace myself for my next question. “You are leaving, right? You’ll meet me there.”
“Dammit…” The line goes muffled again before he comes back. “I have to go. Dakota, I’ll try, okay? That’s the best I can promise you right now. What you need to do is get the hell out of town. Now.”
“Okay,” I whisper, feeling a tear fall from my eye.
I know what his answer means. He’s not promising that he’ll get out of town, or that he’ll even try.
“Dakota, I…Fuck. You know I’m not good at this stuff but…I love you. Or I love you as much as I know how to love. I just want you to know that, okay?”
“Okay,” I say slowly, too stunned to say anything else.
Chance loves me? And he decides to tell me this now ?
The line goes dead, and I take a second to stare at the screen.
Did that just happen? Chance said he loves me in the middle of a fucking wildfire evacuation?
Rushing through the house, I throw my work documents into my briefcase and load up the car. The air is thick with smoke and ash falls like rain. I can’t see any flames, but the dark smoke hovering in the air tells me the fire is close. I back out of my driveway, giving my house a lasting look, hoping it’s not the last time I’ll see it.
After picking up Addie, the drive out of town to Cedar Valley Springs is quiet. The traffic is slow moving as everyone in town makes their way out and to the shelter. Addie wrings her hands in her lap as she looks worriedly out the window.
I don’t dare say anything. Mostly because I don’t want to try to break the silence that we have as it is calm, but also because I am afraid that I will let out all the pent up emotion if I voice my concerns about Chance. After relaying our phone call—minus the ‘I love you’ part—she seems satisfied with the slightly modified version that he is going to get the animals taken care of and then head out of town. I’m hoping that if I tell myself that enough, I’ll start to believe it, too.
Once we finally make it to the shelter and check in, we are given cots set up the in the activity centre, along with hundreds of other people from the town. Addie and I can’t do anything other than sit down on them and decompress, looking around, trying to see who we can find, or in my case, who isn’t here yet.
Addie and I are checked in at the shelter.
I can’t help but stare at my phone, willing those three little dots to come up, letting me know he is going to message me back.
But he doesn’t. The text is delivered but unread.
“I’m sure he’s just sorting out the animals or on his way here now,” Addie says with a weak smile.
“Dakota!” Krissy’s blonde hair bounces in her ponytail behind her as she rushes through the crowd and throws her arms around me.
I do the same, letting myself lean into her for a moment.
“I’m so glad you made it okay. Where’s Chance?”
“He, uh, was just getting everything together at the ranch. Is Brett here with you?” I’ll admit, I’m trying to deflect any more questions about Chance.
“Yes,” she sighs. “He wasn’t too happy about leaving the bar, but what can we do? We locked it all up and did the best we could.” She shrugs.
“I’m sorry; I don’t think you two have met. Krissy, this is my friend Addie.” I introduce the two and let them talk while I keep my eyes scanning the room. I recognize a lot of the people here, but none of them are from the ranch.
“Dakota, do you need anything? They have coffee and tea over in the corner. I think they also brought out some snacks, but it wasn’t much from what I could see. I heard they are getting more things coming within the hour.”
I shake my head. “No, I’m not hungry.” At the mention of food, the burger and fries I ate earlier threatens to come up as more people walk in the door that aren’t from the ranch. Surely I should be able to recognize someone from there by now. Will they be going to a different evacuation spot? Where will they bring the animals?
Most importantly, why didn’t I think of this earlier?
“Hey,” Krissy says gently, placing her hand on mine, taking a seat next to me on my cot. “What’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?”
“Have you heard from Wyatt?”
“He texted me about ten minutes ago that they were just leaving the ranch. Why? Have you heard something?” Panic rises in her voice.
“No, I’m sure they’re fine. I just… I don’t know. Chance sounded off when I called him after getting the alert. I’m just anxious for him to get here, I guess.”
“I’m sure they’re fine. They’re tough cowboys, after all.” Krissy gives me a smile, letting me know that she meant for me to laugh, but I just can’t find myself able to do it. “Seriously, what’s going on Dakota?”
“I’m worried he’s going to do something stupid.”
“What do you mean?” Addie asks, moving over to sit on the other side of me.
“He, uh, told me he loved me on the phone.”
“What?!” Krissy and Addie both exclaim at the same time, gaining us a few wide eyes from the people around us.
“Before he hung up the phone, he said he loved me, or that he thinks he loves me with how much he knows about love, but I don’t know. Who says that out of the blue, in the middle of a fucking wildfire evacuation if you’re planning on seeing the person soon?”
They both stay silent, looking at each other past me, stunned.
“Please say something,” I plead.
“I’ve got nothing,” Addie says.
Krissy takes a moment before speaking. “I’ve known Chance my whole life. I know he talks a big game, but he has a big heart.”
“Deep, deep down,” Addie adds. I throw my elbow into her side before she adds a whispered, “Sorry.”
“He doesn’t show it often,” Krissy sends a pointed look at Addie. “But when he does, he’s all in. I’ve seen it with his friendship with Wyatt, and with the men on the ranch. He knows how to love, Dakota, he just doesn’t have experience with it. If he says he loves you, he means it.”
“I hope it’s enough for him to come here and be safe with me,” I whisper, staring at the door.
“One thing you need to know about being with a cowboy, the ranch is always going to be tied with being the most important thing in his life. That land has been in his family for generations. He’s not going to leave it without a fight.”
“That’s what I’m scared of.”
“But now you’ve also given him something else to fight for. Once he’s sure the ranch, cattle, and men are safe, he’ll come to you. I know he will.”
“That’s what I’m scared of,” I whisper.
What if the ranch isn’t safe? What if he gets all the men and animals out, but it’s the land he stays behind for?
What if he doesn’t leave at all?
Looking down at my phone, I see my text to Chance is still unread. No response. No calls.
“He’ll be okay,” Addie says, knocking her shoulder into mine.
“He better be.” I look up at the door once more, seeing a face I recognize from the ranch.
Luke Caraway walks in with his girlfriend, Cassidy, on his arm. They stand in line to check in as I push myself to standing.
“Be right back.”
I leave Krissy and Addie as I rush through the people and cots, making sure not to take my eyes off him so I don’t lose him in the growing crowd.
“Luke!” I yell, getting his attention as I push through the last of the people making the barrier. “Luke! Where’s Chance? Did he come here with you?”
“Sorry, Dakota, I haven’t seen him since he sent all of us away. We got the last of the cattle we could into trailers, but the last I saw, he was trying to drive the rest to the farthest corner of the pasture.”
“What?” My heart sinks. “He didn’t leave with you guys?”
“No, ma’am.” He takes his hat off and gives a sad look to Cassidy. “He said we all needed to leave and that he would take care of it.”
“And you let him?” With my voice raised, I can’t help but grip my phone tighter in my hand, not knowing if I want to hit Luke with it or call Chance back and demand he to get over here now.
Rationally, I know I shouldn’t be yelling at Luke, but he’s all I’ve got to take my frustrations out on right now.
“You know how he is. The more we stood there and fought with him, the more the livestock was going to be in danger. I’m sorry, I did the best I could do and then I needed to get Cassidy out of town.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s not your fault. There’s no fighting him when he gets his mind stuck on something.” I look at his girlfriend, her face drained of all colour but I can tell she’s trying to put on a brave face, like everyone else in the room. “I’m sorry; this isn’t the best introduction. I’m glad you’re both here safe.”
“Thank you,” she says quietly.
“Please let me know if you hear from him.”
Luke tips his hat in acknowledgment and they both move forward in line for their turn to check in.
Glancing down at my phone in my hand one more time, I unlock it to see the message still unread. “Chance, where are you?”