Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Amber
H oly shit.
As we get into a clearing, pushing the horses harder, it’s hard to miss the smoke and the flames from the fire. It’s big, and it’s raging angrily in the distance.
Thank goodness the kids stayed at Teddy and Sofia’s house tonight.
There’s a definite difference in the temperature as we get closer. Derek grits his teeth and curses under his breath. The orange glow lights up his face as he pushes his horse harder, riding ahead like a man possessed. I urge my own horse forward, the pounding of hooves lost in the crackling roar of the fire as it races through the brush and draws closer to the barn in the distance.
I can see how bad it’s getting as we near his property. Flames lick higher than the tops of the grapevines, casting an eerie light over the rows of fruit trees beyond. Smoke billows, thick and black, obscuring parts of the sky. I glance at Derek, and his jaw is clenched, knuckles white around the reins as he guides his horse without hesitation toward the flames.
The fire department arrives at the same time as we do, their flashing lights slicing through the smoky haze. But the flames are already creeping toward the barn, greedy and unforgiving. I barely have time to think before Derek dismounts and slaps his horse, sending it bolting away from the flames.
“Get the animals out of the barn!” he shouts, not even looking at me as he grabs a fire extinguisher from inside the barn and sprints toward the flames with it in his hand. His rough voice is panicked.
I’m freaking out, too. It’s like something out of a movie. The heat from the flames is intense even this far away from it. I jump off my horse and rush to the barn, my boots pounding against the dirt as I race inside. It’s hot in here, stifling, and the air is thick with the smell of smoke. I can hear the animals inside, already agitated, some of them starting to panic. The horses whinny, their hooves pounding against the ground as I approach.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you,” I murmur, barely able to hear myself over the pounding of my pulse. I grab the lead of the first horse, coaxing it outside to safety before rushing back in for the others. There’s no time to lose, and the barn is beginning to fill with smoke.
One by one, the ranch hands and I lead the animals out, adrenaline fueling me as I fight to keep calm. Outside, the firefighters are working quickly, hoses blasting water onto the flames now threatening the fruit trees. My eyes sting from the smoke, but I ignore it, focused only on getting the animals clear.
Derek passes by me as he hauls another extinguisher toward the edge of the fire, his face streaked with soot, eyes wild.
Everything he’s worked so hard for is burning right now. I can’t imagine how he’s feeling.
Finally, we get the last animal out, and just as I pull it outside, a fireman grabs my arm, guiding me farther back out of the danger zone just as a beam falls inside the barn.
Derek is still there, too close to the flames for my comfort, but he’s fighting like hell to keep the fire contained. After what feels like forever, the flames finally start to die down, the firemen dousing the last of the sparks as smoke rises from the scorched ground. It looks like they managed to stop it from reaching the apple orchard, but the damage is clear—rows of grapevines and fruit trees are nothing but charred remains. The barn is still standing, but part of it is scorched and the beams are dropping down.
Derek stands back, breathing hard, his shoulders slumped. His eyes scan the wreckage, something broken in his expression. I move closer, reaching out a hand to his shoulder.
“Derek,” I say softly, searching his face. “Are you okay?”
His jaw tenses, and he doesn’t look at me. “Fine,” he says shortly, his voice gruff.
I pause, giving him space. “What could have caused it?”
He exhales sharply, still not meeting my eyes. “The better question would be who caused it.”
I can tell he’s barely holding it together. Knowing he's just frustrated, I don’t take it personally, but it doesn’t stop the sting from creeping up. He rubs his hands over his face, clearly overwhelmed.
“Do you need anything? Water, maybe?” I ask, keeping my voice steady.
“No, I don’t need anything,” he snaps, finally looking at me, his gaze weary.
I nod, stepping back. “Of course. I understand.”
I feel a tiny flicker of irritation at how gruff he is with me. I’m just trying to help, but I also have to understand that he needs a minute to process the enormity of what happened.
He turns back toward the firefighters, who are starting to pack up while talking quietly among themselves. A fire marshal arrives on the scene, clipboard in hand, already speaking with Derek. I watch as Derek nods stiffly, his gaze fixed on the charred ground in front of him.
I pull out my phone, knowing I’ll need a way back since Derek needs to be here. There’s no Uber service out here, so I scroll to Teddy’s contact and hit dial.
“Amber? Everything okay?” Teddy’s voice is groggy; I must have woken him up.
“Hey, sorry to call so late,” I say, my voice quiet. “There’s been a fire out at Derek’s place. I came out here to help, but… it’s not good. He’s pretty shaken, and I need a ride back.”
Teddy’s silent for a second, processing. “A fire? Is everyone all right?”
“Yes, but it was close. They got it contained before it spread to the orchards, but a lot of vines and trees were lost. Can you come get me?”
“I’ll be there as fast as I can,” he says without hesitation. “Hang tight.”
I thank him and hang up, watching Derek as he speaks with the fire marshal, his voice low and tense. I can’t hear what he’s saying, but the frustration is evident in his posture, in the way he drags a hand through his hair as he listens to the inspector’s promises of a thorough investigation.
My heart hurts as I watch him, looking so lost and helpless. I fight the urge to go to him, to comfort him or just stand by his side and silently support him.
I can’t imagine what he’s feeling right now.
The flames are gone, but the damage is done. The once-lush rows of grapes and fruit trees now stand blackened. I hug myself as I look around, taking it all in.
Just as I turn away, I hear a faint sound, like something shifting in the brush nearby. My gaze snaps to the shadows just beyond the burned area, and for a split second, I think I see a flicker of movement—a shadow slipping back into the trees.
“Hello?” I call out as I take a step forward.
I make my way toward the brush, thinking it’s probably a deer or even one of the horses. There’s another loud noise, and a black-clad figure takes off sprinting away. It’s a grown man, that’s all I can tell.
“Hey!” I scream. “Derek! There’s someone out here!”
Three of the ranch hands sprint in the direction I’m pointing, and Derek is right behind them.
“What happened?” the fire inspector asks as he jogs over to me.
“There was someone in the bushes.”
“Did you get a good look at them?”
“I couldn’t see his face or anything, just a silhouette.”
“Probably our culprit.” He sighs. “Most of them like to come back to the scene of the crime.”
“Do you think he’s dangerous?” I ask out loud, mostly for myself as fear wraps around me.
Those guys just took off after someone they don’t know. What if he has a gun?
“He was willing to start a fire,” he replies matter-of-factly. “I’m Jorge, Fire Marshall for the county.”
I nod, not really liking the thoughts racing through my head right now. Jorge takes a quick step away to call the police and requests an officer to come out.
I hope they catch whoever it was.
We stand there quietly, staring out into the woods, waiting for any sign that the guys caught the runner. But there’s nothing. An officer arrives just as Teddy is pulling into the driveway.
“That’s my ride,” I tell Jorge.
I’m not going anywhere until Derek comes back, though.
I jog over to Teddy’s car just as he’s getting out.
“What in the hell happened? Where’s Derek?”
“There was someone in the bushes hiding. I saw them, and Derek and some of his farmhands went after him.”
“Shit. This was arson?”
“How else does a grove catch on fire?” I mumble a reply.
“Where are the dogs? They should have alerted someone, and they should be around. They’re not in the house when no one’s home.”
“They were drugged, I think,” a burly man with a black beard and a baseball cap interjects as he walks up to us.
“Dang, Josiah, are you sure?” Teddy asks with wide eyes.
“Positive. They’re unconscious in the orchard like someone was trying to put them in the line of fire.”
“Jesus,” Teddy and I say at the same time.
Just then, Derek and the three ranch hands come back empty-handed. Derek is limping.
My heart stops as I watch one of the guys helping him forward.
Is he hurt?
Why is he limping?
I inhale slowly and bite my cheek. He doesn’t need me to take care of him. I need to stay back; he made that clear earlier.
Tears prick at my eyes, and I hug myself tighter as I watch Derek limp toward all of us. He’s angry and hurting and I keep myself from overreacting and rushing forward.
He’s okay, that’s all that matters right now.