Chapter 30 #2
“So… sexy Santa,” I tease him, grabbing the brush to continue cleaning Sugar’s coat.
He rolls his eyes as he grabs a grooming brush. “It wasn’t my first choice. The cowgirls talked me into it.” Of course they did. My cheeks hurt from how hard I’m smiling.
He eyes me speculatively. “What about you, Smiley, are you coming?”
“Aww, why so sad, B? You’ll make a great Santa.”
Blake glares. “Everyone seems to be making some kind of cruel joke. Another year older, and they think I’m qualified to be Santa.”
“I don’t think that’s why the cowgirls want you to be sexy Santa,” I counter.
He huffs. “Yeah, well, I’m not wearing a white beard.” He strokes his thick, neatly groomed dark beard. “This is what they’re getting.”
“Pretty sure that’s what they want.” I wink at him.
He stares at me in disbelief.
“So what, you’re thirty-seven! You’re still a rock star.” The golden hoop in his ear, his tattooed arms, and his muscular body that’s as strong as a brick building… it all suits him just fine. “Besides, I bet everything still works like it’s supposed to,” I tease him, jabbing him in the ribs.
He levels his eyes at me, flicking off a dust cloud from his horse. “When you get closer to forty, I’ll tell you the same thing. We’ll see if it makes you feel any better.”
Yeah, that’s fair. But in my mind, forty ain’t happening. I’ll find a way to freeze myself at thirty-five.
“So, are you coming to bear witness to my humiliation this evening?” he asks.
“Sadly, no. Kit and I have a date,” I smile, biting my lip. “He also has some special surprise for me, so it feels like an important one.”
“Yeah, you could say that,” he murmurs so quietly that I almost miss it in the blustery winds around us.
Wait, does he know about the surprise?
“You know something, don’t you?”
“Nope.”
But the tinge of red in his cheeks gives him away as he continues to brush his horse, pretending to be oblivious.
“You do. Tell me.”
“No,” he grimaces. I pinch his forearm, hard, asking him again. “Ouch! Look, I can’t—Kit will have my ass if I—”
I reach to pinch him again, and he side-steps away. “Stop that. Kit’s my friend too, and—”
“And you’re my best friend, Blake,” I argue. “You have to tell me.”
My words catch him off guard at first, but it’s the truth. There are things that he knows that even Averie doesn’t. He softens before letting out a deep sigh that’s more of a groan. “Fine. But you are terrible at surprises. And mean.”
“Yes,” I smile. “Now, please tell me.”
He curses under his breath, reluctantly replying. “He went to hand in documents.”
I perk up. “Documents? What documents?”
“Signing himself as the new owner of the ranch. For when Cole steps down, or God forbid, something happens to him,” he clarifies.
My shoulders slump. “Well, that’s not a surprise,” I kick at the gravel under my boots. “I already knew he was next in line.” I’ve known that for weeks. All of that worrying, and that’s it?
“Yeah, except Kit didn’t want the ranch.”
“What?” He didn’t? But that makes no sense. Lone Pine is his home. Why wouldn’t he want it? “Why?”
“Don’t know,” Blake shrugs. “He’s been stressed about it for a while now.”
Why didn’t he ever tell me? This is going to be my first conversation with him when I see him next. “If he didn’t want it, why would he do it?”
He smiles. “I’ll give you one guess.”
“For Cole?”
He narrows his eyes, placing a frustrated tattooed hand on his hip. “Alright, two guesses.”
Is he saying what I think he is?
All of it… it’s yours.
Kit’s words replay in my mind.
“Me?” my voice croaks.
“Yep,” he confirms.
My entire face feels cold, and it’s not from the current frigid and windy weather. This is a huge surprise.
“If he didn’t sign the papers, the ranch would’ve gone to Cash,” Blake continues. “And Cash would’ve sold it and run off with his millions, leaving us all without jobs and livelihoods.”
My mind spins like a spinning top, unable to stop. “But why?”
“He wanted to make sure you’d always have this place.”
Such a simple thing, and yet tears build in my eyes, threatening to break open like a dam.
“Would’ve been nice if he’d cared about everyone else in this big decision of his, but… Hey, Sadie, are you okay?” he asks, noticing the tears streaming down my face.
“Yes. I’m just processing,” I wipe away a runaway tear, smiling at him as more continue to fall. My heart is so happy it hurts.
He eyes me carefully and then curses under his breath, shaking his head with regret. “When Kit tells you all of this. I said nothing. You’re going to cry just like you are now and be in complete and utter shock. You got it?” he arches a dark brow.
“Got it.” My smile is so big it hurts my face.
Blake grumbles under his breath, grabbing the lead rope. “I’m so fucking screwed,” he murmurs, leading his horse into the main barn.
Tears continue to stain my cheeks as my gaze roams to the Lone Pine Ranch logo hung proudly on the arch of the grand timber barn, feeling my heart swell with emotion. He signed the papers for me… but didn’t he love this place too?
He had to.
Thankfully, he’s going to be back soon to answer all of my burning questions. With my foot in the stirrup, I hop on Sugar, heading home to get ready for our date.
A strong breeze nearly blows me off the saddle as grey skies loom over the mountains.
As soon as I get home, I’m having a hot shower to warm the chill in my bones.
Might even try to convince Kit to do our date in front of the fireplace, where it’s warm, considering there are a lot of things we need to talk about.
I also still had yet to fuck him on that fur rug. Maybe tonight we could rectify—
The frigid air fills with screams, cutting off my train of thought.
My heart lurches in my chest, glancing back at the source of the horror.
The main barn is lit up in bright flames.
Blake’s name is on the tip of my tongue, and then I’m riding hard back to the ranch. The smell of smoke and fire fills my nostrils as everyone runs around trying to put the fire out. Trying to let out as many horses as they can.
It’s absolute chaos.
The sound of horses screaming sinks into my bones, paralyzing me as the fire threatens to devour everything in its path. Black smoke fills the air, stinging my eyes, but I still don’t see Blake.
“Let out the herd!” Ryker screams, pointing at the cow pen near the barn, too close to the rising flames.
“Where’s Blake?” I grab his arm, heart pounding, coughing as the smoke burns in my lungs.
Ryker glances around and then at the fire. “I haven’t seen him.”
Because he’s still in there.
Ryker grabs my arm as I take a step towards the barn. “Don’t even think about it. He’s not in there, Sadie.”
But he is, and I know it. He was putting his horse away before I left, less than five minutes ago.
A few people come running out of the barn, coughing up a storm with panicked horses they managed to save.
Hudson. Leah. Candace.
But I still don’t see him.
Wes shouts for Ryker, who’s still holding me back.
“Stay put, Sadie,” Ryker commands before taking off.
The flames rise higher, nearly swallowing the barn whole like a fire tornado, whirling towards the sky.
The heat presses against my skin, and the taste of ash coats my tongue.
My gaze drifts to Ryker, Wes, and Cole… and is that Cash?
There seems to be some kind of kerfuffle, but I can’t think.
I can’t breathe. Horses are screaming, filling my entire body with terror.
My heart is going to burst out of its cage.
Blake’s in there, and I know it.
I have to do something.
Promise me you’ll never be this reckless again.
“I’m so sorry, Kit.” And then I’m running towards the flames before anyone can stop me.