Chapter 31
Fear. A single word that controls my entire body.
My every thought, as thirty-two years of sweet memories, is up in flames.
Burning brightly in the stark white surroundings, like a beacon of warning and disaster.
The most sickening nightmare. The blazing fire ebbs and flows like water, con-suming all that’s in its path.
My truck skids to a stop, and I jump out, hitting the gravel hard. Leaving my Carhartt behind as I run towards the commotion.
Black smoke fills the skies above, and ash clings to the frozen air. Everything around us is covered in a thick haze, smelling of burning wood. Wes has Cash on his knees, crying, pleading that he didn’t mean for it to go so far.
He did this? I knew he was angry after our conversation yesterday, but to do this?
I’ll break his fucking neck.
Wes slaps him across the face as he pleads again, and for the moment, I feel satisfied, letting it go for now.
Cole’s holding a hose, trying to quench the flames, but it roars up in defense.
Annie is tending to the wounded ranchers.
Leah has a nasty burn on her left arm, and Hudson’s nearly coughing up a lung as Candace tends to him with Kinley right beside her.
Ryker runs up to me, appearing from the smoke. “The fire truck is almost here. We’re—we’re doing the best we can.” Sweat runs down his forehead, glistening on his pale face.
“Is anyone still in the barn?” I ask him.
Ryker shakes his head, but then stops as if he’s unsure, second-guessing himself. His words are disjointed and panicked. “A few more came running out a while ago. Some horses, too. We couldn’t find Blake, but there are so many running around. He’s gotta be here somewhere.”
Shapes of people run around through the dark haze, tending to horses, moving vehicles, trying to put out the fire with buckets of water and snow. Doing everything they possibly can. If we could just hold on a little longer, the barn could still be salvageable.
I can fix it.
“Where’s Sadie?” I ask, desperately searching for her through the smoke. Hopefully, she’s home by now, getting ready for our date, far away from this.
Ryker glances around, searching. “She was just here—”
Another horse bolts out of the barn, almost taking us out.
Blake’s horse.
His brown eyes meet mine. Just one terrified look, and I’m running into the barn. Towards the open flames without a second thought. Ryker screams after me, but I can’t stop.
Can’t hear his words.
Fire spreads through the barn, flickering through the timber walls. The steel roof above me crackles, threatening to crumble. The attic is ablaze in bright colors.
Another memory.
Gone.
A beam beside me falls, smashing into my side.
Almost knocking me over as I stagger away.
My arm begins to burn. Before I can inspect the damage, my eyes snap to caramel hair lying on the cement floor.
My entire world. The one I can’t breathe without.
Her name escapes my lips, and then I’m pulling her into my arms.
Except Blake is on the floor next to her. It’s as if she were trying to pull him to safety and then passed out from the smoke.
Fuck. I can’t carry them both.
If I could bring Sadie out and then come back—
Another beam falls from the roof, followed by a swirl of flames that’s rising too close.
I'd have to make a choice. There’s no way I can save them both.
Of course, the selfish part of me picks Sadie.
She’s the love of my life, and I will not let her die here.
This isn’t where her life ends. But fuck, I can’t just leave Blake.
I love them both.
With Sadie balanced over my shoulder, I try to stay upright while dragging Blake to the exit. But goddamn, he’s so heavy. I can barely move him.
“Come on, Blake, wake up!” I shout at him, hoping he’ll just wake up and help me out of this.
Heat pierces through my skin. The smoke burns in my lungs, stinging my eyes, making it difficult to see. Sweat runs down my face like water, pooling across my chest. My head is pounding so hard that it hurts to think.
I’m running out of time.
With one final pull, I tug with everything I have. Pain laces in my arm, running to my shoulder as he moves barely five inches across the cement floor. “Come on! You’ve got to wake up, man.” Tears stain my cheeks. “Please, I can’t—”
“Kit!” A voice calls to me.
A rush of relief drains my face. “I’m here!” I cry out, hoping they can make it to me, hoping they can find me.
Ryker appears out of the fire, like a saving grace, running to my side to grab Blake. He struggles, pulling with all he has, but he can’t move him. “Damn, how’s he so goddamn heavy?”
“Here, take Sadie.” I place her in his arms, and he runs, barreling between the flames.
Blake’s muscular frame is like a boulder, but with the adrenaline flowing through my body, I manage to lift him up and out.
Crashing to the frozen ground once we’re out, finally able to breathe again.
The air is so cold in comparison that it freezes in my lungs, and I cough trying to clear out the smoke.
Cole is there a second later, asking if I’m okay, inspecting a burn on my arm that I don’t even feel.
He dabs at it, putting out the embers with his coat sleeve.
Damn, was my arm on fire?
The fire trucks sound in the distance, barreling down the driveway. Thank God.
My head pounds with dizziness as I try to stand, but I have to. I have to make sure she’s okay. Cole helps me to my feet, taking me over to Sadie, where Ryker has his head to her chest, performing chest compressions.
“She’s not breathing,” Ryker’s voice is hoarse, panicked.
He goes to try again, but I shove him away. “Go help, Blake.” He does as I command, and I take his place. Pressing down hard and breathing into her mouth. Begging and praying with every ounce of strength I have left.
I’m not going to fucking lose her.
I can’t lose her.
After a minute of trying to resuscitate her, screaming her name until my voice hurts, my head roars at me for the last time, and everything goes black.
The sound of my heartbeat through the monitor brings me back, beeping a steady rhythm.
Muted greens and blues swirl around me as a ray of blue light streams into the pristine room.
I’m in a hospital bed, with oxygen streaming through my nose.
My gaze follows my tattooed forearm, a lake, an elk, a forest of pine trees, to a hospital wristband wrapped around Sadie’s tiny wrist.
She’s here.
My body relaxes at her presence, fast asleep on the edge of the bed with her hand clutched tightly in mine. Wearing a light blue hospital gown with waves of caramel hair flowing on the bed across my waist, and an oxygen line in her nose.
Cole’s presence catches me by surprise. “He’s awake,” relief floods through his voice.
Annie is there the next second, clutching my hand in hers. Her flowery smell wafts in my face. “Oh, thank God,” she cries.
“I’m okay,” I reassure her. Annie squeezes my hand, wiping tears from her face. “Is Sadie—” my throat feels raw. “Is she alright?”
Cole glances at Sadie, still fast asleep. “She’s fine. They wanted her to remain in her own bed, but she refused to be anywhere else.” My stubborn girl. “She woke up pretty much after you passed out.”
“She swallowed a lot of smoke,” Annie chimes in. “But the doctor says she’ll make a full recovery,” she smiles.
“And—and Blake?” I’m almost too afraid to ask.
“He’s fine, too,” Cole smiles. “A few cuts and scrapes, but he’ll be just fine. As is everyone else. We’re really lucky that no one was seriously injured.”
“Good.” I blow out an exhale, relaxing at his words. “And what about Cash?” I grit my teeth, remembering his grim declaration before I ran into the barn. If he’s still alive, I’m going to fucking murder him.
Cole’s eyes drop to the floor. He scrapes a hand over his scruffy face.
Annie crosses her arms tightly around her small frame, biting her lip as a quietness fills the room.
My mouth opens to ask again, but Annie’s fake cheerful voice cuts me off.
“I’m going to get some tea. Would you like some tea? ”
“No, thanks, Annie,” I offer her a smile.
She squeezes my hand once more and briskly leaves the room.
Cole sits in a chair near the bed, removing his cowboy hat as he stares at his weathered hands, finding the words.
“He wanted to hurt me. He mentioned that he ran into you at The Hollow Hearth, and well… he lost it. He was hurt, and mad at me, and he didn’t mean for it to go so far—”
“He almost killed people,” I seethe. And there’s no excuse for that. Not this time.
“I know, and he’ll pay for it.” He meets my eyes. “I’m not going to let him get away with this one. As much as it pains me,” he twists his gold wedding ring around his finger, clenching his jaw. “He’s been arrested, and he’ll be transported to a place to receive the help that he needs.”
I’m relieved to know something is finally being done about him, but none of this could be easy for them.
“He’s also the one who arranged for the cattle theft,” Cole continues. “He came clean before they took him. Though that matter has already been… resolved. That’s the only thing he’s not being charged for.”
A decision to protect Sadie. “How’s Annie taking it?”
“She’s heartbroken. There’s a part of her that feels like it’s her fault.”
“It’s not her fault.”
Cole nods. “I know, but you know, Annie. She just needs time to accept things.” He places his hat back on his head and stands, pointing to my right arm, covered in bandages.
“The doctors said there’s no permanent nerve damage, but you’ll walk away with some nasty scars.
” He glances at Sadie with a soft smile.
“She’s the only one who knew that Blake was still in the barn.
If she hadn’t—” he sucks in a breath. “Well, I’m really glad that everyone’s okay. ”
My thumb grazes across the top of her hand.