Rescuing the Rancher

by Claire McEwen

  “Take this,’ she gasped.

  “What is it?” He put an arm around her upper back to hold her steady and took the bundle from her.

  “My fire shelter. Let’s put it over our heads, just in case.”

  A fire shelter. Aidan knew that firefighters only used them as a last resort. All through this long afternoon and evening he’d wondered if there would be one defining moment. A point where they would have to face the idea that they might not come out of this alive. Now that moment was here, and Aidan felt more calm than he’d imagined. But he also felt a fury grip him, and shake him to the core. Not Jade. If he died, so be it. But she was too precious and too important to die here.

  “Just tell me exactly what you need me to do,” he told her. “And I’ll do it.”

  “It’s kind of like a sleeping bag. One side is open. We’re going to put it over our heads. If the flames get really high around this pond, we’ll need to sink most of our bodies down into the water and still hold the shelter over us.”

  “You’re already mostly in the water.”

  “No short jokes.” She helped him open the bundle and unfurl the tarp-like bag.

  The wind was picking up and tugging at the shelter, trying to pluck their means of survival right out of their hands. Aidan tightened his grip. The fire was all around them now, the air so hot it made Aidan wish he could just stop breathing.

  “This is it. Sink down so just your head is out of the water,” Jade commanded, tugging her side of the shelter over her head.

  Aidan followed her example and pulled the sack-like shelter over his head. He gasped as he knelt, the icy water stealing what breath he had left. It was hard to keep hold of the shelter while trying to keep a grip on the rope that held the boat. Jade’s head was a shadow barely above the dark water as they faced each other under the shelter. The wind shrieked over them and tried to wrestle fabric away from their grip.

  “Are you okay?” Aidan yelled above the roaring.

  “Yes. Just don’t let go,” Jade shouted back.

  Suddenly the whole shelter lit up inside with brilliant orange light.

  “Get down as low as you can,” Jade said. “This is it.”

  Aidan sank deeper into the pond, the water closing around his neck, his blood blasting through his veins with cold, fear and adrenaline.

  “If we lose the shelter, duck under the water with only your nose and mouth out so you can breathe.” It sounded like Jade’s teeth were chattering. She was smaller than him. The cold must be terrible for her.

  The icy water numbed Aidan’s limbs, while the hot air pressed on him from above. He thought of the animals enduring the heat and prayed the wet blankets were enough. The smoke was so thick that each breath felt almost useless, like the fire was stealing all the oxygen.

  Jade must have heard him gasp. “Slow shallow breaths,” she said. “It shouldn’t be too much longer.”

  He could feel her shivers ripple the water between them. “Do you need to hold on to me?”

  He could swear he felt her glare at him. “I’m fine.”

  Trust her to demand her independence even when things were this dire. It would make him laugh if he wasn’t so terrified. “I’m here if you need me,” he told her. The wind shrieked and yanked at the shelter. Aidan clutched his fistfuls of fabric, refusing to let go. “How long do you think this will last?”

  “I don’t know,” Jade said. “Don’t panic. Try to think about something else.”

  Aidan cast about for something, anything, to think of besides what was happening right now. “Why are you a firefighter?” he yelled over the fire’s chaos.

  “Runs in my family,” she shouted back. “My father was fire chief for years and years. My older brother Travis became a firefighter. Dean is a sheriff. And my other brother Ash works as a game warden. I guess we all got the public service gene.”

  Talking, even if they had to shout, kept Aidan from worrying too much about why the orange light in their shelter had suddenly gone red. “Did you ever want to be anything else?”

  “No.” As if to test Jade’s answer, the wind tugged their shelter, lifting it up enough that Aidan could see flames roaring around the edge of the pond. “Pull it down!” Jade shouted, and they worked together to fight the wind, to keep their shelter, to save their lives.

  “I hope the animals are okay.” It killed him to know that Chip and the cats were alone in their crates, terrified.

  “Those wool blankets should protect them,” Jade said. “And they have a boat, so they’re probably a whole lot more comfortable than we are.”

  That was for sure. Aidan couldn’t feel much anymore. His body had gone numb. “What else did you want to be, besides a firefighter?”

  “Nothing,” she answered. “I wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps. I’m sure a shrink would say that I was trying to get his approval. He never wanted a girl. I’m sort of this constant thorn in his side.”

  “That’s crazy. How could he not want a daughter like you?”

  “He prefers sons.”

  Aidan tried to imagine it. When Sheila had been pregnant, he hadn’t cared if she was having a boy or girl. He just wanted the baby to be healthy. “Your dad is lucky to have four kids. Maybe he doesn’t realize that.”

  The red, flickering light outside their shelter seemed to go on and on, but the noise was fading, as if the jet plane that had passed over them was heading away now. Aidan had to keep talking, keep his focus on something other than the claustrophobia of being trapped in this fire. “I had a kid,” he blurted out.

  There was a pause before Jade said, “Can I ask what happened?”

  After years of not wanting to talk about it, the words came pouring out. “His name was Colby. He was the sweetest boy. Just three years old.” How bizarre that he could talk about it calmly. Maybe the chaos around them somehow eased the chaos inside. “He got sick. The doctors couldn’t save him.”

  “I’m sorry. That’s so terribly sad.” Jade moved closer to him in the water, so their knees were touching. It was a sweet gesture. The most comfort she could offer since they couldn’t let go of the shelter.

  Aidan could feel her shivering. “You’re cold.”

  She gave a weak laugh. “This isn’t exactly bath water.”

  How could he help her? The wind was still tugging on the shelter, the fire was roaring around them. “Can you come closer to me?”

  “I don’t think it will help. Let’s just keep talking.”

  “What do you want to talk about? Because my life doesn’t make for good conversation.” Having touched on Colby, he wanted to move on. He could only say a little before it hurt too much.

  “No. Aidan, I’m glad you told me. It breaks my heart, but I’m glad I know. But if you want a lighter topic, what’s your favorite color?”

  That was easy. “Green. Like the fields in spring out here. What about you?”

  “Blue. It’s soothing. And it’s my uniform color, so I guess I’m used to it.”

  He tried to think of something else to ask. He was so rusty at conversation. “Do you have a favorite book?”

  “I like mysteries. Thrillers. Adventure. Stuff like that. You?”

  “Science fiction,” he confessed. “I’m a nerd at heart.”

  “I wouldn’t have guessed that about you. I’d have figured you were reading some kind of Western, or maybe a thriller. You’re this big tough rancher.”

  He rarely told anyone anything. But somehow he wanted to tell everything to her. “I was born on a ranch. But I didn’t think I wanted to be a rancher. I majored in computer science in college. Got involved in a Silicon Valley start-up. I was in that world for several years before I realized I hated it. That’s when I bought this ranch.”

  “I had no idea.” She sounded a little stunned.

  “It’s not something I
usually share. What would my fellow ranchers think of me if they knew I was a closet computer geek?”

  “I’m sure they’d never speak to you again,” she teased.

  “Though my inner nerd still comes out. I have—” he paused, then corrected himself “—I had, all kinds of technology on my ranch. I’ve been obsessed with trying to deter predators like mountain lions in humane ways. I developed motion sensitive lighting on my property, and alarms. I mixed my cattle and sheep together into groups I call flerds.”

  “Flerds?”

  “A flock and a herd mixed together. A flerd.”

  Jade gave a shaky laugh, and Aidan weighed his options. Was she getting hypothermia? This water was really chilly. The light inside their shelter had gone from red back to orange. Things seemed to be less intense. It was still getting quieter. Hopefully that meant the fire was passing and they could get out of this water before she got much colder. He had to keep her talking. Keep her engaged. “What’s your favorite food?”

  “Out of all the food out there?” She paused. “I love food. Don’t make me pick a favorite. Even picking a favorite fruit is hard. I mean there are apples, which are such a good steady fruit to have around, but then there are all the summer fruits like nectarines, which are absolutely delicious. And cherries. I love cherries...” Her voice trailed off, and she laughed. “Please don’t make me pick a favorite food.”

  “I can see that it’s hard for you. How about this? Favorite candy bar.”

  “Snickers. My turn. Favorite cookie?”

  “Oatmeal chocolate chip,” he answered. “My mom makes the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Yours?”

  “Plain old chocolate chip,” she said. “What about comfort food? What meal do you crave when you just want something you know will make you feel better?”

  “Roast chicken and potatoes.” It sounded so good, his stomach growled. “What I’d give to be sitting down to a big plate of that right now. Or spaghetti and meatballs.”

  “That’s mine,” Jade said. “Spaghetti and meatballs are the absolute best comfort food.”

  “With garlic bread,” Aidan added.

  “And a crispy salad. With that store-bought Italian dressing they serve at diners and places like that.”

  He didn’t know how, but he could taste that exact dressing. “Agreed.”

  “And apple pie for dessert. No ice cream. Just nice warm pie.”

  “That sounds perfect.” The orange light had faded to gray. The smoke was still thick, but Aidan was pretty sure the worst of the fire had passed. The wind had died down and it was no longer tugging at the shelter. “I think we can get out of here. What do you think?”

  “Let’s just peek out and see.”

  Aidan cautiously lifted up the edge of the shelter. It was dark and smoky, and a few flames flickered out in the field. But the storms of embers were gone and the big flames were gone. “I think it’s safe.”

  Cautiously, they lifted the shelter and stood.

  “It passed us. It’s gone,” Jade said, her voice hushed. “Look.”

  To the southwest of them, the flames were still burning strong. But around them it was mostly dark. Small dying flames glimmered in the field around the pond. “We made it.” Aidan stared around him in wonder. He was still breathing. Still talking. They’d survived. Taking the shelter from Jade, he crumpled it into a ball and put it in the boat. He pulled at the blankets. They were warm and his stomach soured with dread. “Chip?”

  A sharp bark had them both jumping in surprise. “He’s okay,” Jade said. “Oh my gosh, he’s okay.”

  Aidan realized how worried she’d been, and how good she was at hiding it. “Cats? Elliott?” He poked at Elliott’s crate through the blankets. An annoyed rustling shook the crate, and then the big cat let out a hiss. “Elliott is in the house,” Aidan declared, relief making him silly. The kittens’ indignant meows let them know they’d survived, too.

  “I can’t believe it.” Jade flung her arms around Aidan’s middle and held on. “They survived. We survived. Aidan, we made it!”

  Joy swamped him as he clutched Jade close. Despite the thick smoke and the freezing water, he felt newborn. “We did it.” Awe shook his voice. “Jade, we did it!”

  “I’m so relieved.” She held on tight around his waist, her cheek pressed to his chest, shaking and shivering against him. “We’re alive. The fire is gone.”

  Aidan held her tight, supporting most of her weight. Tears slicked down his cheeks as he looked out at the retreating fire. Every breath felt new and holding Jade like this, knowing she was going to be okay, was the most precious thing of all.

  “And now maybe we can get out of this pond?” It was the first time he’d heard Jade sound truly weak.

  Aidan knelt down. “Put your arms around my neck.”

  “No, I’m fine. My ankle is totally numb. I can probably walk.”

  She was precious, but she still had the ability to frustrate him to know end. “Just let me help you? Before you freeze to death?”

  “Fine. Just this once.” Jade wrapped her arms around his neck, and Aidan lifted her and carried her to shore. He set her down on the muddy bank. Something along the shore caught his eye.

  “Jade, shine your light across the pond.” When her light flickered on, they could see two mule deer standing knee deep in the water, their antlers branching out, so graceful and beautiful in all the devastation. “We’re not the only ones who had this idea,” Aidan said.

  “They’re gorgeous.” He could hear her teeth chattering as she spoke. Moving slowly, trying not to startle the deer, Aidan went to get their boat. “I feel like Noah, with his ark,” he told her as he pulled the dinghy to shore. “Only we mainly saved cats.”

  “Of course we did. We’re firefighters.”

  He didn’t think. Just knelt down next to her, wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She hugged him to her and buried her face in his neck. After a long moment, he forced himself to release her, to put space back between them. “Thank you,” he told her as he pulled away. “Thank you for keeping us safe.”

  “You’re the one who had to carry me out to this pond. You found the boat. Thank you for saving our lives.” Then she put an icy hand on Aidan’s arm. “How are we going to get back to the barn? If there is a barn. My truck is stuck in the mud.”

  “I’ll go get my truck. Assuming I still have a truck.” Aidan stood and hauled the boat onshore. No way was he going back into that cold water again. He untied the ropes and carefully lifted the blankets. “Everyone all right in there?”

  Chip shoved his nose through the gaps in the door of his crate and nuzzled Aidan’s arm. Aidan’s heart swelled with relief. “Hey, buddy. You’re a trouper.” He took the wet blankets and put them on Jade, who was shivering violently. “They’re wool so they may help even if they’re wet. We have got to get you warm.”

  “Maybe you can build me a fire.” She giggled at her own joke and he grinned in sheer, stupid relief.

  “I suspect I can find you some fire around here somewhere.” He turned to scan the bank. “Stay here under the blankets. Is there a first aid kit in your truck?”

  “Under the front seat.”

  “I’ll be right back.” He took the flashlight she’d left on the muddy bank. He flashed it to where the deer had been, but they were gone. He silently wished them luck. It would be difficult for them to find food in this charred landscape.

  Following the flashlight’s beam through the smoky night, Aidan made his way to her truck, dreading the burned-out shell he might find. But it was fine. The waterlogged meadow it sat in had saved it. Shining his light on the sunken wheels made it clear that he wasn’t getting it out of here without a winch.

  He opened the door of the cab and grabbed the first aid kit, relieved to find an emergency blanket inside. They’d survived a wildfire. No wa
y was he going to lose Jade to hypothermia now.

  Back at the pond, he wrapped the foil blanket around Jade’s head and shoulders, then draped the wool blankets on top. “Stay here,” he told her. “I’m going to walk back to the barn and see if I can get my truck.”

  She peeked out of her bundle of blankets. “Everything is backward. I’m supposed to be rescuing you from this fire.”

  He knelt in front of her so they were eye-to-eye. “You did rescue me. Now I’m returning the favor.” He set the flashlight by her side and turned on his headlamp. “I’ll be back soon.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  JOGGING THROUGH HIS burnt ranch had to be the most surreal experience in a surreal night. In the light of Aidan’s headlamp, everything smoldered. Smoke rose from the ground all around him, forcing him to follow one faint tire track in the lane running to the pond. Disoriented, he didn’t realize he was at his barn until the wooden wall loomed up in the light of his lamp.

  He stopped and stared, flooded with new relief. They’d done it. The fire had gone around, and spared the barn. It was another miracle in a miraculous night. They’d survived the fire. And somehow his barn had, too.

  Aidan ran to the back of the barn and there was his truck, perfectly fine, along with all the other vehicles parked in the carport. Shivering, he got in the cab and started the engine, amazed when it purred to life.

  Cranking up the heat, Aidan drove back toward the pond. It was much easier to see his way now. The heaviest smoke had lifted and soon he was close to the shore where he’d left Jade. He jumped out of the cab and ran to her, scooping her up, blankets and all, and carrying her to the heated cab of the pickup. “You smell like wet sheep,” he told her as he set her on the seat.

  “You must adore me then,” she shot back, making him laugh.