White Dove's Promise

by Stella Bagwell

  After inspecting the door, Jared took only a moment to come to the same conclusion as Kerry. “Hurry. Go call 9-l-l,” he instructed. “And I’ll try to get the door open.”

  “But aren’t you supposed to leave hot doors shut?” she questioned fearfully.

  He nudged her toward the shaft of light spilling out into the hallway from the records room. “Don’t worry about me. Just go make the call before this whole place goes up in flames!”

  Not wanting to waste any more time arguing, Kerry raced to find a phone. As soon as she placed the call and repeated the necessary information to the emergency dispatcher, she ran on shaky legs back to the spot in the hallway where she’d left Jared.

  The door to the burning room was now open and Jared was nowhere in sight. Apparently, he’d kicked it down and gone inside!

  “Jared! Jared!”

  He didn’t answer and fear clawed through her like a fierce animal. She had no other choice but to follow him into the fire. If he needed help, she had to be there for him.

  Stepping into the smoky room, Kerry immediately gasped at the sight. Orange flames were crawling hungrily up two entire walls and had already invaded part of the ceiling. Apparently, Jared had found a fire extinguisher from somewhere in the building and was now spraying part of the flames he could reach with the thick white foam.

  Kerry hurried to his side and shouted over the din of the roaring fire. “What can I do?”

  He jerked his head in the direction of her voice. “Kerry! Get out of here!”

  “No! Not unless you come with me,” she yelled back at him, then coughed as the dense smoke began to choke her. “The ceiling is already on fire! It might start crashing down any minute!”

  By now he’d emptied the extinguisher and the flames were no more contained than when he’d first started. Tossing down the empty cylinder, he reached for her arm and began to lead her toward the door. “If the fire department doesn’t get here soon, all these files and records are going to go up in flames!”

  “There’s nothing we can do to save it now. What about the room connecting to this one?” she asked.

  He slammed the door shut on the smoke and flames, then turned to her. “I don’t know. Let’s see if we can find another extinguisher before the flames spread to it.”

  Kerry nodded. “I’ll go this way,” she said pointing to the nearest annex.

  Before she could dash off, Jared grabbed her arm. “No. We’re not going to separate now. We may have to get out of here fast and when that time comes I want to know where you are. We’ll go look for an extinguisher together.”

  Relieved that he wasn’t going to get out of her sight, Kerry bobbed her head in agreement and hand in hand they ran down the shadowy corridor, while behind them the fire burst through the door and licked at the rubbery tile covering the floor.

  The eerie sound jerked Kerry’s head around and she couldn’t hold back a scream. “Jared! It’s spreading across the hallway!”

  He continued to tug her along behind him. “Don’t look back right now. Here’s a fire hose. Help me get it out of the wall.”

  Even though they were both working at a frantic pace, it seemed to Kerry that it took the two of them forever to get the glass door open and pull out the canvas hose. But in actuality only two or three minutes had passed by the time they got the equipment pulled down the corridor and a stream of water flowing onto the flames.

  Gray smoke had begun to filter down the darkened corridor, making it difficult to breathe. Kerry wasn’t sure if the sweat pouring down her face was from fear or simply caused by the skyrocketing heat of the spreading flames.

  Standing close behind Jared, she watched as he aimed the blast of water on the fresh flames crawling along the floor to the records room where the two of them had been working.

  “Where is the fire department?”

  Kerry’s frantic question was answered by a loud crash that reverberated the floor beneath their feet and had them both glancing anxiously upward.

  “The ceiling in the next room has crashed in!” Jared shouted. “I think we’d better get out of here.”

  He was about to toss down the hose and reach for Kerry when loud voices could be heard approaching from a nearby annex. Both Jared and Kerry whirled around to see a group of firefighters descending on them with hoses, axes, and other fire-fighting equipment.

  “We’ll take over now,” the one who appeared to be in charge said to Jared, “you two go on outside where it’s safe.”

  Wanting to get Kerry to safety, Jared grabbed her arm and ushered her away from the flames and out the back entrance.

  As they stepped out into the warm night, Kerry wailed, “Oh Jared, we left your family’s documents out on the table! If that room doesn’t burn, they’ll know we were going through records.”

  “It’ll be a miracle if the room doesn’t burn. And anyway, I doubt that will interest the firefighters right at this moment. Look,” he urged, pointing toward the roof of the building. “The flames have eaten through the roof.”

  The ominous sight had Kerry instinctively reaching for Jared’s arm. Her fingers tightened against his flesh as she cuddled as close to him as she could get. “Jared, it’s terrifying to think we might not have found the fire until we were boxed in. What do you think caused it?”

  Jared had already taken his gaze off the burning roof and was now searching the grounds around them. Unlike last night, the area was now jammed with fire and rescue vehicles. Orbs of emergency lights were flashing, illuminating the firemen who were hooking up hoses and hurrying to tug them inside the building.

  “The electrical wiring probably.”

  Something in his voice brought Kerry’s gaze around to his stern profile. “You don’t really think that, do you? You think—” she stopped and swallowed as the fearful image washed over her. “Someone set the fire on purpose!”

  “Sssh,” he said under his breath. “Don’t let anyone hear you say that. At least not until Bram gets here.”

  Kerry’s eyes widened with another horrifying thought. “Jared! You don’t—we aren’t going to be suspects! Dear Lord, we could have been killed!”

  In an effort to soothe her, Jared pulled her into his arms and stroked the back of her head. “I’m sorry I scared you, sweetheart. Don’t worry. It’s going to be all right. We’ll find out what really happened.”

  She lifted her head from his chest to gaze up at him. “Jared, when I first told you about the stranger here at the courthouse, I didn’t know it was going to cause all of this trouble. I shouldn’t have said anything,” she said miserably.

  He continued to stroke her hair and the slender slope of her shoulders while thinking he’d never known a woman like this, one who considered others before herself. Except for his mother. And she’d been taken from him so long ago.

  The thought caused him to tighten his hold and pull her even deeper into the circle of his arms. “Don’t say that, Kerry. You didn’t cause any of this to happen. I’m glad you did tell me. If you hadn’t we might not have known something sinister was among us.”

  Shivering at his suggestion, Kerry clung to the hard muscles of his chest. “But to burn us—”

  “We don’t know if the fire was meant to hurt us, Kerry. It could have been to cover up or destroy those records we were going through.”

  Among the chaotic noise of idling pumper trucks and shouts of nearby firemen, Jared sensed someone had approached him from behind. With Kerry still tucked safely in the circle of his arm, he turned to see his brother Bram and from his grim expression he wasn’t the least bit happy to find his town in turmoil.

  “Jared, are you two okay?”

  The question prompted Jared to look down at Kerry. The two of them were both marked from head to toe with dirt and black soot, along with having their clothes soaked from wrestling the fire hose down the corridor. And they were both still dazed and shaken. But as he gently cupped his hand around her face, he realized the only thing that matt
ered was having Kerry safe and by his side.

  “Yeah. We’re both fine. Just a little wet. And shook up.”

  Bram lifted his hat from his head and ran a hand through his hair. “Well, thank God for that. But I’d like to know what in hell is going on, Jared? I was worried about you leaving stray papers laying around. I never dreamed you two would set the damn building on fire!”

  Jared threw his palm up. “Whoa now, Bram. We didn’t have anything to do with the fire. If Kerry hadn’t walked down to the rest room, we might have been burning ourselves!”

  Bram directed his gaze on Kerry. “What did you see?”

  Kerry wiped at the wet, tangled hair falling into her face. “Actually, I didn’t see anything. I walked to the rest room and was there for only a few minutes. Then on my way back to the records room, I smelled smoke and heard a strange crackling noise, like logs burning in a fireplace. So I ran to get Jared. He knocked down the door to the tax assessor records.”

  Bram turned his attention back to Jared. “I take it the fire was already out of control by then?”

  Jared nodded ruefully. “Pretty much. I soaked what I could with an extinguisher, but it didn’t do much good.”

  After assembling all the facts they’d given him, Bram heaved out a heavy sigh. “Do you still have the key I gave you?” he asked his brother.

  Jared took his hands off Kerry long enough to fish the key from his pocket, then hand it to his brother.

  “I know this looks bad, Bram, but we just happened to be in the building,” Jared told him. “If you ask me, some maniac was trying to kill us. Or at the least, destroy information.”

  Bram glanced furtively over his shoulder to make sure no one was overhearing their conversation. “We’ll have to see what the fire inspector turns up. But I’m inclined to agree with you, Jared. This whole thing is just too coincidental to me.”

  “So what do you want me and Kerry to do now? She made the 9-1-1 call and the firemen found us in the building trying to save what we could. We’re bound to be questioned.”

  Bram rubbed a thoughtful finger against his jaw. “Just say you two happened to be driving by and you saw the flames through the window. Kerry called 911 and you tried the back door and found it open. Naturally, you two felt it your civic duty to try to put out the flames before the fire department arrived. Got it?”

  Jared turned a cheeky grin on Kerry. “My brother, the sheriff. He never breaks a rule.”

  “Damn it, Jared, I’m not breaking anything!” Bram growled. “Maybe bending. When the fire inspector gets here, I’ll give him the full story. I just don’t want the general public of Black Arrow knowing my brother was snooping through county courthouse records after working hours!”

  Jared affectionately swatted his brother’s shoulder. “I was only kidding, Bram. And don’t worry. Kerry and I know what to do.”

  “Good,” he countered. “Now you two go ahead and get out of here. I’ll explain to the fire marshal and answer any questions for you.”

  “Thanks, brother. If you need us we’ll be at my place.”

  “Your place?” Kerry repeated as he shuffled her along to the parking area. “I have to pick up Peggy.”

  “She’s with Christa. She’s fine. We’ll get her later. It’s still early and right now we’re both wet and filthy. I’m sure you don’t want Peggy to see you in this condition.”

  Kerry glanced down at her wet, soot-smeared shirt and shorts. He was right. Peggy wouldn’t understand seeing her mother looking as though she’d just come out of a war. It might even remind her of the traumatic hours she’d spent trapped in the dirty pipe.

  “Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll follow you in my car.”

  Thankfully, the firemen and a few city police who’d gathered at the site had their attention on the burning building and paid no notice to Jared and Kerry leaving the parking lot.

  As they headed out of town and into the quiet darkness of the countryside, Kerry began to shake almost uncontrollably and was still shaking when she managed to park in front of Jared’s house.

  He waited at the car door to help her out and expressed his concern the minute he noticed that she was trembling from head to toe.

  “Here, honey, don’t try to walk. Let me carry you.”

  “Jared, I’m okay. I just got a little chilled,” she said through chattering teeth.

  Ignoring her protest, he bent and swept her up and into his arms, then cradling her tightly against his chest, he maneuvered the both of them through the front gate and on into the house.

  In the living room, he placed her on the couch, then switched on a small lamp at one end.

  Blinking against the light, she shivered all over again as he sank down close beside her, then carefully cradled her face with both hands.

  “You brave little thing. It’s no wonder Peggy went into that dark pipe. She’s like you—walking into that burning room. I should have taken you out of there right then.”

  The gentle concern in his voice broke down the last of her defenses. With a needy groan, she flung her arms around his neck and buried her face against his throat. “When I got back from making the call and you were nowhere in sight, I was terrified. I’ve read about fireballs consuming a room or building in a matter of seconds. You could have been killed!”

  The fear in her voice amazed him, humbled him. He’d never had to go looking for women. They’d always come to him. But they’d done so for their own personal pleasure. Not because they cared for him with their heart, the kind of caring that Kerry was showing him now.

  “Oh Kerry, were you really that worried about me?”

  The warmth of his body was spreading through her, soothing her frazzled nerves and melting away her inhibitions. With her cheek pressed against his neck, she whispered, “I know you think I’m silly, Jared, but the thought of you—I couldn’t bear to think I might not ever see you or be with you again.”

  He’d not expected to hear such an admission from her and his eyes widened with wondrous pleasure as he tilted her face up to his.

  “Oh honey, you’re not going to have to imagine it. Not now. Not ever,” he murmured fervently.

  “Jared—”

  He didn’t allow her to finish. She’d already told him enough. And he’d wanted her for too long to go slowly now.

  “Don’t talk, sweetheart,” he whispered against her lips. “Just let me kiss you. Make love to you. Always…always…”

  His words trailed away as the seductive curve of her lips pulled him downward to the velvety warmth of her kiss.

  He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her onto his lap. The slightest pressure of his tongue parted her lips and then her teeth. Sweet, mindless pleasure swamped his senses as he invaded the intimate cavern of her mouth.

  The thorough search of his lips and tongue was creating havoc inside Kerry. Her heart was slamming against her ribs. Heat was filtering through every limb in her body and collecting like a banked fire at the juncture between her thighs.

  When his hands closed over the fabric-covered mounds of her breasts, desire rocketed through her and she arched against him and moaned deep within her throat. To have his fingers touching her skin was what she wanted, needed. Desperately, she caught his hand and directed it under the hem of her wet blouse.

  Her invitation sent blood pounding to his head, forcing him to lift his head and drag in several ragged breaths. “Kerry! Kerry! You feel so good in my arms,” he groaned with agonizing pleasure. “Let me look at you when I touch you.”

  Her hands shaking, she helped him deal with the buttons on her blouse. Once it had parted, he pushed it off her shoulders while letting his eyes drink in the way her lacy bra framed her dusky brown breasts like two white hands cupping and fondling their softness.

  His mind reeling with anticipation, he unsnapped the front clasp on the delicate garment and slowly pushed the lace aside. Her breasts were small, but pert and perfect, the nipples deep rose brown and turgid with excitement. />
  Gently, his fingers reached for the beauty before him and stroked the incredibly soft skin. “You’re so lovely, Kerry. Too lovely for a man like me.”

  Her eyes opened to look at him with a mixture of doubt and amusement. “You’ve had many women, Jared. Don’t try to make me believe I’m more special than they were.”

  But she was special, he thought. If he’d not known it before, he’d learned it tonight when she’d refused to leave his side as the flames roared around them. Her brave and giving heart heightened her physical beauty in a way that, just to look at her, made him ache with pleasure.

  With a slight shake of his head, he said, “I’ve never had a woman like you, Kerry. Not one that looked like you or talked like you. That laughed or smiled or smelled like you. Or—felt like you,” he added as his hand moved beneath one breast and cupped its weight like a precious object. “And most of all I’ve never had a woman with Comanche blood. Like me.”

  She closed her eyes as her heart hammered inside her chest and hot pleasure dashed along her veins like liquid fire. “You’re a smooth-tongued devil, Jared. And I shouldn’t be doing this. We shouldn’t be doing this. But I—want you,” she whispered brokenly, “and I can’t seem to stop.”

  With one hand still on her breast, the other slid up her throat to cup her chin and tilt her lips toward his. “And I’m not going to let you stop,” he said, his voice going rough with passion. “The Great Spirit told Granddad George we’re supposed to be together. We can’t change our fate.”

  She tried to turn her head back and forth but his hold on her chin prevented the negative gesture. “You don’t believe that,” she muttered.

  “Let me show you how much I believe it,” he said before he closed the last bit of distance between her lips and his.

  The hungry kiss left them both gulping for air and Jared aching to connect his body with hers. The unspoken surrender in her heavy-lidded eyes told Jared all he needed to know. She wanted him in the same desperate way and she wasn’t going to deny him or herself this chance to quench the desire between them.

  Wordlessly, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. There in the small, darkened space, he slowly removed her clothes, then with hurried frustration, he jerked off his boots and tossed his own clothing away.