by Paige Yancey
She tied the bandana around her neck as they sprinted out the back door toward the shed. He got to the main door first, pushed it open, and started up the ATV. Jeanie grabbed her hair and pushed under her hat, and then jumped on to the vehicle behind him.
“Are you ready?” he said over his shoulder.
“Ready.”
He sped off in the direction of the smoke and sounds of men shouting and horses screaming.
Chapter 9
Fear was a tangible thing. He could taste it in his mouth; a chill ran down his spine, causing the fine hairs on his neck to stand attention. The last time he felt this kind of fear had been as a child, and anger had always followed quickly. When around his Dad, he’d anger always replaced fear, when his dad beat Tyler or his mother. Now, fear in it’s true form engulfed him—for Jeanie. Tyler had no doubt this fire had been purposely set by someone who meant her harm or as a distraction while he put his plot in motion. Tyler knew there was no talking Jeanie out of helping, but he’d keep close and watch for further trouble.
As they drew near the fire, the heat sucked at his breath. Even over the engine, he could hear the horses’ frantic screams. They ran past them with the whites of their eyes showing and lathered with sweat. Soot smudged on their coats. Several of the hands were trying to herd the horses toward the southernmost field while others used the ranch’s water truck to help put out the fire. As soon as he stopped the ATV, Jeanie jumped off and ran toward the horses.
She reached out to the one that stood, its flanks quivering. She reached to grab a handful of his mane and crooned, “Come here, sweet. Come with me. It’s safe this way.”
She kept talking in a calm steady tone, even though he could see her own body shaking slightly.
Gavin ran by, shouting, “Tyler, we need you on the other side of the field with that ATV to push the horses away from the fire.”
“10-4, boss,” he said. “Keep an eye on Jeanie!” He moved his bandana over his nose and mouth, then drove to the other side of the field. Once he got horses moving, the other hands using flapping blankets, funneled them away from the fire. A few of the horses ran past Tyler, but most continued toward the south. More vehicles and special firetrucks with water tanks from town and other ranches arrived, joining the effort to put out the fire. With the focus he’d learned in the military, he herded horses while constantly keeping tabs on Jeanie. The heat of the midday sun now blazed down, and the singeing heat of the fire caused sweat to trickle down Tyler’s back and face.
He grew concerned when he noticed Jeanie had moved farther away from the others trying to keep the horses from escaping the makeshift corral they’d formed to keep them from continuing to circle the blaze in the center of the field. After a while, he glanced away to check everyone’s progress. The fire still blazed, eating up dry grass, but there were plenty of people to handle the blaze now. It was time to gather Jeanie and get her back to safety. However, when he looked over to where Jeanie had been, he couldn’t find her.
Fear liked he’d never known sent a chill through his body. Frantic, he revved the ATV engine and drove to where he’d last seen her. Farther away from the horses, near some of the water trucks, sat a dark pickup. Recognizing it, he stood on the ATV, hoping to see beyond it. He caught a glimpse of Jeanie struggling with a medium-built man with dark hair. She was fighting like a hellcat, kicking and clawing. Her face was angry, and her mouth opened around shouts no one could hear above the horses and roaring blaze.
“That’s my girl,” he whispered. “Hold on, babe. I’m coming.”
Heart racing, Tyler angled the ATV toward them then waved an arm to signal to Gavin.
Knowing he’d lose any chance of sneaking up on Jeanie’s attacker, he cut his engine and jumped to the ground. “Gavin, Jeanie’s in trouble.”
Gavin’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve got your six.”
Drawing his weapon, Tyler turned and ran low to the ground past the water trucks and came around the side of one of them. Ducking around a corner, he saw Jeanie swing her arm, miss the man, then get pushed to the ground. Then the man pulled a gun.
Time stood still as he watched the man point it at Jeanie.
She froze, and her face went from red and angry to shocked and white.
Staying close to the water truck, he moved between it and the black pickup, getting nearer the man with the gun.
“Why did you do it?” the man asked Jeanie.
“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice rasping.
“My brother’s in jail because of you!”
Her face screwed up in a look of outrage. “Your brother’s in jail because he was one of the men who kidnapped me and all those other girls,” she said, her voice growing harsher. Her anger showed in the harsh lines of her face and the set of her jaw.
“Why? Why did you have to tell? If you don’t testify, he’ll be free.” The gun in his hand began to shake and droop slightly.
“I’m not the only witness. Are you going to kill every one of us?”
Tyler wasn’t sure arguing with someone obviously unhinged was a good idea, but he couldn’t help feeling a little proud of how brave she was.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tyler saw several men making their way around the other side of the black truck. The Brotherhood Protectors who’d been searching around the cabin. Taz was in the front of three men and signaled to Tyler to distract the man.
Acknowledging the command, moved slowly toward Jeanie and the man holding the gun.
The gunman hadn’t seen him yet. Jeanie saw Tyler, and her eyes widened just a fraction before looked back at the man. “Why are you here, anyway?” she asked the man, her tone softer now.
His face crumpled. “Because you put my brother in the hospital, and then he’s going to jail.”
“That wasn’t me. I didn’t hurt him. I wasn’t even conscious for most of the takedown.”
The man didn’t seem to hear what Jeanie said, looking even more agitated. He shook his gun at her. “Why?” he repeated with a shaky voice as if on the verge of tears.
Tyler was close enough now. If he had to he’d fling himself in front of Jeanie, but he thought maybe it would be better to draw the gun his way. He tucked his weapon into its holster at the small of his back. Then in a steady voice, he called out, “Hey man, can I help you with something?”
The man’s head turned toward Tyler, but he kept his gun pointed toward Jeanie. His eyes widened.
Tyler held up his hands. “Hey, it’s alright. What’s your name?”
“You stay back!” His breathing quickened, and his gaze darted between Jeanie and Tyler.
“Your name, pal. That’s all I’m asking.”
He took a deep breath. “My name is Paul.”
“Ok, Paul, how can I help you?” he said, while moving closer to Jeanie. He slowly moved his hand behind his head and motioned to the side for Jeanie to move behind him as he moved closer to the man.
Paul’s face was flushing red. “I just want to know why?”
“What is the question?” he asked to distract him.
Just then, Taz and his crew crept up behind Paul. With the butt of his rifle, Taz hit Paul over the head. As his body crumpled to the ground, Tyler moved in and kicked away Paul’s weapon. Taz put a knee into Paul’s back and handcuffed his hands.
Another Brotherhood Protector, Bear, checked Paul for a pulse. “All good, but we’ll need to inform Hank and the local sheriff.”
Tyler dropped his head and let out a deep breath. “Thanks, guys. You really came in handy. How did you know to come?”
“We were on our way to give you our report and noticed all the commotion, and then saw that Jeanie was in trouble.”
“Your team’s good.”
“Tyler, you worked well with us, too. Thanks for the distraction. Welcome to the Brotherhood Protectors.” Taz moved toward him and gave him a solid whack on his back.
The Protectors hauled up the unconscious man, and Bear bent under him to drape h
im over his shoulder then walked away.
Tyler turned back to Jeanie. He didn’t like what he saw. Her hazel eyes looked so lost, and she was close to tears. He held out his hand and pulled her to her feet and straight into his arms. He held her close to his chest.
“Oh my God, Tyler, that was so close.”
“Shhhh, it’s over now.”
The world around them seemed to melt away, and it was just the two of them. Not a thing mattered to Tyler other than making sure Jeanie was okay. Tilting her head up with his forefinger, he scanned her face for any injuries. “You’re okay? He didn’t hurt you?”
She shook her head. “I’m fine. We wrestled. I hit the ground. But that was all. I wasn’t even all that sure he’d shoot me. Not here, anyway. I think he’s more into anonymous pot shots. He’s a coward.”
Now that anger sparked in her eyes again, he knew she was alright. She was safe. At last.
Deep down, he knew his job here was done here. But right now, those hazel eyes seemed to be getting closer, and Tyler pulled her closer to give her a hot kiss. With a deep breath, he inhaled her scent into his lungs. All he could think of was how close he’d come to losing her. His Jeanie. When had she become his?
The kiss continued as his mind raced with a jumble of thoughts. At last, they moved apart, both breathing hard.
At that moment, one of the ranch hands rode past on the ATV they had ridden on earlier and shouted, “Hey you two, the fire is almost out. They still need help with calming down the horses.”
“Right behind you,” Tyler shouted to the side, and then he took Jeanie’s hand in his, and they walked toward the south pasture.
“Tyler,” she said almost in a whisper.
“Hmm?” he asked, glancing to the side.
“It has been a crazy few days, hasn’t it?”
His mouth twitched. “Yes, it has, but what doesn’t break you makes you stronger, right?”
Jeanie smiled. “My Dad use to say that when I was a kid.”
“Well then, it must be true.”
The need to catch her breath kept coming over Jeanie even after they’d stopped kissing. Not only because she’d almost been killed, but because she kept looking at Tyler to make sure he was real. He was such an amazing person, and he’d been there for her.
And she was pretty sure it wasn’t just out of a sense of duty. He seemed to truly care about her. Tyler had come to her rescue and made her feel safe. When Paul had come up to her, she’d thought he was just another hand from a neighboring ranch, who’d come to help.
Once he’d forced her to come with her, she’d known instinctively that he was the one who’d been terrorizing her. That fear she’d felt when she’d been kidnapped came over her again and froze her body. Then a red haze of anger had washed through her. That’s when she’d started fighting to get away.
Then once he’d started asking his questions, she’d realized he was mentally unstable. He’d pulled the gun on her, and her world had tilted on its access—until Tyler had come around the truck.
“Are you okay?” he asked as they continued toward the southern field and the frightened horses.
“Yes. Just lost in my thoughts, trying to process everything, I guess.”
“Now, it’s on to new adventures,” he said with a one-sided smile.
“Every day and twice on Sunday,” she said and chuckled.
They passed the house and came upon most of the other ranch hands and some of the others that had come to help fight the fire. They’d stayed to help with the horses.
Percy walked up to Tyler and Jeanie and handed them two halters. “Do you mind working with the two female horses over there against the far side of the fence.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Tyler said, and Jeanie nodded with him.
Before he turned away, Percy said, “Jeanie, are you ok? Do you need to go take a break? Some of the other hands told me what happened?”
“I think I just need to help right now. I can worry about what just happened later but thank you for asking.”
His forehead creased as his somber gaze met hers. “You’re like a daughter to me, and most of the ranch hands see as a sister, so we just want to make sure you’re okay.” He walked away, joining a larger group to help with some of the wilder horses.
“Look at you breaking hearts everywhere you go,” Tyler said in a sing song voice. He put his arm around her shoulder and steered toward the two horses they would work with.
Jeanie could feel her face get a little hot from all the attention the men were giving her, but she liked the fact they were concerned. The folks at the rehab ranch were like one big family, and she was used to just having her sister and her dad.
With his arm slung over her shoulder, she enjoyed the warmth that seeped into her. A cool wind had picked up and put a chill in the air. They walked to the horses, and he let go of her so they could each move to the skittish horse.
“Shhh, girls,” Tyler said. “We’re just here to help you back to the barn for some good feed and hay.”
Jeanie admired how well he soothed the horses. She walked slowly up to the first horse. “Come here pretty boy, it’s okay,” she said. It swung its head toward the sound, but then went back to eating the grass.
From where Jeanie stood, she could see the horse Tyler was working with step back slightly, but after that first moment of hesitation, the mare let him draw nearer. Her ears twitched, and her tail flicked back in forth to get rid of the horseflies, but otherwise didn’t seemed stressed by his presence.
With keen eyes, she watched Tyler touch the mare’s forehead, stroke her, and then move down her body, smoothing over her back.
Since Tyler seemed fine with his horse, she moved closer to the one she’d be working with and stood there for a moment so to let the gelding get used to her. Right next to the horse now, she touched his head, and then smoothed her hand over his flank. Carefully, she leaned over and slipped the halter over the horses head. The horse tensed slightly, and then shook his head, but then put his head up, so that he could be lead. Jeanie looked over at Tyler. They were both ready, so she lead her horse first and headed toward the barn. They both talked calmly to the horses, and among themselves.
“Did your grandfather have a lot of horses on his ranch?” she asked.
He was quiet for a few moments, and then he responded. “He mainly kept cattle. The few horses he raised or bought were for the hands.”
“Whatever happened to him?”
“He had a heart attack when I was in the military. I was deployed and didn’t find out until after the funeral.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been hard.” He shrugged.
Although he tried to act nonchalant, she could tell it bothered him.
“What about you?” he asked, shooting her a glance. “How do you know so much about horses? I thought you lived military bases most of your life?”
“My Dad made sure my sister and I participated in a lot of activities, and since we both loved horses, he made sure we had lessons when we were in middle and high school.”
“That must have been nice.”
“Our instructor made sure we knew all the that entails taking care of a horse, including mucking stalls and helping with shots. I think I enjoyed all the different aspects more than my sister.”
“Jeanie, you have a special way with horses.”
Their conversation ended as they lead the horses into the barn and to their separate stalls. Minnie neighed from her small stall, and they walked over to her once the other horses were settled.
“Hi, Minnie. How are you today?” Tyler said, opening her stall.
The miniature horse came right up to Tyler, and then bounded over to Jeanie. If a horse could smile she was. They both squatted down to pet her, and the sound she made was almost like a cat’s purr.
A joyful giggle bubbled up. Jeanie turned toward Tyler and leaned on his shoulder.
“I could get used to this. You two are like peas in a pod,”
he said, and she could feel his voice rumble through his body.
She lifted her head and looked up into his eyes. He leaned toward her, and her eyes fluttered closed. The kiss he gave her was gentle and sweet. Just then Minnie, butted her head into Tyler’s thigh and caused them to fall apart and sprawl back on their bottoms. They both laughed and looked at Minnie. She looked like a comic book character, with her mane was so long in front it hung over one eye.
“She has her eye on you,” Jeanie teased.
She shook her head, and the bangs flew over the other eye.
“Look! She switched. Now, it’s on you,” Tyler said, and then gently took his knuckle and pushed her shoulder.
“We better put her back and see what else we need to do.” Jeanie stood and brushed dirt off her pants.
“Come on, Minnie,” Tyler said, motioning toward her small stall. The little pony appeared to be pouting, so Tyler walked behind her to hurry her toward her stall. “Sorry, little one. We don’t want you to get hurt by the bigger horses they’re still bringing in,” he said, reaching over the stall door to pat her little head.
Jeanie shook her head ruefully. “Come on, Tyler. She’ll have us here all day.”
They walked past Gavin as they left the barn.
“Hey, you two. The guys still have a few more horses to move then we’ll head over the kitchen. Cookie is fixing a big lunch for all the helpers.”
“Okay, thanks for the heads-up,” Tyler nodded and continued walking toward the south field.
Jeanie had to jog to keep up with Tyler. “Are you upset?”
“No, why do you ask?”
“Nothing just wondered. You’re walking so fast I thought you were annoyed.”
Side by side they walked to the south field just as the last few horses were being led away back to the barn.
Percy walked up to them, “We are all heading to get some grub, Cookie is making a big meal for us.”
“Gavin just gave us a heads up, need any more help boss?” Tyler said.
Jeanie nodded her head and swung around to follow both men back toward the main house.
“We are good, go get washed up and will see you at lunch.”