by R. C. Ryan
“Like this?” Ally indicated their nightclothes.
“Like this.” Reed tugged the blanket up to their chins.
“Maybe…” Ally swallowed back her unshed tears and tried again. “Maybe they’ll get the fire out fast enough to salvage some of our things.”
“It doesn’t matter. If you’re able to save some things, or if everything is ruined, you’re still coming home with me.” Though he kept his tone soft, there was a thread of steel beneath each word. “Until we find out who’s behind this, I’m never leaving you two alone again.”
When a tap sounded on the truck window, Reed lowered it.
Eugene’s face was grim. “The fire’s out. Some of the volunteers will remain, to make sure there are no hot spots. The rest are headed back to their homes and ranches. It’ll be daylight soon, and they have their own chores to see to.”
“Thank you, Sheriff.” Ally glanced toward the soot-darkened windows of the upper floor. “Was there much damage?”
“Enough. Between the fire and the amount of water needed to put it out, there’s not much salvageable upstairs. Not too much damage on the main level. That’s mostly smoke and water damage.” He sucked in a breath. “We think we found the original torch near your bed, though it was badly burned to a charred mess. I’ll send it to the state lab for testing.”
Archer Stone stepped up beside the sheriff, his face and clothing soot-darkened.
He pinned Ally with a look. “What’s this Eugene tells me about a stalker?”
Ally gave a sigh. “A man I worked with in Virginia.”
“A lover?”
She gave an involuntary shiver. “A coworker. Nothing more.”
“Nothing more?” His face twisted into a sneer. “That’s a lot of anger from a guy who got nothing but work from you.”
“Anything more was in his own mind.”
When Archer opened up his mouth to say something, Reed deliberately interrupted to spare Ally any more verbal sparring with her uncle. “Eugene, I’d like to take Ally and Kyle back to my ranch. I can bring Ally back later today to talk with you, if that’s all right with you.”
The sheriff nodded. “I agree, Reed. The upper rooms aren’t habitable, and probably won’t be for some time. What these two need right now is a couple of hours to rest and some hot food in a place where they can feel safe and comfortable.”
Archer’s furious tone betrayed his anger. “What the hell’s the matter with you, Eugene? What gives Malloy the right to interfere? These two are my kin.”
The sheriff turned to his deputy with an arched look. “Which you didn’t even admit to until I heard it from them.”
At the sheriff’s words Archer’s voice went up a notch, along with his temper. “If they’re going to stay anywhere, it ought to be with me. That’s what folks will say. It’s only right and proper.”
The sheriff looked more amused than annoyed. “Since when did you worry about things being right and proper, Archer?”
“But the Malloys…”
“The Malloys are good, decent folks. I’m sure they’ll make your niece and great-nephew feel right at home.”
Archer’s eyes blazed. “You’re forgetting. This is an active investigation. It would be a lot easier if they were staying with a man of the law.”
“Easier? What could be easier than having Frank and Ms. Grace pamper these two and soothe some frayed nerves? What could be easier than having Reed drive your niece to my office?” The sheriff turned to Ally. “Going through something like this can be an emotionally exhausting event, Ms. Shaw. I’m sorry you and your son had to deal with this. For now, I think you should go with Reed and try to get some rest. Late afternoon is soon enough for you to come back to town. We’ll have a good long talk, and you can tell me everything you remember about the events leading up to the fire.”
“Thank you, Sheriff.” Ally turned to her uncle. “And thank you, too, Archer, for helping the firemen, and for offering us shelter.” She reached for his hand, closing it between both of hers. “I really appreciate all you’ve done. I think, for now, I’ll do as the sheriff suggests and let Reed take us to his ranch. But if your offer still stands in the days to come, I’d be happy to accept your hospitality.”
Some of the fire seemed to go out of Archer’s eyes, though his tone remained layered with anger and sarcasm. “I guess we’ll just have to see. Maybe once you get used to the comfort of the big, fancy Malloy ranch, you’ll forget all about us common folks.” He pulled his hand free and took a step back.
Reed turned on the ignition and put the truck in gear. As they started along Main Street, he watched the sheriff and his deputy recede in the rearview mirror. When he looked over at Ally, she had closed her eyes and kept her face pressed to the top of Kyle’s head. The little boy, seated between them, had fallen fast asleep.
As the truck ate up the miles to his ranch, Reed found himself wondering if Archer’s anger was the sort of righteous indignation any man would feel on behalf of a beloved family member who’d been threatened with danger or if that anger could have actually been the trigger that initiated both the torch and the fire.
Reed knew that the prime suspect remained Glen Lloyd. The man had already proven to be unstable, having driven halfway across the country to find a woman who had done nothing more than share his workspace. From all appearances, he was an angry, sullen man. And he’d emailed her since then. The fact that this strange, angry man was in hiding, and appeared to be in no hurry to return to work, added up to a man with evil intent.
Still, his initial contact with Ally had been some time ago. What had he been waiting for? What could have triggered this hideous act tonight?
Whether this firebomb had been tossed by Glen Lloyd, or Ally’s uncle, or a complete stranger, the fact remained that she and Kyle were in real and present danger. A broken window could be construed as a threat or malicious mischief. But a firebomb was no idle threat. If not for Ally’s quick thinking, she and Kyle could have perished in their beds.
The thought left Reed shaken to his core.
He had no intention of leaving them alone again until this mystery was resolved and their safety was assured.
Dawn light crept slowly across the sky, bringing with it the most glorious sunrise. Ribbons of pink wove their way around the hills, illuminating the dark outline of herds that seemed to fill every meadow in the higher regions.
Ally kept her arms around her sleeping son, whose head rested on her shoulder. “Will we be at your ranch soon?”
Reed turned to her with a smile. “We’ve been on Malloy land for the past half hour.”
“Half an hour?” She turned for a better look at the green fields that seemed to stretch all the way to the horizon. “How much land does your family own?”
He shrugged. “A couple thousand acres, give or take a few.”
“Thousand…” She shook her head, unable to process such a figure.
When the house came into view, she fell silent as she studied the graceful, three-story structure made of wood and natural stone. Though its size could have been imposing, it appeared instead to be both solid and homey, with a wide covered porch that ran the length of the building. Beyond were several towering barns and outbuildings. In the distance, past hayfields, she could make out the dark outlines of yet more cattle. And could hear the sound of their lowing through the closed windows of the truck.
As Reed drove along the gravel driveway, Ally’s head swiveled as she tried to take it all in.
He pulled up behind a line of several trucks. “Looks like everybody’s already here. Not surprised. Any mealtime brings a crowd.”
Reed stepped down and circled around to open the passenger door. He helped Ally out, then reached in and unbuckled Kyle’s seat belt before lifting the little boy into his arms.
Kyle stirred and rubbed his eyes. “Where are we?”
“At my family’s ranch.” Seeing the way Ally carefully drew the blanket about herself, he put an arm arou
nd her to lend his support.
They climbed the porch steps and walked through the mudroom before stepping into the kitchen. Inside, the chorus of voices suddenly fell silent.
“Well now. What’s this?” Frank Malloy took in the sight of his grandson holding a little boy at his shoulder, one arm around the waist of the young woman they’d met at her shop’s grand opening. She was wrapped from head to toe in a blanket.
“There was a fire in town last night, and I’ve asked Ally and her son, Kyle, to stay with us until they can sort through the damage.”
His grandmother was on her feet and hurrying across the room with her arms outstretched. “Welcome to our ranch, Ally. Kyle. I’m sorry you’re here for such a sad reason, but I’m glad the two of you weren’t hurt in the fire.” She looked down at Ally’s bare toes peeking out from beneath the blanket. “It had to be frightening to evacuate in the middle of the night.”
“It was.”
“I’m sure you were forced to leave with nothing but the clothes on your backs.”
Ally flushed and nodded.
Seeing her discomfort, Vanessa crossed the room. “Hi, Ally. I’m Nessa Malloy, Matt’s wife. We met at your store.”
“Of course. I remember you.” Ally smiled as recognition dawned.
“Come with me.” Nessa took Ally’s hand. “I’m sure we can find something of mine that will fit you, after you’ve had a chance to shower away all the smoke and soot.”
“I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“Don’t be silly.”
Ally turned to Reed. “Kyle…”
“Will go with me.” Reed gave her a gentle smile. “I think the two of us need a shower, too.”
“All right.”
“Wait. I’m coming, too.” As Nessa led her away, Ingrid jumped up to follow them. “What Nessa doesn’t have, I’m sure I can provide.”
A short time later the three women descended the stairs, all wearing matching smiles.
Ally was dressed in a pair of slender denims, a pale green cotton shirt, and calfskin boots. Her tangled hair had been brushed long and loose.
The sight of Kyle kneeling at a coffee table, his red hair damp from a shower, wearing a pair of faded denims and a T-shirt in lemon yellow, had her smiling.
“Wherever did you find something to fit?”
Kyle pointed to a pretty little dark-haired girl kneeling beside him. “Lily said they don’t fit her anymore, so I can keep them.”
“That’s very kind. Who is your new friend?”
“Mama, this is Lily. She’s Ingrid’s sister.”
“Hello, Lily.” Ally crossed the room to shake the girl’s hand. “Thank you for the loan of your clothes.”
“You’re welcome. But Kyle can keep them. They’re too small for me now.”
“Mama, this is Colin. He’s Reed’s uncle.”
“Colin.” Ally offered her hand to the man who bore an amazing resemblance to his nephew. “We met at I’s Cream Shop in town. You were with Dr. Anita Cross.”
“Ma’am. I remember.” His smile, so like Reed’s, was dazzling. “Actually, I’m uncle to not only Reed, but also to Luke and Matt.”
“And young enough to be their brother.”
That brought another smile from this tall, handsome man.
“Mama, the man at the stove is Yancy.” It was clear to all of them that the little boy was enjoying the fact that he’d already met everyone. “Yancy does all the cooking here.”
“Yancy.” Ally extended her hand, and the cook removed an oven mitt before shaking hands.
“Mama, this is Burke.” Kyle stretched his neck to see the face of the tall, rangy cowboy. “He’s the ranch foreman. And that’s Mick. He’s Ingrid’s foreman.”
Ally shook hands with each man.
“And this is Great One.”
Ally arched a brow. “Did I hear my son say Great One?”
“That you did.” In his best Hollywood director’s voice Nelson explained. “I’m great-grandfather to Matt, Luke, and Reed, and when they were much younger, they decided I should be called Great One. I consider it a perfect fit.”
Ally couldn’t help chuckling. “Well then, hello, Great One.” She offered a handshake. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
“And you, my dear.” He indicated Kyle. “You have a very bright little boy.”
“Thank you. I can’t get over the fact that he already knows all your names.”
Reed winked. “We told him there would be a test later to see if he was paying attention.”
That had everyone grinning.
Great One leaned forward. “Reed has been bringing us up to date. I hope your building hasn’t suffered irreparable damage. When the family returned from your grand opening, they were all singing your praises. They had high hopes for your new business.”
“So did I.” She clasped her hands together. “Now I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what the sheriff reports when I go to town later today.”
“We’ll all hold a good thought.” Grace pointed to a tray of cups and glasses on the countertop. “We have coffee, juice, milk, and tea. Please help yourself.”
Noting that Kyle already had half a glass of foaming orange juice when he returned to his coloring, Ally helped herself to hot tea.
From across the room Yancy said, “Breakfast is ready.”
The others got to their feet and made their way around the big table.
Reed held a chair for Ally and sat beside her, while Lily took Kyle’s hand and led him to the place between her and Great One at the far end of the table.
Ally and Kyle watched in silence as platter after platter of scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon, and light-as-air pancakes were passed, as well as a basket of toast and biscuits still warm from the oven.
In the middle of the table stood a pot of wild strawberry jam, as well as several pitchers of maple syrup that were quickly passed from hand to hand.
Great One took a bite of pancake before touching his thumb and index finger to his lips. “Yancy, my man. I believe you’ve outdone yourself.”
In an aside, Lily whispered, “Great One always says that.”
“He does?” Kyle’s eyes got big. “Why?”
Lily shrugged. “I guess ’cause he just loves Yancy’s cooking.”
Kyle tasted the pancake. Around a mouthful he said, “Mama, wait till you taste this. It’s almost as good as Reed’s.”
That had everyone staring at Reed, who never missed a beat before saying, “That’s what years of watching the master chef will get you.”
Yancy paused in midstride to turn from the stove. “You made pancakes?”
“Yeah.”
Luke added, “At Ally’s place?”
Reed looked at the faces around the table. “What are you all looking at? It’s not as though it’s my first time cooking. We all take turns up at the range shacks.”
“Yeah.” Luke nudged his wife. “After a night of babysitting cattle in the cold mountain air. What’s your excuse for making breakfast at Ally’s, bro?”
Reed’s grin was quick and dangerous. “I put in a tough night of babysitting a lumpy recliner. A recliner, I might add, that Ally actually believes can bring good money from some poor fool.”
Matt managed a straight face. “You’re telling us you slept downstairs in Ally’s shop on a lumpy recliner?”
From the end of the table, Great One intoned, “That’s his story and he’s sticking to it.”
The entire family burst into laughter, while Ally’s face flamed.
“Hey now.” Reed caught her hand under the table and squeezed. “There are children present.”
They turned to Kyle and Lily, who sat, heads bent, whispering.
At the sudden silence, they both looked up.
“What?” Lily asked. “What did we miss?”
Grace reached over to pat her hand. “It’s nothing, darlin’. It looks like you two are getting acquainted.”
Kyle nodded. “Lily’s
going to teach me how to ride a horse.”
Across the table, Ally’s jaw dropped. “Just like that? You think you’re going to climb up on a horse and ride?”
“Lily says everybody on a ranch rides horses like kids ride bikes in the city.”
“Or Harleys.” Ingrid batted her lashes at Luke.
“Well, some of us do.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek before turning to the children. “But Lily’s right. If you’re going to be on a ranch, Kyle, you may as well learn how to ride a horse.”
“Is that okay, Mama?”
Ally took in a long, slow breath. “I’ll think about it.”
Reed winked at Kyle. “We already know what that means.”
Ally punched his shoulder before she realized everyone was watching. To Grace she said, “Your grandson has been revealing to my son all kinds of mom secrets.”
“Which are not so secret.” Reed grinned at Kyle. “Such as, ‘I’ll think about it’ really means ‘I don’t want to say yes, so I’ll put you off until you forget the question.’”
Luke shared a knowing smile with Lily. “What did I tell you? It isn’t only your big sister who pulls those pranks. Kyle’s mom does the same thing.”
Ingrid patted Ally’s hand. “A word of warning. These Malloy men are very irreverent about sacred secrets of adults.”
“That’s because they still think of themselves as bad boys,” Nessa added.
Matt wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close for a kiss to her neck. “And you’re glad of it.”
She laughed and nodded before saying to Grace, “He’s right. I’m very glad he remains one of your bad boys.”
The others shared her laughter.
As Yancy began clearing the table, the adults sat back, sipping hot coffee.
Lily turned to her sister. “Is it all right if Kyle and I go out to the barn? He wants to see the animals.”
“As long as you both understand the rules. Kyle can’t attempt to ride unless he gets his mother’s permission and has an adult present. And you, young lady, are not to allow him to get too close to old Bunny. That mare has a mean streak, which is worse now that she’s ailing.”
“I won’t. Promise.”