by Jennie Marts
She ran to Ryan and grabbed his sleeve. “Dad, what about Rodney? Did someone get the little calf out of the back stall?”
Before he had time to answer, Zack appeared by her side. His face was already covered in soot, and an air mask hung loosely around his neck. A bright yellow helmet sat on his head, and he wore a backpack-type contraption over his shoulders, the clear tube protruding out one side connecting to the air mask. “Charlie, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to stay with the truck.”
“She won’t listen. I already told her to get back,” Ryan said.
“You’re not listening.” She turned to Zack. “I think Rodney’s still in the barn. He was in the back stall on the right when I left tonight. Can you find out if someone got him out?”
“No one got him.” Ryan pointed at the opening of the barn. “Cash and I are the only ones pulling livestock out. I thought that mare was the last of it. I didn’t make it back to the far stalls, though. Maybe Cash got him.”
“Where’s Cash?” She scanned the group of men working on the fire. “I don’t see him. Oh no, what if he’s still in there?”
Zack pulled the mask up and took off running. Before she had a chance to stop him, he disappeared into the yawning black opening of the barn door. The fire had moved lower on the building, like a creeping vine on an old brick mansion, winding its branches into every crevice. Billowing clouds of smoke now poured from the barn door’s opening.
The seconds ticked by as she watched the entrance to the barn, praying to see Zack’s form reappear. Her head filled with questions she wasn’t sure if she wanted the answers to.
What was taking so long? Had he found the calf? Had he found Cash? What if one of them were hurt or trapped inside? What if Zack’s air ran out?
Crash.
She screamed as a piece of the structure fell and crashed into itself.
Her hands hurt, and she realized she had been digging her nails into the skin of her palms. She lifted her hand and was surprised to see she had drawn blood.
What if something happened to Zack? She didn’t think she would be able to bear it. She thought she would be happy just knowing that she and Sophie were okay, but that wasn’t enough. She wanted him back.
She wished for one more second of time in the parking lot of the bar when she’d asked him if he wanted her in his life. Was he about to say yes, or no, or that he still wasn’t ready?
Watching the door of the barn, wondering if he was going to make it out alive, she knew that she would do whatever it took to win Zack back. To hell with worrying about if he was going to leave or caring about what other men in her past had done to her. He was not Stuart. He was not her dad. Zack was different.
Why hadn’t she realized that earlier? What if she’d destroyed her one chance at finding happiness by not believing that she was worth the love of this man?
She prayed for one more chance to prove to him that she was worthy. If he walked out that door right now, she would tell him that she still loved him and wanted them to try again.
Another crash.
The flames licked the dark sky, the swelling clouds of smoke gray against the black night, obscuring the silver brightness of the moon.
A man stumbled from the opening of the barn. Oh, thank you, God.
She ran to him, her heart in her throat.
He held a small calf in his arms. She cried out in relief as she saw its legs kick and heard it bawl in protest. He laid the calf on the ground and stood, just in time to catch her in his arms as she launched herself at him.
Throwing her arms around him, she buried her face in his neck. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Yeah. Me, too.”
Wait. This was wrong. These were the wrong muscled arms wrapped around her, the wrong neck her lips were against, and that voice definitely did not belong to Zack. She pulled back and looked up into the soot-smudged face of her ranch hand. “Cash.”
“Don’t look so disappointed.”
“Sorry.” She hugged him again, while her eyes searched the area behind his shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I just thought you were Zack.”
“Why?” A dawning realization hit him, and he turned to stare at the fire. “Is Zack in there? I didn’t see him. I thought this dang calf was the last thing alive in there.”
He rushed toward the open door of the barn, but a blast of heat pushed him back as another crack sounded, and one side of the barn collapsed inward.
Charlie stood frozen in place, her hand covering her mouth as she tried to understand the reality before her.
The barn was completely engulfed in flames. It was crumbling apart as its structure disintegrated into ashes. The likelihood that someone was alive in that inferno was slim.
How could this be happening? She’d just decided to tell Zack that she loved him. That she trusted him with her heart. That she would never let him down again. He had to come out of that building.
The heat from the fire burned the air, reaching for her like the fiery claws of the devil himself. The heat was so intense, it dried her tears into salty tracks running down her face. The smoke clogged her throat, and she blinked against the ash-filled sky.
But she couldn’t move. Her legs refused to work, frozen in place like the statued pillars of salt. All she could do was stand, watching her future, her life, her heart, burn to the ground.
She watched, helpless, as Cash tried once more to enter the barn, and once more, the fire pushed him back.
A tall figure emerged from the flames, a blackened yellow helmet on his head and the leaden body of another man held up by his side. She choked out a sob, unable to believe her eyes.
Cash and another fireman ran to help them. The fireman grabbed the man, and Cash wrapped his arm around Zack, supporting him as they dragged them away from the blaze.
They had taken less than five steps when the last of what remained of the huge barn heaved a loud sigh and crumpled to the ground.
The fireman was knocked to his knees by the crash, but Cash had a firm hold of Zack and pulled him farther from the fire.
Her paralysis broke, and Charlie ran to Zack, crying and calling his name. She threw her arms around both men. Pushing back Zack’s helmet, she touched his face and kissed his soot-stained cheeks.
Zack looked down at her. His face broke into a smile, and she knew that smile was meant for only her. “Hey, Charlie,” he said, right before he collapsed.
Cash grabbed for him and kept Zack from hitting the ground. Between him and Charlie, they dragged his unconscious body to the house, laying him on the wooden slats of the front porch.
Sophie appeared behind them, three bottles of water clutched in her hands and Joy limping beside her. “Is my dad okay? I saw him come out, and I couldn’t stay in the truck any longer.” The tremble in her voice betrayed her brave face, but the tears came as she knelt down next to Zack. “Dad?”
Cash took a bottle of water from her and unscrewed the top. “Yeah, honey. He’s gonna be fine. Bringing this water was a real smart idea.” He held Zack’s head up and splashed some of the water on his face.
Zack sputtered and coughed, blinking his eyes open. He coughed again then turned his head and retched over the side of the porch. He turned back and drew a hand across his mouth, and Charlie could tell he was trying to focus on the faces of the people around him.
Cash handed him the bottle of water. “Here, buddy. Try some of this.”
Zack pushed himself up and leaned his back against the porch railing. He drank a long pull from the bottle and drew Sophie to him. “It’s all right, baby girl. I’m okay.”
She crawled into her dad’s lap and broke into tears. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she cried against his chest. “Oh, Daddy. I love you.”
Charlie watched the two of them and was amazed at the depth of love she felt for both of them. They had both taught her so much.
Beyond just the basics of how to make cookies and macaroni and cheese, this young gir
l had taught her that being abandoned by one of your parents did not need to define who you were as a person. Sophie did not let her mother’s choices dictate her life. Instead, she reveled in the love of the parent she did have and she chose to find happiness every day.
And Zack had taught her that good men do exist. They can be trusted.
She’d had a glimpse of what her life could be like, and she knew that’s what she wanted. A life with Sophie and Zack. A chance to be loved and to share the love that welled inside of her.
Her heart felt as if it could burst from the amount of emotion that was contained inside. If there was ever any doubt that she loved this man, it was gone in the instant he stumbled out of that burning building.
Zack looked up at her and held one arm out. That was all she needed. She fell to her knees, hugging him, enclosing Sophie in the space between them. She laughed as Joy clambered onto his lap as well, licking his face and wiggling her black and white furry bottom.
She was surprised to feel another set of strong arms reach from behind her and wrap them all in a giant bear hug. She twisted to see Cash’s chin drop to her shoulder, and she touched her cheek to his.
“I’m glad you’re all right, buddy.” Cash winked at Zack.
He laughed. “Me, too.” His face changed as if he suddenly remembered something. “What about Wayne? Is he okay?”
“Wayne? The railroad guy?” Cash looked at him as if he wasn’t thinking clearly. “Why wouldn’t he be okay?”
“Because he was in the barn. That’s who I pulled out of the fire.”
Chapter Eighteen
“What the hell were you doing in the barn?” Zack’s voice was hoarse from the smoke, but there was no mistaking the anger in it.
The group of them stood around Wayne. The fireman had set him on the tailgate of a pickup and given him water and some oxygen. He sat there still, shoulders slumped, the oxygen mask clutched in his hand, his white shirt black with soot, his glasses missing, and a look of pure shame and misery on his face. The very picture of despair.
Charlie had instructed Sophie to find some oxygen for Zack. The teenager had hurried off, the little dog limping along beside her, holding her back leg up off the ground.
Sophie found them moments later, crowded around the tailgate where Wayne sat. She’d brought Sheriff Johnson with her, and he pushed an oxygen mask at Zack, glaring at him until Zack held it to his mouth and took a deep inhale of clean air.
Charlie was surprised to see her dad leaning against the truck where they found Wayne. Flitters of disappointment and anger filled her that he was still with Wayne, but as she took in Ryan’s serious stance and the anger on his face, she wondered if he wasn’t standing guard over the railroad man.
Her dad spoke up. “We’re waiting, Wayne. Why don’t you tell us what you were doing in the barn? At midnight. I can’t wait to hear this.”
Wayne shook his head. He wiped at his eyes as if he were crying. His arm was covered in soot, and it only served to smear the blackened mess across his face.
Ryan handed him a clean handkerchief. He shook his head as if this small act of human kindness was the last thing he could bear. He buried his face in the handkerchief and wept. Huge, wracking sobs bellowed from him, and his shoulders shuddered with each wave of anguish. “I’m sorry. I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt anyone.”
“What did you do, Wayne?” Ryan asked, not a trace of sympathy in his voice.
“You have no idea the pressure I’m under to make this deal. I have to get this sale.”
“Why?” Charlie asked. “What is worth all of this?”
Wayne looked up at her. “You know what is. You saw her picture. You know my daughter is sick. The medical bills are atrocious. We’re about to lose our house. I need this sale. This one commission can save my family financially.”
She stepped forward. “Did you do this, Wayne? Did you set the barn on fire?”
He nodded and bent his head into his hands. His shoulders shook as another round of sobs overtook him.
Unfazed by his weeping, she kept up her relentless round of questioning. “Do you realize the damage you could have done? Our animals could have been hurt. People could have died in that fire.”
She thought of the horse that Ryan had led out and the little calf that Cash had saved. Her heart broke for the barn that Gigi had helped to build. She knew her grandmother had loved that barn.
Charlie’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh. My. Gosh. Wayne, did you have something to do with Gigi’s death?”
He cried harder. “I never meant to hurt her. It wasn’t my fault.”
Showing no mercy, her voice was hard as steel. “What did you do to Gigi?”
The railroad man looked up at her, pleading with his eyes for her to understand. “I just slipped a couple shots of vodka into her iced tea. I swear I never meant for anything to happen to her. I was just trying to loosen her up, get her to like me. To trust me. It didn’t seem to be affecting her, so I poured in another couple shots when she went to the bathroom. She told me she was tired and asked me to leave. It wasn’t until later that I heard that she’d fallen down the stairs. I swear I never meant for her to get hurt. I was just trying so damn hard to make this sale.”
She couldn’t believe it. Sophie had been right. There was foul play. Whether he meant to or not, Wayne’s actions were responsible for Gigi’s death. Could a court of law prove it? Possibly.
But now, with the arson thrown in, Wayne would be charged with starting the fire. With one stupid choice, he’d thrown away his life and any chance he’d had to save his family.
Sheriff Johnson had been standing behind Zack, quietly observing and taking in Wayne’s tearful confession. He stepped forward and took hold of the railroad man’s arm. “All right. You’re coming with me. We’re going to head down to the station and get this in writing. I’ve got another idiot waitin’ in my car. Evidently, it’s two for one night at the Sheriff’s office.”
Zack looked toward the Sheriff’s car. “You still got that scumbag, Earl, in the back of your car?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry, I cracked the window for him.”
Zack laughed and gestured to Wayne. “You need a hand with this guy?”
The Sheriff shook his head. “Nah, I got him.” He pointed to the barn, now a smoking sodden pile of rubble. “Looks like they got the fire out. Somebody will be out tomorrow to look around and get a statement from you, Charlie.”
“I’ll be here.” She leaned against the tailgate of the pickup and looked straight at Zack. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Sheriff Johnson waved a hand and pulled Wayne toward his car. “You all try to have a good rest of the night.”
“Thanks, Taylor.” Zack leaned against the tailgate next to Charlie, the weight of his hand warm and sturdy against hers. “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”
“I did.” Ryan said, still leaning on the side of the pickup.
“So did I.” Her mom stepped from the shadows beyond the truck.
Charlie wasn’t sure if she’d just walked up from the house or if she’d been standing there the whole time. “What do you mean, you did? I thought old Wayne was your ticket to riches.”
“I know you did,” Ryan said. “That’s what I wanted you to think.”
“What? Why?”
“Because it was easier to get Wayne to trust me if he thought I was trying to sell the land out from under you.”
“Weren’t you?”
Ryan walked around the side of the truck to face her. “No, Charlie, I wasn’t. I spent a lot of time discussing this with Gigi, and we both wanted you to have this farm. We both wanted you to feel like Tucked Away was your home.”
“Then why did you act like you wanted to sell it? Even after I attacked you at the fair.”
“I knew something shady was going on with this railroad guy. And I had my suspicions that he had something to do with Gigi’s death.” Ryan picked up her hand and held it in his own. “I jus
t found you, Charlie. I couldn’t take a chance on something happening to you. If Wayne thought he could get me to sell him the land, it would divert his attention away from you and keep you safe. I never want anything to happen to you, kid.”
She gulped back the lump in her throat. After all the doubt and resentment she’d felt for her father, in the end, he was actually trying to protect her. He truly had her best interest at heart.
She tried to comprehend this new aspect of her father. How could she take years of putting him in a particular box and now open that box and see him in a new light?
“So, you really had no intention of selling this farm.”
“No, Charlie. I want Tucked Away to be your home. I’ve got too much wanderlust. I can never stay in one place for too long. But it gives me peace of mind to know I have the old place to come home to. I need you to keep the place running while I’m gone.”
Surprised by the panic that welled up in her, her words came out in a rush. “You’re leaving? Why? Because of me?”
He laughed softly. “No. Not because of you. And not right away. But the fall rodeo circuit is coming up, and I want to take your mom on the road with me.” He looked toward Liz and winked. “Show her what she’s been missing.”
Liz smiled at him. It was too dark to say for sure, but Charlie thought she saw her mom blush. She smiled at the thought of her mom going out on the road, eating in truck-stop diners and hanging out with a group of cowboys. “You up for going out on the road, Mom?”
Elizabeth moved around the truck and took Ryan’s hand. She looked up into his face, the love for him obvious in her eyes. “I’m up for just about anything. I’ve decided I’m too old to waste time on past hurts and hanging on to grudges. I’m taking the bull by the horns, it seems.”
“And she’s not talking about Tommy Lee.” Ryan swatted her playfully on the behind.
Eek. Parent flirting. Weird.
But also kind of cute.
Liz batted at his hand. “Besides, Ryan has promised to visit New York with me during the off season. And we were hoping to spend Christmas here. With you.”