Rescuing the Rancher

by Claire McEwen

  Over the sound of splashing water, Aidan listened to the silence. No birds, no rustling of leaves or grass. No cattle, no horses, just the occasional bleat of a sheep. It was a silence of absence. Absence of life, of livestock, of wildlife...of Jade. Strange how she’d spent less than twenty-four hours on his ranch and yet with her gone, something essential was missing. A vitality and a meaning that ran deep. When her truck had disappeared down the driveway, he’d felt as charred and bleak as the landscape around him.

  But he’d be okay. Maybe that’s what this fire had taught him. That even with absence, even with permanent, aching scars on his soul, life was still worth fighting for. Facing death, some part of him had awakened and fought hard to live. Like the land around him, he wasn’t completely ruined. The ground would renew with the first rain. Grass would rise out of this scorched soil. He wouldn’t rise from these ashes easily, but he could push himself up with sweat and hard work. He could come out of this crisis changed and ready, as Jade had mentioned, to live again.

  It was the first time, since Colby died, that he’d felt anything like hope. That he’d thought of anything besides taking the next breath or putting one foot in front of him.

  A noise on the driveway had him looking up. A truck was bumping down his driveway. It looked like Maya’s, but without a trailer attached. Aidan brought the hose with him and clambered down the slope toward the barn, skidding through muddy ash to land in the gravel below. He turned off the water, and went to greet his visitors.

  It was Maya and Caleb, with an older woman Aidan didn’t recognize. Maya was first out of the truck, bounding toward him to throw her arms around him. “You made it!” She stepped back to look him up and down with wide eyes. Caleb came to join them and put a hand on Aidan’s shoulder.

  “You had us pretty worried, man.” Caleb studied him. “You’re a mess, but you’re still here.” He stepped forward and pulled him in for a quick hug. “Glad to see you.”

  “We ran into Jade in Ukiah,” Maya told Aidan. “She talked the sheriff into letting us through the roadblock to check on you. We brought you a sandwich and some other food we grabbed at the market there. Aidan, we thought we might not see you again. Jade said she was out here with you?” Maya put her hands to her mouth. “I’m sorry I’m babbling. I’m just so relieved, but I’ll stop talking.”

  The older woman approached with a paper grocery bag. She had silver hair cut short and a sweet smile. “I’m Lillian, Maya’s grandmother. You need to sit down and eat something.”

  She reminded him of his neighbor, Nellie. And because he’d spent so much time with Nellie, he knew better than to argue. Plus, his stomach felt hollowed out with hunger. “Thank you, ma’am. It’s nice to meet you. I appreciate you coming out here to see me.”

  Lillian glanced around at the burned grass, fencing and bushes along the driveway. “You were hit pretty hard.”

  “It’s incredible that you saved the barn,” Caleb added.

  “We saved the sheep shed, too,” Aidan said. “Mainly because it’s metal, but still. I can keep my business going out here.”

  “But, Aidan, your house.” Maya glanced up the hill. “It broke my heart to drive in here and see it gone.”

  “We couldn’t save everything.” It was hard to think about the house. It was such a mess of regret and relief to have it gone. “I can camp out in the barn until I get something set up.” Aidan gestured for them to come inside. “Pull up a hay bale.”

  They all sat down and Aidan reached into the bag, almost crying with gratitude at the sight of the big sandwich wrapped in deli paper. They were all quiet, watching him eat. It wasn’t until he’d wolfed down the sandwich that he told them what had happened, and how he and Jade had worked together to survive.

  “It must have been terrifying,” Maya said when he finished.

  “I’m not gonna lie, it wasn’t the easiest night. But Jade kept setting new plans, and backup plans, and I just followed them. Whenever they stopped working, she came up with something new for us to try.”

  “Jade’s a strong person,” Maya said. “She was a few years behind me in high school, but everyone knew how athletic and tough she was, even back then.”

  Thinking of a younger Jade, giving everyone a run for their money in whatever sport she chose, brought a smile to Aidan’s face. “She’s something else,” he said quietly.

  Caleb reached into the grocery bag and pulled out a sports drink. He handed it to Aidan. “You know you’re welcome to stay with us. The firefighters seem pretty sure they’ll contain the fire before it gets anywhere near Shelter Creek. We can haul your sheep down to our ranch if you want to take a little downtime. You might want to regroup for a while.”

  Aidan shook his head. “Thanks but no. I’ve got to start rebuilding up here. The sooner I get going, the better.”

  Caleb’s lips pressed together as if he wasn’t happy with Aidan’s answer. “Do you have any help?”

  “I’m good on my own,” Aidan assured him. “I can always hire someone for the big projects.”

  “Aidan’s a loner, remember?” Maya’s expression was gently teasing.

  She knew nothing of his past. He’d never told her. And though a few days ago her words would have rung true, now they didn’t. He didn’t want a lot of hired hands around right now, but he liked that Maya and her family had come to check on him. And he missed Jade with an ache that didn’t seem like it would go away anytime soon. So he couldn’t be a total loner. Not anymore.

  Lillian had been quietly listening, but now she spoke. “I have a friend who has a trailer on her ranch that they aren’t using. Maybe we could haul it up here for you to live in, until you rebuild? I hate to think of you camping out in this barn.”

  The generosity of these people might shake him up even more than the fire had. Aidan barely knew them. He only knew Maya because of her job as a wildlife biologist. A couple years ago, she’d brought Caleb to visit and learn about humane predator management. And she’d brought a few other ranchers to visit since then. Yet here her grandmother was, offering him a trailer. “You’re very kind. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d appreciate a roof over my head.”

  Another pickup rattled down the driveway. Aidan stood and craned his neck, wondering who it could be. A tall, blonde woman got out, slung a black duffel bag over her shoulder, and started toward them.

  Maya went to the door of the barn and waved the woman over. “Aidan, this is Emily, our vet from Shelter Creek. I asked if she’d come up here and take a look at your animals. I was afraid some might be injured. Of course I didn’t realize that you and Jade were going to pull off some kind of miracle and bring your ranch through in such good shape.”

  Aidan had no idea how he’d ever repay Maya for her generosity, getting a vet out here so quickly.

  Emily shook Aidan’s hand. “I’m so glad you’re okay. Maya told me a lot about you.” Emily looked at Maya. “Wow. It’s a wild drive out here, with everything still smoking.”

  “I know. It’s heartbreaking. Aidan, did you see any wildlife come through last night? Emily volunteers her free time as our vet at the Shelter Creek Wildlife Center. She might be able to help out any wild animals, as well.”

  “It’s been quiet today,” Aidan told them. “No birds, nothing. But last night we saw rabbits on the run, and a couple of deer waited out the worst of the fire in the pond with us. And we caught a bobcat with burned paws. The firefighters took it down to the emergency vet in Ukiah.”

  “A bobcat?” Emily’s eyes were wide. “Impressive. How did you catch it?”

  “It took refuge in the barn. We cornered it and then used brooms to poke it into a crate. It was hissing and spitting and pretty upset, but we got it in there.”

  “Well done,” Maya said. “It’s not easy to catch those, but you’ve just given it a chance. It couldn’t get far with burned paws.” She glanced at Emil
y. “Maybe it can recuperate at the wildlife center?”

  “I’ll stop in Ukiah and check with the vet when I leave here,” Emily said. “I’m sure they’ll be glad for us to take it once it’s ready for rehabilitation.”

  It was a relief to know that the bobcat would have Maya and Emily to help it get well. But Aidan had another animal that needed looking after. “Speaking of which, my dog, Chip, got out during the fire and burnt his paws, too. But they don’t look too bad to me. I washed them pretty well and put him in a stall. I was just about to run him down to the vet.”

  Chip must have heard his name, because a low woof came from his stall.

  “I have him locked up there to protect his paws. He’s not happy.”

  “That’s smart,” Emily said. “Let me take a look at him now.”

  Caleb put a hand to Aidan’s arm. “How about I see how your sheep are doing? And you’ve got your horse out there, too, right?”

  “I’d appreciate that, Caleb. I looked them over this morning, but the smoke was still pretty thick and we were still putting out some hot spots. You might be able to find any problems that I missed. Just be mindful of the dogs. You’ve met them before. Thor and Odin.”

  Caleb grinned. “I love those dogs. I have a couple of their cousins working on my ranch now.” He headed for the pasture, his big strides covering the distance easily.

  Aidan led Maya, Emily and Lillian toward the barn.

  “After I take a look at Chip and your other animals,” Emily said, “maybe Maya and I can take a walk around and make sure there’s no other wildlife out there suffering.” Emily looked downhill from the barn where the blackened hills rolled out for miles. “It looks so bleak, but I know that wild animals have many survival strategies.”

  “A lot of them will make it,” Maya assured her. “They’ll outrun it or find shelter. Aidan, the birds will probably be back here soon, feasting on all the bugs that are going to come out of hiding.”

  “Good to know.” Aidan couldn’t help but smile. Maya loved science and all living beings so much that it might not occur to her that more bugs wasn’t good news for everyone.

  He turned to Emily. “I don’t know if you can help me with this, but I’ve got a couple feral kittens, too, who we managed to catch right before the fire got to them. Do you know anyone in Shelter Creek who might want to try domesticating them?”

  Emily glanced at Lillian, who had her hand pressed to her heart. “I think I do. Lillian, want to give it a try?”

  “I’ll take them,” Maya’s grandmother said. “I’ve been wanting to get some cats. And I’m sure if they are too wild for me, I can find someone who will give them a good home.”

  “I appreciate that,” Aidan told her. “Their parents were barn cats, who had a pretty good life out here with the mice and all. But now, the way things are...” he trailed off, waving an arm at the moonscape surrounding them.

  “It will be my pleasure,” Lillian assured him.

  Aidan led the way into the stall where Chip lay on his side. The cattle dog rolled onto his stomach, but Aidan noticed he didn’t get up. His paws must be hurting him a little more, now that Aidan had cleaned off the debris. Emily examined the dog all over. Then she applied some salve and wrapped his front paws with gauze and tape. As she worked, Aidan leaned back against the wooden partition and blew out a long slow breath. It would take hundreds of little steps just like this one to recover from this fire. But with people like Emily helping him out, he’d get things put to rights around here, eventually. And for the second time in the past twenty-four hours, he was glad he wasn’t alone.

  * * *

  “I DON’T THINK fried chicken has ever tasted this good.” Jade looked down the table to where her mother sat next to Dean. “Thanks for making a feast, Mom.”

  “We’re just glad that fire is out and we get to have you all back home.” Her mom looked pretty tonight, a flowered headband holding back her shoulder-length brown hair. She had a streak of gray at her forehead now. She smiled at her husband at the head of the table. “I guess that’s just the way my life was meant to be. Waiting on you, Stan, when you were a firefighter, and now waiting on my kids.”

  “Well, Jade’s poor choice last week gave us the most worrisome wait we’ve ever had.” Jade’s dad fixed her with a stern look from beneath thick, gray brows. Stan Carson hadn’t tolerated mistakes from his firefighters when he was chief, and he definitely didn’t like to see his children make any either.

  “Dad.” Travis put a hand on his father’s arm. “It wasn’t Jade’s fault that a tree fell across the road.”

  “But she said herself that she probably wouldn’t have gotten stuck out there at all if she hadn’t gone back to try to save that fool rancher.” Her father twisted the pepper mill as if he were wringing the neck of a small animal.

  “He’s not a fool.” The words came out louder than Jade had intended and everyone turned to look at her. Thank goodness Mom had insisted on a nice dim candlelight dinner, or everyone would be able to see Jade’s face turn beet red under their scrutiny. “He’d promised his elderly neighbor he’d save her prized sheep. He was determined to keep his word.”

  Her father’s expression hardened. He never backed down in an argument. “If you hadn’t gone back for him a second time, you wouldn’t have put your life at risk.”

  Jade wished she hadn’t told that part of the story to anyone. But it was too late now.

  Dean came to her defense. “Jade was trying to do her job and save the guy’s life. Which, by the way, she did.”

  “People who refuse to evacuate get what they get.”

  Jade knew her father wasn’t really as heartless as he seemed. Every soul lost in a fire he’d fought weighed heavily on his mind, especially now that he was older and retired. Not that it made his harsh words feel any better. “Look, Dad, I’m sorry I gave you guys a scare. Maybe you’re right that I shouldn’t have tried to go back for him. But think about it this way. If I hadn’t gone back to his ranch a second time, that tree might have fallen right on top of me.”

  “Oh my goodness, can we change the subject please?” Mom paled and put her head in her hands.

  “Great idea,” Jade said. “Let’s criticize someone else now. How about Ash, since he’s not here to defend himself?”

  Travis and Dean burst out laughing, and Jade laughed along with them, but she didn’t actually find it funny. These postmortems her father liked to perform on her life choices were a tradition she didn’t appreciate—especially because he never seemed to do the same for her brothers.

  She interrupted the laughter without thought, without a plan. “Dad, you know what? I’m twenty-eight years old and I’m still sitting here wondering if you wish I’d been born a boy.”

  Her family’s answering silence was solid as a wall. But Jade couldn’t stay quiet anymore. Maybe it was surviving the fire and being given a second chance. The words just wouldn’t stay inside. “I’m so tired of coming up short in your eyes, Dad. When I was young, I did every sport you wanted, and I got great grades in school. But you were never satisfied.”

  “Jade, that isn’t true,” her mom intervened.

  “It feels true to me,” Jade told her. She looked back at her father who’d crossed his arms over his chest and was glaring at her. Probably wishing she was still a kid so he could send her to her room.

  Jade’s heart was banging in her chest at the unfamiliar feeling of speaking her mind to him. “I graduated top of my class from the fire academy and I’ve taken on more and more responsibility at work. I’m apprenticing so I can qualify for the captain’s exam. And now I’ve survived a wildfire out in the middle of nowhere and all you can do is criticize?”

  Jade stood and pushed down the tears that were rising. She didn’t cry. Wouldn’t cry. Not in front of her brothers and a father who’d resisted any show of emotion. Who’d pushed her
to be tough. Well, now he could see just how tough she’d become. “I’m sorry I wasn’t born with the right anatomy for you, Dad. If I were a man, you might respect me the way you respect my brothers. But as it is, I don’t think there’s anything I could ever do that would make you proud. So I’m done trying.” She turned to her mother. “Thank you, Mom, for making us such a good dinner. I’m sorry to leave early, but I think I’ve had all I can take.”

  Jade went to the hall for her coat. In the dining room, her family still sat in stunned silence. She felt guilty for ruining her mom’s dinner but strangely, she didn’t feel terrible about what she’d said. Just relieved that she’d finally said it.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  PEOPLE FROM SHELTER CREEK were generous to an extreme. Aidan looked around the barn in wonder. In the week since the fire, they’d done everything from give him the refrigerator he’d just plugged into the wall, to delivering the pile of donated wood at his feet that he’d use to replace the fencing along his driveway.

  Then there was the trailer, on loan from a woman named Annie Brooks, who was a friend of Maya’s grandmother. She’d recently gotten married and she and her husband had dropped it off the day after the fire. The trailer was huge, and so comfortable that Aidan was wondering if he even needed to rebuild at all. Maybe he could just buy it from Annie and be all set.

  Except there was something about being a guy in the middle of nowhere, living alone in a trailer, that was a little too hermit-like, even for him. He should build a real house, eventually. It was hard to imagine it right now. He’d been living a day at a time, focused on cleaning up, repairing and looking after his livestock. It should have kept him too busy to think about the fire, and Jade. But she came back to him every night in his sleep, in dreams where flames roared high and he was trying to pull her away from them, but she insisted on staying and beating at them with a towel.

  And then there were the dreams where she lay close and peaceful in his arms.