by Sharon Dunn
Here at The Stables, working with the children and the horses alleviated the loneliness and loss of purpose. Alex was the only one who had asked any probing questions.
Bluebell whinnied from her stall. “You’re raring to go, aren’t you?” She retrieved the horse’s bridle and slipped it over Bluebell’s head. The horse stretched her neck over the stall gate, and Morgan stroked her nose and neck.
Bluebell jerked her head back violently and shifted her weight from side to side. The metal of her bridle clinked with each head thrust. Several other horses stirred in their stalls. A thumping noise came from the loft. Morgan lifted her head. She smelled smoke. She sprinted toward the door, searching for the source of the fire.
Bluebell reared and kicked the gate of her stall. Frantic, Morgan opened the door. There was no fire outside. The smell of the smoke was much more intense inside. Her gaze traveled upward toward the loft, where smoke billowed out. Grabbing a wool saddle blanket, she climbed up the ladder. The fire was small but spreading quickly, fueled by the hay spread across the floor.
She placed the blanket over the flames, smothering them. She coughed as the smoke grew thicker. Pressing her forearm over her mouth, she whirled around. The flames had jumped to a straw bale. She could feel herself growing lightheaded as she picked up the wool blanket and stumbled toward the spreading flames.
Down below, wood splintered as Bluebell crashed through her stall. Heavy smoke surrounded Morgan. She coughed, struggling to beat back the flames. She felt dizzy as she swayed and slumped to the floor of the loft.
FIVE
When he emerged from the guesthouse, Alex scanned the fence by the stable expecting to see two saddled horses. What could have delayed Morgan? His walk turned into a run when he saw smoke coming out of the loft window. He ran to the far side of the stable where the large sliding door was.
He tilted his head. “Morgan?”
Silence.
He pushed open the door. The pounding of hooves assaulted him right before the black Arabian charged toward him. He stumbled out of the way. He could catch Bluebell later. He darted into the barn. Though agitated, all the other horses were still in their stalls. No sign of Morgan. He lifted his head and saw that smoke floated out from the loft.
He climbed up the ladder. His heart stopped as fear shot through him at lightning speed. Morgan lay on her side not moving. He rushed over to her. Flames that had consumed a straw bale raged across the floorboards. Coughing from the thickening smoke, he gathered Morgan into his arms, flung her over his shoulder and carried her down the ladder.
Craig waited for him at the bottom with a hose. “I saw the smoke coming out of the loft window. I called the fire department.”
“Good.” Alex focused on Morgan as Craig climbed the ladder with the hose.
He carried Morgan outside and laid her in the grass. When he touched the side of her neck, he felt a faint pulse. He patted her cheek. “Morgan.” She stirred and coughed. Dark eyes locked onto him as relief spread through him. “Hey.”
She still wasn’t coherent, and he couldn’t tell the extent of the injuries, but she was conscious.
Craig called down from the loft window. “I could use some help up here.”
Morgan closed her eyes. He didn’t want to leave her until he was sure she would be all right.
Craig called down a second time. “It’s getting a little out of control.”
“I have to help him. Can you sit up?” She nodded and he reached out, pulling her up and supporting her back.
“I’m all right.” Her voice was hoarse. “Go help Craig.”
He glanced around, looking for a way to assist Craig in putting out the fire. “I’ll be back to check on you.”
He grabbed a bucket and filled it from an outdoor trough.
By the time the fire department arrived, they had put out most of the flames. The bulk of the damage was to the straw bales that had been stored in the loft. The treated wood of the barn had not burned as quickly as the straw. The whole place smelled like smoke, though.
With the firemen dealing with the last little bit of the fire, he climbed down to the main floor of the barn. Craig waited for him at the bottom. Sweat stained the boy’s shirt, and his face glistened. He had a smear of charcoal across his forehead.
Alex cupped Craig’s shoulder. “Thanks for your quick thinking.”
Craig nodded.
“What happened, anyway?”
The boy shrugged. “I was cutting the grass up by the guesthouse when I saw the smoke.”
He recalled seeing Craig with the gas can as suspicion niggled at the edge of his mind. How deep did the kid’s anger run? Then again, Craig had shown up right away to help.
“What were you doing with that gas can earlier?”
Craig tilted his head as though he were assessing what the intent of the question was. “I was getting gas for the lawn mower.” His answer was defensive.
His explanation made sense. If not Craig, then who? Lessons had finished a while ago. Mrs. Stovall and her crew were busy in the guesthouse getting ready for the weekend guests. One of them could have slipped out, but why would they want to set the loft on fire? “I need to go check on Morgan.”
Craig sneered. “You might want to ask her how this fire got started.”
“I doubt Morgan had anything to do with this.” Everyone was playing the blame game. The firemen would have a clearer idea of what caused the fire. “It’s still kind of smoky in here. Let’s get these horses out into the fresh air.”
He helped Craig get the remaining horses out of their stalls and led them to a nearby corral.
When he glanced up the road, several guests had parked in the lot and were staring in the direction of the fire trucks, shielding their eyes from the sun. Alex groaned inwardly. The last thing he needed was for the guests to think this place was unsafe. He’d deal with that fallout in a minute. First he needed to check on Morgan.
He found her sitting on a bench with a fireman’s blanket around her. Gripping a water bottle, she stared at the ground. His heart surged with joy to see that she had recovered so quickly. She looked up. Her eyes brightened when she saw him.
“Hey, how are you doing?”
She touched her neck. “The fireman said there’s probably some damage from inhaling the smoke.”
He sat down beside her. “I’m glad to see you made it.”
“Was there any doubt?”
“You weren’t conscious when I found you in the loft.” Talking about what had happened made his throat tighten with emotion. He’d had a flash image of his life without Morgan, and it had scared him. “I had a moment there.” Affection fused with his words.
“I’m glad you came when you did.” She gazed at him, her expression warm and welcoming, but then when she looked toward the stable that worried look distorted her features. “What happened? Why would a fire start up there?”
“I’m not sure. The firemen should be able to figure out the cause.”
She coughed and took a sip of water. “I hope they do.” She sounded almost fearful.
“Me, too.” He didn’t want to make accusations unless he could be sure. “Did you notice anything when you were in there?”
She looked away. “Not with the fire, but I think we need to have a talk with Craig. Someone put a spur on top of the tack cupboard. I nearly got my face sliced open.”
Alex clenched his jaw. “This is getting serious. If he’s doing stuff like that, he has to go.”
“I agree. It’s one thing to be surly with me. It’s another to try to hurt me.”
Another car pulled into the lot. Alex raised his head. He knew that car. “I think we have a bigger problem than figuring out how the fire got started.”
Morgan followed the line of his gaze. “What do
you mean?”
Alex stood up. “Bluebell broke out of her stall when the fire started.” He pointed at a blonde woman strutting toward the stable. “And that is Bluebell’s owner, Stephanie Bliss.”
* * *
Morgan rose to her feet to stand beside Alex. A second woman got out of the passenger side of Stephanie’s luxury car. After glancing at the fire truck, Stephanie waved at Alex and made a beeline for him.
“Here we go,” said Alex, tension evident in his voice. “She’s a difficult client anyway. She won’t like the news about her horse.”
As the women drew closer, Morgan saw that they were dressed in jeans that looked like they’d just been pulled off the rack, crisp button shirts and bulky, expensive-looking necklaces. The other woman was a brunette, but she sported the same hairstyle as Stephanie and held her designer handbag in the crook of her elbow just like Stephanie.
“Alex, it’s so good to see you. This is my friend Melody. She flew in from L.A., and she loves to ride. I can’t wait to show her Bluebell. Can we rent one of your horses so she can ride, too?”
Alex shifted his weight. “I’m sorry, you weren’t on the guest list for the weekend. We don’t have any more space.’”
“This was totally spur-of-the-moment. Besides, we’ll be staying at a hotel in town.” Stephanie wrinkled her nose. “We want to get in a massage and a nice dinner after a day of riding.”
Stephanie lifted her chin and looked down at Morgan. “So is this the woman who is going to get Bluebell saddled up for me?”
Alex cleared his throat. “We had a little bit of excitement this afternoon. There was a small fire in the stable loft.”
“Oh, yes, I see that.” Stephanie narrowed her eyes at Morgan.
Morgan jumped in. “Bluebell got spooked, broke down her stall and took off.”
Stephanie’s mouth formed a perfect O. She crossed her arms. “What are you saying?”
“We’ll get the horse back, no problem.” Alex remained calm. “They usually don’t run far.”
Stephanie adjusted the sunglasses on her head. “I’m ready to ride right now, Alex.”
Morgan could feel her ire growing. So far, Stephanie had expressed no concern for the horse. She hadn’t even asked if Bluebell was okay.
“I’m so sorry for the delay. We should be able to catch her sometime today and you’ll have all day Saturday and Sunday to ride.” Despite Stephanie’s rising irritation, Alex kept his tone polite.
Stephanie let out a huff of air. “Sometime today? Don’t you mean you’re going out right now to find her?”
“I understand your concern. We’ll get to it as quickly as we can,” Alex said.
Irritation simmered inside Morgan. She didn’t like the way Stephanie spoke to Alex.
Stephanie waved her hands in the air. “I don’t know what kind of place this is that you let the horses get away like that.”
That was it. Did this woman have no understanding of what they had just been through? Did she even care about Bluebell? “I think the important thing is that your horse is all right. A little spooked is all.”
Stephanie put her hands on her hips and glared at Morgan. “Excuse me, I came here to ride my horse.”
Every muscle in Morgan’s body tensed. She was going to snap if she had to talk to this woman one second longer. Stephanie was one of those people who treated people and animals as if they were there to do her bidding. “It has been weeks since you were here. Horses need attention. They’re not inanimate objects.”
Stephanie’s well-groomed eyebrows shot up. “So now you’re blaming your incompetence on me. I don’t pay these ridiculous prices to be told this is my fault.”
“I wasn’t suggesting that. The horse shouldn’t have gotten away. I’m only saying that you have to work with a horse like Bluebell, build a connection, make an effort.” Her voice had slipped into a higher register.
Stephanie inhaled and exhaled so intensely that her nostrils ballooned. “Alex, why are you letting this woman talk to me like that?”
Alex’s calm demeanor never wavered. “We’ll get the horse for you.” He wrapped his fingers around Morgan’s upper arm. “Morgan and I are going to take care of it right now.”
Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Fine. I guess Melody and I can go into town and shop for a while.”
Morgan planted her feet. Bluebell deserved better than Stephanie, but Stephanie was what she had to work with. She spoke more gently to Stephanie. “Please, think about what I said.” What Morgan cared about was the horse.
Obviously ruffled, Stephanie pursed her lips and then opened her mouth to speak.
“Let’s go round that horse up.” Alex grabbed Morgan by the elbow and led her away before Stephanie could respond.
Morgan clenched her teeth. Why hadn’t Alex backed her up? She glanced over her shoulder as Stephanie and her friend strutted back to the parking lot. “Was I wrong?”
“No, you’re right. If you own a horse like Bluebell, you have to be willing to invest time in her,” Alex said.
“So why didn’t you say that to Stephanie?” Her voice faltered. Alex not taking her side hurt more than she wanted to admit.
“You don’t stay in business by constantly speaking your mind, Morgan.” He leaned closer to her. “She had a right to be upset. We weren’t taking care of her horse like we should have. Haven’t you heard the adage the customer is always right?”
She stepped away, pulling free of his grip on her elbow. The intensity of her emotions was unsettling. If she didn’t care for Alex, her reaction wouldn’t have been this strong. “Let’s go find that horse.”
“Fine, I’ll get the truck. You saddle up one of the other horses that needed to be exercised. We’ll kill two birds with one stone. I’ll get Craig to help the guests who want to go out right away.”
Morgan entered the stable to get the tack. The firemen no longer occupied the loft. Outside, she heard their truck backing up. The stable still smelled faintly like smoke. Morgan walked over to the corral where the horses were and placed a bridle on Anxious Heart and then saddled him up. She led the horse out of the corral as Alex stood beside his truck talking to one of the firemen.
Alex wrapped up his conversation and patted the fireman on the back. He turned toward Morgan. “You ready to go?”
She nodded and pulled Anxious a little closer to the truck. “What did he say about the cause of the fire?” Fear surrounded her question. From the moment she’d seen the fire, she wondered if someone had started it to kill her. She was the one who was in the stable all the time. Maybe they’d put the spur in such a dangerous place to disable her, too.
Alex shook his head. “He couldn’t say for sure. He found the remnant of some paint rags. If there had been a spark from something, that might have started it.”
“Who put the paint rags up there?”
“Who knows? There’s always a construction job going on around here. Stuff gets tossed up there when people don’t know what to do with it.” His voice held a note of exasperation.
She had to find out how the fire got started. “What kind of spark would he be talking about, anyway?”
Alex shrugged. “Something electrical would have done it.” He yanked open the door of his truck. “The fireman said it didn’t look like gasoline was used as an accelerant. If it had been, the place might have burned to the ground. It was probably just an accident.”
It was natural for him to assume the fire was accidental, but she wasn’t so sure. “Are they going to do any kind of investigation?”
“Morgan, it was a small fire. They have better things to do with their time. We’ve got to catch this horse. I didn’t need this kind of delay. Guests are coming in.” He climbed into the cab and slammed the door.
She could tell he was getting impatient. She sp
oke through the rolled-down window of the truck cab. “Good then, I’ll take the trails and I assume you’ll cover the dirt road.”
He started his truck and then shouted over the sputtering roar of the engine. “Call when you find her.”
Morgan got up on Anxious Heart and directed him toward the trails. Alex had been so abrupt. She understood that he was feeling tension over things going wrong. What bothered her was that his mood affected her. Despite her best efforts, he was becoming more than just a boss. She liked spending time with him and she cared about what he thought of her. She cared about him.
Morgan pushed the horse into a gallop as she surveyed the landscape. In the distance, she could see the dust cloud that Alex’s truck stirred up. She had no idea how many acres connected with The Stables. The trails she’d gone on continued for miles. How hard would it be to find one high-strung black horse?
Not wanting to tire out Anxious, she slowed to a trot. Alex didn’t seem too concerned about the fire, but she couldn’t let it go. What if someone had started the fire on purpose? She considered Craig, but she really didn’t think he would do something like that. That wasn’t his game. He liked The Stables and he liked the horses. It was Morgan he had a beef with. The thumping noise she’d heard when she’d entered the stables could have been another person jumping out of the loft window. At the very least, she’d have to call Brendan and tell him about it.
As her horse’s hooves pounded out a rhythm on the hard-packed trail, fear stirred inside her. She wasn’t crazy about being out here on the trail alone.
SIX
“I found her.” The soft airy tones of Morgan’s voice caressed Alex’s ear through the phone. “She’s in some brush by the north fence. I can see a gray farm house off to the west.”
At least Bluebell hadn’t wandered onto someone else’s farm. “Great. I’m about a five-minute drive from there.”
“Don’t worry about it, Alex.” Her voice reverberated across the line. “I can bring her in since you have so much work to do.”
