Up in Flames

by Elle James

  Ann wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck and returned the kiss. When he set her back on her feet, she chuckled. “I do believe you make a good point. However, if they know where they came from, what’s taking them so long to grace us with grandchildren? I might be convinced to slow my travels if I had a few grandchildren around to spoil.” She raised both eyebrows and gave Becket, Rider, Chance and Lily all a pointed look.

  Becket reached out a hand to Kinsey as she stepped down from the porch. “I guess it’s not too soon to share our news.”

  Kinsey blushed and looked around. “I thought you were going to wait to announce it when everyone was here.”

  Becket tipped his head toward the back door where Nash had just stepped out and held the door for Phoebe and the new deputy. “Everyone’s here now.”

  “Okay then,” Kinsey laughed. “I guess it’s okay.”

  “I asked Kinsey to marry me,” Becket said.

  Kinsey’s cheeks flushed a bright pink, and she grinned. “And I said yes.”

  “We’re getting married!” Becket shouted, hugged Kinsey and spun her in a circle. Then he set her on her feet and kissed her soundly.

  The family gathered around, congratulating the happy couple.

  When Chance could get close enough to give his brother a hug, he chuckled. “Thanks for taking the pressure off the rest of us. I hope this means you’ll be delivering on the grandchildren soon, as well.”

  Kinsey slipped her arm through Becket’s. “We want four. Two boys and two girls.”

  “Good. That ought to hold off the grandparents.”

  “Don’t think you’re off the hook, Chance Grayson,” his mother said from behind him. “I want all my children to be happily married. And I expect grandchildren from all of them.”

  “Damn,” Chance muttered. “When did she sneak up behind me?”

  Becket laughed. “About the time you were thanking me for taking the pressure off you. Don’t worry. She’ll have a bevy of ladies lined up for you to choose from.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of. Not all of us are the marrying kind.”

  “Chance, don’t think you’re immune to love. Give it time,” his mother said. “There’s someone for everyone. You just have to be open to the possibilities.”

  Chance’s chest ached, and his throat tightened. Surrounded by his family, he suddenly felt as if he couldn’t get enough air in his lungs. While everyone was congratulating Becket, Chance slipped away to the barn, hoping no one would notice his absence. He wanted to jump on his bike and drive away. Only speed and the wind in his face helped him to forget what he’d had and what he’d lost in the split second it took for the bullet to pierce her heart. He entered the shadowy darkness of the barn.

  His mother had said there was someone out there for everyone. Chance had found that someone in Army Specialist Sandy Meyers. He’d met her on his last tour to Afghanistan and had immediately fallen in love with the beautiful, sandy-haired blonde. She’d made him laugh when he’d thought he’d forgotten how. She’d shown him the light in the darkness of war and made him dream of a future he never thought possible.

  He’d thought the few stolen kisses they’d managed to sneak would be the precursor to making love for the first time when they returned stateside. But one day when they’d been jogging inside the wire around the perimeter of camp, a Taliban rebel had fired a shot, aiming at Chance. He’d missed his target and hit Sandy instead. She’d bled out before Chance could get her back to the camp hospital. The field surgeon on duty had told him they couldn’t have saved her, even if he’d gotten her back sooner. The bullet ripped through her heart, killing her in seconds.

  He remembered trying to carry her back, while trying to hold a hand against the wound in her chest, praying as he ran that it wasn’t too late. She’d been dead before he’d reached the hospital, her head lolling, her arms and legs flopping with every step he took. But Chance held out hope that the medical staff could bring her back to life. He’d yelled at them to use the paddles, perform CPR, do something. Anything. But don’t let her die.

  As he’d stood in front of a stall, the memories washed over him like a tsunami, pushing at the walls he’d tried to erect around his heart and mind. The bullet had been meant for him. Intel had learned that the Taliban had sent their sniper to take out the Army Ranger who’d killed one of their revered leaders. He’d then worn a vest filled with explosives into a crowded market. Before he’d detonated himself, he’d shouted that he was there in retribution for the murder of their leader and to blame the Americans for the destruction he’d unleashed that day.

  Twenty-seven civilians had died in that market, seven of whom were small children.

  By that evening, Chance had lost the woman he’d hoped to spend his life with, and he’d been blamed for the deaths of twenty-seven Afghan civilians.

  Anger, despair and desolation burned a hole through his heart. For the next five months, every mission he was on, he’d pushed to the very limits of sanity, taking point, rushing headfirst into dangerous situations, taking out every enemy combatant he’d encountered, with no remorse. He hadn’t eaten right, and sleep had been hard to come by unless he ran himself into the ground and passed out. He couldn’t go fast enough, or far enough, to get away from the memory of Sandy dying in his arms.

  By the time he and his team had redeployed back to the States, he’d lost twenty pounds and was having recurring nightmares, destroying what little sleep he managed to get. His team worried so much they reported him to his commanding officer.

  When the CO called him into his office, he’d ordered him to see a shrink.

  What good was a shrink? He couldn’t bring Sandy back, nor could he bring back even one of the twenty-seven people who’d died in that marketplace.

  Chance’s reenlistment had come up, and he’d chosen to leave the Army and the unit that had been his family for so long. Haunted by memories he couldn’t erase, he’d come back to Hellfire, hoping to find solace at home.

  A soft whinny sounded from the other side of the stall door, jerking Chance back to the present. He glanced into the stall, looking for the occupant and didn’t see one.

  Another whinny made Chance frown.

  “Look closer. He’s really small,” his sister said from behind him. “It’s a miniature horse.”

  Chance opened the stall door and stared down at a horse the size of a large dog. Still deep in his memories, he struggled to form words. “When?” was all he could choke out.

  “I brought Dexter home today. The poor little guy was being sold at auction. One of the glue factory guys was bidding on him. I couldn’t let him go to him.” Lily knelt beside the little horse and wrapped her arms around his neck. “He deserves to live a long life, not to end up as dog food or glue.” She scratched behind the little horse’s ears. “Isn’t that right, Dexter?”

  The horse tossed his head as though he understood and agreed with her.

  Lily snapped a lead on his miniature halter and straightened. “I’m going to let him out in the pasture. He could use some exercise. Want to come with me?”

  “No,” Chance said. He wasn’t good company at that moment.

  Lily touched his arm. “You know we all love you, don’t you?”

  Chance’s throat tightened, and his eyes burned. He nodded.

  “Whatever happened on your last assignment…” Lily looked up into her brother’s eyes. “Whatever it was…we’re always here for you.”

  He pulled her into a quick hug. “Thanks.”

  She gave him a tight smile and led Dexter out to the paddock closest to the barn, opened the gate and unclipped the lead from his halter.

  The little horse nuzzled her hand for a moment then kicked up his heels and raced across the grass.

  If only it was that easy to let go of the bad things that had happened and embrace the new life he was living, far away from the dust of the desert.

  Chance left the barn and walked to the fence to watch Dexter rev
eling in his newfound freedom. He had a lot he could learn from the antics of the miniature horse. If only he was open to the lesson.

  Chapter 4

  Kate and Bacchus stood on the porch as the family congratulated the couple upon the announcement of their engagement. For a moment, she considered slipping away, climbing into her truck and driving back to town.

  As she turned to do just that, the woman who’d met her with Nash stepped up beside her. “I’m so happy for them. They went through a pretty rough time. They deserve all the happiness they can grab.”

  Curious, Kate asked, “Rough time?”

  Phoebe nodded. “I wasn’t here when it happened, but Kinsey’s ex-boyfriend was abusive. She escaped him and came back home to get away. He followed her and tried to kill her. If he couldn’t have her, he didn’t want anyone else to have her.” Phoebe’s brow dipped. “That bastard. Who could hurt a sweetheart like Kinsey?”

  Kate wouldn’t know. She didn’t know any of the people there. She didn’t respond to the rhetorical question, standing in silence as the others continued their celebratory hugs and exclamations.

  “Nash was happy to get another deputy in the department. They’ve been short-handed for a while now. Having you on the staff will take some of the pressure off the other deputies.”

  “I hope to come up to speed quickly,” Kate said.

  “I’m sure you will.” She bent to Bacchus and paused before touching. “May I? He won’t bite, will he?”

  “Not unless I tell him to,” Kate said.

  Phoebe looked up, her eyes wide.

  Kate smiled. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell him to.”

  “What’s his name?” Phoebe asked as she ruffled the dog’s neck.

  “Bacchus.”

  “A handsome name for a handsome dog.” She ran her hand along his back. “I understand he hired on with you.” Phoebe straightened. “How’s that going to work?”

  “He was trained to sniff bombs. I’ll be working to retrain him to sniff for drugs.”

  “Is it easy to retrain a dog?” Phoebe asked.

  “He’s smart. I think he’ll catch on quickly.” Kate hoped he would prove to be useful. Otherwise, the sheriff might decide to have her keep him at home instead of going along with her on her shift.

  Now that she had Bacchus, she wanted him to be with her always. He was like her lifeline. As much as she thought she calmed him, he made her feel calm as well. And right at this moment in her life, he was her only friend.

  “He’s really smart,” Kate repeated. “He’ll learn.”

  “I’m sure he will.” When Nash waved his hand toward her, Phoebe smiled. “Excuse me. I think I need to help Nash with the grill. Everyone seems to have forgotten the steaks.”

  Bacchus left her side and dropped down the steps to the ground.

  “Where are you going, boy?” Kate asked, following the dog, figuring he was after the scent of the steaks on the grill. But when he passed the grill and continued toward the barn, Kate hurried after him, thinking she probably should have snapped his lead on before getting him out of the truck. She trusted that Bacchus would come to her command, but there were a lot of new and interesting things for him to sniff. He might get distracted.

  He stopped in front of a gate and stuck his nose between the wooden slats.

  Another nose met his.

  Kate knelt beside Bacchus and peered through the gate at what appeared to be a horse. Only this horse was so tiny, it looked like a dog. She reached through the fence to pat its velvety nose. The little horse nibbled at her fingers. “Hi there.” She wished she had a treat for the animal.

  Bacchus sniffed at the little guy’s face.

  The horse tossed his head and touched his nose to Bacchus’s.

  Kate laughed. “You’ve made a friend.” Which was more than she could say for herself. But it was a start.

  “Are you a baby or some kind of dwarf?” Kate wondered aloud.

  “He’s a miniature horse, fully grown,” a voice said behind her. “His name is Dexter.”

  Recognizing the voice, Kate jerked to her feet, spun and stumbled backward.

  Chance grabbed her around the waist and steadied her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

  She trembled, but not from fear of the man but of her body’s reaction to his nearness. Her breath caught and held in her lungs as her chest pressed against his.

  For a long moment, Chance held her, and time seemed to stand still. He was so close, she could feel the warmth of his minty breath against her cheeks.

  Without realizing it, Kate swept her tongue across her lips.

  Chance’s gaze dropped from her eyes to her mouth. For a very brief moment, his blue eyes flared, and his head dipped lower.

  Kate thought he was about to kiss her. Her pulse quickened, and her heartbeat fluttered against her ribs.

  The little horse reared and trotted away, the sound of its tiny hooves breaking through the trance.

  “I wasn’t so much frightened as s-startled,” she said, appalled at how wispy her voice sounded to her own ears.

  Chance straightened and dropped his arms.

  Without his support, Kate’s knees nearly buckled. She quickly locked them and stepped away, out of reach of his strong arms and the subtle scent of his cologne.

  Dragging her gaze away from his, she shifted focus to the miniature horse trotting back up to the gate.

  Once again, Bacchus touched noses with the animal.

  “I didn’t know horses came in compact sizes,” Kate said, glad for the distraction. She willed her pulse to return to normal as she stood beside the tall firefighter.

  “Have you been around ranch animals much?”

  She gave a strained laugh. “I grew up in Texas, but this is my first time on a real, honest-to-goodness working ranch.” Kate glanced toward him. “I’m from San Antonio. I guess you could say I’m a city girl, but I like to go on hikes, and I’m not afraid of physical work.”

  Chance nodded. “Especially if you made it through boot camp and trained dogs while on active duty.”

  She nodded. “Exactly. I’m not completely inept in the outdoors. I fired expert on the M4A1 rifle, the .38, M9 and .45.”

  “I’m impressed,” he said. His voice lowered, “Have you ever had to shoot someone with any one of those?”

  A chill rippled across her skin. “No. But if I had to, I would. Why do you ask?”

  Bacchus walked over to Chance, sat at his feet and looked up at him as if wondering the same.

  Kate wanted to pat him on the back, but the dog was just out of her reach. Instead, she lifted her chin and waited for Chance’s response.

  “Hellfire might be a sleepy little town, but we’ve had our share of crime. If someone needed your help, and the situation required you to shoot a bad guy to save an innocent’s life…”

  “I’d shoot his ass,” Kate stated firmly.

  Chance chuckled. “Hopefully, shooting a man in the ass would slow him down enough.”

  Her eyebrows pulled downward. “You know what I mean.”

  He nodded, and then changed the subject. “Have you ever ridden a horse?”

  Kate shook her head. “Never.”

  “Would you like to?”

  She shrugged. “I suppose.” Her gaze went to the miniature horse, her eyes rounding. “You aren’t suggesting we ride Dexter, are you?”

  He laughed out loud. “No. Of course not.” He tipped his head toward the barn. “We have larger horses for riding.”

  “In that case, I’d love to learn.” She glanced toward Bacchus.

  “He can come, too. The horses are used to having dogs around. We just lost our old hound dog last year.”

  “Just so you know, I heard what your family was saying as I walked out onto the deck a little while ago,” Kate said.

  Chance stiffened. “They mean well. I’m just not a good candidate for their matchmaking.”

  “And I wanted you to know, neither am I. I’
d like to learn how to ride a horse from you…as a friend. Not a date.”

  “Good. Because I didn’t mean it to sound like a date.”

  “Good.” Now that she was clear, Kate couldn’t think of anything else that needed to be said, other than, “When?”

  “I’m on a twenty-four-hour shift tomorrow. It will have to be Tuesday or Wednesday.”

  “I’ll have to work around my assigned work schedule at the sheriff’s department.”

  “Then I’ll wait to hear what you can do before we make a date.” He held up his hands. “Not a date. A plan.” He held out his hand. “As friends.”

  She hesitated a moment before placing her hand in his. “Friends,” she said with a little more force than necessary. Was she emphasizing the word for his benefit or for hers?

  * * *

  A loud clanging signaled dinner was ready. The sound brought back memories for Chance. He and his brothers had stayed outside all summer and after school until dark, unless their mother rang the bell for meals. Then they’d come running from all around to eat the wonderful, hearty meals she or his father had prepared. The two had loved cooking together when time permitted. Good memories.

  Chance turned to Kate with a wry grin. “I bet you’ve never heard a dinner bell like that ring.”

  She laughed. “No. I can’t say I have.”

  Chance stared up at the ranch house, dreading the not-so-subtle ribbing he expected from his siblings and the constant reminder that he needed to find someone to love from his parents. “Are you ready to face the family and their good intentions again?”

  Kate drew in a deep breath and let it out. “For one of those steaks, I’d face a pack of bears.” She rubbed her flat belly. “I’m hungry.”

  “Good, because between my mother and father, they usually make enough food to feed a small army.” He waved a hand toward the house. “Shall we?”

  Kate fell in step with Chance. She glanced at the back porch where Mrs. Grayson stood near a cast iron bell. “We probably should have approached the house from different directions.”

  Chance frowned, his gaze on his family members. “Yeah. But it’s too late now. They’ll try to throw us together at every possible opening.” He glanced down at her. “We could skip dinner and make a run for it.”