The Fire in Ember

by DiAnn Mills

  “I will not.” She spoke her words quietly yet full of strength.

  “Save yourself,” John said.

  “No. I’ll not shoot him.”

  “Then I’ll do it, and you can watch him bleed.”

  “No, Clint.” Her face blanched, and her body trembled.

  “Kill him.” Hatred poured from Clint’s words. “Do you want me to give you over to these men as a reward for finishing up a good job?”

  “If you’re anything like Simon, you would anyway.”

  His hand smacked hard against the side of her face, and she’d have fallen if not for Clint grabbing her.

  Haven’t you hurt her enough? John struggled against the ropes binding him. “Leave her alone.”

  Clint pushed her against the rock and aimed the revolver at John. But she scrambled between him and Clint. “Shoot me first, Clint. Because I won’t watch you kill an innocent man.”

  “What’s going on?” Lester called.

  “Shut up. I’m taking care of business.”

  “Killin’ Timmons and Bert?” Lester said. “I thought we agreed to sell her?”

  “I changed my mind. I haven’t forgotten what she did to Simon.”

  “Ember, move out of the way,” John said. “Don’t let it happen this way.”

  Clint snickered and raised his revolver.

  “Do it,” Ember said. “You’re the one who’ll have to live with all the murdering.”

  A rifle shot echoed through the canyon, and then another. Clint and the other men grabbed their weapons and raced toward the incline of the narrow rock entrance.

  Leah and her sons had taken positions inside the mouth of the canyon so their rifle fire sounded like more than four people. But when she heard Wirt’s voice behind her, she realized Davis had flown like the wind to find them.

  “I’m here,” Wirt repeated. “Parker’s with Evan. And Davis is back with the horses.”

  Later she’d cry. Right now, she had a son in trouble and a battle to win.

  “You’re surrounded by US Marshals,” Wirt called, his voice booming around them. “You men had better put down your guns and walk on out here with your hands up.”

  “We got John Timmons and Bert. Sounds like you’d better be the ones to back off, or we’ll kill them both.”

  Ember?

  “We’re no fools,” Wirt said. “You plan on killing them no matter what we do.”

  A coarse laugh from inside the canyon told Leah that Wirt was right.

  “Let Ember go,” John said, and Leah stifled a cry.

  A man swore, letting them know what he thought of John’s request. Leah saw a shadow above her as Mark and Aaron crawled up and over rock. Oh, God, protect my sons. She saw where the two could slip down undetected. Rifles in hand, they inched closer to the men inside. Where was Parker? We have to free John. We have to.

  “Name who’s behind this, and the law will go easier on you,” Parker said. “No point in all of you hanging to protect one man.”

  “I don’t believe you.” A different man responded. Perhaps the two were Ember’s brothers.

  “It’s the truth,” Wirt said, creeping farther into the canyon and hiding behind rock. “We want who’s started all the trouble. Is it Victor Oberlander?”

  Leah wanted to aim her rifle at any of the men who might attempt to harm her sons. Frantic, her gaze darted back and forth. She couldn’t protect them all. Only God could keep them safe.

  “What makes you think Oberlander’s behind this?” said the second man.

  Wirt laughed. “You’re on his land, and my guess is some of you are his ranch hands. Do you think he’d risk his neck for any of you?”

  Leah understood Wirt and Parker were stalling for time, and yet her heart pounded for her sons who’d managed to get closer.

  Rifle fire echoed around the canyon. Evan, Wirt, and Parker rushed inside. Leah followed, ready to end the life of anyone who attempted to harm her sons.

  Bert bent next to John and feverishly untied the knots binding his hands. She hadn’t seen the men hiding in the shadows to rescue them, but she’d recognized Mr. Zimmerman’s and Mr. Timmons’s voices. John’s prayers had been answered, but they weren’t rescued yet.

  Her attention swung to Clint with the understanding he’d not be taken alive, and he’d take anyone he could with him. She glanced back at John, fearing for him.

  “I warned you.” Clint aimed his rifle at John. “Timmons is a dead man.”

  Bert screamed and rushed toward her brother. White hot fire knocked her backwards. And blackness overtook her senses.

  CHAPTER 58

  All John could see was blood. Ember’s blood. He leaped to her body while another shot sent Clint sprawling to the canyon floor. He’d not move again.

  “Ember.” His words breathed out into a prayer. He knelt beside her and attempted to wipe away the blood pouring from her left shoulder. She didn’t answer him. Neither did she look to be breathing. Quiet. Still. No, God. Please. He leaned his ear to her chest. A faint heartbeat, like a distant mantel clock, met his ears. Could one so frail survive this?

  “John.” Evan’s voice shook him, and John realized his brother had been the one to shoot Clint. “Let me see if I can help.”

  Every nerve in his body stood at alert while emotion spilled through him. “Yes, please. Ember’s hurt bad.” He moved so Evan could tend to her.

  Evan wrapped his arm around John’s shoulder. “I’ll do what I can until we get her to Doc Slader’s.”

  All John could do was nod. Evan gently examined the wound, being careful not to touch her any more than was necessary. He lightly lifted pieces of cloth from the glaring hole. “The bullet’s still in her shoulder, and it’ll have to come out. But she shouldn’t be moved.”

  “I’ll ride for Doc Slader,” Mark said, and took off at a run. “He’s still at the High Plains taking care of Mr. Culpepper.”

  Evan removed his shirt and ripped it into bandages. Life continued on around John, but he failed to pay attention. All of his senses focused on Ember and watching her take short, shallow breaths.

  “Hey, brother. What can I do?”

  John tore his gaze away from Ember to see Aaron standing beside him. As if shaken in a dream, it occurred to him that Evan, Aaron, and Mark had helped Wirt and Parker. “Why … why are you all here?”

  “You know Mama and her feelins'.” Aaron bent beside him. “She said you were in trouble and needed help. Told us to get our horses and rifles. Then sent Davis to town to find Uncle Parker and Wirt.”

  John looked about. Clint and Lester Farrar lay in a puddle of blood, no doubt dead. Three other men were staring at the end of Uncle Parker’s and Wirt’s rifles. Mama had a rifle on a fourth man.

  “How did she know I was here?”

  “She said her and Pa used to explore these canyons.”

  “Praise God,” he whispered and studied Ember’s pale face. “Victor Oberlander is behind the cattle rustling and murders. Simon and his brothers were working for him.”

  “Wirt will make sure Oberlander gets his due,” Evan said, his focus on wrapping his torn shirt around Ember’s wound.

  “Good thing it’s not up to me. He confessed to all of it.” John picked up Ember’s hand, so small. “Evan, tell me how she’s doing.”

  “We’ll get her fixed up,” Evan said. “You know your Ember. She’s a fighter.”

  “I want to believe so.”

  “Good. ‘Cause I want to be there when you two get married.”

  John smiled while choking back the tears. “I’ll need a best man.”

  “Deal. Like Mama, I think you two should get married at Thanksgiving too.”

  “Did you hear that, Ember?” John said with a light squeeze to her hand. “Evan’s agreed to be best man at our wedding. Fight hard. Please.”

  Hours later, Ember laid on a bed at the High Plains Ranch.

  John held her hand and watched Doc Slader fight to save her life.

  �
��I’ve got the bullet.” Doc wiped beads of sweat from his forehead. “Keep praying, and I’ll stitch her up.”

  “She’s got to live,” John said.

  Doc wiped blood from his hands. “I think she has a fighting chance of pulling through this.”

  A finger moved in John’s hand, and that’s when he knew his Ember would live. They would have a life together.

  CHAPTER 59

  EIGHT MONTHS LATER

  Ember burst into the marshal’s office waving a letter. She tingled with excitement. “I have something for you.”

  John lifted a brow with a half smile that she recognized as meaning more than brief amusement. “Mrs. Timmons, what are you suggesting?”

  “No, not that.” She blushed red, knowing how he felt about their intimacy. “This is the letter you’ve been waiting for.”

  Laughing, John stood and gathered her up into his arms and kissed her soundly. “Now what could be more special than this?”

  “I have to agree, but the letter’s from Austin, Texas, for Marshal John Timmons.”

  She put the letter behind her back. “I think I’d like a kiss, please.”

  “I just gave you one.”

  “Delivery charges.” She giggled.

  He planted a kiss on her forehead, nose, and lips. “Thought you might like a few extra for your trouble.”

  She handed him the letter, hoping and praying it was good news. Parker had written the school on John’s behalf to recommend him for their law program. Since then Bob Culpepper had retired, and John had been voted in as town marshal.

  John opened the envelope and lifted the letter from inside.

  “It’s good news. I know it is.” She stood on tiptoe to read it over his shoulder. But he hid it from her.

  She watched his face while he read the contents. Not one trace of emotion revealed what the letter stated. For a moment she feared the worst. John folded the letter and placed it back into the envelope. He caught her eye. Still nothing readable.

  “John, tell me what it said. I have to know.” She’d help him work through bad news.

  He nodded slowly. “I don’t know how to say this.”

  Her heart sank, feeling his disappointment. “Oh, John. We can try another law school.”

  “Looks like we’ll be moving.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. “Really? You’re accepted.”

  “That’s what the letter says.”

  “And you’re going to be a lawyer?”

  “I’m going to try.” He drew her close to him. “It will be a lot of work on my part. A lot of studying. And the times I want to spend with you might mean reading a law book.”

  “But you can do it.”

  “With you, I know I can.”

  She laid her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. “I’ll always be here for you, John.”

  “I need you, Ember. God knew what this man needed when He sent you into my life.”

  “By saving a scrawny kid from hanging?”

  “By igniting my heart with what I needed to fulfill my dreams.”

  TRUTH

  Truth is light

  Unending

  Everlasting

  A choice for the day

  A solace for the night

  A comfort for tomorrow

  Confronting evil with courage. Marching from the portals of heaven.

  A javelin of light that pierces the soul. An anchor for the weak and oppressed

  The choice of devout believers.

  Truth is unconditional

  Truth restores the broken

  Truth beckons the lost

  Truth is mercy

  Truth is grace

  Truth is Light.

  BY EMBER ROSE TIMMONS

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Julie Garmon, Louise Gouge, Mona Hodgson, Catherine Madera, Dane and Melissa Money, Melanie Stiles, and always my dear husband, Dean Mills, who puts up with me and my characters.

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  Also by DiAnn Mills

  A Woman Called Sage

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  DEAR READER,

  I hope you enjoyed The Fire in Ember as much as I enjoyed writing the book.

  Ember’s story has been a part of me for several years, waiting for the right moment to unfold. She was a complex young woman, and at times I didn’t understand her fears and reservations about life. When she revealed her past to me, I began to understand her inability to trust. She had pain that only God could heal.

  The humorous part of John learning that the boy he saved from a hanging was really a girl swung a wide pendulum as to why Ember was forced to run from those who’d abused her. The more I thought about Ember’s plight, the more I realized the strength hidden behind her shame for a past she could not change. She set out to protect her brothers without the understanding that her behavior prevented truth and justice.

  I hope secrets do not stalk your life. But if they do, I pray you have the courage to take the first step into light. God does not want any of us to experience abuse. Ember found the joy of a changed life that promised love and purpose. I hope you do too.

  SINCERELY,

  DIANN MILLS

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. When John saved Ember (Bert) from a hanging, she deceived him by not telling him her gender. How did you feel about this aspect of her? Have you ever deceived someone to save yourself from the unknown?

  2. John lived to take care of his mother and brothers. He also believed in upholding the law. What do you think drove John to carry the burden of responsibility alone?

  3. Leah was a single parent. Have you been or are you now a single parent? Do you know someone who is a single parent? What challenges do you see there?

  4. Ember was afraid to tell the truth about herself. Why do we often keep our real self secret?

  5. John had a dream, but he couldn’t reveal it. Why? What about you? What is stopping you from reaching out for your dreams?

  6. Ember possessed the gift of music and song. How did that affect her relationship to the Timmons family? Do you think the story would have changed without this gift?

  7. Evan believed he loved Ember too. A love triangle has the ability to show the best and the worst of those involved. How do you think Evan, John, and Ember were forever affected? Why or why not?

  8. Did Leah have a favorite son? If so, which one? If not, why?

  9. Wirt loved Leah and wanted her to marry him. What obstacles stood in their way?

  10. Betrayal sears the heart. Do you think John overreacted to Ember leaving the ranch with her brothers? How would you have handled the situation?

  11. Our best friends may not tell us the truth about ourselves. If you were Ember’s be
st friend, how would you have advised her about Simon?

  12. John thought he might lose Ember when she was shot. What do you think went through his mind while he waited to see if she would live?

  Copyright

  ZONDERVAN

  The Fire in Ember

  Copyright © 2011 by DiAnn Mills

  This title is also available as a Zondervan ebook. Visit www.zondervan.com/ebooks.

  This title is also available in a Zondervan audio edition. Visit www.zondervan.fm.

  Requests for information should be addressed to:

  Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

  * * *

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Mills, DiAnn.

  The fire in ember / DiAnn Mills.

  p. cm.

  ISBN 978-0-310-29330-9 (pbk.)

  1. Frontier and pioneer life — Colorado — Fiction. 2. Ranchers — Colorado — Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3613.I567F57 2010

  813'.6 — dc22 2010028324

  * * *

  All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan.

  EPub Edition © NOVEMBER 2010 ISBN: 978-0-310-41239-7

  Published in association with the Books & Such Literary Agency, 52 Mission Circle, Suite 122, PMB 170, Santa Rosa, California 95407-5370. www.booksandsuch.biz

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