High-Stakes Inheritance

by Susan Sleeman

  What was that? A whimper. Quiet. Muffled. Her imagination?

  She stopped and leaned closer to a window, panting from exertion and the thickened air.

  There it was again. A terrified mewl. A kitten or maybe a small child.

  With a large rock, she shattered the window. Blistering heat whooshed out sending her lurching back. She ripped off her jacket and held it in front of her face.

  “Is someone there?” she called, and swiped thick sweat from her forehead.

  “Help!” The voice was tiny and high, fragile like a porcelain doll.

  Who in the world was in there?

  Jacket over her fingers, Mia cleared the largest shards of glass and plunged her head through the opening. Her eyes instantly watered, her nose stung.

  “Where are you?” she barked through drying lips, and squinted against the bitter smoke.

  A petite tear-stained face peeked from a cave of hay bales. Mia guessed the innocent child to be under ten and terrified.

  “Don’t be afraid.” Ignoring the abrasive air and drawing in labored breaths, Mia lowered her jacket and offered a comforting smile as she scanned the space.

  This end of the barn was quickly filling with smoke. She glanced to the left where a pickup truck had succumbed to searing flames. If anyone was in the truck there was no hope, but the child was another story. She’d coax the girl to the window, and avoid a terrible tragedy.

  “Come here, sweetie.” Mia curled her index finger. “Everything’s gonna be all right.”

  The girl blinked in rapid succession then wailed like the fire siren Mia wished she’d hear screaming up the drive. Sobbing increasing, the child darted back into her hiding spot.

  “No! No! Don’t do that,” Mia cried as fear coursed through her body. She would have to go in and carry the girl to the window.

  She planted her hands on the frame and slithered over the windowsill, shards of glass ripping into her stomach. Pain stabbed her side but she inched forward and pushed aside hay bales. The child burrowed deeper into the haven like a baby animal threatened by a predator.

  Mia leaned in and forced a calm tone to her voice. “Hi, my name’s Mia. What’s yours?”

  “J-J-Jessie Morgan.” Her voice was raspy.

  Mia startled at the mention of the Morgan name. Was this child related to Ryan?

  Jessie coughed hard enough to launch an entire country from her throat.

  Not a time to think about Ryan, Mia needed to get Jessie out of there fast. “If you’ll let me, I’ll carry you to the window.”

  Jessie nodded and flung her arms around Mia’s neck. The pungent smell of smoke clung to her soft blond hair, and her little body trembled. Mia draped her jacket over their heads and turned to the window. The roof over the truck collapsed sending a blazing support beam into the path between the fort and their escape. Sparks shot toward the rafters. The flaming wood ignited dry hay.

  Jessie’s mouth opened in a scream, but only a deep wracking cough surged out. She clutched Mia tighter. Mia frantically looked for a way out. The window was no longer an option, and the back door sported huge chains. Panic surged. Her hands shook.

  Where could they go?

  She scanned the only wall not engulfed in flames. There! In the door. Uncle Wally installed a pet door when he got Rufus. The opening wasn’t big enough for her, but Jessie could easily fit through.

  Mia jumped from the bales and rushed to the back door. Lungs seared from smoke and exertion reduced her oxygen levels, and her eyesight wavered. She dug deep for strength and ripped off the pet door’s pliable flap. “Okay, Jessie. Climb through.”

  Jessie planted her feet and crossed her arms.

  “Sweetie, please.” An instinctive coo rose to Mia’s lips. “I’d come with you but I can’t fit through the opening. Once you get outside, you can go to the lodge to wait for help. I called the fire department and they’ll be here soon.” Though frightened that the all-volunteer crew might not arrive in a timely manner, Mia smiled to ease Jessie’s concern.

  “My Uncle Ryan’s a fireman.” A tentative smile crept across her lips, and her stance relaxed.

  Mia ignored the knifelike pain Ryan’s name rekindled in her stomach and forced calm into her voice. “Good. He’s probably on his way here to help us.”

  She gave Jessie a quick hug then helped her climb to safety.

  Turning sideways, Mia wedged her body into the opening. Through cracked lips, she gulped outside air. Although tainted, it was less dense—easier to breathe.

  Jessie stood beside the door as if concrete encased her feet.

  “Jessie,” Mia tugged on the girl’s ankle, “go to the porch and wait until your uncle comes for you.”

  She nodded, but didn’t move.

  “Go, now!” Mia shouted, though it pained her to yell at this physically and emotionally exhausted child.

  Jessie snapped from her daze. “I’ll bring Uncle Ryan to help when he gets here.”

  Mia nodded her approval and watched until the plodding little feet moved out of sight. The last thing Mia needed was for Ryan to come to her rescue and be indebted to him. She’d have to try harder to get herself out of this mess.

  She pulled her head back inside and looked around. Thirty feet to the wall of flames. Thirty feet of hay and dry timber waiting for fire to consume and destroy.

  She searched again for another way out. Sizzling flames obliterated the path to the window and the front door. A miracle or the doggie door were her only ways out.

  Please, I can’t handle this right now. Coming back here is all I can manage. This is too much.

  Why was she calling out to God? He’d never helped before. No—she was on her own again the way God seemed to like it. Well, she wouldn’t just lie down and die.

  Drawing her legs up, she crammed her upper body back through the opening. The frame tore at the gash on her side. She bit her lip to control the pain as she squirmed and twisted.

  Right, left, up, down, she pushed. Nothing.

  “Face it, Mia, you’re stuck.” She relaxed to conserve her energy for another try and the irony of her situation struck her as funny. She laughed in tiny giggles that foretold a meltdown.

  She’d summoned up all her courage to return to Logan Lake and face the people who’d hurt her the most, only to die in a fire.

  TWO

  Ryan’s two-way pager continued to emit details of the fire from the holder on his hip. No need to listen. He had all the information he needed. He tuned out the chatter and focused on Jessie’s terrified eyes begging him to stay.

  “I have to help Mia,” he said, giving the sweet eight-year-old a comforting smile. He pulled her close for a brief hug. “Dupree will stay with you until I get back.”

  He hated to leave this little squirt with the EMT, but he had no choice. The rest of his crew hadn’t arrived, and Mia might die before they did. He gave Jessie one last lingering look then rushed toward the barn.

  Surging flames consumed half the building cracking and spitting out glowing embers. Life-sucking flames.

  Man. This was bad. Really bad. Hopefully he wasn’t too late. Not like that horrible day three years ago.

  No. Don’t think about that now. Today you’re on time. You will save her life.

  Clumsy in his boots and turnouts, he charged at the radiating heat. He lowered his face shield and dodged raining debris like an Olympic hurdler.

  Thankfully, Russ hadn’t been in the office, or Ryan would’ve been sitting there when his pager went off. The drive would have taken fifteen minutes. No one would be here to rescue Mia from the flames steadily licking forward in search of fresh fuel. He’d have another tragedy on his hands. He had to hurry.

  He careened around the corner.

  Whoa! There she was. Mia. His Mia. Crumpled and protruding from a pet door. But she was breathing. Alive. He should be able to pry her free before the flames reached her, but smoke inhalation could still claim her life.

  His steps faltered. Uncer
tainty settled over him like the thick smoke billowing from the barn. This was too close for comfort.

  God, don’t let this end as it did with Cara.

  Ryan felt God’s strength surrounding him and urging him forward.

  “Are you all right?” he called to Mia.

  She craned her neck up at him, and her eyes fluttered open. Large green emeralds glistened likely from smoke-induced tears. “Did you find Jessie? Is she okay?”

  Yeah, this was his Mia all right. Always concerned for others in distress. “Jess is fine. She’s with the EMTs.”

  “Good, I wanted to—” A harsh cough tore away her words. The spasm intensified, racking her body.

  This wasn’t good. With the way he ended things between them, a stubborn Mia would rather die in the fire than let him come to her rescue. She couldn’t know his identity.

  He pulled his gaze away and studied the door. He’d use his pry bar to splinter the wood above her head and drag her to safety. At least he hoped his pry bar was tool enough to do the job. There was no one else to help and the blaze flared around them.

  “Hold on, sweetheart.” Years of unspoken affection flowed unbidden through his tone. “I’m gonna get you out of there.”

  Sweetheart? Was this guy kidding? She was trapped in a fire, struggling to breathe, and he patronized her with a chauvinist comment? She hated when men talked down to women.

  A spark of recognition shot through her. Wait! Maybe it was Ryan. He used to call her sweetheart.

  Nah. After the way they broke up, he wouldn’t dare use that endearment in her presence. Besides, Ryan would have identified himself.

  “Keep your head down.” His bold tone spoke to his confidence and helped ease her concerns.

  She fixed her eyes on his heavy black boots as rippling shocks traveled down the wood. Waves of pain reverberated into her injured side. She bit her lip. Held it fast between clamped teeth. One last tremor. Her body lurched forward, plunged toward the dirt. The metal tool thunked on the ground, and her freefall stopped.

  “Got you,” he said, clutching her under the arms. “Think you can stand?”

  “My legs are numb.”

  “Then I’ll have to carry you.” He didn’t wait for her agreement but in one swift motion, pulled her free then slipped his hands under her legs.

  Sirens screamed in the background as he gently settled her against his broad chest. His jacket reeked of burnt wood and scratched roughly against her skin.

  Didn’t matter. Not a bit. She was out of that door. Snuggled warm against his chest. He drew her even closer. Umm, nice. She was safe. It had been so long since she’d felt safe like this. Not since she and Ryan were together.

  What was with her? Back in town for a few hours and all she could think about was the man who’d sent her running away in pain. Not a good idea to go there. She concentrated on breathing the improving air into aching lungs.

  The wall he’d freed her from groaned and shuttered as if heaving a last breath. He picked up speed and crossed the grass with sure footing until they arrived at a dented white pickup.

  Squatting, he settled her against a rusted wheel well. “There you go. Not too comfortable, but it will have to do for now.”

  “Thank you. If you hadn’t come along, I—” Her voice broke, and she couldn’t speak. She changed her focus to the screaming red truck bouncing down the driveway, followed by several personal vehicles.

  He squeezed her shoulder, and she turned back.

  “You doin’ all right?” He flipped up his visor and fixed penetrating blue eyes on her. It was Ryan. Her Ryan.

  No, he hadn’t been her Ryan for years. This was the man who hurt her and now she owed him her life.

  “I know you’re upset with me, Mia, but we have to put aside our differences and talk about the letter. The fire changes everything. You have to admit the letter wasn’t just a practical joke.”

  “You’re jumping to conclusions.” Conclusions she’d reached, but wouldn’t speak aloud. “The fire could’ve started on its own.”

  “Possibly.” He crooked his thumb at the barn. “Won’t take long until we know for sure. Until then, I want you to stay away from Pinetree.”

  She sighed and leaned her head against the truck. She was so tired. Tired of carrying around the baggage of their breakup and now she’d do just about anything to make the heartache go away.

  Even if it meant letting him help her through this… But she couldn’t trust him. Any man for that matter. They only disappointed her with their need to control and then bailed on her when she didn’t let them take charge.

  She had to keep up the wall, or he’d hurt her again. “I really don’t want to talk about this with you.”

  Laying a gentle hand on her cheek, he turned her to face him. “You’re letting your anger at me cloud the issue, and you’re acting reckless.”

  She let his hand linger like a caress. The tender warmth felt right. Like old times, before the breakup. When she thought they’d be together forever. When she believed in the pure love of a man. When she could afford to take chances.

  She shook his hand off. “My safety is none of your concern.”

  “Given the way I treated you I can understand how you could think that, but I don’t want to see you get hurt.” He lifted his helmet and ran a hand over sweaty hair. “We should call Russ and tell him about the threat.”

  “Russ?”

  “He’s the police chief now. He can help.”

  “I don’t want anyone to know about this. I’ll handle it my way.”

  “But this is too—”

  “I said no! I don’t want everyone in town gossiping about me on my first day back. If you care about me like you said, you’ll keep this to yourself.” She locked her eyes on his. “Promise me you won’t tell him. Or anyone. You owe me that much.”

  “Fine.” He let out a frustrated breath. “I’ll go along with you, but you should reconsider and tell him yourself.”

  “She okay, Morgan?” A firefighter with Chief lettered on his helmet hustled toward them, breaking the mood.

  Ryan stood but kept his gaze glued on hers. “I sure hope so.” His double meaning didn’t escape her, but she forced back her feelings.

  “You the only one in the barn?” The chief directed his question at her.

  “I think so,” Mia said, blocking out Ryan and paying full attention to the chief. “There’s a truck in there, but it was completely engulfed in flames. I don’t know if anyone was in it, but at least Jessie got out safely.”

  The chief faced Ryan. “Morgan, you go help Becker investigate that truck. Dupree can take care of Mia for now.”

  “I’m on it.” Ryan let his eyes linger long enough to tug Mia’s emotions back to life, then he took off.

  As much as she tried, Mia couldn’t keep her focus from Ryan battling his way into the south end of the building. Fear equal to finding Jessie trapped in the blaze crept over her. He was risking his life to check the truck for survivors. Something brave firefighters did every day. But her heart didn’t clutch under her ribs for those firefighters.

  What was up with that anyway? Did she have residual feelings for him or had his kind, compassionate eyes caught her off-guard like they always had in the past?

  One of the EMTs plopped down next to her, ending Ryan’s captivating pull.

  Good. Now she could get her mind off him and on to figuring out how to follow up on the fire. She’d do what she always did, organize and control her steps so she didn’t let feelings get in her way. With Ryan threatening her emotional stability, she was going to need an extra-detailed plan so he didn’t derail her from her quest.

  Planting his feet wide apart, Ryan gripped the pulsing hose and trained the spray in front of Becker as he neared the truck. Becker picked his way through the smoldering ruins and flare-ups before giving a thumbs-up indicating the truck was clear. No lives were lost in the fire today.

  A wave of relief washed over Ryan as he turned the ho
se over to the other fireman and headed for the chief to tell him the news. Today had been a good day.

  Being a firefighter in a small town meant if someone perished in a fire, you likely went to school with them, or to church—or served on a committee together. Worst case, you were related or in love with the person, maybe planning to marry.

  Like Cara. Except she didn’t die in a fire. A madman ended her life. Much like the lunatic threatening Mia might do.

  Ryan halted his steps and fixed his gaze on her. Even beaten down by her ordeal she had the same vibrancy in her personality as he remembered from high school. Sure she’d been unstable in so many ways back then, but her longing to be loved by her uncaring father fueled that behavior. Ryan had hoped his unconditional acceptance of her might have been enough. But it wasn’t. Couldn’t fill the ache left by the loss of her mother and an overbearing father.

  Eyes fixed on her, Ryan resumed walking. He’d been wrong. So wrong to end things the way he did. Now he didn’t know how to get her to hear him out. He should just walk away with his guilt firmly planted in his gut. She didn’t deserve to relive the day just to relieve his suffering, but he had no choice.

  If he had to make her suffer a little more so she’d listen to his warnings before the lunatic behind the threatening letter and the fire struck again, then that’s what he would do.

  THREE

  A blustery gust of wind kicked up from the north and slid crisply over Mia. Not that she minded the cooling air after the heat of the fire. Didn’t seem to bother EMT Sally Dupree either as she strapped a blood pressure cuff on Mia’s arm. She relaxed and let her gaze drift to Jessie.

  Sally’s partner ministered to the pipsqueak of a girl who didn’t stop asking questions about the procedures. Her tone was lighthearted, and she cracked up when the EMT tickled her, but a haunted glaze dulled the sheen of her eyes.