Her mind raced at the possibilities. Justin had been outside, but Jackson had been with him. Was it possible that he had run around back, set the fire, then hurried to the front again without being noticed? But later, he ran into the burning barn to get the fire extinguishers—maybe to make him look heroic? Was that his motive?
She tried to remember when Baron had first barked but couldn’t determine if it was before or after Justin left. “Hailey, how long has Justin worked here?”
The girl shrugged. “Not too long. Since last summer maybe. Before that, he was in jail.” Hailey turned back to her cartoons.
Mariah was surprised Hailey knew that bit of information.
After a few moments, Hailey glanced up at her, worry crinkling her brow. “How did the barn catch fire?”
Mariah’s mind raced with thoughts of how to respond. “You’ll need to ask your dad about that, sweetie, but it might be a good idea to wait until tomorrow.” She checked the clock on the wall. “It’s past your bedtime, and tomorrow is a school day. Time to get your jammies on.”
“Okay. But will Daddy come and kiss me good-night?”
Mariah squeezed the girl’s shoulder. “I doubt a herd of wild horses could keep him from doing that—after he gets cleaned up.”
Hailey yawned and punched the remote, turning off the television. “I’m going to ask God again to make these bad things quit happening. Will you pray with me?”
Standing, Mariah nodded and tugged Hailey to her feet. A few days ago, she wouldn’t have known how to answer that question, but now she did. “I’d be happy to.”
ELEVEN
After the remaining volunteers had wolfed down hamburgers outside, Jackson shook the hands of each soot-covered neighbor who’d come to help fight the fire. “I don’t know how to thank y’all.”
Harley Barnes, the driver of the water truck that had made the difference in beating the blaze that had started to overpower the sprinklers when the water in the tank had run low, removed his helmet. “No need to thank us. You’d have done the same, I’m sure.”
Lance leaned back against the corral, flicking soot off his jacket. “You sure cut a break, J.D.”
Jackson nodded, glad his friend had seen the smoke and had come to help. “I thank God for enabling us to get the fire out so fast.”
“Amen!” Jacob Linkwyler smiled. “Good thing you had the sense to build your barn with fire-retardant wood and installed that sprinkler system, or it would have been a total loss.”
Several men grunted their agreement.
“I reckon we oughta head home.” Delbert Mackey wiped his face with a handkerchief, leaving a trail of black along the cloth. “The wife always worries until I get back.”
“Thanks again—and I mean it.” Jackson gave the men a tight-lipped smile.
Evan, with Kelly in the passenger seat, drove around the volunteer firemen’s trucks and parked. Both siblings stared at the barn for a long moment, then walked toward him as the last of the volunteers headed for their trucks.
Kelly smiled. “It’s still standing. That’s good, right?”
“How bad is the damage?” Evan halted next to Jackson, ignoring their sister. “Can it be fixed, or will it need to be torn down?”
“Don’t know yet. The sheriff called and said to stay out until he can get an arson investigator over here.” Jackson wrapped his arm around his sister when she sidled up beside him.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “It’s such a nice barn.”
“I’m hopeful that it can be repaired. I’m thankful the sprinklers and smoke detectors worked. And that Hailey and Mariah weren’t injured.” Or worse—but he couldn’t voice that thought.
Evan’s eyes widened. “They were in the barn when the fire started?”
Jackson nodded. “She and Hailey were caring for that filly we brought in from the pasture.”
“How is my niece?” Kelly stepped away, looking up at him.
“She was shaken up and scared, but she’s okay. Last time I checked on her, she was watching TV.”
Kelly squeezed his arm. “I’ll go peek in on her and see how she’s doing.”
“Deuce made burgers. There are some left, if you’re hungry.”
She nodded at him. When she opened the door, Baron bounded out. He trotted up to Jackson and licked his hand, skirted Evan and stopped in front of Lance, tail wagging. His friend pulled a dog biscuit from his pocket and tossed it for Baron to catch. The dog flopped down, chomping on his snack.
As soon as Kelly closed the door, Evan turned to Jackson. “You mentioned arson. So this wasn’t an accident?”
“No. We found a discarded gas can out back. Someone set the fire deliberately.” Jackson’s gut lurched. He still couldn’t believe someone hated him so much that they would endanger his daughter and Mariah.
“What are we going to do about these attacks?” Evan crossed his arms, staring at the barn. “This kind of stuff has got to stop.”
“The sheriff thinks I should hire some men to guard the place. The county doesn’t have enough money to pay for something like that.”
“Might be a good idea. You gonna do it?” Lance asked.
“Maybe. But how would I even know where to station them? These assaults have been so random.”
Evan shifted his gaze back to Jackson. “Did you find any other clues as to who did this?”
“Just a man’s footprints.”
Lance cleared his throat. “Makes sense that someone used an accelerant. How else could the fire have caught on so fast?”
“Yeah.” Jackson heaved a sigh. He was tired and dirty. “I need a shower. Let’s head inside.”
“Yeah,” they said in unison and turned toward the house.
Jackson took a final glance at the barn. Thank You, Lord, for helping us get the fire out. In the mudroom, he stripped down to his T-shirt and jeans. Lance, also in his undershirt, already had a plate, even though he’d just eaten outside. Evan was layering his burger with mayonnaise when Jackson entered the kitchen.
Kelly walked in. “Hailey is sleeping.”
Mariah followed her but paused and leaned against the doorjamb, as if she wasn’t yet comfortable around his family.
Except for Hailey, everyone he cared most for was in this room. His siblings. Closest friends. And Mariah. He wasn’t yet sure where, if at all, she fit into the picture. Kelly nudged him, and he realized he’d been staring. He glanced at his sister and had a sudden thought. Was she safe? What if his unknown attacker got tired of plaguing him and turned his wrath on his siblings?
“You stink, big brother.” Kelly stepped away, but the gleam in her eyes told him she was halfway teasing.
“I know. I’m headed to the shower soon.”
“Good idea.” She plucked a pickle off the relish tray and popped it into her mouth.
Warmth flowed through him. His barn may have burned, but everything—everybody who really mattered—was safe. Thank You, Lord.
As he walked across the room, his gaze caught Mariah’s. She stared at him for a long moment then stepped back to allow him to pass. He felt her following him and turned to face her when they were out of sight of the others. “Thank you for making sure Hailey got out of the barn so fast.”
“Happy to do it.” She looked up with concern in her gaze. “How are you?”
He shrugged. “Okay, I reckon. Things could have been much worse.”
“True.” She blew out a loud breath and narrowed her eyes. “I can’t believe someone would set that fire when you were out front. It’s almost like he was taunting you.”
“I thought of that, too.”
“How do we fight that?”
His eyes locked with hers, and he tried to ignore the way his stomach reacted to her use of we. “Only one wa
y I know of—prayer.”
She opened her mouth but then closed it and nodded. “I’m beginning to think you’re right.”
He ran his fingertips across her soft cheek. “God can fight the unknown enemy in ways we can’t begin to. Our job is to pray and trust Him.”
Mariah paused at her bedroom door as Jackson continued down the hall. He had to be hurting, but he did a good job hiding his pain. She was getting too invested in his life—starting to care too much. If she didn’t leave soon, she would lose her objectivity. Even now, she knew she could no longer write the story she had planned to. It wouldn’t be fair to Jackson. He was a good man. He’d changed from the rambunctious rogue he’d once been and had matured into a responsible man and a loving father.
Her editor may not be happy, but her story would take a new angle.
As she walked into her bedroom, she considered his comment about God fighting unknown enemies. She hoped that was true, because if anyone needed a champion right now, it was Jackson. She longed for the faith he had—to believe that God really cared about her.
But she had cried out to Him earlier, and it looked as though the barn had been saved. Dare she believe God actually answered her prayer?
* * *
Monday afternoon, Mariah followed Jackson out to the barn to view the damage. She’d stayed in her room much of the day, trying to start her story but not having much luck. She thought of the article her boss wanted, but a much different one was forming in its place—one of a good man under attack. As they walked along the side of the barn, Mariah glanced at Jackson’s hips. Today, he wore a holster and gun, reminding her of an Old West cowboy and that danger was never far away. He hadn’t even wanted her coming outside alone. That both irritated her and made her feel protected.
The stench of smoke grew stronger as they stopped near the burned barn. Black scorch marks rose a good twelve feet off the ground. The door and the wood around them would have to be replaced, but most of the rest of the back side had fared pretty well. “It could have been a lot worse.”
Jackson sighed. “I know. That sprinkler system and Justin’s quick action to retrieve the extinguishers made the difference. But I can see now, though, that we need a backup water supply and even some sprinklers mounted on the outside eaves.”
Mariah nibbled her lip as she remembered watching Justin charge back into the burning barn. “Do you think there’s any chance Justin could be doing all of this?”
He spun to face her, his brows furrowed. “You suspect Justin?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “I did some research and found that he has a criminal record. He does seem rather rough around the edges. Though I can’t come up with a motive as to why he’d do any of this.”
Jackson’s mouth cocked sideways, his irritation at her having researched and accused Justin evident. “That’s because there isn’t one. He’s a good man who made some bad choices and is trying to turn his life around.”
“Okay. Duly noted.” She wasn’t quite ready to mark him off her list of suspects, but he had moved down near the bottom.
“How did Hailey handle the news about her bodyguard?” she asked.
“I took Kelly’s advice and didn’t tell her. She thinks Ms. Garrett is a teacher’s aide. But Hailey wasn’t too happy when I informed her she had to stay in town all week. I finally decided that’s the safest place for her as long as whoever is targeting me is still out there.”
“What happens when Ms. Garrett goes home with Kelly and Hailey?”
He shrugged. “Kelly said she’d think up something to tell her.”
Far in the distance, a bird screeched.
Jackson turned toward the sound and looked up. “That’s an eagle’s cry. They’re fascinating birds. Did you know they mate for life?”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Yep. Pairs usually stay together until one of them dies. They even care for their young together. The father catches the prey and brings it back to the nest, where the mother tears it up and feeds it to her eaglets.”
Mariah stepped closer. “I noticed the pictures of eagles in your office. Why are you so interested in them?”
“I studied them when I was a Boy Scout. They’ve always fascinated me.” He shrugged and watched the bird. “They’re so majestic, and there’s a verse in Isaiah that says ‘But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.’”
She sighed. Wouldn’t it be nice to have God renew her strength? There had been days when she thought nothing was worth the effort. That no one truly cared about her.
Jackson pulled off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair, drawing her out of her musing. She tried not to think of how much she would enjoy doing the same thing.
“Another interesting thing about eagles is they fly faster in turbulence than in calm weather. They glide on the wind currents and can even fly through the eye of a hurricane. God made them so that they can soar above the storms—even up to ten thousand feet high.” He glanced at her. “Do you understand what I’m getting at?”
His passion for the topic pulled her in, but she didn’t grasp his meaning. With reluctance, she shook her head.
He tilted his mouth in a beguiling manner. “Okay, how about this? We all go through troubles, right? Your car’s wrecked, so you have to stay here until it’s fixed. I have all kinds of strange problems now, right?”
She nodded, still not sure she was following him.
“Life’s problems and temptations are like turbulent winds. They can sweep us away before we realize it and end up destroying us. Or we can catch the updrafts and ride out the storms of life with God’s help. We don’t have to go it alone. God will be the wind beneath our wings, if we let Him.”
Jackson heaved a sigh. “I’m not too good at explaining things.”
She laid a hand on his arm to encourage him. “No, I’m beginning to understand.”
He flashed a smile that tickled her insides. “Whenever I have problems like I’m having on the ranch, I turn to God. He never promised we wouldn’t have problems, but He’s always there helping us through them. As I pray, I feel Him lifting me up above the circumstances, like an eagle soaring above the storms. The eagle can look down and see the storm. It’s still there, but he’s no longer buffeted by it. Same with us.”
“That does makes sense.”
“We can’t outfly the storms in our lives, but they don’t have to overwhelm us. By facing each problem that comes our way with God’s help, we grow stronger. God is a loving God. He wants to help us. Eagles remind me of that.”
He blew out a loud breath and kicked a rock, sending it skittering along the ground. “One day, when I was still playing pro ball, I got sick of all the pressures and expectations. I had money. Fame. Friends. But something was missing. I couldn’t continue as I’d been going. I called Deuce—he worked for my uncle back then—and he explained my need for a savior. Shortly after Hailey and I moved here, he led me to the Lord. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Mariah lifted her gaze skyward. Way up through the bare branches of the trees, she could just make out the eagle as it glided across the cyan sky. It moved as if in slow motion. Hadn’t so much of her life been in slow motion—at least until she got her job at the Observer? Now she rarely slowed down. Where would she be in two weeks if she didn’t get her story? Back in Dallas and out of work?
If only she could have the faith in God that Jackson had, maybe her life would have more meaning. But the few times she’d attended church as an adult, the pastor had talked about God being a loving Heavenly Father, and she had left confused. The only model she’d had of a father had been a cruel monster.
But Jackson had given her the example she needed—of a dad who dearly loved his ch
ild and would do just about anything for her. If God loved Mariah only half as much, she wanted Him in her life.
* * *
Jackson watched Mariah from the corner of his eye. She looked troubled. He wanted so much to help her find the peace that he’d found. Life held little meaning without God in it. His certainly hadn’t.
He turned back to the damage. Last night as he lay in bed, he’d gone over and over the scene, trying to remember if he’d seen anything—or anyone—just before the fire. Justin had been putting the gelding through some movements in the paddock and then took him to the barn. He had come out right afterward and hadn’t gone around to the back of the barn. Could he have slipped out the back door and set the fire without Mariah seeing?
Jackson yanked off his hat and slapped it against his leg, receiving an odd look from Mariah.
“What’s wrong?”
He scowled at her. “You’ve got me worrying about Justin now, when he’s done nothing to deserve it.”
“How can you be certain?”
“Because I’ve done nothing but help the kid. Gave him a job when no one else risked trying. He’s grateful. Has told me more than once.” He swung his hand at the charred wood. “He’d never do this. He loves horses—and cares about Hailey—too much.”
“You may be right, but it’s obvious that you can’t be objective, so allow me. I can look at this situation with different eyes than you.”
“And have you come up with anything?”
She was quiet a long moment then shook her head. “There hasn’t been much evidence, and I can’t find a reason why anyone would want to hurt you or your business.”
He blew out a loud sigh. “Whoever did this had to be as tall as me, judging by the footprint.”
“That rules out it being a woman.”
He’d never considered that it might have been. She was right about her looking at the situation differently than him. He needed her help, but he didn’t want it. Didn’t want to be obligated to where he’d have to agree to the interview she wanted.
Rancher Under Fire Page 14
