The Right Cowboy

by Rebecca Winters

  But everything made sense. They could drive to the various ranches carrying cans full of gas. No one would suspect a US Forest Service truck being on the off-roads checking for fires and the like in the middle of the night. That was why they’d never been caught!

  Cole took pictures of everything with his phone, then shut off the flashlight. Before any more time passed, he ran outside to the fencing and raced toward the highway.

  In a few minutes he reached the motel and checked his watch. At two thirty in the morning, somewhere in the county another fire was about to be set. But this time Holden had a lead and before long the police would spot the truck and it would be pulled over.

  After packing up, he left the key to the room on the table and took off for Whitebark. En route, he called Holden again, but got his voice mail. Cole left a message about the spray-paint paraphernalia and evidence sitting in the Ellsworth barn. He also sent picture attachments.

  Having done everything he could, he headed for the fire station. Not only did he want to help if another report of a fire came in, Cole needed to hear the moment the Ellsworth family were caught red-handed.

  The ladder truck was gone when he drove around the back. When he walked inside, Steve, one of the crew looked surprised when he saw him. “I didn’t know you were on tonight.”

  “I’m not. I just got back from my other job.”

  “It’s supposed to be my night off, but I just got a call from the chief. He asked me to come in and help man the skeleton crew who are out in front.”

  “Is the chief here?”

  “Nope.”

  “That’s unusual.”

  “Agreed. Something must be going on.”

  “I’ll find out from dispatch.” He walked through the station to the room where Julia Humphrey was on duty, manning the call center.

  She looked up at him and cried out in surprise. “Cole—what are you doing here?”

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “A call came in twenty minutes ago from someone who said the barn on your ranch was on fire.”

  His barn?

  The horses! Tamsin’s horse!

  Shocked to the core, he tore out of there to his locker and dressed in his firefighting gear. Then he raced to his truck and drove like a crazy man to his ranch. In the time he’d spent taking pictures and getting back to the motel, the Ellsworths had reached their destination without being stopped and had done their damage to Cole’s property.

  He broke out in a cold sweat. Was it Sam or Louise who’d called the fire department? The pit in his stomach enlarged. Were they all right?

  His body was shaking as he neared the ranch and saw flames billowing in the night air. He could have been looking at the fire on the Rayburn ranch that had been set earlier in the month. Talk about déjà vu.

  A huge crowd of neighbors had gathered. He parked along the private road and raced toward the guys working the ladder truck, unable to spot Sam or Louise. The tender truck was around the side. His eyes fused with the captain’s.

  “How bad is it?”

  “There’s still one horse inside, but the fire is becoming fully involved. It’s too dangerous to go in there now. The roof’s going to cave in any second.”

  An image of the Ellsworths sneaking onto his property made him wild with fury. “I can’t leave it. I’m going in.”

  “No, Cole—”

  But he ignored the captain and ran inside the fast-growing inferno. He could hear the horse screaming in the rear stall. It was Louise’s gelding Jimuta and sounded eerily human.

  He reached for a rope in the debris that covered the floor and tied it around the Arabian’s neck. “Easy, Jimuta. It’s Cole. Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”

  Inch by inch he made his way toward the opening, pulling the terrified horse behind him. He imagined this was like being engulfed in a volcanic eruption. A vision of Tamsin swam before him.

  Come back whole and alive for me to love.

  He remembered those words before a wave of hot air swept down on him. It seemed to burn his lungs before everything went black.

  * * *

  THE PHONE AWAKENED Tamsin at eight on Wednesday morning.

  Cole!

  She’d arranged to take today off of work so she could be with him after he got home. Without looking at the caller ID, she reached for it on the bedside table, ecstatic because it meant he’d come back to town. She couldn’t wait to see him.

  “Hello, Cole?” she cried with excitement.

  “I’m sorry, Tamsin. This is Louise.”

  Louise?

  Panic gripped Tamsin. She held her phone tighter and slid out of bed. “By the tone in your voice, I can tell something’s wrong.” Maybe he was still in the mountains. His truck could have had problems.

  “Someone set fire to Cole’s barn during the night. Sam called the fire department.”

  Paralyzed by what she’d just heard, Tamsin sank back down on the side of the bed. “He’s been up in the mountains. Does he know?”

  “Yes. The firefighters got all the horses out except mine. Cole rushed in to save Jimuta.”

  “I—I don’t understand.” Her voice faltered. “Was Cole home?”

  “He’d just returned from his trip. When he found out Jimuta was trapped inside, he ran in to save him. As he came out with my horse, part of the roof collapsed and hit Cole on the arm.”

  Tamsin knew she was going to faint. “You don’t mean he’s—”

  “No, no. He was dragged out and is being treated for smoke inhalation and some burns on his one arm, but he’s going to be fine.”

  Thank God.

  “But you need to come to the hospital as soon as you can because Cole is asking for you.”

  “I’m on my way. Bless you for letting me know, Louise.”

  The next hour was a blur while Tamsin dressed and drove to the emergency entrance. Her heart pounded so hard, she had trouble breathing. To make things worse, she had to park at the other end of the visitor parking because so many police cars and fire van units from the county blocked her way to the doors. She noticed vans from two television stations.

  “Over here, Tamsin!” She turned her head as Louise came running up and put her arm around her. “He’s going to be all right, Tamsin. Sam’s with him. I’ve notified your family. They didn’t answer, but I left a message.”

  “Thank you.” In a daze, she followed Louise inside. The emergency room reminded her of a nightmarish war zone in a film. It was noisy, chaotic. A baby was crying. Firefighters were being treated along with other patients. Police had assembled. Tamsin heard one of the staff telling a doctor they had a gunshot wound victim in the trauma center, but all she could think about was Cole.

  “You have to check in first.” Louise guided her down the hall to one of the rooms where the triage nurse was putting information in the computer. “They’re identifying everyone coming into the emergency room.”

  Tamsin understood, but they had to wait until it was her turn to give her name and phone number. Because arson was a criminal activity, she knew this was a police situation and everyone was being investigated. But she needed to be with Cole and every second away from him was agony.

  A few minutes later, an older man who looked like one of the brass Cole often talked about walked in. He nodded to her. “My name is Norm Selkirk. I’m the head of Sublette County Law Enforcement.” Cole had talked about him. “If you and Mrs. Speakuna will come in the next room with me, I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

  It was obvious he’d already talked with Louise. The two of them went with him to the next room down the hall. He invited them to sit down. “Would you tell me your reason for coming to the emergency room, Ms. Rayburn?”

  She tried to stay in control. “Cole Hawkins is my fiancé. Mrs. Speakuna phoned and told me that
he’d been hurt in the fire set on his own property. He was asking for me, so I came as soon as I could. Please, I need to see him.”

  “You won’t be able to do that for a little while, but don’t worry. The doctor is with him.”

  Don’t worry... She had to fight her hysteria.

  Louise patted her arm.

  “Did you know your fiancé’s whereabouts before you heard about the fire?”

  Why would he ask a question like that? “Yes. He was up in the Winds doing his work tracking the elk. What is this all about? I want to go to him now!” she cried.

  “I wish you could, but we’re following up an investigation. It won’t be long before you’re free to see him. For the moment I need to ask you a few questions.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Are you acquainted with Heather Jennings?”

  What on earth? “Yes. She and I are both CPAs at the Ostler firm.”

  “Coworkers, or more?”

  “We’re close friends.”

  The man nodded. “Have you met her alleged boyfriend, Silas Ellsworth?”

  “No. I mean, I have met him, but not recently.” Tamsin was ready to scream.

  “Explain what you mean.”

  “He went to the same high school I did. That was nine years ago. I haven’t seen him since.”

  “Do you know how long she’s been dating him?”

  She took a deep breath to calm down. “I’m not sure. Maybe for a month. Can I go now?”

  “One more question. How well do you trust Ms. Jennings?”

  Tamsin jumped to her feet. “I’d trust her with my life. Why are you asking me that?”

  “Because she was seen having dinner in Silas Ellsworth’s company a few nights ago. Ms. Jennings would have known about the fire on your father’s property through you, Ms. Rayburn. We’re trying to ascertain if she was using your association with Mr. Hawkins to gather information on him and learn when he was in or out of town.”

  Tamsin frowned. “You honestly think she was being my friend to get information?”

  “I’m only asking the question.”

  “For what reason?”

  “So she could feed her boyfriend what information Mr. Hawkins had told you since he’s been a member of the fire department.”

  Tamsin was incredulous. “I’ve never discussed Cole’s work with anyone. Furthermore, Heather has never asked. We were close long before she ever met Silas. And why would he be so vitally interested in anything Cole does? I still don’t get it.”

  “He and two others are the alleged suspects in custody at this hour for committing the arson that has plagued the ranchers in this county for two years.”

  Her heart leaped. She stared at him in disbelief. “They’ve been caught?” He nodded. “Does Cole know?”

  “You’ll find out when you’re allowed to visit him. Thank you for your time. Wait here and someone will let you know when the doctor says you can see him.”

  Chapter Ten

  Overjoyed by the news that the arsonists had been arrested, Tamsin gave Louise a hug. “It’s over.”

  “Yes. He’s been through enough.”

  “So have you and Sam.” So have I. Cole had promised that once the case was solved, he’d resign from the fire department and they’d get married.

  For the next fifteen minutes they talked about the fire until someone on the staff came in and told them they could see the patient. Tamsin literally ran out of the room with Louise, who led the way to another room farther down the hall and around the corner. The sight of four grubby, foul-smelling firefighters standing around the opening while they laughed warmed her heart.

  She heard Cole’s voice before peeking inside.

  “Get out of here, you guys.”

  “We’re going.”

  Tamsin recognized Wyatt Fielding, a guy she knew from high school. She also recognized Captain Durrant, who grinned and patted Cole on the shoulder. One by one the other three gave a physical manifestation of their affection and relief by a nudge or some other gesture. Tamsin stayed next to Louise.

  She knew Cole had developed deep friendships with his crew back in Colorado. He’d explained that the bond between them was as strong as any blood ties could be. Judging by the behavior of these men here, she could tell how much they cared about Cole already.

  This was a part of his life Tamsin had nothing to do with. She knew a moment’s feeling of being excluded from a fraternity that could never include her. But it didn’t matter. All she cared about was that he’d escaped death from the collapsed roof.

  To her overwhelming joy and gratitude, Cole was sitting on the end of the hospital examining table, dressed in jeans and a polo shirt and hooked up to an IV.

  The attending physician stood there treating him for smoke inhalation with oxygen. His lower left arm had been bandaged to the wrist. But as far as she could tell, nothing else seemed to be wrong. The man was fearless.

  Wyatt made his parting shot. “Try to stay out of trouble for a while, Hawkins!”

  “Mr. Hawkins won’t be reporting for work for at least a week,” the doctor explained. “That burn needs time to heal.”

  “I’m going to make sure it does!” Tamsin spoke up as she entered the room, because she knew something neither the doctor nor anyone else knew.

  “Oh, boy. You’re in for it now,” Wyatt called out with a gleeful smile. The guys hooted and hollered all the way down the hall.

  Her gaze met Cole’s. The oxygen mask covered his nose and mouth, but she could tell he was smiling. “You’re a sight for these bloodshot eyes,” she heard him say. Her heart turned over on itself. “Come closer, sweetheart.”

  “I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

  His deep chuckle thrilled her.

  The doctor smiled. “Just make sure he keeps breathing the oxygen. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Sam left with the doctor, giving her a hug on the way out. Louise followed them, leaving Tamsin alone with Cole at last.

  When she ran to her dark blond cowboy, he threw his right arm around her with surprising strength. Worried for him, she eased away enough to cling to his right hand. The tears dripped down her cheeks. “When Louise told me part of the roof collapsed on you, I almost died. You should never have tried to rescue Louise’s horse!”

  “Jimuta is a special Arabian, named for one of the Arapahoe sun gods and blessed by the chief of their tribe for its remarkable powers. I knew he was frightened, but hoped he would let me get him out because he knew me and my voice.”

  Tears welled up in her throat. “So many times you’ve told me you could never thank Louise enough for taking care of your father near the end. I would say that saving her horse has done more to show your love for her than anything else you could ever do. She was the one who called to let me know you were in the hospital.”

  “Louise is so modest she would never tell you that Sam risked his life to get the horses out in spite of the flames. I couldn’t bear it if anything had happened to them or Flossie. Sam and the stockmen have been taking turns guarding the property at night.”

  “How did he know about the fire?”

  “He’d just come in from his stretch when he thought he heard the horses neighing. He assumed a skunk or a raccoon had gotten in the barn and went out to investigate. That’s when he saw the flames and called the fire department.”

  Tamsin shuddered and gripped his hand harder. “I love them both for their devotion to you and your family. Oh, I wish I could hug you.”

  “So do I. The doctor says I have to stay in the hospital tonight so they can treat my burn. If everything looks good tomorrow, he’ll release me and we can go home where I can hold you in my arms for as long as I want.”

  Another night of waiting. “Are you in horrible pain from your arm?”

  “
No. They’ve given me a painkiller in the IV. My throat is sore, that’s all.”

  “You breathed in too much smoke. I can’t believe this happened to you.”

  “But it’s over now and my injury isn’t life-threatening. Let’s concentrate on our wedding.”

  She had so much she wanted to talk about, but the doctor came back in followed by the orderlies wheeling a gurney. “We’re moving you to the fourth floor.” He eyed Tamsin. “If you’ll go out to the desk, they’ll tell you which room. Give us fifteen minutes.”

  “Of course. See you soon, my love.” She kissed the palm of Cole’s hand one more time before hurrying out in the hall where Sam and Louise were waiting. Without hesitation, she hugged them both and broke down weeping for joy that everyone was alive.

  * * *

  AFTER COLE WAS wheeled to the fourth floor along with his IV drip, the nurse helped him into a hospital gown and he was settled in a regular bed. To his relief the doctor had fitted him with an oxygen tube that wasn’t as cumbersome as the mask.

  While he waited anxiously for Tamsin to come in, knowing this situation was the very reason she wanted him to give up firefighting, he had visitors. The big brass had assembled. Norm, Chief Powell, Commander Rich and Holden walked in and stood around his bed.

  Commander Rich cleared his throat. “We know you need rest, but we want to give you a quick update. Because of your heroism for going beyond the call of duty, you’ll be getting an award, but it will be given at a later date when your wounds have healed.”

  “That’s not necessary, Commander.”

  Norm moved closer to the bed. “Every arson victim in Sublette County owes you a debt of gratitude they can never repay.”

  “Neither can the firefighters,” Chief Powell chimed in. “Our courageous men have answered every call to put out those fires. To know the culprits have finally been caught is a gift to all of us. Everyone will sleep better tonight because of you.”