by Mary Leo
Apparently, according to Chad, as soon as the fire began, Morning Star had opened about half of the gates. Chad had opened the rest, except for Sweet Girl’s gate. The spring on that latch had been changed, and neither Chad nor Morning Star could open it.
“I tried my best, Mr. Scott, but when the barn got too hot and I started choking on the smoke, I had to run out,” Chad had told him right before his dad took him home. “I thought I’d locked Morning Star in the corral with the other horses, but he must have opened that latch, as well. I had no idea he’d gone back in until I saw him run out right before you did the same.”
Then Chad apologized one more time before he drove away, visibly upset by the entire turn of events.
Jake had tried to tell Chad that he’d been a hero, but Chad wouldn’t hear it. Not with Morning Star in such bad shape.
“You should get some rest, Jake,” Coco warned him as she clipped some of the hair around Morning Star’s burns. She’d already made sure he was hydrated and had given him a shot of penicillin. The mares and his other stallion, Bingo, were huddled together in a tight group in the next corral. None of them had moved since they were rounded up right after the fire had finally been put out.
“I don’t want to leave him like this,” Jake told her, his heart breaking just watching his horse struggle to keep standing, his breathing audibly labored.
“I gave him a strong sedative to calm him for a few hours. Hopefully, he’ll sleep which is what you and Kenzie both need. You must be exhausted.”
“I can’t—”
“Yes you can, and so can I. I’ll sleep in my old room tonight, and check on him periodically throughout the night. It’s the least I can do after you stopped my dad from racing into that inferno. Now, I’m going to make sure I soaked his feed enough so it’s nice and soft, and that he has access to plenty of fresh water, then I’m heading to bed for a couple of hours. You should, too.”
Jake agreed, but he refused to get any sleep until he checked on Kenzie. She’d gone in about a half hour ago, but he knew sleep had been the furthest thing from her mind.
He rapped on her bedroom door.
“Jake. I was just coming out to check on the horses. I can’t sleep. I can’t do anything but pace my room. I took a shower hoping that would help, but nothing’s helped. I have no idea how it could’ve started. If it hadn’t been for Chad’s quick thinking, things could have been much worse. How’s Morning Star? I should go out and check on him. I—”
He took her in his arms, held her as tightly as he could, wincing at the pressure of his shirt on his burns, and stroked her hair. “Shh,” he murmured in her ear. “It’s okay. Everybody’s okay. We all came through it, and Morning Star is going to be fine. Coco’s with him now. There’s no need for you to go anywhere but back into bed to get some sleep.”
“I can’t, not alone. Stay with me tonight.”
He pulled away from her and stared at her hard. “Kenzie, are you sure?”
She nodded as tears cascaded down her cheeks. He knew this wasn’t how either one of them wanted the night to go, but he also knew if her longing was anything like his, they couldn’t be apart. Not tonight. Maybe not ever.
“I need to wash up first,” he said. “Most of me is covered in soot from the fire.”
“You smell like the burnt barn,” she said, apparently trying for a bit of levity.
“You get yourself back in bed, and I’ll join you in five minutes.”
“Okay,” she told him, then she turned and staggered into bed. Dropping on her back, she immediately closed her eyes. Jake knelt down on the floor next to her for a moment and stroked her silky hair off her face. Within seconds she was fast asleep.
* * *
KENZIE WOKE UP WELL before dawn, cuddled up against Jake Scott. The fire and the torturous screams from Sweet Girl still raged inside her head and she sat up with a start, hoping to make the horror stop.
When she opened her eyes, a white full moon glared back at her. She knew she was in her own bed, but it wasn’t just a dream.
It had been real.
It had happened.
Her chest still felt tight, making it difficult to breathe properly, to get enough air...the air that reeked of smoke and burning wood. She patted her chest, rubbing it, trying to make the pain go away.
Her limbs began to tingle until Jake’s voice cut through her panic. “It’s okay, babe,” Jake said. “I’m here now. Just take it slow. Breathe through your nose. In and out. In and out. It’s over. We’re all okay.”
She could see his emerald eyes glistening in the moonlight, could see the sweet smile on his face, the dimple in his chin.
She closed her mouth and took one breath at a time through her nose. The tingling began to dissipate as the tension in her body eased up. He continued to guide her through a few more breaths never taking his eyes from hers until she felt she could do it on her own and slumped back down on the bed. Jake lay down next to her and she instantly melted into him, resting her head on his shoulder, her hand on his naked chest.
Still, she couldn’t let go of the night, couldn’t help thinking about the horrible fire.
“I should check on Morning Star,” she told him, trying to pull away, but he held her tight.
“I was just out there. He’s doing fine. He’s calm, and right now that’s how we all need to be. Calm. It won’t do any of us any good to stress over what’s already happened.”
He stroked her head, then rubbed her shoulder, and she began to relax a little.
“I want to know what started it. No one told me what started it.”
“They should have an answer in the morning. One of the firemen promised to call you, remember? There’s nothing you can do until then.”
“Oh, Jake, it was so awful.”
“It was, but no one was seriously hurt, and I guarantee that Morning Star will be fine. I’m sure Coco is an excellent doctor.”
“She’s the best. She’ll do everything she can.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about.”
“The cost of rebuilding the barn will be more than we can afford.”
“Your insurance will cover most of it.”
“That’s the problem. In order to cut costs, I had to increase the deductible. I don’t remember what it is, but I know it’s over ten thousand. We don’t have that kind of cash available.”
“Let’s talk about all of this in the morning. Everything will still be there waiting for us. We don’t have to do anything tonight but sleep.”
She knew he was right, and tried to relax into his comforting embrace. Never had she needed someone to lean on like she did tonight. And she couldn’t think of anyone in the entire world that she’d rather depend on right now than Jake. His being there for her meant everything.
“Thank you for staying with me,” she said.
“I’m here for as long as you need me.”
“I may need you for a very long time,” she said pushing herself up to see his face in the moonlight.
He sat up and pushed his hands through her hair holding her face, then he leaned in and kissed her. This time there was no pulling away. No second-guessing anything. No thinking about the future. There was only this moment, this second, and nothing could stop them this time. Passion seared through her body as the kiss intensified.
He pulled back to look at her, to run his hands over her breasts, and down to the center of her. “Is that a promise?” he asked, a slight grin turning up his lips as his fingers traced her nipples through her T-shirt. The sensation...pure bliss.
“Yes,” she said, putting her mouth back on his, their tongues igniting a deep longing that she’d felt the first time she saw him step out of his truck.
She moved away from his kiss and pulled her T-shirt over her head, tossing it
on the floor. He gently cupped one of her breasts, then gently suckled it until she wanted to yell out with pleasure, but before she could, he started on the other. Her mind and body reacted with such intensity, that she couldn’t think of anything other than how her body felt at that exact moment...incredible.
“You’re more beautiful than I could have ever imagined,” he said, his voice almost a whisper as he moved her down on the bed until her head rested on his pillow. “Your skin is like silk. I can’t get enough of you.”
He slipped out of the boxers he’d worn, then slid her panties down and added them to the pile on the floor. She opened herself to him, revealing everything she had, not wanting to hold any piece of herself back. She wanted to give him everything she had so no matter what happened, this night would end with something good.
His gaze hovered over every inch of her body for what seemed like hours while his hands soothed and caressed her, slowly making love to her, not only with his touch but with his mouth and his tongue until she couldn’t stifle the groans that erupted deep within her.
“Let it all go, Kenzie. I’m here to love you,” his voice rumbling so low she could barely hear him.
Then, just before her body wanted to shatter with pleasure, he reached to the floor for his trousers’ pocket, pulled out a package and slipped on a condom. He entered her slowly, lovingly taking his time with each thrust, until they were both losing control, soaring, while staring deep into each other’s eyes.
This time, she knew she could no more push this man away than she could tell him that she wouldn’t follow him wherever he wanted to take her. She belonged to Jake Scott, and nothing could change that.
* * *
WHEN KENZIE OPENED her eyes to bright sunlight, the sumptuous smell of coffee and her digital clock telling her it was nine thirty-seven, she didn’t budge. She wanted to stay right there for a little longer, safe and warm in her bed. The ramifications of the fire would dominate her entire existence soon enough, but for now she selfishly wanted to take a moment to reflect on what had happened in her bed last night.
The honesty of her emotions.
The memory of his touch, of his kiss.
She was completely and totally in love with Jake Scott, and knew she’d always been in love with him since they were kids.
And now, despite everything that had happened, and the mountain of work that lay in front of her, all she could think of was Jake. She knew if they could get through this “together” they could get through anything.
She turned over to tell him everything she was feeling, to show him one more time before the day began, but of course, he was already gone. She figured he was probably out checking on Morning Star and the damage to the barn.
Reluctantly, she slid out of bed, ready to do the same.
Fifteen minutes later, after calling the hospital to check on her dad, she learned that he was in the process of being released with no other issues than what had been originally diagnosed, Kenzie headed for the back door, coffee mug filled with Jake’s organic brew. She had gotten good at making it herself, something she never thought she would be proud of...but she was.
Dora and Dolly had to stay inside for a few days until the barn stopped smoldering, and she could get it fenced off. They weren’t happy about the situation, and looked up at her with those big sad eyes of theirs, pleading for her to take them with her.
She bent over to give them some much-needed affection. “It’s not safe for you two. I’ll try to get it fixed up as soon as I can. I’m so sorry, babies.”
She wanted to cry, but instead, she collected herself and walked out the back door.
If it weren’t for the acrid smell that still hung in the air, and the fact that the barn was in charred ruins, it would be just another day on the Grant ranch.
However, it most certainly was not, and Kenzie had a difficult time keeping her emotions in check. Just seeing what little remained of the barn, in the light of day, brought her to tears. It was perhaps the single most disturbing event she’d ever endured. And the worst part of it wasn’t over. If Morning Star didn’t pull through, she didn’t think she could withstand the sorrow. And she was certain Jake couldn’t.
She spotted the fire chief, Mike Hammer, talking with Carson as they walked from the far side of the destroyed barn.
Kenzie strode up to meet them.
“Do you know where the fire started?” Kenzie asked as they all came to a stop several feet away from the charred ruins.
“Yes, in your feed room,” Fire Chief Mike said with certainty.
Kenzie stared at him, at his premature graying hair that his job had most likely helped along. His almond-shaped eyes seemed to accuse her of storing more hay than needed. His perfect nose could undoubtedly detect smoke from a mile away, and pencil-thin lips on a mouth that had just told her, without any emotion, that bales of hay had nearly killed all her horses, her father and Chad. And the man she had recently admitted she loved...the very man who had prompted her to buy all that untreated, combustible hay.
Her heart sank, knowing this would haunt her for the rest of her life.
She should have never listened to him...to his organic methods. She knew better, knew those “natural cowboy ways” didn’t work. They were the reason why the ranch was near bankruptcy in the first place, why she’d had to step in and take it over.
She couldn’t believe she’d been so quick to let him change her mind with his smooth talking and his darn organic coffee.
“But I’ve been so careful storing the hay,” she argued. “I’ve checked and rechecked those bales for heat buildup.”
A quizzical look swept over Mike’s face. “The hay didn’t cause the fire. An electrical short inside an outlet in your feed room caused it. That thing had probably been there since this old barn was built some forty-odd years ago. It was hidden for the most part when the new floor was put in. I think that’s why it was overlooked.”
Carson handed her a document. “It’s all in here. The hay was merely fuel.”
“What slowed the fire considerably was that fire-retardant floor and walls you put in last year,” the fire chief said. “If it hadn’t been for that...well, you could have lost much more than just your barn.”
“Does Jake know about this? And where is he, anyway?” Kenzie asked Carson.
“I met him and Carson here earlier,” Mike said. “We went over everything. I figured he’d want to know, considering it was his horse that seemed to get the worst of it.”
“But where is he now?” Kenzie asked.
“I don’t really know,” Carson said. “Mike and I went over to the hospital for a while to check on Dad. We got back about a half hour ago and apparently Jake had loaded up both his horses and left.”
Carson’s words hit Kenzie right in the gut.
“Did he mention to anyone where he was going?”
“No, but I know he had to get back to his ranch for a roundup,” Carson said.
“But he wouldn’t leave without telling me. I know he wouldn’t.”
“Well, speaking of leaving, I’d best be heading out. Got a lot to do over at the station today. Let me know if you two need anything else,” Fire Chief Mike said. “Really sorry about your barn.”
“Thanks,” Carson said, as he and Kenzie watched him leave. Kenzie hung back trying to absorb everything she’d just learned.
“How are you holding up?” Carson asked once the fire chief drove away.
“Not very well,” Kenzie admitted. “Oh, Carson, it’s all my fault. I sensed there was a problem with the electricity—there’d been some flickering and inconsistencies—but I didn’t stop and ask Dad to check it out. The fire could’ve been avoided if I’d just taken the time to tell him. I get so busy and have to be right about everything that I can’t see what’s in front of me. And now Jak
e probably hates me. Poor Morning Star—”
“Nobody hates you, Kenzie. We all know how hard you work, how hard it is to run a ranch. Trust me, nobody’s blaming you for anything.”
“But they will, and they should. I can’t do this. I can’t be in charge of this ranch. This just proves it.”
She’d known there was something wrong with the electricity in the horse barn for several days, but would kick herself forever for not taking the time to get it seen to. She’d lost her priorities.
Tears rolled down Kenzie’s cheeks as the sights and sounds from the fire replayed in her head.
“You can’t always avoid disaster. It’s part of life, and nobody knows that better than I do.”
Carson took her in his arms, and she rested her head on his shoulder. As far back as she could remember Carson had always been there for her, and for all of her sisters. He was the big brother that every girl wanted: kind, compassionate, loving and most of all, nonjudgmental. He always seemed to know exactly the right thing to say whenever any of them needed his older-brother wisdom.
And at the moment, Kenzie needed it more than ever.
“Your rodeo accident was different. You couldn’t avoid what happened.”
Carson had gotten tangled up on a wild horse named Red Comet and couldn’t get himself free when the horse bucked him off. Barney, the rodeo clown, ran out to help and Red Comet kicked him so hard, Barney almost died. Carson had always blamed himself and still did at times. But he also knew that he wasn’t on his game that night, wasn’t focused because of a bombshell his ex-fiancée had dumped on him right before the ride.
“I almost cost someone his life. That qualifies, believe me. But I learned a big lesson from that. We Grants know how to pick ourselves up and keep going, no matter what. And I expect nothing less from you...especially you. You’re my hero, Kenzie Grant. In just a few short years you made this ranch profitable again.”
“And last night I tried to burn it all down.”
