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He leaned into her space. “Just give me a minute and then if you still want to go, I’ll back off.”
Her head slowly rose, and a shimmering strand of hair blew into her face. It would take some time for him to get used to her new look. Not that he didn’t like it. Layered hair curved softly around her face, giving her a sophisticated appearance that was all too appealing.
He reached up to tuck the stray strand behind her ear, but she beat him to it and fixed tired eyes on his face.
“You have exactly one minute.” She tapped her jeweled watch with a brightly painted nail.
The anguish in her gaze almost stopped his words. Almost. But he had to keep her safe. “It’s crazy to go to Pinetree, sw—, Mia.” She didn’t seem to notice his near use of sweetheart, or maybe she didn’t remember or even care that he’d always called her that in high school. “You never know what the sender of this letter intends to do.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s from my father. You know how melodramatic he can get. If I leave town during the year, Pinetree defaults to David. So—”
“Wait. David gets Pinetree if you leave?” Ryan’s tone pierced through the air. “It’s got to be worth a bundle for the lakefront location. Seems like David is the logical person to want you to leave.”
“I didn’t say I was certain about my father. David is a possibility, but I doubt it.” She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment as if she was humoring him. “David’s firm handles Pinetree’s finances so I’ve talked to him about the transition a couple of times in the last week. He said even though he was the older sibling, I deserved Pinetree because I was so much closer to Uncle Wally.”
“How can you be sure he meant what he said? Maybe he was covering up his true feelings.”
“His tone was sincere. Plus, he’s never done anything in the past to hurt me, but Dad…” She released another sigh. “He’s a different story. He always thought David was more deserving of everything, so why not this?” Her words were strong, but her voice trembled at the mention of her father and brother.
Ryan wanted to stroke her hair in comfort as he used to do after one of her father’s many rampages, but he had no right. He’d seen to that.
He fisted his hands and searched for the words that would keep her away from Pinetree. But what could he say to make her see the danger she could be in?
Perhaps he had to paint a dire picture. “You may be right about the letter coming from your dad, but are you willing to risk your life on it?”
She recoiled as if he’d slapped her. “Your minute is up.”
She fired up the car, and he reluctantly stepped back. He didn’t know why she’d reacted so strongly but he did know he’d failed her again. Was he destined to fail her at every turn? He shook his head and watched her back out of the space.
At least this time he had God to turn to. He never disappointed anyone.
Ryan focused on the impressive stand of Douglas firs in the distance.
Lord, please keep Mia safe. And if it is your will, let her see my sincere desire to apologize for how I hurt her and help her to forgive me for what I did.
At the screech of tires, his head snapped back, and he watched the car shoot down the street. Despite the ache her resentment left behind, the familiar sight brought a brief smile. Mia might dress all prissy and girly now, but she remembered how to drive like a guy.
Oh, yeah, she’d always been a little spitfire. Rebelling against her father. Getting into trouble left and right. Calming down some the year they were together. Taking up again when they split up to show everyone she didn’t need him.
And she didn’t need him. Not now, anyway. He’d hurt her by how he’d handled the breakup, that was for sure, and he wanted to fix it. Now more than ever. Seeing her dredged up the horrible day they’d parted, and he needed to explain why he had to end things as he had. To seek her forgiveness so he could put this to rest.
Instincts and the desire to do the right thing with Mia told him to jump in his truck and follow her to Pinetree, but the threatening message urged him to go see Russ, his brother and chief of police. He could talk with Mia later, but not if the person behind the letter made good on his threat and harmed her in the process.
Leave Logan Lake now or you will pay…
The barn, dry from a typical rainless summer, flared in oranges and reds as if a meteor had streaked from the sky and plunged into the building.
Had he done this? Had he really made good on the threat?
Dense smoke clung to Pinetree’s sign and surrounding treetops like cotton candy on a stick. The air was laden with fumes, not the sort of pleasant scents drifting from a campfire, but serious gusts of blackness settling into the open car and irritating her breathing.
Heart beating erratically, Mia remembered the advice of the 911 operator she’d just called. She should move to a safe location and wait for the fire department to arrive. But what if Uncle Wally still kept horses in the barn? If they were trapped she couldn’t sit here and listen to them cry out. She had to try to rescue them. She kicked off her heels and scrambled from the car.
Listening for cries of distress, she ran the length of the barn and circled the backside. Embers shot into the air. Explosions—bullet-like pings—struck the walls. The heat and caustic air seared her lungs. Howling screams from the consuming fire eased and the heat receded a bit, allowing her to inch closer to the acrid smoke seeping through cracks in the walls.
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. Uncertainty 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.
