Page 20

I was staring when she hung up, and she shrugged. “That was the guys. They heard about what happened and were coming back to help. But they’re needed elsewhere. Evidently whatever they’re doing to help Noah and Kate, someone didn’t like, and this was an attack to divide their efforts.”

What I’d been told of the Noah and Kate situation sounded serious. They needed the help more than we did. My calm fading, I felt a spike of panic drive through my stomach. Jude would be with them. Was he in danger?

Please, let him come back.

Just because I planned to move on didn’t mean I didn’t still care about Jude. More than care. I needed him to be okay in the same way I needed Resting Warrior to be okay.

“I’ve never heard you say so many words,” I said to Mara with a laugh. “It’s nice.”

She gave me another little shrug. “When I have to.”

Evie talked to the firefighters as they packed up their equipment. Like Mara had said on the phone, there was nothing more that could be done here tonight.

Mara started back toward the lodge, and I followed slowly. The fire trucks were pulling out when I started climbing the front porch stairs and went inside. Thank God this building, the heart of the ranch and the team, hadn’t been harmed.

“Want one?” Cori asked.

“Yes. Please.” I sank onto the end of the couch, feeling like I’d just run a marathon. I smelled like smoke—we all did—but we’d just have to pay to get the furniture professionally cleaned. “I’m exhausted.”

“Same.” Evie was slouched in one of the armchairs, staring at the ceiling. “I never want to do that again.”

“Are you okay? Because of the fire.”

She shook her head. “Not really, but I’ll deal.”

Cori handed me my drink. I honestly didn’t care what was in it. It wasn’t going to help the exhaustion, but at this point, I needed it. Both to relax and to take the edge off. I didn’t even take off my coat. Now that I was sitting down, I was shaking. I would just have one so I could still drive home.

“Do we know who did this?” Cori asked. “Because I’d like to have words with yet another person willing to burn animals alive. And words is a loose term.”

“No idea,” Grace said. “But it seems like a pretty big coincidence someone crashed the gate when none of the guys were here.”

So it probably had to do with whatever they were doing right now. “I’m just glad the damage wasn’t worse.”

“Thank you.” Evelyn lifted her glass. “For coming so quickly.”

“Of course.”

All of us sat in silence, shell-shocked, nursing our drinks. Even Mara sat with us near the fire. Eventually, we talked about stuff, but no one was really paying attention to the conversation. We’d just saved Resting Warrior from burning down, and most of the women in this room were waiting for their partners to come back from a situation that could be even more dangerous.

It was like a knife in the chest that I wasn’t one of them.

The waiting was excruciating. My drink was long since finished when we heard the sound of tires on dirt and gravel. “Oh, thank goodness,” Evie said, jumping up.

She waited in the doorway, watching, and it was Lucas who came barreling through first, lifting her off the floor and wrapping her in his arms. I heard a single sob from Evie before he carried her directly out of the lodge again, headed toward their personal cabin.

My heart ached. Evelyn was one of the strongest people I’d ever met. But when she was faced with one of her worst fears and memories, I hoped she would find the safety and comfort she needed at home with Lucas.

Mara stood and slipped out the door without saying anything. Grace and Cori stood as their men came inside. “Are you okay, Lena?” Cori asked. “We can get you home.”

“I’m okay,” I promised. “I just need a couple minutes, and then I’ll head home.”

I could have gone earlier, but I wouldn’t have been able to sleep without knowing if they were all back safe.

Grace leaned down and hugged me before Harlan tugged her to him, embracing her and kissing her forehead before they left.

Cori and Grant left too, so I was alone in front of the fireplace.

All the men looked exhausted, too. Whatever happened, it hadn’t been easy. I would hear about it later from Evelyn and Grace. We would need another girls’ date soon. The one we’d had for Kate to welcome her to the group hadn’t been nearly long enough.