Page 122 of The Cowbears of Curvy Bear Ranch

“I’ll be fine, Logan. He’s a businessman, not acriminal.”

The small hand on his arm caught his attention. Kate looked so little standing next to him that his heart clenched in his chest. If he wasn’t around to protect her, he hated to think about what couldhappen.

“I don’t trust that guy,” he said. “I think you should stay with me for the next few nights, just in case he triesanything.”

“I doubt he’sgoingto—”

“Honey, you have to trust me on this. He’s dangerous. I know he had something to do with the Jenkinses’ barn burning down. You need to becareful,okay?”

She nodded. “Come inside. I’ll fix us somelunch.”

He didn’t move until the SUV disappeared from sight. When he turned to follow her into the house, a sense of foreboding churned in his gut. For the next few nights, he’d shift and keep watch from the woods. She’d never have to know. Once he brought his brothers up to speed, he was sure he could get a couple of them to help keep watch. If anything happened to Kate, he’d never forgivehimself.

Chapter6

Kate wokein the middle of the night to the acrid scent of smoke. She opened one bleary eye and glared at the fireplace across the bedroom. Expecting to see a gray haze, she bolted upright when she didn’t. A single burning ember flickered amongst theashes.

She sniffed the air to confirm the scent. Burnt wood. But where? Had she left the stove on byaccident?

After slipping a thick robe over her flannel pajamas, she tested the doorknob. Not hot. She opened the door and peered into the dark hallway half expecting to find flames at the end of it.Nothing.

Whattheheck?

If it wasn’t in the house…oh,no!

She rushed to the front door and jammed her sockless feet into her boots. As she ran onto the porch, her worst fears were confirmed. Animal streaked out of the semi-engulfed barn. She screamed and ran toward the burningstructure.

Twenty-foot-tall flames licked the moonless sky. Horses whinnied and galloped past her as she ran toward the barn. She had to save them. From what she could see, only a handful had escaped. The rest weretrapped.

As she approached the barn, heat blasted from the inferno. A crash followed by a gust of glowing embers scared a horse into rearing up directly in front of her. A quick jump to the side saved her from being knocked out by its flailinghooves.

Fueled by hay and other highly flammable supplies, fire engulfed the back half of the barn. The horses’ stalls were in the front section. If there were any still alive, she was damn well going tosavethem.

When she reached the entrance to the barn, black smoke billowed out. A putrid haze hung in the air. She hooked her arm across her mouth and nose, but it didn’t stop her from coughing every few seconds. Even though she could hardly draw a breath, she ran intothebarn.

Horses reared up and kicked at the gates which trapped them in their stalls. She raced to the first still-locked gate and threw it open. The horse raced past her toward safety. More horses ran free as she hurried to unlatch theirgates.

A support beam in the ceiling cracked and tilted down at an angle. She didn’t have much time. Two horses were still imprisoned in their stalls. She couldn’t leave them. She’d never forgive herself if they died, so she stumbled through the smoke, reaching blindly for thelatches.

The second she released the last horse, the beam gave way. She dove toward the front of the barn, praying she wouldn’t be hit. The beam crashed close enough to shake the ground, only missing her by afewfeet.

As she scrambled on her hands and knees toward the front of the barn, shouting men rushed into the clearing just outside the doors. A section of one of the side walls split and careened toward her. She rolled away from the fallinginferno.

Eyes watering, throat burning, she struggled for each breath. She wasn’t going to make it. Fresh air was too far away. Strength left her body with every passing second. She willed her arms and legs to move, but shecouldn’t.

A man’s strong arms lifted her off the floor and pulled her against his hard chest. She tilted her head up just enough to recognize him. Logan! He’d come tosaveher.

Logan ran out of the building just seconds before it completely collapsed. She coughed and sputtered as she tried to draw life-giving oxygen into herlungs.

“Honey, are you hurt? Did you get burned?” He set her on the ground and pulled open her robe. His hands gently felt along the sides of her body as if to confirm she wasalive.

“Okay.” She couldn’t manage more than one word. Her lungs felt raw, as if they’d been singed bythefire.

All of Logan’s brothers rushed into the area. Mack and Brady grabbed horses and led them to a nearby pasture while Hank waved at the incoming firetruck.

“Water,” shegasped.

“I’ll be right back, honey.” Logan ran into the house and came back seconds later with a tall glass of water. “Drink itslowly.”