Page 62 of Rancher's Heart

CHAPTER 32

GRIFF

Laying in bed with the woman I love wrapped in my arms, her hair splayed across my chest as I watched her breathe quietly, was the best feeling in the world. It made my heart soar, and all the noise in my head was suddenly silent. My entire life I’d had lists to check off rolling through my mind, it made me who I was. I was organized and I never missed anything, but the world around me was quiet right now. Right at that moment I knew what true love was.

No more rolling my eyes when Kipp looked at Nora like she hung the moon. Or when Nash can’t stop talking about Fallon or the girls, I wouldn’t walk away from him anymore. Parker might not have come from me, but I am so proud of the kid he is and that he’s part of my family now, and I’ll boast about him every day until I’m dead in the ground.

Just as I was about to give in to my peaceful sleep, something caught my eye by the barn. Shifting in bed, I sat up slightly and saw a flash of light, and the entire side of the barn burst into flames. My heart raced and plummeted all at the same time. Fuck what had happened? I needed to get it out before it took the entire barn.

“Elle, wake up, we’ve got trouble,” I shouted as I scrambled out of bed, hopping into my jeans that I’d hastily discarded in a heap at the door to my room. “Elle, get up,” I hollered again. Pulling on a shirt, I sloppily did the snaps up and tucked it in.

“What? What’s wrong?” She asked as she sat up rubbing her eyes, not worrying about covering up. I hesitated as I looked at her naked body and mussed hair that was wild around her head.

“The barn’s on fire. I have to get the horses out.” Even though I watched it happen and could see the structure glowing orange, I couldn’t believe it was actually happening.

“You can’t go in there.” She called after me, her voice filled with panic as I headed for the door.

“I’m not letting them die. You need to call Ryder, he can get the rest of the guys over here.” Reaching for the door, I turned and smiled. “Woman, the entire county will be on their way here in five minutes, and as much as I love staring at your naked body, I don’t want to have to kill anyone who sees you. Go put clothes on.” Grabbing the back of her head I pulled her to me, and kissed her so passionately it would carry me through the rest of my life. I winked and I couldn’t help but laugh as her red blush crept up her chest and neck and flowed into her cheeks.

Her long hair flew around her head as she turned and sprinted back down the hallway. “Call Ryder. I love you.” I yelled as I ran out the door. Something in me needed to tell her again. Maybe it was running head-first into a burning building, or was it just that I wanted to shout it from the rooftops? All I knew as I sprinted across the yard was that I’d tell her every chance I could.

Pulling open the large barn door, smoke billowed out, and I saw the straw in a few of the stalls had been set on fire. Pulling my shirt up to cover my mouth, I reached the first stall and managed to get Persephone. When she saw the flames, she tried to pull away from me. Reaching up I ran my hand over her neck.Grabbing an empty feed sack I threw it over her head and pulled her out of the back of the barn.

Coughing and gulping for clean air as I ran her out to the gate, I pulled the sack off her head and she bolted into the pasture. The threat of wolves moving down the mountain had made me keep my daily riders in the barn for the last few nights. The last thing I needed was my old trusty horses being prey, but they were now in a perilous situation.

One last deep breath as I ran back into the barn, the flames growing closer to the rafters and beams of the roof. Grabbing another horse, I repeated the process but put the sack over its head before I tried to move the big grey mare.

As we made it out, I heard the deafening snaps of the wooden structure giving way to the flames and heat. Tempest was still in the barn, and I would die trying to get her out.

When I got to her stall, she was stomping the ground, and I slid alongside her, hoping she couldn’t feel the fear radiating off me as my heart thundered in my chest.

“Come on, girl, let’s get through this one obstacle, and I swear it will be an easy life from here on out,” I muttered in her ear as I ran my hand over her nose. As if she was responding to me, she nodded, and started backing out of her stall.

A snap from overhead was louder than the raging fire, and I looked up, but smoke filled the alleyway. Something from above came tumbling down and hit my shoulder, with so much force I instantly crumpled on the floor.

Intense pain shot through my arm, and I tried to lift it, but it didn’t move. Reaching across myself, I felt for it and was relieved it was still attached to my body. Tempest nudged my side with her nose and tried to get me to move.

I made an attempt to sit up, but the pain was crippling, and I fell back to the floor. Instantly, I realized that the beam waspinning me to the floor. My shirt was burning, and the pain was from being burned.

Coughing, I tried not to take deep breaths, but my lungs were screaming, and everything around me started to go dark.

“Griff!” a voice yelled from outside. I needed to stay for the person yelling at me. Trying to move again, I pulled my arm free, but it took all my strength, so I lay back on the ground.

“Griff.” The voice was getting closer. No, please don’t come in here, I tried to say over and over again.

Without warning, the brightest light appeared at my feet, and a hulking man stood in the doorway. I was drawn to him, and no matter how much I wanted to stay, the pull was magnetic. “Well, my boy, it’s been a long time,” his deep voice said as he pulled me into his arms and hugged me.

“Miller,” I said as I hugged him back. Kipp and Fallon’s father had died six years ago and it had hit all of us hard. This ranch was his legacy, and the five of us had been honored and proud to carry it on.

“Let’s take a walk. I need to find out about this family. Nash and Fallon? How’d I miss that one?” His laughter cut through the pain in my arm and lungs and that’s when I realized everything was quiet, except for the birds chirping and the wind calmly blowing through the grass.

Turning, I looked over my shoulder and caught a glimpse of Elle. Stopping, I took steps back toward her. As much as I’d missed Miller and being able to talk to him, I couldn’t leave her. His solid hand landed on my shoulder. “No, son.” His voice rumbled through the night, and he pulled me away from the love of my life.

CHAPTER 33

ELLE

Smoke billowed out the open barn door and the hole in the roof as burning pieces fell into the barn. Flames licked and clawed for more unburned wood as I watched the orange glow get larger, waiting for Griff to come back out. My pulse thrummed in my ears, and every second he wasn’t coming out made a new knot form in my stomach.

---