Page 63 of Rancher's Heart

Wood cracked and popped, and the structure almost screaming made me look back to the door as I watched a beam fall into the alleyway.

He’s been in there too long.

The smoke’s too thick.

Grabbing one of his shirts off the clothesline, I shoved it into the water trough and rang it out as I headed for the barn. The heat radiating from the building made my determined steps falter, but I threw the shirt over my head, grabbed a sleeve, placed it over my nose and mouth, and continued.

As I entered the burning building, I hunkered down as close to the floor as I could while still walking. I didn’t want to have to crawl yet. It would take too much time.

“Griff,” My muffled calls of his name didn’t sound like they were loud enough for him to hear with the noise from the fire. Inever dreamed a fire would make noise, but the flames sounded like they were snapping, the pop of the wood giving way, the shattering of glass from the heat, and the floor above falling around me with a thud made me jump.

Reaching out in front of me I felt the strong neck of a horse. “Shit,” I yelled as the flames licked around us. In the fire’s glow, I saw the black mane. “Tempest.” He was close, and she’d never leave him.

Slowly moving around the strong animal, my foot caught on something hard and soft, and I sank to my knees. Feeling around I felt my way up a denim-covered leg over his waist, chest, and face. Something snapped above us, and I covered his body with mine as a beam came down and narrowly missed hitting me. “I’ve got him girl. Get out of here.” I waved my arms and swore the horse nodded to me before turning and running out the door. Just before the fire overtook the opening.

Standing, I bent over and grabbed his feet. There wasn’t time to be gentle because the one thing I didn’t feel when I was lying on him was his heart beating or his chest moving.

I pulled that hulking man out of the barn and a safe distance from the blaze by sheer will and determination. Putting on hand on his chest, while checking his pulse with my other hand I wanted to feel something, but it was still.

Our yard light was bright enough for me to get a look at his shoulder, and not only was it at an incredibly awkward angle, bit the fiery red burns and dark scorch marks made me shiver one thing at a time, Elle.My head was right. The burns and broken bones were the least of his issues at the moment.

Ripping open his shirt, I quickly landmarked and put my hands on his chest. “You can’t die on me, you stubborn fool. I’ve waited my entire life for you and I won’t let you go. Griff you’ve got to breathe, please.” My voice sounded loud even overthe burning barn. I counted my compressions and blew into his mouth.

The first pop made me sick to my stomach, but I had to focus. The second pop under my hands made tears blur my vision.I’m giving him the best chance at survival. You have to do this, Elle.My rational nursing brain finally kicked in and counted out loud even though there was nobody to hear me.

“Parker and I need you, Griffin. Please, start breathing on your own, or there will be hell to pay,” I yelled, losing count, but I didn’t care; I gave him two breaths and started the process again.

“Move, Elle, I’ll take over.” I looked up at Jake’s face. His eyes were full of concern, and I noticed I was surrounded by people.

“No, I have to keep going.” My body was moving involuntarily at this point like a well-oiled machine. Thirty compressions, two breaths, thirty compressions, two breaths. Start over and repeat. I didn’t know how long he’d been down, and I had no idea how long I’d been trying to keep his heart pumping and oxygen flowing through his body. My arms were burning, I was breathing hard, and my shoulders were screaming in agony, but I wasn’t going to stop.

A gasp from the man I was working on made me freeze, and I stared at Jake, not daring to look at the man I was in love with. “He’s got a pulse, stop compressions. You did it, Elle; you saved him.” Jake kept his fingers on Griff’s pulse and smiled at me.

The paramedics swarmed and moved me out of the way and talked to one another as they put oxygen on him. I listened but didn’t comprehend what they were saying. Glancing toward the barn, I watched neighbors filling buckets and using every hose they could find to extinguish the fire that had spread to the corrals.

Another group of paramedics gathered around me, asking questions, and reaching for my hands trying to get my oxygensaturation and pulse. “I’m fine,” I whispered, but they didn’t listen. Someone was checking my blood pressure, which I could have told them would be elevated, but I didn’t say a word. A stethoscope was pressed on my back, and I involuntarily took deep breaths, like someone else had taken over my body as they evaluated me.

“Elle.” Someone yelled at me and I looked at the man holding my face in his hands. “Are you going with the helicopter?” Ryder was yelling at me. Looking over, I watched the flight team running the stretcher to the helicopter and loading Griff inside.

Scrambling up, I pushed Ryder away and ran to the helicopter. A strong hand reached out for me and helped me into it. “Sit there and don’t move,” he yelled, buckling me in.

Someone took my hand and I turned to look at Ryder, who had hopped in behind me.Thank you for saving my best friend.He signed to me, knowing there’d be no way for me to hear him.

I love him, Ryder.I signed back as the tears fell again.

I know you do.He put his arm around my shoulder and I sank into his side.

For the rest of the flight, we watched the nurses monitor Griff. I didn’t even try to keep up with the machines. I could tell from their faces that they were worried. They looked calm and focused, but I could see beyond their calm as they glanced from one to another and occasionally over to me.

The hospital came into view, and the pilot landed with a slight bounce. People swarmed the door, and they pulled the stretcher out. Ryder and I stayed put until the teams started running toward the hospital doors. As I exited the aircraft I watched the man I love get further away.

“We’ve got him now, Elle. You did great,” the familiar voice said as I looked into Dr. Theon’s face. He smiled and nodded before turning to follow the rest of the staff.

Ryder put his arm around me, and we walked into the hospital.

The bleak white walls of the waiting room felt like they were closing in around me as I sat in the uncomfortable pleather chairs that were a god-awful brown color. Whoever was the interior designer for hospitals should be fired. Being here waiting was the most agonizing thing I’d ever experienced. I was used to being in control. I was good at my job, and just behind those metal double doors were people doing my job.

“Do you know anything?” Kipp asked as he entered the waiting room followed by Nora. A moment later, Nash and Fallon arrived with Linc and Kristin.

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