Page 18 of To Match A Dragon's Fire

“Okay.” She nodded solemnly. “Who are you going to shoot?”

“Come on, Harp,” Willow moaned.

Riley chuckled.

“No one, yet.” I inserted a magazine and checked the safety. “This is a public access road. Legally, you can’t put a fence here. But people who put up fences on public roads don’t always have the best intentions.”

“Be safe, Ember.” Willow peered through the windows.

I looked too, checking to see if anyone was out there or if they’d put up a camera.

The government bought the land surrounding our homestead back when I was a kid. This main road was used to access the national forest beyond our property.

It shouldn’t have been blocked, unless some asshole thought they had the right to make it theirs.

They didn’t.

I took a deep breath before opening the driver’s side door. A warm blast of dry air blew my hair back from my face as I landed with both feet on the dirt.

My hips were aching from sitting still for so long and my bladder was screaming for release, but I didn’t want to let my guard down until I’d scoped the area.

I inched closer to the gate, feeling my heart race for an entirely different reason. If this was someone else’s property, they’d have every right to shoot trespassers.

But this was my land. I knew it like I knew the back of my hand. What I didn’t know was why someone put a fence on it.

The padlock on the gate was open.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Shooting it off would cause even more problems with whoever put it here. I didn’t see any signs of the asshole. There was still another half a mile through the foothills until I got to my cabin, but the immediate area was empty.

Except for this stupid fence and gate.

I put the pistol in my waistband, motioning for Riley to drive as I opened the gate. “Pull forward and stop. I’ll close it behind you.”

Even if it wasn’t supposed to be here, I knew it was bad luck to leave gates open. I looked aroundagain as Riley drove the Bronco past me, wondering if I’d missed some cattle grazing on the horizon.

Nothing.

It was all as I’d left it.

Maybe the government had put the fence up for some reason. They could’ve been moving cattle of their own. Not likely. But I wasn’t ruling it out.

I’d have to get to town soon—as much as I was dreading that—and check in with the county office at City Hall to see what had changed.

“I really have to pee,” Harper was begging when I opened the door. Willow gave me a look and I nodded.

After we’d all popped a squat, I slid back behind the steering wheel. My back was killing me. I realized just how tired I was and how tightly I was holding onto the wheel—metaphorically and literally.

The promise of home up ahead was welcome. I could get there and let go. I planned to curl up and finish reading my book. To check out from reality for a few hours and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Just one more hill and you can take a break.

“Auntie Ember’s cabin has a wood stove,” Willow explained to Harper. “And there’s a tire swing in the backyard.”

I could feel my adrenaline waning as she talked, enjoying the excitement in Harper’s gasps. Even Riley was smiling as she spoke soothing words to Dobby, who’d resumed his awful meowing in the carrier.

We crested the hill overlooking the cabin and a stone dropped to the pit of my stomach.

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