Page 113 of Ignite

Together, we helped Wildfire to the float. Even though Ethan didn’t look natural when handling her, he made me stay outside while he strapped her inside. I breathed a grateful sigh of relief when we could lock up the back, only for a huge gust of wind hit us from the side, rocking the float.

“Babe, drive.” Ethan pushed me towards the driver’s side. Looking over my shoulder towards him I watched a dozen embers land on the stable. Within seconds, the old wooden structure ignited. “Rylee, drive. I’m right behind you. I’ll stop to close the gate, but drive.”

“But—“

“Rylee. I love you. Not the right time or place, but I love you. Now we can fight about how I know or whether I mean it, or you can get your ass in your truck, and drive.”

Seconds lasted hours.

The hours seemed to last a year.

It was only one night, but it became a lifetime.

My horses were in full panic while I drove. A coin toss could decide whether we’d die by fire or due to the horse float flipping over.

I tried to hold my breath and focus all my energy on driving with zero visibility, but it took too long to maneuver around potholes in the dirt track down to the dam. I turned on my high beam lights, hoping Ethan could see me after he’d closed the gate. I barely knew where to go, and I’d spent some of the happiest weeks of my life camping down at the dam. How did we think Ethan could follow?

Had I sent him to his death?

I couldn’t think like that. I had to believe that he’d found me for a reason and that reason was us.

Somehow, I made it down to the dam without flipping the horse float. Earlier today, it still looked the size of four football fields, and deep enough in places to go diving, I hoped either the fire would jump over us, or stop at the water. If Ethan and I could get the horses into the middle, there was a small pontoon that I used to spend hours pretending to fish from.

To unbridle my horses, or not? If the fire came, the leather would catch fire and burn. But we were almost safe and keeping the bridle could keep them with me.

“Rylee, let them go.”

Ethan’s strong arms cradled me from behind as I held the two sets of reins. Cider and Wildfire were agitating for release, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let them go—what if they ran into the fire?

“Rylee, let them go. They’re smart and have got the entire paddock.”

“But—“

“Sweetheart, let them go or I’ll tan your butt.”

His words couldn’t make me react, but the soft kiss to my neck had the reins released to his hands.

“Set up the pump and hose, I’ll release them.”

“But, what if they—“

“They’ll be fine if we get the hose working.”

We worked together, as a well-oiled machine.

I could set up the pump, generator, and hoses in my sleep.

Ethan struggled to hold Cider while removing Wildfire’s bridle but managed to release both horses from anything that could catch fire.

We thought we were prepared.

Only to hear the roar of a train.

We were miles away from any trainline.

The wall of flames was only kilometers away. The wind was blowing in our direction, each gust sounding like a freight train.

We were looking at our death.

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