On.
Off.
“Manny…” My voice barely works. “Don’t.”
His eyes lift. I’m not sure if he can actually see me through the small gap, but the way he glares, it’s as if he can see right through the wood. “You ruined everything.”
Blinking, I shake my head, hunting for his meaning amongst the synapses in my brain. “What are you talking about?”
He doesn’t speak again.
Doesn’t even acknowledge my question.
He flicks the light again and lets it fall from his grasp.
A scream scrapes against my vocal cords as it reverberates in the air.
Manny turns his back on the barn and marches away.
“Manny, wait!”
Either my shout is overpowered by the roar of the flames, or he ignores me.
Maybe both.
The embers spread, wild and unpredictable. A fleck of ash lands on my finger, burning the flesh on my knuckle. Flinching backward, I clutch my hand to my chest.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I curse.
Thick gray smoke curls beneath the rafters. The horses slam against their stalls. Bear becomes more aggressive with the door. The blaze licks up the wall, heating my skin.
My heart pounds in my chest, on the verge of paralyzing my limbs.
I can’t give up.
Not now.
CHAPTER 33
SANTIAGO
Winter has a way of making the world feel bigger.
Ace’s hooves prance over the snow as we ride along the fence in the northern pasture, checking for broken posts. The Snake River Mountains stand tall against a cloudless sky, and for the first time in days, I almost relax.
The only thing that would make this better is having Blake here with me.
Brandon and Sam trot along with me. Jack and Todd rode out to the west pasture to take hay to the cattle there since the snow covers the grass, effectively cutting off the natural grazing.
My phone vibrates in my inside jacket pocket, and I contemplate ignoring it. I pull it out anyway and bring Ace to a stop as Brandon and Sam ride ahead.
A smile overtakes my face when I see Blake’s name on the screen, but that quickly fades.
Blake: I thought Manny was fired.
Brandon turns, directing his horse back toward me. “Everything okay, boss?”
“Yeah.” My answer isn’t fooling anyone.
