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Blinking twice, she found herself in Chase’s arms. He was carrying her down the driveway, away from the house. “No,” she whispered, her throat dry. “Chase . . . let me down!”
“This time we’re doing it my way, lady,” he said through clenched teeth. His hair was slicked down with rainwater and his face was streaked with mud and soot.
“But Cody—”
“I’ll find him.” Trucks were rushing past them, and one paramedic stopped to talk to Chase.
“Is she all right?”
“I think so—”
“I’m fine,” Dani insisted. “Please, put me down!” Once on her feet she stared in amazement at the scene in front of her. Fire trucks were pumping water from the creek and hosing it over the storage shed, and men, neighbors she supposed, were letting the animals out of the barn, into the farthest fields from the house. The cattle lowed and the horses raced.
“Where did everyone come from?” she asked.
“Caleb called the fire department and the neighbors heard the blast—you’ve been out of it for a little while.”
Placing a hand on her head, she tried to think past the headache and her burning eyes. Finally her thoughts began to clear and crystallize with fear. “Wait a minute. Where is Cody? His backpack was on the bed, I saw his shoes and the note I’d written. He was home, Chase! In that house—” She pointed to the wet, dark home she’d shared with her son. “Dear God, where could he be?”
Attempting to jerk free and climb back up the hill, she fought the strong arm around her.
“You can’t do anything more,” Chase said. “Let the fire department handle the fire.”
At that moment the Anders’ truck pulled into the lane. Marcella, her face a mask of horror, was at the wheel. “What the devil’s goin’ on?” she asked. “I was just on my way home from the store when I saw all the commotion—”
“The storage shed caught fire and the gas tank blew,” Chase filled her in.
“Good Lord!” Marcella looked at all the frantic activity and her face became grim.
“Oh, no,” Dani whispered, understanding the explosion. “But how . . .”
“Fortunately Dani didn’t have much gas in the tank,” Chase continued.
“Thank God,” Dani murmured.
“You still lookin’ for your boy?” Marcella asked.
“Yes.” Dani’s clouded eyes brightened. “Have you seen him?”
“’Fraid not. And the boys, they’ve been lookin’. Neither one of them has seen him anywhere in town.”
“I only hope he’s safe,” Dani said, thinking about Cody’s things in the house. “Let go of me,” she said, starting for the house again.
“If you’ll look after Dani, I’ll check the barn,” Chase said. “I want to talk to the fire chief and use his phone, if I can.”
“I don’t need to be taken care of! I’m coming with you.”
“Whoa,” Marcella said kindly. “The way I hear it, you’ve had yourself enough shocks for one day. Sit with me here in the truck till he gets back. I’ve got coffee and donuts I was bringing home.”
“I couldn’t eat a thing,” Dani said, while Marcella opened the door of the truck and helped a protesting Dani inside.
“Well, the least you can do is share a cup of coffee and keep me company. Chase, he’ll find your boy.”
“God, I hope so,” Dani whispered, cradling the top of the thermos in her fingers and staring through the rain-streaked windshield toward her house and the scarlet flames beyond.
* * *
Three hours later the fire was contained. Blackened pieces of the shed were still smoldering, but all in all, the fire had run its course, taking with it the tractor, plow, harrow, baler and trailer and leaving charred skeletons of what had once been Dani’s equipment.
