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“I have Syd!”
He heard footsteps but couldn’t see anything. His eyes stung, but he kept moving. The cabin was small; he just had to find the door and they’d get out.
“Ryan, this way!” someone called. He followed the voice, and seconds later he was outside, staggering down the steps.
Hands grabbed Faith, and others him. He was led away from the cottage, and soon sitting. He coughed and coughed, then retched.
“Here.” Tex crouched beside him, holding out Patrick McBride’s water bottle.
Ryan grabbed it and gulped. “Faith?” he rasped.
“She’s going to be okay, thanks to you.” Brad took the bottle back and poured some of the liquid onto a shirt he held. He placed it over Ryan’s eyes. The relief was blissful.
They heard sirens.
“Cubby’s coming, and the fire engine.”
“I hope it’s not that old one Ed Halliday used to drag out?” he whispered, voice hoarse.
“Brad and I updated it.” Tex took the cloth off Ryan and handed him the water again.
“I need to see Faith.”
“Let’s see if you can stand.” Tex took one side and Brad the other, and in a Texan sandwich, he was helped to his feet. He was unsteady but managed it.
Tex led him to where Jake and Fin Hudson were crouched over Faith. Noah was beside her, being treated by Newman and Declan.
“How is she?” Brad asked when Ryan tried to croak out something.
“She’s going to be okay,” Jake said. “But we need to get her to the clinic now.”
Ryan moved to her head and dropped down, leaning over her. “Faith.” The hand he stroked down her cheek shook.
“I’m okay,” she croaked.
The relief that washed through him was fierce.
“Christ, is everyone all right?” Cubby arrived.
“We need to get to the clinic, Cub,” Jake said.
“Syd?”
“I’ve got him,” Declan said. “I’ll take him home with me. He’s groggy.”
Ryan let the brothers get him back to his feet and had his first look at the cabin. It would be completely destroyed soon.
The fire crew arrived as he, Noah, and Faith were being loaded into the cruiser. Ryan wanted to hold her, pull her on his lap and tell her how much he loved her. Instead, she sat sandwiched between them, her head on his shoulder. Both he and Noah held her hand on the drive to The Yelp.
Jake sat in the front, filling Cubby in with the details he had.
What had happened?
He’d turned the stove off. Had Faith cooked something and left an element on? An ember from the wood burner, maybe? Thoughts churned as he tried to think with some clarity as they pulled up outside the Yelp.
“You’re becoming a regular here,” Jake said, getting out. He then ran inside and brought a stretcher to carry Faith on. Ryan and Noah followed.
“You two go with Janie. She’ll clean you, then Mom will look at you,” Jake said to Noah and Ryan.
