AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t know,” I said to no one in particular.
The three of us watched as a masked man crept up behind Valerie. His arm shot out, sticking something into her neck. My blood boiled. She fell limp against the man, and he threw her over his shoulder.
I was about to stand up when a shrill cry of terror cut through the house. A chill brushed over my body, leaving fear in its wake. I was on my feet and moving, the boys charging behind me. Our boots thundered down the stairs and I yanked open the front door. Caleb was at the bottom, his back to us.
“Bud, what’s—”
“FIRE! DAD! THE MOUNTAIN IS ON FIRE!” he screamed, pointing.
My eyes jumped up. Dark, thick smoke ascended into the blue sky from the side of the mountain, angry orange flames engulfing the trees, destroying everything in its path.
“Mags?” I said quietly, my eyes not leaving the burning mountain. He knew what I was asking. I didn’t have to say the words. My mind was playing tricks on me. I’d seen that fire before, in that same spot, twenty-five years ago.
The day Momma died.
“It’s real.”
It was hushed confirmation from a brother who understood.
I was moving again, pulling Caleb back and tossing him over my shoulder. I went back into the house, directly up the stairs to the spare bedroom. Nancy had her face buried in her hands, sitting on the bed. Jigs was beside her, his arm on her shoulder. Both of their heads snapped up to me.
“Jigs,” I clipped, setting my son down. “Watch the house. Protect my boy. Protect Nancy.”
He stood, nodding. “With everything I have.”
Beau stepped in beside me, handing his father a pistol. “Just in case.”
They shared a moment, and I looked to Nancy.
“I don’t have much time. There’s a fire on the mountain.”
“She’s up there, isn’t she?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
I hoped God wasn’t that cruel.
“You bring her back home,” she demanded.
Home.
This was her home.
She belonged with me, and I’d been a fool to chase her away.
Never again.
Chapter Forty
Denver
Sirensfilledtheair.
Squad cars surrounded the barn.
Sheriff Bowen’s men were everywhere.
Someone driving on the main road saw the fire before Caleb did and called it in. The chaos was here by the time I got to the barn. The fire department was here, but there was nothing they could really do.
There was nothing anyone could do, not when it came to a fire of that size.
