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Chapter 1
Brent
The flames are hot against my skin and smoke fills my lungs, burning me from the inside out. I let out a strangled cough, my panicked eyes darting around every inch of the space, finding solace in the opening that appears behind the black clouds. It will take me a few minutes, but hopefully I can manage to make it out before everything falls.
Where is Nathan?
It was about ten minutes ago when I was jolted awake to the loud crack, then the orange glow of the fire consuming the barn. I didn’t waste any time rushing out of the house, slipping clothes on along the way, and hurrying out here to free the horses. Just as I was heading toward the door where I entered, a large slab of wood came down in front of me and blocked my exit.
That’s how I find myself in this position — terrified that I’m about to be burned alive if I can’t get to the hole in a far corner. I’m not sure how long the hole has been there, but I’m more grateful for it at this moment than I normally would be. The wind blows, sinking through the hole the power line made in the roof and igniting the flames further.
I suck in a breath when the tip of a flame brushes against my wrist, blistering the skin immediately, then shake my head and hurry toward the hole. As soon as I step safely onto the wet grass outside the barn, the entire thing tumbles to the ground behind me and I blow out a breath of relief. Beyond the burning flames are the red lights, along with Nathan rushing down the hill, his widened gaze finding mine through the smoke and embers.
He hurries around the damage, coming over to my side quickly and pulling me up. When I try to walk with him, I hiss at the pain that ricochets through my leg and I nearly fall to my knees, but Nathan tightens his arms round my shoulders. A paramedic catches the two of us and immediately comes to my aid, helping Nathan lead me over to an ambulance bay that’s doors are pulled wide open.
“What’s hurt?” he asks, his gaze traveling down my frame as if attempting to see through all the soot covering my clothes.
“Arm,” I grunt, holding it out to him so he can see the blistering. Then I point down to my knee, which managed to be just in line with another piece of wood — it seems as though those things weren’t very fond of me tonight. “And leg.”
Speaking this much has my head spinning and just before I can fall to the ground, Nathan and the paramedic place me onto the edge of the ambulance. While the paramedic drops to my feet and pulls my pant leg up, I have to will my stomach to stop rolling before I puke everywhere — that’s how terrible the pain is right now. I’m not stupid, I’m pretty sure I shattered my knee and I’ll probably be out of commission for the foreseeable future.
“Dad, what happened?”
I shrug at Nathan’s question and eye the space where a barn used to sit, hating that it’s now a pile of ash as the fire department sprays it with water. If only they had gotten here sooner. “The storm, I think. A power line fell on the roof, caught the place on fire.”
He nods, then narrows his eyes at me. “What were you thinking, going in there like that? You could’ve been killed!”
“I had to save the horses.” I dart my gaze around the field, trying to find any of the four horses running around, then look at him. “Did they get away? Are any of them hurt?”
Nathan sighs and shakes his head. “No, they didn’t get hurt. I’ve got them loaded into the trailer, planning on taking them to the ranch down the road until we can figure something out for them.”
I grunt in response, then squeeze my eyes shut as the paramedic pulls my pants back up then starts examining my arm. My jaw is clenched so tightly I’m worried he’ll have to examine my teeth next since one is bound to crack.
Nathan’s fingers thread through mine, giving me a tight squeeze to let me know he’s here, and I give him an even tighter squeeze back.
He winces at the action and I flinch back, pulling my hand from his. “Sorry.”
“Don’t sweat it, I’m sure it hurts like a bitch.”
I glare at him. “Language.”
Nathan may be eighteen, but he still knows not to talk like that around me and, more specifically, in front of others. The paramedic puts some ointment on a bandage, then wraps it cautiously over the blisters on my arm — already fire engine red from the assault of the flames.
“We’ll get you loaded up and to the hospital in no time,” he says softly before walking over to an older man talking with the fire department.
The older guy gives the paramedic a nod before saying something to the firefighter, shaking his hand, and walking over to Nathan and me. He gives me a small smile before helping Nathan lift me from my spot on the edge of my transport, then pulls a gurney from the back of the bay.
I shake my head and grunt in response when he places it firmly on the ground. “I’m not getting on that thing.”
The older guy frowns, then nudges his head toward my leg. “If you walk on it any further, you risk more healing time.” He looks over at Nathan and says, “I assume you don’t want that to happen?”
“Maybe direct the question toward me and not my son?” I manage between the small bouts of pain shooting through my leg. I’m not sure I can walk on it even if I wanted to, so instead of arguing over my care, I hop over to the edge of the gurney and perch my ass on top of it. “Is someone going to help me out?”
Nathan quickly comes over and helps me get situated on the gurney, then watches as the older paramedic lifts me into the cab. “I’ll meet you at the hospital after I get these horses somewhere for the rest of the night. We can figure out where to put them when we come back.”
I give him a curt nod, then lie back on the gurney and wait as the doors get closed on me. It doesn’t take long for the ride to come to a stop — thank goodness for that because each bump we went over made my knee throb, and I’m not sure how much more pain I can handle right now.
A young woman rushes out of the sliding emergency room doors as soon as they open, her dark eyes widening at the sight of me. “What happened?”
