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He kissed my cheek and gave me a quick hug before jogging back to the ambulance and climbing inside.
Lieutenant Cross gave a nod of respect.
“My condolences for the loss of your barn, ma’am. We did everything we could to get the flames under control but it was just too far gone by the time we got here.”
I waved off his apology as the ambulance rolled down my driveway and onto the open road.
“Everyone is safe. That’s the important part. Do you have any idea how the fire might have started?”
Lieutenant Cross grimaced with sympathy.
“From what I can tell, it looks like an electrical fire. Old wiring can short out and throw sparks with no warning. Since the summer has been so dry, it doesn’t take much to get a fire started in these conditions.”
My chest tightened and I fought the urge to cover my face with my hands. A few sparks. Old wiring. How could such asmall, simple explanation be the cause of so much destruction? Now I had to rebuild the barn. Where would I get that kind of money? Grandma Cora had been running this homestead only slightly in the green, outpacing debt by a frighteningly slim margin. I had some savings but it wouldn’t be nearly enough to prevent me from diving deep into the red.
Lieutenant Cross took one look at my pained expression and stepped closer. Adjusting his helmet further back on his head, he lowered his voice.
“For what it’s worth, I did a few odd-jobs for your grandmother when I was younger. She had a habit of sniffing out the troublemaking teenage boys like me and Beau and putting us to good use. Cora had her fair share of setbacks. That never slowed her down though. You’re a McClaren. You’ll get back on your feet in no time.”
I managed a wobbly smile. Grandma Cora never talked about her troubles to me. I felt bad that I was either too young or too preoccupied with my parents’ move to New York to notice if she was having a hard time. But it was comforting to hear people talk about her resilience.
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” I replied.
“Anytime. And call me Des. You’re Beau’s girl. That makes us practically family. If you have any trouble in the future, give me a ring. My crew and I will take care of it.”
I waved to the firefighters as they loaded into their truck and drove away. But Des’s words echoed at the back of my mind.
You’re Beau’s girl.
I stepped into the house, staring at the empty chair where Landon had been seated. Why did the prospect of being Beau’s girl feel itchy and awkward when it should have been warm and exciting?
And why did the memory of Landon’s touch on my skin leave me with such a fierce longing that it was hard to breathe?
Chapter Six
Landon
It wasn’t easy convincing Beau that I didn’t need to stay overnight at the hospital. My throat felt scratchy and raw from the smoke, but my lungs had cleared up. My burns throbbed after being disinfected though, and I was eager to get back home for some sleep instead of being poked and prodded by doctors.
Finally, Beau relented and he called one of his fellow ranch hands to pick us up.
Seeing the charred remains of Callie’s barn in broad daylight was gut-wrenching. That old barn had been there for years and now it was simply…gone. One fateful night was all it took to turn everything upside down. And Callie had just moved in to take over the homestead, too. This wasn’t the welcome she deserved.
The following morning, a brisk knock came at my door. A quick glance at my clock showed it was nearly eight—three hours later than when I would normally be awake. My old man’s voice bellowed in my head.
You’re running late, you good for nothin’ sack of shit. Get up, get moving. Make yourself useful for once in your miserable goddamn life, will ya?
I gritted my teeth as I struggled out of bed. My tender, burned skin felt too tight for my bones. Trying to pull a shirt over my bandages was hellish, and the movement tugged at my wounds. After wrestling my way into a pair of jeans, I shuffled down the stairs and opened the door.
Callie stood on the porch. Her form-fitting robin’s-egg-blue tank top made me painfully aware of a beauty mark on the swell of her left breast. The thought of pressing my lips to thatmark, tasting it with my tongue, rendered my mouth as dry as the desert.
“Good morning,” she said brightly, passing a dish into my hands. “I made you some peach cobbler. It’s not nearly enough to thank you for everything you did, but I thought it was the least I could do.”
I tried to protest but the smell of sweet peaches, cinnamon, and brown sugar rose up to greet me. Since my father’s cooking was non-existent, and I spent more time with horses than in the kitchen, a homemade treat like this was a rare gift that I would never dream of turning away.
“That’s very kind of you.” I faltered, unfamiliar with the responsibilities of being the host. “Would you…uh…like to come in?”
Callie’s gaze swept over me.
