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No, his heart warned, fluctuating between worry and adrenaline. You shouldn’t be up here alone. This fire is still alive and kicking and there’s nothing to stop it till you hit the river.
“Nothing but the fire suppression system installed this week,” Bennett whispered. Hope raised the hair on his arms. He knew where the canyon valve was placed. If he hurried, he could reach it and get this thing contained enough until the fire department could send a team up. “Please let it be online. Please.”
Gander barked at his heels, and tears stung Bennett’s eyes. He needed to get his dog back to safety. But what could he say that Gander would listen to over his devotion to Bennett?
The answer hit him square in the chest.
“Gander, I need you to get back to the ranch. Go find Maggie, Gander. Get Maggie and stay with her.”
The dog barked once, then sprinted in a small circle, looking up at Bennett.
“No,” Bennett ordered, his voice firm. He pointed away from the fire, away from where he was headed. “Go, boy. Go find Maggie now.” But Gander only whined. Bennett’s voice rose harsh and angry. He was running out of time.
“Gander, go! Now. Get outta here. You hear me? Git. Go find Maggie.”
For the first time since he found the mutt on the porch of his new property six years ago, the smile evaporated from Gander’s face. Bennett let out a feral cry as the dog turned from him and ran back toward Newman Ranch, away from harm.
He kicked Jove’s sides again, this time hard enough to gallop down the ravine toward the flames. It might not be the smartest move he’d ever made, but if he had a chance of salvaging the canyon for Maggie and getting to his crew in time to steer them out, it was a risk he had to take.
Chapter Sixteen
Maggie adjusted the rearview mirror on the truck, but it didn’t change what she’d seen. Bennett’s gaze had been sharp and unforgiving, which was decidedly worse than the cool brush-off laced with the pain of rejection she’d gotten used to from him.
She got why—he thought she was leaving. If this site visit went well, she’d have all the time in the world to talk to him and hash out their differences. They’d have time to work through it. Trepidation and excitement coursed through her. Just one more day.
She ran her fingers through her hair, surprised at the easy way they slid through the smooth strands. It was a far cry from the tangled bird’s nest she’d been donning the past couple weeks. Not that she minded her natural curls. Or the simpler uniform of jeans and a tank with a flannel for the mornings. But this was nice, being dressed up for a change.
Which was the biggest issue with Bennett and the first she’d address when she got the chance. Why couldn’t he see that the city was a part of her just as much as ranching, that her business was as vital to her success as managing her father’s ranch? She wasn’t just one version of a person and dammit, she didn’t want to have to choose, not when so many things in life brought her joy.
Bennett was one of them, but there was a lot to unpack before they could make a decision one way or another about their future.
Primarily whether he’d allow her to exist as she was, not what he wanted her to be.
She sighed and rolled down the windows halfway. Her father’s truck had saved her since she moved back, but its lack of air-conditioning had her hankering for the Audi she’d left in the city. The air was warm and dry, which was all she’d come to expect of the desert outside Austin, but something was different today.
She sniffed and the acrid scent of smoke filled her nostrils. There’d been news of a wildfire up by the border of Oklahoma, but the winds weren’t coming from that direction. Even though it was most likely a farmer who’d used poor judgment in burning off weeds, a thread of fear tickled Maggie’s senses.
The horizon in front of her was clear, but another glance in the rearview mirror showed what looked like a low-lying cloud or morning fog, except any of that had burned off hours ago. Maggie pulled over and got out of the truck. The air was clear where she was, but even all the way at Highway 290, the scent was palpable.
Shielding her eyes, she scanned the area. No. Was tha— She squinted, and the string of fear turned to sharp stones that fell into the pit of her stomach.
Something was on fire. In the canyon. On her ranch. The question was—how big was the fire and where, exactly, was it?
Oh, Bennett. Please be safe.
Maggie jogged in her heels back to the truck and checked her cell. Nothing this far from town, not even roaming. The stones of fear jostled in her stomach and sent a wave of bile up her throat.
This can’t be happening.
The radio!
Marty had given her a walkie-talkie so she could keep up with the cattle drive when she was back on the ranch, and she’d thrown it into her purse. Along with half the contents of her father’s house apparently. Dang it. She pulled out a stack of bills she’d remedied and tossed them on the seat beside her. Her brush, a slew of Chapsticks, and a crinkled envelope were added to the pile before she got ahold of the radio.
She turned it on and checked the side for the frequency Marty’d written and taped on for her. Would it work this far from town if her cell wouldn’t? Her only hope was knowing the men used this equipment precisely as a backup to cell technology.
“Come on, come on,” she muttered until the familiar static came through. “Hello?” she asked, her question sent out into the ether on a wave of hope.
The beep of an incoming transmission brought tears to her eyes. “Cattle One, who’s this?” The voice was cut with static, but she could hear him. Thank goodness.
