And he was right, when I padded into Bertie’s room twenty minutes later, Gunner was fast asleep. His feet were hanging off the end of the twin bed, one hand behind his head while the other arm was wrapped protectively around a sleeping Bertie. As I watched them, I felt something shift inside me. It wasn’t the flutter of attraction or even the warmth of affection. It was a bone-deep realization that resonated through me like the first notes of a familiar song. I knew then that I wasn’t falling in lovewith Gunner Miller, I’d already gone. Hook, line and sinker. The knowledge didn’t frighten me as it should have. Instead, it felt like finding something that I didn’t know I’d lost. It was exciting and wonderful, if not a little terrifying. It was absolutely right.
Chapter 42
Everybody Hurts – R.E.M.
Gunner
The noise was horrific. A high-pitched screech wailing like a wounded animal caught in a trap.
“Gunner, what is that?” Cassidy sat up as I jumped out of bed and grabbed my jeans from the floor.
“I have to go, sweetheart. It’s the fire alarm!” Panicked blood rushed through my veins, urging me forward.
Cassidy threw back the covers and dropped her feet to the floor. “My clothes, where are they?”
“No way, I want you to stay here safe.” I pulled a t-shirt over my head at the same time as shoving my feet into my boots. “It’s at the stables.”
“I’m coming.” Her tone was no nonsense, and I didn’t have time to argue with her.
As I pulled the bedroom door open and rushed onto the landing, Nash and Wilder were already there. Nash was fully dressed while Wilder was hopping on one leg pulling on a boot.
“The fire department should already be on their way,” I yelled as I ran down the stairs in front of my brothers. “The ranch and stable hands know the drill.”
The three of us ran down the stairs and out of the house as fast as we could toward the stables. My heartbeat was thudding, fear screaming through me as huge orange flames licked against the night sky from the direction of the stables.
“Wilder, you head to the paddock and get the gate open so I can herd the horses in that direction,” I yelled over my shoulder. “Nash, you come with me and help get the horses.”
“What about me?”
Cassidy was running alongside me pulling her hair up into a ponytail. I stopped and grabbed hold of her arm.
“Sweetheart, please go back to the house.”
“No.” She jutted out her chin. “Now get moving and tell me what you need me to do.”
I grabbed her hand and pulled her along with me. “You swap with Wilder.” If I couldn’t keep her safe at the house I could at least keep her away from the fire. “When the horses come your way, keep well back. They’ll be spooked as it is, and I do not want you getting trampled by them.” The idea made me feel like I might puke. “Promise me, Cassidy.”
“Okay, okay, I swear.” As soon as I let her go she ran away in the direction of the paddock.
“I’ll come with you two.” Wilder ran up beside me. “I’ll steer them toward the paddock and make sure Cassidy is safe.”
“Thanks, Wild. I appreciate it.”
When we got to the stables the sight was petrifying. Our fire process had already started with the ranch hands working on the fire with extinguishers and the fire hose we had permanently fixed up to a hydrant. The far end of the stables was engulfed in flames and the guys were already bringing horses out of thestables, the ranch horses that were pretty much bomb proof, but the fire was creeping steadily toward the horses still in there.
“I need to get to the other horses,” I told Nash as the sound of squealing animals pierced the air. It was shrill and horrific.
“No point me telling you to wait for the fire truck is it?” Nash asked.
“We don’t have time. Wild, can you help the guys move the ranch horses to the paddock? Nash come with me.” As we rushed toward the stables Mikey came out leading Mother’s Pride by a rope. “How many left in there?” I cried over the noise.
“Another four and Ariel.” His eyes were wide with fear because he knew how much that horse meant to me. “She’s in the end stable, boss.”
Right next to the partition wall on the other side of the fire.
For a split second, I saw Mom again, her gentle smile as she brushed Ariel’s mane, telling me how this horse would outlive us all. How she was special. The memory vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by desperate urgency. “Fuck!” Without thinking about it I ran into the stable desperate to get to my mom’s horse. “Mikey get that horse to Wilder and then come back and help Nash with the rest.”
“Just point him toward the paddock, Mikey,” Nash called over his shoulder. “We can round them up later if we have to. We just need to get them away from here.”
