“You’re losing it,” she muttered, turning back to get into her coat and collect her things. “You’re seeing the ghost riders in the sky. It’s a blizzard, you idiot, not the desert.”
She’d pulled everything she was afraid would be ruined by the cold to the door and had just turned to open it again when it slammed in on itself. Amanda jumped and screamed. Then she let out an oath.
“Damn wind.”
“Amanda, what are you doing?”
She spun around and looked, and she still didn’t believe her eyes.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she demanded before thinking.
Jake didn’t think she was particularly funny. “Saving you, looks like. Come on.”
“Jake, you shouldn’t be out in this. Your ribs.”
“A little too late now.” He reached out and grabbed her. “I didn’t think you’d be able to build a fire. Now, let’s go. Get what you need and I’ll get you back to the ranch.”
“What do you mean, I can’t build a fire?” she retorted, pulling away. It took her a second to finish, because the smoke was stinging her eyes and making her cough. “Somebody didn’t clean the chimney. I make agreatfire! How’d you know I was having problems?”
“Ranch electricity’s out. We’ll talk later, Amanda. We’re not going to be able to get through this much longer. Now, come on!”
They took long enough to kick out the fire, shut the windows again and turn off the water before heading back out onto the porch. Amanda had been expecting his truck, maybe another four-wheel vehicle. Instead, Buck was waiting for them, the snow already a white blanket on his neck and withers. She shivered deeper inside her coat and wished again for her gloves.
“A horse?” she demanded incredulously, looking out on the snow. “Jake, you shouldn’t be on a horse.”
“Get up on him.”
She looked way up. “Oh, God.”
Jake cupped his hands right by Buck’s front legs. “Come on, we don’t have time to argue. I’ll give you a boost.”
Amanda didn’t want him to have to lift her. He’d hurt himself again.
“Wait, I know. Bring him by the porch.”
“What?”
She scrambled back over, picked up her things and climbed the porch railing, teetering on the ice, in the wind.
“Amanda!”
But he brought Buck over, and the big black waited patiently for her as she slid her leg over his back.
“This wouldn’t have been a problem if you’d kept Bill like I told you,” Jake growled as he carefully swung into the saddle behind her.
“But Alabaster was sick,” Amanda protested, trying to fit into the saddle with him. He fitted his arms right around her and gathered up the reins.
“What’s this?” he demanded when the computer case bumped into his knee.
“My computer.”
He didn’t say a word. He just grabbed it from her and swung it onto the front porch.
“No!” Amanda screamed, seeing two thousand dollars disintegrating before her eyes as the case slammed into the front wall and skittered across the porch.
“Too much to carry,” was all he said. “What’s this?”
“Touch my dulcimer,” she warned with every ounce of venom in her, “and you’ll find yourself face down in a snowbank.”
