“In here.” My words were raspy as they exited my smoke-roughened throat.
He spotted me dragging the extinguisher out of the pantry and rushed over, taking it from me. He pulled the pin as he turned toward the fire, pulling the handle and sweeping the nozzle back and forth over the base of the flames. Within seconds, the blaze was out.
Ethan tossed the extinguisher to the side and clutched me to him. He was squeezing hard, maybe a little too hard, but I found it comforting. Like I belonged in his arms. After a few minutes, he held me out at arm’s length and ran his gaze over me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” The words were barely audible. I cleared my throat and tried again. “I’m fine.”
“You need water.” He rushed over to the sink and filled a glass for me. “Here, drink this slowly.”
I wasn’t usually a fan of tepid water, but right now it was like ambrosia. As soon as I finished, he grabbed the glass and filled it again. I took a sip before putting the glass down on the table. “Thank you for helping me with the fire.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.” I surveyed the mess in the kitchen. The cake pan was lying on the floor and batter spilled over the linoleum. Residue from the fire extinguisher coated the stove and countertop. My heart sank. It was only my first day. “I swear, I just turned the oven on to preheat. When I opened it to put the cake in, the fire started.”
“Hey, don’t worry. It’s not your fault.” He pulled me back into his arms, rubbing my back.
The sound of uneven footsteps pounding across the back porch had me stepping away. Mason entered, his gaze taking in everything in an instant. “Jonah came and got me. Everything okay here?”
“It is now.” Ethan stepped over the extinguisher to move closer to the stove. “Oven’s toast, though.”
“I’m so sorry?—”
“It’s just an oven.” Ethan shrugged. “We needed to get a new one, anyway. It was on the list to replace before the dude ranch opens.”
“Let’s haul it out to the workshop.” Mason joined Ethan in front of the stove. He and Ethan exchanged glances. “I’d like to see if I can figure out what happened.”
Ethan nodded. “Good idea.”
They dragged the oven out and between the two of them, lifted it in the air with ease. My jaw dropped at their display of strength; it was easy to forget they were shifters sometimes. Despite Mason’s uneven gait, they easily carried the oven outside and across the yard into an outbuilding.
Jonah rushed to my side, worry clear in his voice. “Are you okay, Aunt Hannah?”
I kneeled down next to him. “I took in a little smoke, so my voice might sound rough, but I’m fine. You did a good job getting Mason.”
“Ethan told me to stay, but I didn’t.” Jonah twisted his shirt in his fingers. “Will he be mad at me?”
“Not at all.” Ethan joined us. “I just wanted you away from the kitchen. It was smart of you to get help.”
I watched Jonah blossom beneath Ethan’s praise. His eyes shone as he stared at the man, a look of near hero worship in his gaze.
“Can you do something else for me?” Ethan asked, his face serious.
Jonah nodded quickly.
“Take your aunt back to the cabin. She needs to get some rest.”
I shook my head. “No, I need to stay and clean up the kitchen.”
“I’ll handle that.” Ethan was firm. “You inhaled a lot of smoke. It’s either go rest, or I take you to the hospital to get checked out.”
Jonah took my hand and tugged me toward the cabin. “Come on, Aunt Hannah. You don’t want to go to the hospital.”
I huffed out a breath. “I’m feeling ganged up on here.”
Ethan grinned. “Jonah and I make a good team. He’ll watch over you for me.”
As I let Jonah guide me back to our place, I glanced over my shoulder and saw Ethan waiting and watching, hands in his pockets. He didn’t turn away until I was slipping through the door.
