You’re a good person, Sierra. You did what you had to do to keep everyone safe.
Instead of letting their petty comments get to me, I dusted myself off like the cowgirl I was and headed back to the arena to watch the rest of the barrel racing and the bull riding.
By the time the smell hit my nostrils, it was too late.
“There’s a trailer on fire!” a panic-laced voice cried from the direction of the parking lot.
“Someone get help!”
Black plumes of smoke billowed into the air from the area I parked my trailer and pickup, and I sprinted toward the parking lot. Lucky was still in one of the holding corrals, and it was a good thing becausemytrailer was the one currently going up in flames.
Pancho.
“Move!” I pushed people aside as I ran toward the fire. “Pancho!” My voice cracked as I screamed for him.
I’d left him in the small living quarters of the trailer after he’d run off toward Hayden because it was air conditioned and I didn’t trust him not to jump out of the pickup again. He was only two, and despite being trained, I swore the dog had half a brain cell. His puppy tendencies took over when he got excited. Besides, it was too hot to just leave the windows down, and I wasn’t going to leave the vehicle running for hours on end.
Why didn’t I just keep him with me? Or better yet, board him at a kennel for the day.
A firm hand grasped my arm. “Wait!
“Wait a second, you little shit. You’re not fucking going anywhere.” Pain shot through my limbs as the grip on my arm tightened enough to leave bruises. I’d have to wear a long sleeve to school again or my teachers would ask questions.
I flinched, my eyes squeezing for a moment. Although the reaction was subtle enough no one else would pick up on it—especially with all the commotion relating to the fire—I still mentally kicked myself.
You’re safe. It’s not real.
I tried to shrug off the man, but his grip tightened, preventing me from moving toward the burning trailer.
“It’s not safe to go over there!”
I whirled around on him, trying to rip my arm from his hold. “Let go of me! That’smytrailer, and my dog is inthere!” Agony clawed at my chest as I fought against the man restraining me. I choked out a sob. “Let go!”
Pancho and Lucky were all I had.
I couldn’t lose him.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, someone got him,” he reassured me, pulling me toward safety. “Look.” He pointed toward another man in a cowboy hat holding Pancho in his arms. Pancho wiggled against the man’s chest as he tried to lick his face, tail wagging rapidly.
I huffed out a sigh of relief knowing the little devil dog was safe.
I walked over to the man holding my dog. “Thank you for getting him out safely.”
He gave me a confused look. “What do you mean? Your dog wasn’t in the trailer. He was running around barking, and it got my attention. Your dog led me over here, but the trailer was already on fire.”
Already on fire? How did Pancho get out then?
There was no way for my dog to open the door to the trailer, and I’d sworn I locked it anyway. Even in a small town like Goldfinch, I didn’t trust anyone enough to keep my trailer unlocked.
My brows furrowed. “Huh. Well, thank you for looking after him.”
The man nodded. “No worries. Sorry about the trailer.” Once he’d handed Pancho over to me, he walked away with his shoulders slightly slumped.
Sirens wailed as the Goldfinch fire and police departments peeled into the parking lot. Luckily for other people—unluckily for me—my trailer was the only one that had been engulfed in flames, and all the other vehicles and trailers were able to be moved before any damage was done.
By the time the firefighters extinguished the blaze, the only thing left was a sad, broken skeleton of metal. The horse trailer—my only home at the moment and means of transportation for Lucky and our gear—was completely and utterly unsalvageable.
The rodeo had long concluded when a firefighter walked over to me. I stood from my crouched position, picking up Pancho so he wouldn’t take off.
