Page 64 of Some Cowboys Brave the Flames

“There’s a thin line between being a doormat and wanting to give the person you love everything they desire. I know from experience it can be hard to toe that line.” Tanner heaved a sigh. “If anything changes, you be sure to let me know.”

Ash nodded once more. He didn’t think there would be any chance of his decision changing. At this point, he wasn’t willing to completely walk away from the career he’d built for himself. And if the sacrifice he was making wasn’t enough, well, he wasn’t sure he was up for another jump. It wasn’t that he didn’t still love it. But something about being a smoke jumper had lost its appeal. When he was gone for a couple days at a time, he missed everyone he left back home. He'd finally put down some roots here in Copper Creek, and he was excited to see just how much he could flourish.

He got to his feet, as did his boss. They shook hands, and Ash moved toward the door. He paused, his hand on the door frame, then he glanced over his shoulder toward Tanner. “Thank you.” There was so much more he wanted to say, so much more he felt he needed to say to the man who’d only had to validate his decision to put Ash at ease.

Tanner nodded, then picked up his pen and papers he’d discarded at the beginning of their conversation. No more words needed to be spoken.

Ash didn’t wasteany time after his meeting with Tanner. He headed for the Keagan ranch immediately afterward. It was a Saturday, which meant he might be running into more than just the handful of those who still lived in their childhood home.

Charlie might not even be available—or she might not be willing to speak to him.

He’d avoided calling her, knowing she might ignore his attempts at reaching out. She’d told him to leave that last time he’d come by.

If Daniel was around, Ash had the feeling he might be willing to convince Charlie to come out of hiding. All Ash needed was for Charlie to give him a chance to speak—to be willing to hear him out.

When he showed up at the house, there were more cars parked out front than usual, which meant his previous assumptions were correct. It looked like the whole family was doing something together.

Well, that was just great. Ash hadn’t wanted an audience. He couldn’t decide if everyone being present would make his attempts to get Charlie back easier or near impossible. As far as Ash knew, Daniel was the only one who was slowly creeping back to his side on the situation. Mason hadn’t reached out, nor had anyone else. Carter might still be willing to stand up for him, but even that was beginning to feel unlikely.

An uphill battle was what Ash could expect.

He climbed out of his truck and moved slowly toward the front of the house. He could turn back now. Maybe he should.

Call her. That would be a better segue into resuming the relationship they’d had with one another.

Ash shook his head. No. He wasn’t going to run from his decisions. He was going to walk right up to that house, knock on that door, and demand to speak with Charlie. He’d refuse to leave if he had to. What would they be able to do to him? The sheriff wasn’t likely to remove him from the premises, and even though Charlie wasn’t thrilled with him, she wouldn’t allow her brothers to beat him into the ground.

He straightened his shoulders as he climbed the steps to the house. He knocked on the door.

No sounds came from within the house. No shuffling, no voices.

He frowned and stepped over to the window. Through the blinds, there wasn’t any movement, either.

Ash glanced over to the multitude of trucks and other vehicles that lined the oversized dirt area between the house and the barn. He might have thought they were in the back of the house, but no sounds came from that vicinity, either.

He started down the steps and headed for the barn. If the horses were there, then they had to be on the premises. But if they were gone, then they were likely out for the afternoon. His stomach tightened. If they were gone, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle waiting for her. He already knew he could talk himself out of seeing her again. All it would take was reminding himself of how their last encounter had gone.

Shoving aside that thought, he rounded the corner to find the barn completely void of life.

His shoulders sagged. She wasn’t here, and there was no way of knowing when she’d return. Maybe he should call Daniel. Ash grimaced. After their conversation at the park, the idea wasn’t entirely a bad one, but it didn’t mean Daniel would care to help, either.

Ash turned from the barn in time to see a handful of riders coming into view from the east. His heart exploded, and the muscles in his body went weak. His chance to escape without being caught had slipped from him.

He should probably be grateful for that, but in this moment, he was beginning to realize he was simply terrified.

Even from this distance, he could tell Charlie was in the lead of the large family coming back from their ride. His eyes immediately found her, locking on her, tracking her as she drew nearer. He couldn’t tell if she realized he was the one waiting forher, but it didn’t matter. He’d stay right where he was until she arrived.

It was now or never.

28

Charlie

Charlie saw the lone figure the second her home came into view. Her initial excitement of seeing Ash immediately shifted into anxiety. He was here to see her—again. The last time he’d come, he’d tried to convince her that they should work things out.

She should have listened to him.

Her hands tightened on the reins she held.

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