Page 8 of Saving Jared

Willa chuckled and shook her head. “I think your idea of fine and mine are two completely different things.” She lingered and peered toward Jared and Jude, while Kinsley headed toward Willa’s Jeep parked in front of the main house.

Jared dismounted and stood with his brother. The two were virtually identical. Same strong jaw, straight nose, dark blonde hair bordering on brown—though Jude wore his slightly longer. Both had those fascinating, silvery gray eyes and almost the same smile. She let her gaze roam over them, admiring how their long legs and firm butts did wonders for their faded jeans.

She grinned. Who could blame a girl for noticing?

Jared chose just that moment as she ogled his backside to glance her way. She should have at least pretended she hadn’t been caught staring. But his gaze was a snare she didn’t want to escape. And for a few seconds, everything else faded away.

Everything but the two of them.

"Willa, come on dawdler," Kinsley called out, breaking their connection. She quickly looked away from Jared and picked up her duffle bag. And she didn’t check as she hurried toward her friend, but she had the unshakeable sense Jared’s eyes followed after her.

"Okay." Kinsley had already opened the back of her vehicle. "You’re staying tonight, right?"

"I’d have to be up at the crack of dawn to make it to the station. I don’t want to wake anyone."

"Wouldn’t it be better," Kinsley huffed as she hauled the biggest of Willa’s bags out, "to sleep in a nice, comfortable bed? Jeez, what’ve you got in here?" She let it drop with a thunk on the cement driveway. "And Jared’ll be up about that time anyhow. So, coffee will be on."

"Okay," Willa said. "You had me sold with coffee."

And Jared.

* * *

"Yes, my husband is…" Willa stared up at her mom speaking to the 911 operator. "He’s gone to set our horses loose. So, please, hurry." Her mother hit the hang-up button, then pressed the cordless phone into Willa’s hand.

“Call Darin." Willa followed her mom’s panicked gaze toward the screened back door her father had raced out through moments before—then beyond to the stable. Her mother cleared her throat as she crouched in front of her, her loving, blue eyes searching hers. "Stay inside," she whispered, her voice catching as she ran a hand down Willa’s hair. "It’s going to be fine.” She gave her a tremulous smile before pulling her in for a hug. Willa held on tight as her mom’s low, "I love you, baby," brushed against her ear.

Then her mom stood while dashing a few tears from her pale face. She cleared her throat again, then gave her another smile. "I’ll be right back after I go help Daddy." Then with one final, soft look, she hurried out of the house after her husband.

Willa’s hesitant steps took her to the banging screen door as she fumbled with the numbers, her focus split between the phone and what was happening outside. But once she finally got her brother’s number dialed in, she stepped out onto the porch.

Willa’s heart hammered as his phone rang. Her dad was nowhere in sight. If he was inside the stable…

Her widening eyes tracked the flames spreading up the outside of the structure. They were going to lose the stable and the horses inside if they didn’t stop the fire. And none of her mom’s efforts at dousing it with the garden hose seemed to be making a difference.

Another ring of Darin’s phone brought a slight sense of relief as a few horses galloped through the wide-open double doors.

"Come on, Darin. Answer."

It carried over to voicemail. His going away to law school party was probably drowning it out. She hit the end button and almost dialed Eric’s number but found herself dialing Jared’s instead. It rang twice.

"Hello,” Jared answered on a laugh. The noisy bar in the background filled her ear as another horse appeared, its tail singed. Then her breath caught as the flames that had been spreading over the side walls of the barn from the back shot up over the front—forming a burning canopy over the entrance. “Hello? Mrs. Taggert?”

“The stable’s on fire,” she whispered.

“Wilhelmina?” His tone hardened. "Darin!" She winced at his yell. "Guys, we gotta get to your house.”

“We’re coming honey,” Jared gently said before Darin’s booming voice took over the line, “What’s happened?”

“The…”

A flash of long red hair caught her eyes as her mother dashed inside the stable.

“Mom!”

Willa dropped the phone, ran down the steps, and raced across the yard. A deafening crack had her stumbling and falling to her knees, just as massive timbers surrounding the entry crashed down behind her mother.

"No!" she cried out when the outer walls gave way and collapsed inward, sending the flames higher. Horrific, shrieking whinnies vied with the agonized screams of her parents. She covered her ears and shook her head in denial for what seemed forever.

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