Page 111 of Ignite

Ethan.

Why would my last thoughts be of a man who’d never loved me back?

“Rylee! Rylee! Damn it woman, Rylee!”

The smoke had gotten thicker and had started affecting my brain. But dying while imagining Ethan yelling for me wouldn’t be the worst way to go. If only his voice could drown out the sound of my horses’ fear.

“Rylee, oh, shit, Rylee.”

I imagined feeling him kneel beside me. I could almost feel his hand lifting and twisting my chin, examining me. “Rylee, are you hurt? Injured? What can I do?”

“Go. Take my horses and just leave.” He had to save himself. Even in my dream, I wanted him to save my horses and himself.

“Talk to me. Why didn’t you answer your phone?” As Ethan tried to drag me to my feet, reality and my imagination collided. What was he doing here? Why now? Why did he have to choose now to give a damn?

“No point. Daddy—“

“Shit, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for being an ass.”

“Apology accepted, now go.” I tried to collapse again, but he refused to let me go. Ethan fought to hold me up when I couldn’t. Part of me wanted to love a man like that in my next life—if there was a next life.

“Tell me what to do,” he insisted.

“I did.” At least I could hold my head without his help and my legs even wanted to work. “Go.”

“Sweetheart, I love this push-pull thing we have going. It’s hotter than the blaze around us, but if we want to have a do-over, then you need to talk to me.”

He was real. Ethan was here.

“I’m scared.”

My sobbing ceased with my admission and hope.Ethan was here.I shook my hands and legs, trying to get the blood pumping again. I knew we were running out of time. To my left, Cider was pacing in her stall, becoming increasingly agitated. Normally, my ten-year-old dapple-grey mare was the epitome of chill. Not today. “I can’t leave them, but Wildfire won’t even let me put the halter on.”

“Tell me what to do.” Ethan cupped my face until the only thing I could see was his eyes—bright blue to my brown. Calm and reassuring. Had he called me, sweetheart?

“I didn’t sleep with—“

“Sweetheart, I’m sorry for doubting you. I’m a jealous prick. Something you’ll get to know, and hopefully learn to love.”

“I don’t know what to do,” I cried, collapsing into his chest. I wanted to drown in his arms. The bulk of his jacket couldn’t hide the strength and cut of his body or stop mine from responding. Yes, I was an idiot—when facing death, all I wanted was to die in his arms.

“Where can we take the horses?” Ethan persisted, leading me to Cider’s stall. “Shhh, girl, we’ll get you out of there.”

“They won’t go. They won’t let me help them. It’s too late.”

“Rylee, pretend we can. Where would we take them.” He held my chin in his hand, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs while his eyes held the promise we’d see tomorrow’s sunrise.

“The dam.”

“You’ve got one of those silo type of dams?” He asked. “What do we do, just tip out all the water?”

I looked at him as if he was mad before remembering there were two types of dams. “No. There’s a large natural dam at the bottom of the property. Water runs down from the mountains and even now it’s fairly deep.”

“Okay, what do we do?”

I tried to respond to his calm and logical tone. “We need to get them in the float and drive down to the dam. It’s about a kilometer further along the dirt road.” I waved in the direction, even though it was a Hail Mary pass to get the horses ready. “I should have ridden them down there today and left them. I killed them. I killed us.”

“Sweetheart, it’ll be okay. Is the dam fenced?”

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