Page 41 of Game On

A loudcrackfollowed by a crash made them both turn around. The giant red glow had turned to thick smoke, black ash swirling around the farmhouse. Near the smaller fire engine, two firefighters in heavy protective gear were shouting into radios.

“What was that?” Keely blinked, looking for the source of the crash. A jolt of panic streaked through her, a paralyzing new fear taking over. “Have you seen Nate?”

Alexis scanned the wreckage, never meeting Keely’s eyes. “Come on. They went this way.”

Her sister tugged her toward the fire engines. Keely followed, straining to see through the smoke to where Macon Draeger and Nate had disappeared just minutes before. Only when they reached the fire engine could Keely see the source of the sound she’d heard. Part of the barn above her workroom had caved in—the same barn where she’d stored what she’d harvested this morning. She hadn’t even realized one of the outbuildings had been on fire.

It smoked now, but she wouldn’t be able to enter the workroom to retrieve the flowers stored there until the mess was cleaned up. The only small ray of good news in all of it was that the fire seemed to have been extinguished.

“Have you seen Nate Ramsey?” she asked one of the firefighters listening intently to a radio. “He ran toward the Rough Hollow property when we first got here.”

The firefighter nodded. “Got ’em on the radio. They’re coming back now.”

Even as he spoke, Keely could see the shape of three men emerging from the dirt road that led from Harper lands toward the Ramseys’ east field. All three were soot-covered and gray, but she only recognized Nate and Macon.

“Ty.” Her sister breathed the name on a gasp before running toward the third man.

Another time, Keely might have speculated about what Alexis’s reaction meant. But she was so weak with relief to see Nate, she couldn’t worry about her sister or her father. She moved toward Nate on leaden feet, feeling drained from the fire and shaken to realize how much he’d come to mean to her all over again.

“Are you all right?” She wanted to fling herself in his arms and hold him tight, but she also didn’t want to hurt him. “You didn’t injure your hand more, did you?” Her gaze went to the gray bandages where the repaired tendon was healing.

“I’m fine.” He caught a wet towel that one of the EMTs threw him and used it to wipe off his face and hands. “How’s your dad? He wasn’t burned, was he?”

“No burns, but they want to bring him into the hospital tonight because his color is so bad.” She watched as Nate’s features reappeared from under the soot, so grateful he was okay. The fire could have been so much worse. “It can’t have been good for him to breathe in all the smoke in his condition. I should probably go with him, but I’m just so—” She shook her head. “Did you hear that he started it when he was trying to build a still?”

Anger simmered beneath the surface of so many other emotions. Seeing all she’d worked razed by flames was more than daunting. She felt a paralyzing numbness too, like her thoughts and movements were slowed by the thick haze around them.

“I heard. Your dad is in good hands, Keely. You can stay with me tonight.” Nate peered around the havoc that was her driveway, crammed with emergency responders and vehicles. “One of the ranch hands left a truck for me at the edge of the Rough Hollow field.”

She hesitated. “What about Alexis? Maybe I should let her know.”

“She’ll know where to find you.” Nate was already drawing her out of the crowd, taking the towel with him. “Besides, Ty will look out for her.”

Torn between being there for her family and giving in to the need to simply be with Nate, she looked over at her destroyed fields and felt a rush of crushing grief for all that she’d lost today. She couldn’t possibly refuse the comfort of his arms around her. Taking his hand, she let Nate lead her away from the grim sight of the ruined acres, needing to lose herself in the connection they shared more than ever.

*

Back at hisplace, Nate ran the hot water in the garden tub even before he stepped into the separate shower stall with Keely. She looked dazed, and he guessed she was in shock given what she’d just been through. He brought her in the shower mostly to keep an eye on her since she wasn’t nearly as soot-covered as him. As soon as he’d gotten most of the dirt off, he wrapped her in a towel and then moved them both into the tub.

He took his time washing her hair, grateful when she finally quit shivering, even if she still wasn’t talking. By the time he got her dried off and tucked in his bed with hot tea, he noticed he had a slew of messages on his phone, but he couldn’t respond to them now. Word of the fire must have spread fast. Before he shut down the lights in the kitchen, he shut off his phone, needing to focus on the devastated woman in his bed.

Still dressed in the T-shirt and shorts he’d worn after the bath, he returned to the bedroom and slid under the covers beside Keely. He’d found clothes for her too, cinching the drawstring tight on a pair of running shorts to keep them on her. The neckline of an old batting jersey he’d given her teetered close to her shoulder on one side. Her hair was starting to dry, the long waves curling on the pillow where he’d propped her against the headboard. She still sat in that same spot, clutching her mug. At least she’d taken a few sips.

He’d never seen her look so lost, and it killed him that he didn’t know how to help.

“How are you feeling?” He slid an arm around her and kissed her damp hair.

“Better. Thank you.” She revived enough to rest the mug on the ledge to the dormer window that served as a nightstand for the built-in bed. “I called the hospital while you were making the tea. Dad’s nurse said he’s sleeping comfortably.”

“Good.” He drew her closer. “You should do the same, unless you want something to eat? We can have something delivered—”

She was already shaking her head. She took another sip of tea. “I’m not sure I want anything to eat. I feel…off. My whole life is falling apart, and until I figure out a plan—”

The doorbell chimed twice in quick succession. So much for keeping others at bay.

She set her mug aside quickly, some tea sloshing over the side in her haste. “What if it’s something about the fire?”

“Stay put. I’ll go check, then you won’t have to get up if it’s nothing.” He couldn’t imagine anyone would need to interview her about the fire at this hour. It was almost nine.

---