Cowboy Protector Read online

  In the open he staggered to a safe distance, coughing, trying to hold on to Hannah. He managed to place her on the frost-covered ground as more coughs racked him.

  He prayed the volunteer firemen would be here soon. In the meantime, his own cowhands used what firefighting equipment they had to protect the surrounding structure so the fire didn’t spread. The barn would be gone. There would be nothing they could do to save it even if it would take hours to completely burn.

  “Misty, okay?” she rasped, then starting coughing.

  “She’s fine. I’m taking you to the small hospital in Sweet Creek. They may have to transport you to Missoula.”

  “I’ll be okay.” She struggled to prop herself on her elbows, swayed and crumbled back to the ground.

  “Yeah, I see that.” His throat burned as though the fire rampaged through him. “As soon as the fire department gets here and you can get some oxygen, we’re leaving.” His men and the volunteer firefighters would take care of containing the fire only to the barn.

  “You can’t.” She waved her hand toward the blaze. “You need to be here.” Again she began hacking, tears glistening in her eyes.

  He thrust his face close, blocking her view of the fire. “You come first.”

  You come first. Those words had flirted with Hannah’s emotions the whole time she was being checked out by the doctor at the hospital and being given the okay to go home. And on the trip back to the ranch in the late afternoon, they still played around in her mind, as if she were participating in a hide-and-seek game. How could she be falling for Austin? She always guarded her heart so well. She knew a relationship between them was doomed from the beginning.

  She closed her eyes and laid her head against the seat in Austin’s SUV. Her throat and lungs burned. Her head pounded. The stench of smoke still clung to her. But she was alive, and Misty was all right. The Lord had answered her prayer, and that comforted her. He hadn’t totally given up on her.

  Austin made a turn. She inched one eyelid up to see where they were. A sigh escaped her lips. The ranch. Home—but only for a short time. If only it wasn’t.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” Austin’s question, his voice as raspy as hers from the smoke, made her open her eyes.

  “You heard the doctor. My tests came back normal. No permanent damage. We both needed to get ho—back to the ranch.” The ranch wasn’t her home, would never be.

  “My foreman assures me he’s taken care of everything. Max has been with me for a long time and I trust his word. He had to run the ranch while I was with Misty in Missoula.”

  “I’m glad you can trust him.” She didn’t know what trust meant anymore, although she could see herself trusting Austin. He was that kind of man.

  “Yeah. But obviously there’s someone out there who has a grudge against me. Max told me the fire chief found empty cans of gasoline behind the barn. He thinks whoever set the fire soaked the whole lower backside of the barn so it would burn fast and there would be no way to save it or the animals in it.” He slanted a look toward her. “But you saved them. You shouldn’t have risked it.”

  “I promised Misty I would get Candy. Then after that I was going to leave but couldn’t bear hearing the horses in their stalls, trapped. I had to do something.”

  “And you could have died.”

  “Have I thanked you in the past hour for coming in and getting me?”

  “We could trade thank-yous all day. You saved my daughter, and there are no words I could say that would adequately express my gratitude for that.”

  As Austin crested the rise near the main house, Hannah straightened and braced herself for the sight before her. The hired hands and fire department had stopped the fire from spreading to the bunkhouse and other structures, but what little remained of the barn lay in a smoldering shambles of burnt timbers and ashes.

  “Did they find all the horses? Candy?”

  “All but one. A few of the guys are out looking for the last one. And Candy is fine. Max says he let Misty love on her for a while, and the mare calmed right down.”

  “How’s Misty taking it?”

  “She didn’t say much other than to make sure you were all right. She made me say that several times as though she didn’t believe me the first two times. The last time I called Granny said she was taking a nap, a long one.”

  “She’s emotionally exhausted. I’ll go see her right away.”

  Austin parked in front of the main house and angled toward her. “And you aren’t exhausted? I know I can’t keep you from checking on Misty, but then go rest, take your own long nap. Granny and I will take care of Misty.”

  You come first. Those words rang in her mind yet again. “But you’ve got to have so much to do right now.”

  “Which I’ll get done, but I have good people working for me.” He captured her gaze and her hand lying on the seat between them. “Do I have to escort you to your room to make sure you follow my or—suggestion?”

  She laughed. “Nice save. No, I’ll pop in and see if Misty is up and check on her, then go take a nap. Okay?”

  “Perfect.”

  The smile he gave her encompassed his whole face down to the twinkle in his eye that warmed her. She opened the door.

  “I’ll be at what’s left of the barn for a while, then I’m going to have to make some calls to house some of my horses until I can get my main barn rebuilt.”

  She climbed from the Jeep and mounted the steps to the deck. Caroline threw open the front door before she had a chance to ring the bell. Her smile of welcome matched her grandson’s.

  “You should have stayed at the hospital overnight.”

  “And gone stir-crazy. No, Caroline. I’m fine. I spent some time on oxygen and they gave me some medication. My lungs feel a whole lot better than they did. Time will heal me.”

  “I’ve heard doctors can make the worst patients, but I think that extends to anyone in the medical field,” the older woman said with a chuckle.

  She didn’t think she’d be able to get the picture of the flames and smoke out of her mind any time soon, but she would at least rest.

  Caroline tsked. “I’m surrounded by stubborn people. I’ll be in the living room if you need me.”

  Hannah headed straight for Misty’s room and peeked inside. The little girl whimpered although she was still asleep and tried to turn over but couldn’t because of the cast. Hannah covered the distance to the bed as quickly as she could. The child settled back into the covers, her eyes closed. The frown that puckered her brow smoothed out, and Misty relaxed back into a calm sleep.

  Hannah itched to brush the girl’s long black hair away from her face and from around her neck, to reassure herself the child was truly all right, but she was afraid that would awaken Misty. Today had been traumatic, and she needed her rest. But she wanted to hold the child and hug her for as long as she would allow her.

  The thought of how this morning could have ended inundated her. A shudder wiggled down Hannah’s length.

  Thank You, Lord, for answering my prayer. I don’t know what I would have done if Misty had been hurt further.

  Hannah left the child sleeping and entered her own room, the bed beckoning. After stretching out on the coverlet, she closed her eyes and tried to quiet the unrest and questions starting to fly around in her brain. Who wanted to set fire to the barn? Was there any way it could have been connected to her being here? In her gut she didn’t think so. Mainly because whoever came after her would need to make sure she died. That person would want to do it personally to assure the job was done. She knew Devon Madison well enough to realize he would expect that from any thug he sent to kill her. And the same for a hit man after Eloise Hill. Setting a fire wasn’t her idea of a professional hit.

  Which left what Austin thought: someone had a grudge against him. The first and only person was Bob Douglas, the man fired the week before. His threat resounded in her mind. I’ll remember you, little lady. And his tone and look had definitely co
nveyed not in a nice way.

  Would he risk killing Misty to get at her? That didn’t really make sense to her. He was mad and might hurt her, but he didn’t feel like a cold-blooded murderer—at least of human beings. But animals? Maybe. She and Misty didn’t normally go to the barn that early. No one was usually around at that time, especially on a Sunday. So whoever set the fire was probably trying to destroy the barn and the animals in it.

  She turned over and tried to blank her mind. She couldn’t. Some shadowy nemesis gripped it, and that was all she could think about. Giving up on resting, she swung her feet to the floor and rose. After checking on Misty again, she ambled toward the living room.

  Several masculine voices alerted her to the fact the Taylors had visitors. She almost turned around to go back to her room, then decided she couldn’t take the solitude. Pausing in the entrance into the living room, she scanned the faces of the people sitting. Two men in uniform had joined Caroline and Austin.

  Austin glimpsed her and shoved to his feet. “Sheriff, this is Hannah Williams. She was with Misty in the barn when it caught fire.”

  The lean, medium tall man with his tan cowboy hat in his hand stood as well as the other male with him. The craggy-faced sheriff nodded toward her. “I’m sure glad you and Misty got out alive, ma’am. This is Deputy Collins. We’re here to get statements from everyone. After talking to the fire chief, there’s no doubt this was arson. Nothing accidental about all that gasoline.”

  Hannah crossed the space and took a chair across from the sheriff. “I’ll help any way I can. Anyone who would set a fire knowing animals were inside makes me sick.” The sound of the horses’ fear echoed through her mind, and she shivered. “I want him brought to justice.”

  “My thoughts exactly. And I aim to do that, ma’am. Did you see or hear anything?”

  “No, Misty and I were in Candy’s stall. I didn’t see the smoke until we left to go feed Snowball and Barney.” She snapped her fingers. “Yes, I did. I’m not sure how important this is, but I did hear Barney bark a couple of times then he was quiet. I was surprised he wasn’t in the barn like Snowball was. We usually feed the pets a couple of hours later, but he starts hanging around early like the cat.”

  “We haven’t found Barney,” Austin said, his voice tight.

  Her gaze connected with his. “He’s missing?” Fear rose to the surface. “You think the person did something to the dog?” She prayed that wasn’t the case. Misty loved that dog.

  Austin drew in a shaky breath. “I hope not. That’s Misty’s dog and…”

  “I understand some of the men are combing the area from the barn outward. There’s still a horse missing as well as Barney,” the sheriff said to fill the silence left by Austin.

  “How do you know how many horses made it out of the barn? I didn’t even think to count them.” She thought back to the frantic scene in the barn, rubbing her temple. “I think I let all of them out of their stalls.”

  Austin cleared his throat. “Misty counted them as they came out.”

  Hannah smiled. “You’ve got one smart daughter.”

  He shared a brief grin with her, the corners of his mouth quivering. “Yeah, I think so, but then fathers usually do.”

  “So other than hearing Barney barking that’s all you can think of?” The sheriff ran his fingers along the brim of his hat, rotating it in his hand.

  “Sorry. I wish I had more. When Misty and I went to the barn, I didn’t see anything. Do you suspect anyone?”

  “Right before you came in, Austin and I were talking about who might have a grudge against him. He gave me a couple of names I’ll be checking out.”

  “Bob Douglas?” She glanced toward Austin.

  He nodded. “As well as Kenny Adams and Slim Miller.”

  “Who are they?” Her muscles aching from holding herself so rigid, Hannah finally relaxed against the back cushion.

  “Two men who are still in the area that I had to fire in the past year.”

  “Ms. Williams, why did you ask if it was Bob Douglas? What made you say him besides the fact that Austin fired him?”

  “A week ago I found him in the storage room trying to get rid of a cigarette butt. The place smelled of smoke. I’m sure he’d been smoking in there. I figured someone who got rid of cigarettes irresponsibly might have used fire to get back at Austin for letting him go.”

  The sheriff shifted his attention to Austin. “You told me you fired him because he was lazy.”

  “Yeah, ultimately that was the reason. That and the fact he lied to me about smoking when I asked him pointblank about it.”

  The sheriff stood. “I’ll check him out first. Even pay him a little visit today. He was the most recent person fired.”

  Austin walked with the two lawmen toward the foyer. “I know you don’t have to keep me in the loop, but I sure would appreciate it if you would let me know how the investigation is going.”

  “Will do.” The sheriff paused in the doorway, put his hat back on and tipped it toward Caroline. “Nice seeing you, Caroline. You just keep getting younger and younger.” While Austin’s grandmother blushed, the lawman swiveled his gaze to Hannah. “Ma’am, if you think of anything else, call me.”

  “I will.”

  Hannah released a long breath as the sound of the front door closing drifted to her. “How long has Misty been sleeping?”

  Caroline looked at her watch. “Three hours.”

  “Good. She didn’t sleep well last night, and then with all that’s happened, she needs the rest.”

  Austin started to come back into the living room, but a knock at the front door drew him away. A few minutes later Austin finally entered the room. “They found the mare and are checking her out then putting her in the south pasture.”

  “But no Barney?” Hannah asked, restless energy surging through her. She rose, needing to move around.

  “One team still hasn’t returned. There’s hope.”

  Please, Lord, bring Barney home. If anything happened to Barney, it would break Misty’s heart. It would break her heart, too, Hannah thought, having become fond of the dog in the past two weeks.

  “I’m gonna be near the barn, supervising the relocation of the some of the horses if you need me for anything.”

  “I’m going to check on Misty. Can I get you anything, Caroline?” Hannah said as Austin strode into the foyer.

  She waved her hand. “No, I’m fine. Go, take care of Misty, and if she’s still sleeping, relax.”

  Out in the entry Hannah stopped Austin. “If Misty is still sleeping, is it okay if I use your computer in your office?”

  “Sure,” he said, thrusting open the front door and leaving.

  After checking on Misty, who was still sleeping, Hannah made her way to Austin’s office. She would do some surfing on the Internet to see if she could find out anything first on Ruby Maxwell or Carlie Donald. She wouldn’t have much time, but she was too wound right now to relax.

  Fifteen minutes later, she discovered the write-up on a Ruby Maxwell’s funeral. But no mention of the woman being murdered. Then she looked for anything on Carlie Donald. Nothing but a funeral notice. If the women were murdered, wouldn’t something be in the news about the killings? She’d wanted to know the facts around these so-called professional hits. She just didn’t know what to make of it all. She certainly didn’t have any connections to a Chicago crime family.

  Did Violet Kramer know what she was talking about? What if the reporter was looking for a story where there wasn’t a story? Hannah glanced at the clock on Austin’s desk and noticed the time. She would have to research Eloise Hill later when she got another chance to use Austin’s computer, but she was beginning to believe the reporter was reading more into the situation than what was really going on. She quickly left the office to check again on Misty.

  When Hannah eased Misty’s bedroom door open all the way, a smile spread across the little girl’s face. “You’re okay.” She pushed herself up to a sitting p
osition.

  “Yep, nothing gets me down for long. Kinda like you.”

  The grin grew even wider. “Thanks for saving Candy. She’s so special to me.”

  “You’re welcome.” Hannah sat on the bed. “So how do you feel?”

  “Okay.” Her mouth turned down.

  “Are you sure about that? You aren’t sounding very convincing.”

  The child peered down at her hand clutching the coverlet. “It was scary. All that smoke. The flames.” She stared up into Hannah’s gaze. “Somethin’ coulda happened to you.”

  “Yeah, but the Lord was looking out for you and me.”

  “And Candy and Snowball.” Her eyebrows scrunched together. “Where was Barney?”

  “He wasn’t in the barn. I think the fire scared him like the horses. They’re still rounding up all the animals.”

  “I wanted to run away, too. I couldn’t. You were inside. I was scared.”

  Hannah scooted back against the headboard next to Misty and wound her arm about the child’s shoulders. “I know the feeling. You were so brave today, Misty. I’m all right.”

  Silence hung between them for a moment, Misty laying her head against Hannah. “I had a hard time holding Snowball. He kept wiggling.”

  “He was scared, too.” Hannah stroked her hand down Misty’s arm, wishing she could take the girl’s fears away. She’d had two near-death experiences in a couple of months. That was a lot to handle as an adult, let alone a child. “It’s okay to feel scared. When you get that way, it’s good to talk about it with someone like your daddy.”

  “Or you.”

  “You can tell me anything.”

  “I didn’t want anything to happen to you,” Misty stumbled to a halt for a few seconds, then added, “like Mommy.”

  Her throat tight, Hannah pressed the girl closer. “Nothing’s going to happen to me, Misty.” Maybe when she left the ranch, she could at least call and talk to Misty occasionally or e-mail her.

  Austin appeared in the doorway, a grim expression on his face that he immediately wiped away when Misty glimpsed him.