Rescuing the Rancher Read online

  Turning up her driveway, Aidan followed the gravel lane, impatient as it wound its way leisurely up a hill. At the top, Aidan passed Nellie’s neat farmhouse and kept going toward the barn. That’s where his friend would be at this time of day. He honked a few times as he made his way down, in case she was out in the fields or her garden. Nellie appeared in the barn doorway, wiping her hands on the coveralls she wore and straightening the blue bandanna tied over her long, gray hair.

  Shoving open the door of his truck, Aidan hurried toward her. Shadow, her border collie, ran to greet him, dancing and barking a wary welcome.

  “Aidan! What’s with all the honking? Are you okay?”

  “Nellie, I’ve got bad news. There’s a fire. It looks like it could be coming our way, across the hills from the northeast.”

  Nellie’s weathered skin paled and she put her hands to her cheeks. “Oh, Aidan, here we go. Our worst nightmare...” Her voice trailed off.

  He had to keep them focused. They couldn’t give in to fear. “We’re going to get as many of your livestock as we can into your trailer. Then you’ll drive them south to the fairgrounds in Ukiah or Santa Rosa. I’m sure they’ll be taking evacuations by now.”

  Nellie looked around with wide eyes, as if she couldn’t quite take the information in. “But my house. My things.”

  “We can always get new things, Nellie. Right now we need to save the animals.”

  That jolted her out of her daze. She loved her livestock like children. “But what about my llamas? My mules? My sheep?”

  Her small flock of sheep was her pride and joy, bred for their lush wool. But Aidan knew her llamas and mules were her babies. “Load the mules and llamas. I’ll bring your sheep over to my ranch. I’ve got friends from Shelter Creek coming with trailers to evacuate. I’ll get your sheep out with them.”

  “It will take too long to move them to your place.”

  “I’ll cut the fence between our properties. Payday, Chip and I can round them up in no time. Don’t worry, Nellie. I’ll do everything I can to keep them safe. Come on, let’s get your trailer hitched.”

  “Right.” Nellie hurried to her truck and Shadow bounded into the seat beside her. She backed the pickup toward the large livestock trailer by her barn. Aidan lowered the hitch for her, linking the safety chains and sliding the pins into place. Nellie turned off the engine and came over to double-check his work. “Okay, let’s get the mules. They’re in the stalls, thank goodness. And the llamas are near the barn today because the vet was supposed to stop by and check their teeth.” She glanced at the sky, where the blue was losing all its clarity. “I guess he won’t be coming by after all.”

  They ran to the stalls and haltered the two mules, walking them one by one into the trailer and tying them in the front partitioned spaces. Aidan quickly filled a bag of hay for each of them, hoping a snack would keep them calm for the journey.

  Meanwhile Nellie had caught one of her llamas, a dark brown, ornery fellow she called Bob. He balked at the trailer ramp, so Aidan scooped grain into a bucket and waved it under Bob’s nose, trying to sound cheerful. “Come on, big guy. You know you love this stuff.”

  Bob backed away, snuffing the air, probably smelling the far-off smoke.

  “We don’t have time for this,” Aidan said.

  “Move out of the way,” Nellie ordered, and Aidan jumped aside as she smacked Bob on the rump with such force that the startled llama lunged into the trailer. Bob stopped right behind one of the mules and turned to glare at his owner from under his strangely thick lashes. Aidan guided him away from the mule and tied him in. Then he followed Nellie as she ran for the other two llamas who, thankfully, were far more docile. Once they were secured in the trailer, Nellie and Aidan latched the door behind them.

  That was it. The trailer was full. With just five animals. The realization sank Aidan’s heart to his boots. There was almost no way he would be able to get all of his animals loaded. He had over a hundred head of sheep now, plus forty head of organic, grass-fed cattle and six horses. Add in Nellie’s flock, and even with the help of every rancher in Shelter Creek, it would take a miracle to evacuate them all. But he wouldn’t let Nellie know that.

  “Let’s grab some feed for them.” Nellie started toward the barn and Aidan followed, helping her load two bales of hay and a bag of grain, along with some feed buckets. They paused by the truck while Nellie took a last look around.

  “Stop by the house and grab your wallet, glasses, computer and prescriptions. Just the essentials, okay?” Aidan glanced at the sky. The air was still only slightly hazy but now there was a definite smoky smell. It was almost pleasant, as if someone nearby had built a campfire. But still, they shouldn’t waste a minute. “As soon as you have what you need, start driving.”

  Tears welled in Nellie’s eyes. She reached for Aidan’s hand. “Thank you, Aidan. You stay safe. If it gets too bad, set my sheep free. They’re tough. They might just find a way to make it.”

  “Let’s hope this is all for nothing. Maybe the fire won’t get here at all.”

  “I’ll pray for that.” She pulled Aidan in for a hug, and he relished the momentary feel of her, his second mother, in his arms. Then he stepped back and motioned toward her truck. “Now get going.”

  “I will. But Aidan, don’t stay on your ranch too long. You need to get out, too.”

  “I’ll leave soon.”

  With a last wave, Nellie climbed up into her truck and drove away.

  Aidan jogged to his Ford, pulled open the door and slid into the driver’s seat. Glancing at his phone, he saw a text from Maya with three welcome words—On our way. He started the engine and followed Nellie’s truck up the driveway, acutely aware of the dry, brown grass all around. Everything would burn like kindling. He’d given up on praying long ago, but he wished hard that Maya and Caleb, and anyone else from Shelter Creek, would get to his ranch soon.

  CHAPTER TWO

  SHE’D BEEN GIVEN this job because she was a woman. The fact irritated Jade Carson like a burr in her uniform as she wound her truck up a series of hairpin turns. Send the girl out to warn the residents, while the big boys fight the fire. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. Jade was pretty sure it wouldn’t be the last.

  She’d never been in this area, somewhere in the coastal hills, southwest of Willits. Her mission was to evacuate the few people living on this remote ridge, out in Middle-of-Nowhere, California.

  Someone local should be doing this chore. Maybe someone from the sheriff’s department, or a closer fire station, who knew the roads and didn’t have to pull over and glance at the map every few minutes. Though her boss, Mitch, had said that all the deputies and locals were already out warning other residents.

  Jade knew better than to pitch a fit when a wildfire the size of this one was coming their way. So she’d answered Mitch with a Yes, sir and jumped in the smallest of the trucks they’d brought with them from Shelter Creek—a simple pickup truck they’d used to haul their personal luggage. She’d pitch her fit with Mitch later on, once the fire was out. For now, she had to let go of her resentment and focus on saving lives.

  Slowing for yet another tight turn, Jade could see that she was nearing the top of the ridge. To the north and east of her, the fire was eating away at the dry hills like a ravenous beast. Smoke boiled into the sky, and though Jade was too far away to see any flames, she knew it wouldn’t be long before she would be able to. She had to hurry, had to get these people out fast.

  Turning left, she rattled up the first driveway, a narrow gravel lane that wound up a hill. Eventually it led to an old, neatly kept ranch house. Leaving her truck running, she jumped out and ran for the door, pounding hard and shouting, “Fire! Evacuate, now!”

  The silence around her was thick with cicadas buzzing in the bushes and the hot wind whispering smoky threats. “Hello?” she yelled. “Fire! You need to ge
t out!”

  After jogging to the truck, Jade gunned it down the lane, farther into the ranch. Hopping out again, she dashed for the barn and found it empty, too. Maybe they’d already left. There was no truck, nor the expected trailer, so that was a good sign.

  Back at the house, Jade ran in a circle around it, banging on windows and the back door in case someone was inside. Satisfied she’d done all she could, she taped an evacuation notice to the front door, then drove back to the main road. There were more trees here, and she drove through the shade of oaks and bays until she saw a sign for Bellweather Ranch.

  Turning up the neatly graded, gravel driveway, Jade quickly veered to the side, as close to the bank as she could, to make room for a big pickup pulling a trailer toward her. To her surprise, several more trucks with trailers followed, and she could see the backs of cattle that had been loaded inside. It looked like this ranch was evacuating, but she’d better speak with the residents to make sure.

  After the last of the trucks had gone by with a friendly wave from the driver, Jade started up the driveway again. No one answered at the old clapboard farmhouse, so Jade drove on down the lane toward the barn she could see farther down the hill.

  Two big pickup trucks with trailers attached were parked in front of the barn. A pretty beige-colored horse, saddled and bridled, was tied to a smaller trailer. Three people stood nearby, in front of the barn doors, and as Jade parked and got out of the truck, the sound of their argument drifted toward her.

  “Aidan, don’t do this.” A small woman, her long brown ponytail whipping in the wind, was looking up at a blond giant of a man. “It’s not time to be a hero. You’ve got to get out. Turn the sheep loose and leave.”

  Suddenly Jade recognized the woman. It was Maya Burton, a biologist who lived in Shelter Creek.

  “I promised Nellie I’d save her flock.” The man Maya had called Aidan was well over six feet of stubborn energy. He was gesturing with one big hand toward the hills above his barn. As Jade drew closer she could see the obstinate set of his jaw. “I need to get her sheep down here.”

  Jade quickened her pace toward the group. The afternoon was starting to feel a little too much like evening, the sun dimming almost imperceptibly with smoke. “Excuse me,” she called out.

  All three of them seemed startled as they turned to look at her, as if they hadn’t noticed her until now. The protesting moos from the cattle loaded in the two big trailers must have drowned out the sound of her approach. Jade recognized the other man standing there all dark and brooding. It was Caleb Dunne, Maya’s husband.

  “Jade!” Maya’s smile was soft with gratitude. “I’m so glad you’re here. Please tell my friend Aidan that it’s time to leave.”

  “Hey, Caleb.” Jade returned Caleb’s nod, then turned her attention to the tall rancher. “I’m Jade Carson with State Fire. We’ve issued mandatory evacuation orders for this area. A wildfire is heading this way and you all need to get out now.”

  “See?” Maya looked at Aidan, her palms open in front of her in a pleading gesture.

  “Maya, I’ll be fine.” The big rancher ran a hand through his thick hair, already tousled by the endless wind. “Thanks to you, and Caleb, and your friends, we’re getting the cattle out. But I have to try to save the sheep. Mine and Nellie’s.”

  Caleb, who’d been silent until now, intervened. “I know it sounds callous, but sheep can be replaced. Insurance will cover your losses.” Caleb was a tough-looking, dark-haired guy with black tattoos on his arms, but there was compassion in his deep voice. “Don’t lose your life for a bunch of sheep.”

  Aidan nodded once at his words. “I’ll leave. I promise. But I have an irrigated pasture here. The ground is already wet and, if I leave the sprinklers on, I can create a refuge from the fire and give the sheep a chance. I should at least provide that.”

  Convincing idiots to do the right thing was the hardest part of Jade’s job, but she had to try. “Sir, the fire is approaching rapidly. All three of you need to leave right now. Please get in your vehicles and evacuate the premises immediately.”

  Maya and Caleb looked at each other. They seemed to have an entire conversation in one glance. Tears glinted in Maya’s eyes, but she shrugged and Caleb slapped the stubborn rancher on the shoulder. “Jade’s right. We’re heading out. I hope you do the same.”

  Maya reached up and gave Aidan a hug. “Stay safe and get out of here. I know this is a terrible choice, but you have to get out alive, okay? Leave now and let the sheep find their own way.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Aidan stepped back, out of her embrace. “Thank you for bringing everyone up here. For saving my cattle, and the other horses.”

  Maya looked out over the fields behind the barn. “I just wish we could have brought enough trailers for the sheep.”

  “You did all you could, and I’m grateful,” Aidan said.

  Caleb pulled Maya in for a hug and kiss. “Stay right behind me. We’ll take it slow and steady off this ridge, okay? Use the lowest gear and try not to ride the brakes too hard.”

  “Got it.” Maya raised her keys in a salute to Jade. “Good luck, Jade. Please be careful, okay? You need to evacuate, too.”

  “Believe me, I’ll be right behind you,” Jade assured her. “Stay together on the road. If one of you runs into mechanical problems, let the animals out of that trailer, take the other vehicle and get out. You hear me?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Caleb glanced at Aidan one more time. “You need to get out of here fast.”

  Aidan walked over to where the horse was tied and unhooked the animal’s lead rope. “Payday is fast.” He led the horse toward the door of the pickup and opened it. A cattle dog with gray-and-black mottled fur bounded down with an excited bark. “And Chip here is faster. I’ll be tailgating you down the highway before you know it.”

  Caleb nodded and Maya gave a half-hearted wave and they climbed into their trucks. Jade watched as Caleb’s truck and trailer started up the driveway and Maya’s followed. At least they, and the cattle they hauled, would be safe.

  She turned to the cowboy, who was tightening the cinch on his horse’s saddle. It was a beautiful animal, a big dun-colored horse with a black mane and tail. The dog, Chip, sat alert and eager, near his master. The injustice of it sparked her anger. He had a chance to save this dog, this horse and himself if he left now.

  “Why are you doing this? You need to load your trailer and get out.”

  He glanced over his shoulder, looking a little startled, as if he’d forgotten she was there. “Nellie. My neighbor. She’s a good person. Always been there for me. I promised her I’d save her sheep. I’d like to save my own, as well.”

  “You’re not going to be able to save them or yourself if this fire comes through here.” Her words were harsh, but she wasn’t worried about diplomacy now. This could be life-and-death, and he was choosing the latter.

  Aidan put a booted foot in the stirrup and swung up on his horse, settling himself easily in the saddle. He reined in the horse when it started walking. “I brought these animals onto this ranch, so it’s my job to see them safe. I have a plan and I’ll see it through before I leave.”

  “You may not be able to leave if you don’t go now.”

  He shrugged and a strangely bleak expression tightened his features. “Maybe I’m not meant to.”

  What was that about? “You have choices. Make the right one and get out of here.”

  “I don’t see you going.”

  Jade glared at him in exasperation. “Trust me. I’ll be back with my crew as soon as I warn the other residents on this road. I’ve been told there’s just one other property. Is that true?”

  “Yeah, that’s right. Just a mile or so past mine, on the right side of the road.”

  She couldn’t afford to stay any longer. More delay meant danger and no way was she going to be burned like a piec
e of forgotten toast because this fool cowboy seemed to think sheep were more important than staying alive.

  “Thanks for driving out here to warn me. My name’s Aidan. Aidan Bell. My family has a ranch in Wyoming, just south of Cody.”

  Jade nodded, surprised by the tightness in her throat. He was telling her whom to notify if he didn’t make it. Letting her know that he understood the danger he was in. Would she be the last person to see him alive? She had to swallow her emotion before she could speak. “No one is going to be able to get in here to rescue you after this. Do you understand? Violating mandatory evacuation orders means you are on your own. We will not be able to help you, even if you call 911.”

  He nodded once. “I understand. Thanks for the warning. And good luck out there.” He whistled to his dog, spun the horse on its hindquarters and took off at a gallop up the lane toward the house. Jade watched as he turned right off the lane and cut uphill, across the straw-colored grassy slope at an angle, the sheepdog loping easily behind. Poor horse. Poor dog. Poor sheep. Poor man. They’d need a miracle to survive this, and Jade sure hoped they got one.

  But she couldn’t stay and worry. She had another family to reach and then she had to drive back to the staging area and get to work fighting this fire. Jogging back to her truck, she glanced at the cowboy one more time. He was making his way across the hilltop now, and then he was out of sight. “Good luck,” Jade called into the quiet. She climbed inside and gunned the engine up the hill toward the house.

  * * *

  THE NEXT RESIDENCE was only a couple miles up the road. As Jade turned left out of Aidan’s driveway, she had to peer through dingy air. The smoke was thickening. Jade radioed her boss to inform him that one ranch was empty and one dumb rancher wouldn’t evacuate yet and might not make it as a result. Mitch’s answer came in loud and clear. “The fire is picking up speed. Get to that last property and then get out.”

  Jade set the radio back in its holder with a shaking hand. Pressing on the accelerator, she cut corners on the turns, relieved when she spotted the mailbox for the last residence on this remote road. Her tires screeched on the pavement as she took the corner. Her hopes crashed when she saw an SUV in the driveway. These people were still home. How could they have missed the smoke?