Authors: Linda I. Shands
Wild Fire
© 2001 by Linda I. Shands
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.revellbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansâelectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwiseâwithout the prior written permission of the publisher and copyright owners. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews
.
ISBN 978-1-4412-3953-2
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C
.
To
Wakara Windbird Jackson
Thank you for sharing your beautiful name
Contents
F
IFTEEN-YEAR-OLD
W
AKARA
S
HERIDAN
could not remember having a nightmare since the start of second grade. Back then she had dreamed her new teacher was a witch who locked little children in closets and gobbled them alive after school
.
Mom had heard her screams and rocked her back to sleep, whispering, “Everything will be all right.” And of course it was. In fact, that teacher had turned out to be one of Wakara's favorites.
But this time it was different. The nightmares had started halfway through her sophomore year. Exactly six months, three weeks, and two days after Mom died. They were always terrifying and always the same.
She and Mom were trapped in a raging forest fire. They were holding hands, running through the woods. The river was just on the other side of that gully. If they could cross it, somehow Kara knew they'd be safe. Suddenly Mom pulled away and started running in the opposite direction. Kara tried to call her back, but the flames were all around them and she couldn't breathe. She took one step
forward, then she was falling. She tried to scream, but nothing came out
.
Kara awakened like she always did, soaked in sweat, her heart pounding, her mouth dry as ashes. It took several minutes for the fear to fade while she reminded herself that she was in her own room, at the house in Lariat, with Dad and Greg and Ryan just down the hall
.
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, closed her eyes, and sat with her head down until the shaking stopped. Mom couldn't comfort her now. The car crash and fire had taken care of that
.
A muted light behind the window shade told her it was early morning. She pulled on some sweatpants and headed for the bathroom
.
She might as well get up; there was a lot to do today
.
She hadn't told anyone about the dreams, not even her best friend, Tia. They'd think she was crazy. She wasn't even there when Mom was killed, let alone running through any flames
.
By the time she had washed and dressed, she'd managed to put the nightmare out of her mind
.
Wakara Windsong Sheridan
.
Kara added a pigtail flourish to the
n
on her last name and tossed the sheet of paper toward the bed. Tia snatched it in midair, stuffed it into an envelope, then added it to the top of the pile
.
“Nice catch.” Kara stretched backward, arching her head until her thick, black braid touched the floor. Dressed in blue jeans and a white, long-sleeved T-shirt, she'd been sitting at her computer desk all morning typing envelope labels and requests for college catalogs
.
“That's the last of them. I don't know why Dad insists I send for these now. I've got two years 'til college. Vet school is another millennium away.”
Tia rolled her eyes and flopped over onto the pillow. “Don't act so martyry. At least you get a chance at college. You're a whole year ahead of me, and I'll be lucky to graduate.”
Kara grinned. “No doubt. Anyone who says âmartyry' deserves to be stuck in high school for the rest of her life.”
Tia stuck out her tongue. “Mom says I'm creative.”
Kara turned away quickly, but not before her friend saw the pain in her eyes.
Tia scrambled off the bed. “Sorry. I'm such an idiot!”
Kara lifted the small silver frame from its place of honor on her dresser and studied the picture. “Don't worry about it,” she said softly. “You have a right to talk about your mom. I just have to get used to being without mine.”
She put the picture down and looked around the room. It was small but neat. She'd painted the walls herselfâa soft, ivory color with just a hint of blue. Her older brother, Greg, had helped her revarnish the hardwood floor, and she'd found the perfect throw rug at a garage sale. The project had been fun, but if it was supposed to help her get over her mother's death, it hadn't worked.
She retrieved the stack of letters from the foot of the bed and set them on the desk. “I'll mail these later.” She forced herself to sound cheerful. “Let's go for a ride.”
Tia's face brightened. “Yeah, let's.” Then she sobered again. “I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow. What am I gonna do all summer without you?”
Kara concentrated on lacing up her riding shoes. The two friends had planned to spend the summer at Eagle Lodge cleaning cabins and playing hostess to the guests. But Tia had gotten an F in History and had to retake the class in summer school.
Your own fault
, Kara thought, but she didn't say it out loud.
She heard the rattle of a pickup on the gravel drive and followed Tia to the window.
Tia gasped. “Oh, wow. Who's that?”
Kara leaned around her friend's shoulder and peered down into the yard. “That's Colin. Dad hired him to work as wrangler at the lodge this summer.”
“He's cute!”
Kara laughed at the look on Tia's face. She had thought the same thing when she'd met Colin a few days ago. His hair was the color of sun-dried wheat, and his light brown eyes were flecked with green.
She watched him climb out of the battered '87 Ford. Dusty brown boots, faded blue Wranglers, and a wilted black cowboy hat. A green plaid flannel shirt stretched tight across broad shoulders.
“Come on.” She tugged on Tia's arm. “I'll introduce you to him.”
Colin and Greg were on the porch, Greg lounging on the built-in bench while Colin leaned against the railing. Colin straightened and pulled off his hat when Kara stepped outside, letting the screen door slam behind her.
“Hi, guys, what's up?” Kara tried to hide her grin. She could guess at the expression on Tia's face without even looking at her. Tia had this thing about meeting new guysâa frantic combination of eagerness and awe. It never lasted long, though. Tia didn't date any more than she did.
Greg looked irritated at the interruption. Colin's smile caused his eyes to crinkle at the corners. The green flecks sparkled
.
Kara quickly turned to Tia. “Tia, this is Colin Jones. Colin, this is my friend Tia Sanchez.”