Wild Fire (5 page)

She heard Colin before she saw him. “Ouch. That's the third time today I've banged my head. We've got to get more light in here.”

The huge wooden barn was at least a hundred years old. Solid log beams supported the hayloft, but the wide loading doors weren't quite as sturdy, and Dad had nailed them shut last summer. Now they stored hay and grain on a platform down below and used the small side door as an entrance. Not great for the horses, but once inside, the stall aisle was roomy, with a line of saddling stations on one side and rows of saddles and tack on the other.

The housing stalls where Lily, Star, and Colin's buckskin, Dakota, stayed were at the far end of the aisle.

“I got a light.” Ryan took off in the direction of the voice. Colin had just come around the corner when Kara saw a flash and smelled sulphur.

Her skin tingled in a rush of fear, then anger. She was halfway down the aisle before she saw the match was out. Colin had a grip on Ryan's shoulder. When he saw Kara coming, he stretched out his arm as if to keep her away. “It's okay, Wakara. I've got the matches. Nothing happened.”

“That's not the point!” She could hear the fire in her own voice.
Cool it. Yelling will just make it worse
.

Ryan was already sniffling as Colin handed the book of matches to Kara.

“Where did you get these?” Her voice was calm, but she couldn't keep out the edge of anger.
How would Mom have handled this?

Ryan's voice was strained. “From the drawer in the kitchen. I'm putting together a survival kit. You got to have matches in a survival kit.”

Colin's mouth twitched, and Kara flashed him a warning with her eyes. “In the kit, Ryan Sheridan, not in your pocket. You could have burned down the barn. You know better than to play with matches. Go get washed up for dinner.”

Real tears flowed down his cheeks. “But I gotta brush Star. Colin said I could.”

Kara took a deep breath.
Just who's in charge here anyway?

Colin spoke up. “Better mind your sister. I'll brush Star tonight.”

Ryan started to argue, then hunched his shoulders and hurried out of the barn.

Kara stuffed the matches in her pocket, spun around, and headed back to Lily's stall. She bent to pick up the grooming brush. When she straightened she felt Colin's hand on her arm.

“You okay?”

Kara forced herself to relax. “Sure, I'm fine. He just could have burned us out is all. What makes me mad is he knows better.”

Colin grinned. “I remember when I was six . . .” He squeezed her arm. “Don't worry, you'll get through it.”

Easy for you to say
. Kara felt an odd mixture of frustration and gratitude over his concern. She moved away, ducked under the stall guard, and began to run the brush over Lily's neck and back. The mare turned her head and nuzzled Kara's shoulder. Kara buried her face in the sweet-smelling mane. “Oh, Lily, what would I do without you? You're the only one who understands.”

T
HE NEXT MORNING
K
ARA WALKED
with Dad down the hill to the hangar where they kept the Cessna. She waved at Greg and Colin who were setting the last of the poles on the new corral. Colin waved back, but Greg acted like he didn't see her
.

What's wrong with him?
He'd been like that since after the funeral, and nothing anyone said or did seemed to make a difference. He did his work and was civil when he had to be, but she wondered if she'd ever get her older brother back
.

She handed Dad a thick envelope. “Would you take this letter to Tia for me?”

“Sure, Sugar Bear.” He kissed the top of her head. “I have to go by the house. Greg said they delivered the new radio, but he couldn't bring it in on horseback.”

She watched him back the Cessna out of the hangar and taxi across the bumpy dirt to the harder surface of the runway. She shuddered as she watched the plane leave the ground, bank to the right, and disappear over the top of the ridge.

What would she do if he didn't come back? She didn't want to think about it. She turned away and nearly collided with Ryan.

“What are you doing here? You're supposed to be helping Anne.”

Ryan frowned. “I wanted to say good-bye to Daddy.” His eyes darkened, and he slid his hand into hers. “He's coming back, isn't he, Kara?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat and kept her voice light. “Of course he is, silly. He'll be back before you know it. Tell you what. Let's stop by the barn and take Star and Lily some peppermint.”

“All right!” Ryan dropped her hand and raced toward the barn
.

“Don't you dare go into that stall until I get there,” she yelled, but he had already disappeared through the narrow door.

Kara stopped at the tack box to pick out a grooming brush. By the time she caught up with him, Ryan had Star's halter almost on, but the straps were twisted. The little gelding was tossing his head up and down.

“One of these days you're going to get hurt because you won't listen.”

“I did too listen. I'm not in the stall.”

She shook her head. It was true. He had opened only the top doors and was perched on the railing trying to wrestle Star into the halter and keep his balance at the same time. He'd be better off inside the stall. She was about to lift him down and retrieve the tangled halter when a figure stepped out of the shadows.

“Hey, kid, you gotta grow some to be a bronc rider.” Colin steadied the tottering boy with one hand and gentled Star with the other.

Kara watched him help Ryan with the halter, his large hands guiding the boy's smaller ones.
No wonder Ryan likes him
, she thought.
Colin has a lot more patience than I do
.

“Need help with Lily?”

Even in the murky light, Kara could see the grin in Colin's eyes. She hoped he couldn't see her blush. “No thanks,” she said casually, “I'll manage.”

They groomed the horses, gave them each a peppermint treat, and turned them out to pasture.

Kara looked at her watch. “Oh no, it's almost eleven and I promised I'd help Anne finish cleaning the kitchen.” She expected Ryan to howl about leaving the horses, but Colin intervened again.

“I'd be much obliged, Miz Sheridan, if Ryan could stay and help me mend the fence.” He lowered his eyes, twisted his hat in his hands, and pasted on a goofy grin.

Kara didn't know if she wanted to thank him or sock him in the jaw.
Miz Sheridan. Right
. Sometimes he acted even younger than Ryan.

“Just see that he gets back to the lodge in time for lunch.”

Great. Now I sound like Mom
.

All she wanted was to escape before she made a bigger fool out of herself, but she forced herself to walk instead of run. Why did Colin make her act so weird? She'd never been this uptight around a guy before.

By late afternoon, the kitchen was spotless, the dining tables were set, and wood smoke trailed from the chimney. The musty smell had been replaced with the aroma of thick beef stew and fresh-brewed coffee.

Kara saw the pleasure in her father's eyes when he entered the room, both arms loaded with supplies.

“Whooee,” he said, and whistled. “This place has never looked so good.”

She felt a prickle of irritation. Mom had done a pretty good job of keeping things clean. She'd been a great cook too
.

Greg and Colin followed him through the door carrying a large cardboard box. “This thing's heavy,” Greg growled. “Where do you want it?”

“The radio.” Dad answered Kara's unspoken question. “Put it in the storeroom off the kitchen for now. We'll get it set up tonight.”

Kara rushed to hold the door while her brother and Colin lowered the heavy instrument to the floor.

Colin pulled a wrinkled bandanna from his back pocket and wiped the sweat off his face. “Whew, that thing better work. I'd sure hate to have to haul it back.”

While they helped unload supplies, Anne poured cups of steaming coffee and handed them around. Dad disappeared again, then came back with a stack of boxes.

He cleared his throat and handed them to Kara. “Anne said you needed these.” He looked uncomfortable. “I hope they fit.”

Kara swallowed hard and opened the boxes. Along with a silky white blouse and light blue denim skirt were a pair of soft, white doeskin boots with rounded toes and decorative fringe along the sides.

“Dad! They're gorgeous. It's exactly what I would have chosen. How did you know?”

He laughed. “Thank Anne. She described what she thought you'd like and wrote down the sizes.”

“But how could she know?” She looked into the kitchen. The guys were still unloading groceries, but the cook was nowhere in sight.

Kara didn't waste any more time thinking about it. “I want to try these on.”

She put her arms around her father's neck and hugged him hard. “Thanks, Dad,” she whispered. “Be right back.”

Everything fit. Including the boots. They slid smoothly over her calves and felt soft as velvet against her skin. How
could Anne have known? Mom would have known.
But she's not Mom
.

Kara took one more turn in front of the mirror. Her mother would have called the outfit stunning. It was perfect, and Kara decided to wait until Saturday night to show it off to the family. And Colin. She grinned at her reflection, then slipped out of the new skirt back into her jeans
.

When she returned to the dining room, Anne was putting the food on the table, and Kara hurried to help her. It was on the tip of her tongue to thank the older woman for cluing Dad about the clothes, when Anne said, “The men are hungry; we will eat now.”

“Sit here, Sugar Bear.” Dad patted the seat next to his. “Anne can sit next to Ryan tonight. I thought you could use a break.”

Kara glared at him. How could he use that stupid nickname in front of Colin? And why the change in seating arrangements? She always sat by Ryan.

She tried to catch her father's eye, but he had already bowed his head to say the blessing. She quickly clutched the hand he was holding out to her and shivered when she felt Colin grip hers on the other side.

“Father,” Dad prayed, “we thank you for the food you have provided and for the hands that have prepared it. Thank you, too, for Anne, and for the ways she has already been a blessing to this family. Amen.”

A blessing to this family?
Dad's words made Kara steam. Sure, it was great to have Anne's help around the place, but she was just the cook. Was Dad going to let her run things? Was she trying to take Mom's place?

Colin's hand brushed hers as he passed the red potatoes, and she nearly dropped the bowl.
Get a grip, girl
, she told herself.
Colin's just another guy, and Anne's just a cook, and you are acting like a first-class idiot
.

She looked around the table to see if anyone had noticed. The men were busy eating. Ryan was sitting on his knees, intent on stabbing one more piece of potato onto his already full fork. But Anne met her gaze with gentle eyes and an understanding smile.

A
FTER DINNER THE MEN DISAPPEARED
into the storeroom to fiddle with the radio. Ryan tumbled out of his chair and raced after them. “Hey, wait for me, you guys. I get to help.”

Kara helped Anne clear the table, then stared as the older woman ran dishwater into the sink.

“No sense running the dishwasher for so few dishes.”

Kara groaned and grabbed a dish towel. Anne was right. Running the generator was expensive, and Dad had asked them to conserve energy whenever they could. She had wanted to wash her hair, but at this rate she wouldn't be out of the kitchen until after eight, and the generator would be shut down.