His Outback Cowgirl(44)

Bridie didn’t immediately speak. Henry had just made it possible for the last piece of her new life to slip into place. Her mother was here. Finn, Zane and Trinity were here. Her pioneer ancestors were buried here. And now Ethan could be here too.

“Thank you.”

Henry cleared his throat. “What for? I’ve done nothing and will be back. There’ll be the next generation of Watsons to teach to fish and ride.”

Bridie focused on the grey plume of smoke that had lightened, indicating a lower intensity fire. There would be no next generation if Ethan weren’t okay. She breathed deeply. She wasn’t going to falter now and not tell him that she loved him. She needed to listen to her heart and to blank out all other white noise. Her fears weren’t going to stop her living her life.

The gravel road rounded a corner and two figures came into sight. Bridie slowed the truck. One man limped and the other held his arm as though he were in need of a sling. She slowed further.

“Henry, that’s Nick Ryan. He looks injured. Do we have time to stop and check he’s okay?”

Henry grunted. “Yes, we do and no we’re not stopping.”

“Henry?”

He shrugged. “He and that no-good brother of his will get help soon enough. Check your mirror.”

Bridie glanced in the rear view mirror and saw the distant lights of a Sheriff’s car.

“No way.” She turned to stare at Nick as they passed but heads down, he and his brother didn’t look at the truck. “Nick and his brother are the poachers?”

“Must be. Otherwise Ethan would have left them alone.”

She again glanced in the mirror but this time focused on the two shuffling figures. “No wonder Nick knew all the places where the wildlife hung out. Won’t they run off if they see the Sheriff?”

“Nope. Ethan would have told them to walk and not stop until the Sheriff arrived. And they’d know better than to do anything different.”

The smell of smoke seeped in through the truck air vents. Bridie tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “Do you think Ethan’s really okay?”

“I know he is because if he wasn’t those Ryan boys wouldn’t be out in the open. They’d be skulking in the forest knowing Cordell and I would want a word with them.”

Henry pointed a gnarled finger. “Up here there’ll be a sharp turn right; we’ll follow the ridge a little and then will come to a clearing.”

Bridie followed Henry’s instructions, all the while fighting the cold chill that crept through her. She couldn’t see anything ahead but a pillar of smoke and then she saw Ethan’s pickup and trailer. Her clamped grip on the steering wheel loosened. Captain stood tied to the trailer. Head down, the big bay dozed. If Ethan weren’t okay the horse wouldn’t be so relaxed. While the docile gelding was even-tempered, she’d seen the deep bond between him and Ethan and had no doubt the horse would be agitated if something had happened to Ethan.

Henry must have shared her belief because he relaxed and eased himself back into the passenger side seat.

Bridie parked beside the trailer. She unclipped her seatbelt and expected him to do the same. Instead he pulled out his cell.

“You go. Ethan will be keeping an eye on the fire. I’ll let Fire and Rescue know everything’s under control. Someone from the Sheriff’s Department will arrive soon, so if you want to ... talk to Ethan, now’s your chance.”

Bridie leaned over and kissed his cheek. Her heart beat steady and fear-free in her chest. “I do.”

She followed the track toward the smoke. The pine trees soon gave way to a small clearing in which sat a smoking pile of rubble and a blackened stone chimney. Bridie looked around. An old red pickup was parked on the clearing edge, but there was no sign of Ethan.

She walked closer and the smell of charred wood increased. Then through the smoke and heat haze she saw him behind the cabin. He held what had once been a saddle blanket and that was now wet and black. He’d been making sure no embers spread.

She squared her shoulders and walked around to him. She knew the moment he saw her. He straightened, the saddle blanket forgotten in his hand, and stood intensely still.

Shock, hunger, need all flashed across his face in quick succession and then his expression settled into its usual composed lines.

“Hey,” he said, as he walked to meet her.

Bridie opened her mouth to say “hey” back but no sound emerged. Instead she gave in to the wave of energy and longing that crashed through her. She ran to him, wound her arms around his neck and kissed him like it’d been a thousand forevers since she’d seen him.

The heavy saddle blanket fell onto her foot and then Ethan’s strong arms pulled her so close her boot heels left the ground. He groaned and deepened their kiss until all fear vanished and all that remained was heat, hope and peace.