A Cowboy's Courage Read online

  Then she’d climbed into bed with a book in hopes that would make her sleepy. No such luck. She wasn’t getting drowsy and she couldn’t concentrate on the story, either.

  Trevor might as well have been in the room with her. His virility taunted her. When she closed her eyes, there he was, smiling at her, offering to take care of any future repairs. She was ready to break something just so he could fix it.

  With a groan of frustration, she tossed the book aside. Her grandmother used to tell her this too shall pass. It was a lie. Her grief over Edward hadn’t passed. It had dulled, but it wasn’t gone. She missed him as much as ever.

  Didn’t she? Like a person flexing an injured limb, she stretched her grief muscle, expecting pain. Barely there. Huh.

  Only one reason for that. Trevor McGavin had temporarily numbed her to the agony of losing Edward. She didn’t want to be numb to it. Her pain was evidence that she continued to love him.

  Maybe she shouldn’t have redecorated the bedroom. Edward would have balked at all this pink. And what about the new mattress and bedframe? He wouldn’t have chosen a fluffy pillow-top or a headboard stenciled with vines and flowers.

  But she’d never liked the bed they’d chosen. The extra firm mattress was like sleeping on a board and the dark wood headboard with matching dressers and bedside tables weren’t to her taste, either. Edward had loved dark wood and a firm mattress. His enthusiasm had charmed her into going along with his choice.

  Getting rid of the bedroom furniture and buying something in honey oak had been hard. Replacing the mattress with something softer had been incredibly difficult, too. She’d made several visits to the cave during that time. But she slept better with a softer mattress and lighter colors around her. Or she had until tonight.

  She switched off the lamp, snuggled under the covers and took deep, calming breaths. A cool breeze wafted through her partially open window and caressed her cheek. It could be Edward giving her a soft goodnight kiss.

  Slowly she began to relax. Maybe she’d be able to sleep, after all…

  Bang, bang, bang! Jerked from a dream about Trevor, she leaped out of bed and stood in the middle of the floor trembling.

  Bang, bang, bang! “Mrs. Shaw!” A deep voice. Unfamiliar.

  “What?” She tried to yell it but it turned into a squeak of fear. An intruder wouldn’t bang on her door and call her Mrs. Shaw. She cleared her throat and tried again. “What?”

  “Wildfire! You need to evacuate!”

  The words buzzed around her, not penetrating, not making sense. Evacuate? She wasn’t even dressed.

  “Mrs. Shaw!” More pounding. “I’ll break in if I have to!”

  She smelled wood smoke. Wrenching open the closet door, she yanked a robe from a hanger and shoved her arms into it. She tied the sash on the way to the door.

  “Mrs. Shaw!”

  She unlocked the door, swung it open and stared at a man dressed in a yellow suit of some kind. A second man in yellow stood behind him.

  “You have to get out now.”

  She vaguely recognized Javier Ortega, the ENFD chief, although she’d never seen him wearing all that protective gear. “I have…I have horses.” Bonnie and Clyde.

  “We know. McGavin’s getting them out.”

  “Trevor McGavin?” Maybe it was all a crazy dream.

  “Yes, ma’am. Bring me your truck keys and we’ll hitch up your trailer.”

  “Right.” This was happening. She raced to the hall closet, grabbed the keys from her purse and hurried back to the front door.

  Ortega took the keys she thrust at him and tossed them to the man behind him. Then he glanced at her bare feet. “Put on shoes and close any open windows. Trevor will load your horses, but we need you to drive them out of here. Can you do that?”

  She’d never pulled a trailer before. Edward had taken charge of that. But she couldn’t let those horses down. “I’ll be right back.”

  She ran to the bedroom and shut the window before shoving her feet into an old pair of canvas deck shoes and grabbing her glasses from the nightstand. Then she snatched her purse from the closet on the way to the front door. “Will my house burn?”

  “I hope not, ma’am.”

  “Can I take a moment to gather a few things?”

  “No. Sorry.”

  Photo albums, computer files, the pillow her grandmother had hand-stitched as a wedding present…

  “Let’s go. Lock your door.”

  “Right.” She put on her glasses, flipped the lock on the knob and walked out on the porch. Taking the time to engage the deadbolt seemed stupid when the whole thing might burn down. And the cave? What would happen to it?

  An enormous red fire truck was parked in her front yard. Two men dressed like the chief were unrolling a hose. The whomp, whomp, whomp of rotary blades whirled overhead. She glanced up. “Helicopters?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He hustled her toward her truck. “Dropping water.”

  Her robe came untied. Didn’t matter. She saw the fire now, an orange glow through the trees, lighting the night sky. Another man in a yellow suit led Bonnie and Clyde toward the trailer. Trevor. “I sh-should help him.”

  “He’s got it. Get in the truck, please.”

  She obeyed. Trevor knew horses. He could handle this. The clatter of hooves on the ramp told her he was loading them. All she had to do was start the truck and drive away once Bonnie and Clyde were in. A metal clang told her they were secure.

  Trevor’s shout confirmed it. “All clear! Take off, Olivia!”

  Her hand shook as she dug through her purse for the keys. Why couldn’t she find them?

  The driver’s door opened. “You okay?”

  She glanced at someone who sounded like Trevor but the yellow suit made him look like he was from outer space. Those blue eyes belonged to Trevor, though. “I can’t…f-find my k-keys.” Her teeth chattered.

  “They’re in the ignition.”

  “Oh.” She gulped. “Thanks.” Hands shaking, she managed to turn the key. The engine started, but when she stepped on the gas, the truck didn’t move. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s in Park.”

  “Oh.”

  “Do you need me to drive the truck?”

  Yes. But he had important work to do. “N-no.” She put her foot on the brake and adjusted the gearshift.

  “Are you sure you’re okay to drive?”

  She focused on those blue eyes and dragged in a breath. “I can do it. Where should I go?”

  “Mom’s. She’s expecting you.”

  “Stay safe.”

  “You, too.”

  “Head to Mom’s. I’ll see you there later.” He closed the door and patted the side of it.

  She gave him a nod, took her foot off the brake and gently bore down on the gas pedal. The drag from the trailer was considerable and she had to press harder. Okay, rolling now. Her heart hammered and her hands were slippery on the wheel.

  Glancing in the rearview mirror, she watched the trailer as she made a gradual turn onto their dirt road. Thank heaven she’d had it graded recently.

  She crawled toward the highway because she didn’t know what would happen when she put on the brakes. How had Edward handled braking with a loaded trailer? She should have paid more attention, should have insisted on trying it herself.

  Sweat trickled down her backbone and her stomach churned as she approached the highway. Please let it be clear. It was. She rolled right onto it without stopping.

  People must have heard about the fire and were staying off the roads. She had it mostly to herself. The few vehicles she encountered either found a way to pass her or were headed in the opposite direction.

  Nobody honked at her for driving under the speed limit. Other than the helicopters that flew overhead a couple of times, she made the trip in silence. She crept along, keeping the needle under twenty miles an hour.

  The road through town was almost deserted, too. She caught one green light and rolled through
a yellow. She took the dirt road to Wild Creek Ranch even slower. Coasting in at about five miles an hour, she barely had to touch the brakes to bring the truck to a stop in front of the main barn.

  Slowly she unclenched her fingers from the steering wheel. Made it. She leaned her head back, not sure she had the strength or coordination to unlatch her seatbelt.

  When had she fastened it? Trevor must have done it for her while she’d been freaking out.

  The driver’s side door opened. Faith stood there, looking concerned. “Cody’s unloading your horses.”

  “Good. Thanks.”

  “Come on inside. Kendra’s making up a bed for you.”

  “Oh, she doesn’t need to do that.” Olivia roused herself with an effort and managed to take off her seatbelt after a couple of tries. “I’ll only be here a few hours.”

  “Well, yeah, probably.” Faith sounded doubtful.

  “No, really. They’ll put that fire out in no time and I can go back.” But not with the horses. Somebody else would have to trailer them home.

  “Absolutely.” Faith’s enthusiasm sounded hollow. “But Kendra has the room and she likes to mother people.”

  “I know.” Kendra had been more help than most when Edward died, possibly because she’d gone through a similar tragedy in her twenties. “And to be honest, I could use some mothering. Fire is scary.”

  “The scariest.”

  As she started to climb down from the truck, her leg gave way. If Faith hadn’t grabbed her arm she would have fallen.

  “Sorry. Guess I’m a little wobbly.”

  “You had a shock. Just take it slow.”

  Making her way with more care, she got both feet on the ground. “Oh, wait.” The keys. And her purse. “I need to get my—”

  “I’ll get it. Lean against the truck. What do you need me to pull out?”

  “Just the keys and my purse. That’s all I have.” She took Faith’s advice, leaned against the side of the truck and waited.

  “Here you go.” Faith handed her the purse. “I put the keys in the front pocket.”

  “Thanks. I don’t know why I should be so weak.”

  “Like I said, you had a shock and then you had to drive over here by yourself.”

  “I’ve never pulled a horse trailer before.”

  “Never?”

  “Edward always did it. Since he died I haven’t taken the horses anywhere.”

  “Hey, congratulations on accepting that challenge. That takes guts.” Faith tucked an arm around her waist. “Come on. We can make some tea, or maybe you want something stronger.”

  “Tea sounds nice.” She focused on walking, a task that seemed more difficult than it should be. “You’ve probably driven loaded horse trailers a lot.”

  “I have, but it’s never a piece of cake. Hauling a live animal in a trailer takes some getting used to.”

  “I didn’t know how to judge the braking part.”

  “So what did you do?”

  “I was lucky. I went real slow and never had to use the brakes.”

  “Wow. I’m getting a picture of what the drive over must have been like. I’ll bet you tensed every single muscle in your body.”

  “Probably.”

  “Maybe I should have put the horses in the barn and let Cody carry you into the house.”

  “I wouldn’t have let him. Too embarrassing.”

  “Want to ride piggyback?”

  Laughter poured out of her in a welcome rush. “Because that wouldn’t be weird at all.”

  Faith grinned, revealing a small gap between her front teeth that made her look adorable. “I could take you as far as the porch. Nobody ever has to know.”

  “Thanks, but I’m feeling stronger, now.”

  “You look stronger. Your color’s better.”

  “Good.” She retied the sash on her robe. “It doesn’t help that I had to face this wearing my nightgown and a bathrobe. Why is it that a crisis always hits right when you’re at your most vulnerable?”

  “Because it’s a test.”

  “That’s brilliant.”

  Faith shrugged. “Probably not. Maybe I read it on the back of a box of teabags. There. You’ve made it to the path. Clear sailing from now on.”

  “If my house burns down, I won’t have anything to wear but this nightgown and bathrobe.”

  “Your house isn’t going to burn.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Trevor won’t let that happen.”

  Olivia smiled. “Are McGavins that powerful?”

  “Yes.”

  As she walked in the door and Kendra rushed to hug her, she was inclined to believe it.

  Chapter Four

  Immersed in the battle against the fire, Trevor had no chance to find out whether Olivia had arrived safely. The uncertainty was a persistent ache in his gut. She’d been rattled and had driven away with a distinct lack of confidence. As if she’d never pulled a loaded horse trailer before.

  He hadn’t stopped to question that decision by Ortega. She owned the horses and a trailer. Logically she’d be able to use it to haul the animals out of harm’s way.

  Removing them from the scene had been critical. Despite the efforts of reinforcements from Bozeman and Billings, the fast-moving fire had gobbled the old barn with its dry timbers and loft full of hay. Trevor, Bryce and Jeremy had played in that hayloft.

  As helicopters dumped buckets of water on the nearby forest, the ENFD crew turned its attention to saving the house. Trevor climbed to the roof with a backpack water bag and doused any sparks that landed on the shingles.

  He lost track of how many times he climbed down to refill the bag and monitor hotspots. The crews on the ground managed to beat back the fire so it no longer threatened the structure, but the wind continued to blow sparks on the vulnerable roof. As a smoky dawn arrived, he started up the ladder again.

  Ortega laid a restraining hand on his shoulder. “That’s enough, McGavin. It’s under control.”

  Backtracking to the ground, he gazed at the altered landscape. Only a smoldering pile of ashes remained where the barn had once stood. He didn’t look forward to Olivia seeing that.

  All vegetation had been cleared within twenty yards of the house, making the property appear abandoned. Anything that hadn’t been chopped back had been mowed down by thick tires and heavy boots. But the house hadn’t burned.

  Huge swaths of pines and aspens behind the house were gone, which added to the starkness of the scene. Some tall pines remained, their trunks blackened and only a few tufts of green left at the top.

  Ortega let out a sigh. “We were lucky. Next time you see Ryker, tell him thanks for me.”

  “Ryker?”

  “He was flying in last night and spotted the fire. By hitting it early, we kept it relatively small.”

  “I’ll make it a point to see him. And buy him a beer.”

  “You do that. Take him and April out for a nice meal. Charge it to the department.” He glanced over as a fire truck lumbered into the front yard. “Fresh crew from Bozeman. Let’s go home.”

  The ride back to the station seemed to take forever, but Trevor didn’t want to call his mom until he could find a private corner. The minute they arrived he ducked into a storage area and pulled out his phone.

  His mom answered on the first ring. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine. Is Olivia okay?”

  “She’s okay, son.”

  “Thank God. When she drove out with that trailer she looked real shaky.”

  “Turns out she’d never done it before.”

  He closed his eyes. “Damn.”

  “But she made it. And she’s finally asleep or I’d have you talk to her.”

  “No worries. I’ll be home soon. She’s gonna hate how the place looks, but we saved the house.”

  “Good.”

  “The barn’s gone, though.”

  “Better that than the house.”

  “I know. It’s just that it was a
pretty little piece of property and now it looks like a war zone.”

  “It’ll grow back. I’ll help her plant new stuff.”

  “Good idea.” His spirits lifted, as they usually did when he talked to his mom. Her resilience was her super power. “And guess who spotted the fire and called it in?”

  “Ryker. He and April came over. Everyone was here. We kept track of things with that app you installed on my phone.”

  “Are they still there?”

  “No. When the fresh crew came in from Bozeman, they all decided the show was over. That’s when Olivia finally conked out.”

  “Where’s she sleeping?”

  “I gave her Cody’s old room.”

  “Good choice. By the way, does she know her barn’s gone?”

  “I think she gathered that. She also figured out that her house was still standing. That’s probably why she was finally able to sleep.”

  “You probably need to sleep, too.”

  “I will, right after I feed the animals. Zane, Cody, Faith and Mandy promised to meet me down at the barns in about ten minutes so we can get ‘er done. We should be finished before you get here, so sweet dreams.”

  “I’ll be extra quiet coming in. Love you, Mom.”

  “Love you, too, son.”

  He disconnected the call. The showers were running as the crew washed away the soot. He stripped down and did the same although he didn’t bother shaving. Some of the guys were still on rotation and grabbed food or crashed in their bunks. Others had responded to the emergency call and were free to go home.

  He had a bunk assigned but he wasn’t required to sleep in it except for the two nights a week he’d agreed to stay in the firehouse. He toweled off, dressed in the clothes he’d been wearing when he’d left the GG, and drove away from the station bound for Wild Creek Ranch.

  He hated that the fire had done so much damage to Olivia’s place, but he was glad to have been there. Normally the ENFD didn’t have volunteers. Back in August, he’d talked Ortega into taking him on.

  They’d worked out a schedule that meshed with Trevor’s construction job, which meant night shifts, only. Three nights a week he was on call and two nights a week he spent at the station house.