again, there he’d been. In cowboy hat and boots or firefighter gear, no man could touch his dark blond masculine beauty. He was an outstanding athlete with a rock-hard body that made him a breed apart. Over the years that he’d been gone and all the dates with other guys, his image had always gotten in the way. Damn, damn him.
For him to have stood there now with a quiet authority while he offered his barn for their horses—the first words she’d heard him speak in years, as if there’d been no separation or pain—she’d surprised herself that she could respond to him at all. When Dean came running up to her, she’d clung to him because she’d thought she was going to faint. Thank Heaven he’d attributed her state of mind to the fire while she watched Cole walk away on his powerful legs.
Of course it had been frightening to see flames shooting up from the barn, but they’d soon gotten the horses out and the firefighters had come. The shudders she was experiencing now had their roots in coming face-to-face with Cole, knowing he made his living by walking into danger.
The teenage guy she’d fallen crazy in love with existed no more. In nine years he’d turned into a breathtaking man who’d come home a firefighter. She couldn’t comprehend this new image of him. It meant his life could be snuffed out at any moment.
When she and Dean walked in the kitchen, they heard Lyle on the phone making final arrangements for the horses. He’d fixed coffee for them, but one look at Sally’s drawn pale face while she drank some bottled water worried Tamsin. Duke stood guard.
“Excuse me for a minute, Dean.” She eased herself away from him and put a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Come on, Sally. You need to get back to bed. There’s been too much excitement and I’m sure it has raised your blood pressure.”
“Okay.”
At Sally’s six-month checkup, the doctor had said he wanted her to lie down part of every day until she delivered. At that point, their mom had asked her and Lyle to stay at the ranch until the baby was born, where she could be waited on while Lyle was at work. So Sally and Lyle had given up their apartment in town, with plans to move into another one after the baby was born.
Tamsin walked Sally to their bedroom and Duke followed. She waited for her to emerge from the bathroom in her nightgown. Once she got in bed, Tamsin sat down next to her. Duke plopped down at her feet.
“How are you feeling? I have half a mind to call Dr. Ward.”
“No, don’t do that. I’m fine now. Duke woke us all up in time. He’s a hero.”
Tamsin smiled down at the dog. “He sure is. I almost had a heart attack when I looked out the window and saw the flames. It sounds like Roy next door will be letting us board our horses at his place until we get the barn rebuilt. We’re so lucky.”
Her sister stared at her with unswerving intensity. “I agree, but I’m afraid you’re the one I’m worried about now. You’re so pale.”
She couldn’t pretend with Sally. “I admit I’ve been a mess since I heard the news Cole was back. But seeing him tonight in firefighter gear gave me another shock.”
“Don’t you mean seeing him in the flesh? That expression took on new meaning for me tonight, too. He’s really something. Did I ever tell you I used to have a crush on him?”
Tamsin smiled without mirth. “You and everyone else. What helps me is knowing that he’s either married or getting close to marrying that singer I read about in the Sublette Gazette a few months ago.”
“I saw him talk to you. What did he say?”
She sucked in her breath. “As calm as a hot summer day, he said he’d be happy to board our horses. He even offered to bring his rig over and load them.”
Sally gripped her hand. “What did you say back?”
“Don’t worry, sister dear. I learned my lesson a long time ago. As Dean was coming toward me, I told Cole that arrangements had already been made. You have no idea the joy I felt to shove the offer in that good-looking face of his before he walked away.”
Her sister took another drink of water. “I don’t get it. I thought he rode the circuit to make money because he was the hotshot bull rider and wanted the fame. All that pain he caused you when he could have stayed right here and become a firefighter... What was the point?”
“To get away from me, of course,” Tamsin murmured. Nothing else made sense. The circuit meant being surrounded by women who would idolize him. Why would he stay in Whitebark? Tamsin had been such a fool, and what a consummate liar he’d turned out to be!
The letters she’d stopped reading and the phone messages she wouldn’t listen to were tokens of his supposed guilt. What a joke! It sickened her. Sally spoke the truth. He could have stayed here to become a firefighter. But no. He had to strive for fame and glory. She’d never have thought he was that type of man back when they were dating.
“I don’t want to talk about him. Married to some singing celebrity or not, free to do whatever he wants, he’s been out of my life for nine years. Compared to Dean...” She shook her head. “I’ve got my own life to think about, and I’m furious I’ve spent one more minute thinking about him. You know?”
“I believe you.”
Tamsin smiled sadly at her sister. “No, you don’t, but I’m going to prove you wrong.”
“Where are you going?”
“To talk to Dean. Try to get some more sleep, Sally. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay.”
Duke stayed by her sister while Tamsin walked through to the kitchen. “Your wife is comfortable now, Lyle. She’s going to catch up on some sleep.”
“Good.” He looked relieved and had made breakfast. She joined them at the table. “Dean’s going to help me load the horses to take over to the Ingram ranch.”
“I’m going to help you, too. It’ll go a lot faster. Did you phone Dad?”
He nodded. “Sally and I did it together earlier. They’re coming home today. We talked about whom to hire to start rebuilding the barn.”
“How upset was he?”
“Your father believes it’s someone working for the forest service who has a grudge against the government and some of their policies. Your dad has seen this behavior before. A few crazies out there try to take the law into their own hands and start fires. In your father’s case, they want him to stop allowing his cattle to graze on forest land even though he has the legal right.”
“That’s horrible.” She looked at Dean. “Do you think Dad’s insurance will cover the arson damage completely?”
“I’d have to take a look at the policy.”
“When the police catch the man who did this, I hope he goes to prison for the rest of his life!”
On that note, they finished eating. Lyle got up from the table first. “While I go in and check on Sally, will you find the keys to the horse trailer rig? Then we’ll start loading the horses.”
Tamsin nodded. “They’re
