Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

C olton tossed back his head and groaned. This was what he was trying to avoid by giving them some privacy to become an established couple before the betting began.

"Cady," Colton said, trying to ignore the betting frenzy around them.

She held out her hand and suddenly his father was between them with two plates of food. "Here. Take these and run. I'll cover it. Return the dishes tomorrow. I'll grab Princess for the night. Go. Now. Your mother just called Father Ben."

Colton looked toward the door and found the uncles had made a path for them. He grabbed the plates and gestured for Cady to take the lead. "Fly, angel."

And she did. Cady darted from the café with him hot on her heels. Cady didn't need to look for his truck. It was parked in the middle of the street, engine still running and driver's door open.

Cady jumped inside, leaned over and took the dishes, and then Colton was off.

"Are you okay? Did that asshole hurt you?"

Colton about crashed when he saw the red mark on her wrist.

"I'm okay, Colton. Are you okay?"

"No." Colton saw the worry flash across Cady's face as she looked to see if he had any injuries. "I'm not okay when my girlfriend is assaulted and harassed. I'm not okay that any woman has to put up with that. And I'm not okay that we were outed in front of everyone before I could tell you how completely in love with you I am, and make sure you feel the same way. Because if you don't, I don't want an entire town to pressure you into being with me."

Colton finally took a breath and grimaced when he realized his declaration of love was said without a breath, while driving, and right after his girlfriend had been hurt. Not the romantic way he'd intended to do so.

Colton felt her hand on his thigh. "Colton. Pull over."

Colton took a deep breath and pulled into a farm's drive, leading to one of their barns. No one was around as he put the SUV in park. "I mucked this whole thing up. I'm sorry."

Cady's finger touched under his chin and forced him to look at her. "No, you didn't. I love you, too. I was going to tell you that tonight to see if we were on the same—"

Colton didn't give Cady a chance to finish talking. He couldn't wait another moment to kiss her. His whole world had changed in a matter of weeks, yet there was no doubt. In fact, it had felt as if everything had been dulled before and now it was so bright. The stars in the sky, the country song playing on the radio, the feel of Cady's lips on his, and the scent of her filling him as they kissed. Words were great, but sometimes actions were louder. Colton threw all the things he didn't know how to say—how much he cared for her, how much she meant to him, how much he wanted from her—into the kiss.

"Take me home, Colton," Cady whispered against his lips.

Colton reluctantly reined in his desire for her. His first reaction was to turn around and go to his house since it was closer, but he knew she had a busy morning tomorrow and didn't have her car, so he headed to her distillery.

Colton drove with one hand as he held her hand with his other. He was afraid if he let go this wouldn't be real and he'd wake up from a dream. Colton turned into the distillery and headed toward her house. The place was quiet at night and so peaceful. Cady had lighting on the buildings that stood like the stone sentries of the grounds. Tomorrow morning the place would be packed.

"How did I get so lucky?" Colton realized he'd said that out loud when Cady turned to look at him.

"What do you mean?"

Well, he'd already told her how he felt. Might as well go all in. "That you picked me. You're so freaking smart and look at this huge business you created and run. Look at all that you've accomplished and you're not even thirty yet. The hardships you've gone through that would have jaded anyone yet you're still kind, caring, and loyal to your friends. You've done so many impressive things and I think my father might be right. I don't think a firefighter is good enough for you. You need... well, a prince but they're all taken. I realize how lucky I am and I hope I make you feel as special as you make me feel."

"I think we're both pretty lucky. If it hadn't been for you taking a risk and making a move, we wouldn't have found this love. For six years I wasn't brave enough to do it. Plus, there's that whole starting an entire fire department and running into burning buildings things. So, I think we're both brave in our own ways. I think we're good enough for each other and that's the only thing that matters. Not what anyone else thinks. This is our relationship. Not anyone else's, no matter how invested they are in it."

Colton parked the SUV and looked around. He was half expecting Jordan to appear for some revenge, but it was all quiet. Colton took the plates from Cady as they walked to her door so she could unlock it. Colton thought things had been different when they'd had sex but actually sharing their feelings made this so much more. There was no pretending this wasn't something life-changing. There was no pretending that his heart wasn't on the line. There was no hiding his feelings. Instead of being petrified, Colton felt free.

Cady placed the plates in the oven and turned it to warm. She didn't talk. Instead, she simply walked toward her bedroom, turned, and crooked her finger. Colton didn't hesitate.

They didn't talk. They didn't need to. This wasn't sex driven by lust, filled with frantic need to satisfy each other with dirty talk and grunts. When Colton reverently stripped her clothes from her body, when he worshipped her body with his lips, and when he made love to her it wasn't lust driving him. It was love.

Colton had his arms on each side of Cady's head as he moved inside her. Their eyes were locked as he brought his hand up to brush away a piece of hair that was over her face.

"I love you, Colton," Cady whispered a second before she exploded in his arms.

The impact of her words, of her love, of her body wrapped around his... damned if it didn't feel like his heart exploded. He'd remember it forever.

"I love you too, Cady."

Colton's phone rang in the middle of the night. It wasn't just any ring. It was the siren alarm, meaning there was an emergency. Cady bolted awake next to him too. "What is that?"

Colton didn't answer her though. He was already on the phone. "Report."

"Barn fire. Horses trapped and a groom living in the apartment above the stalls," Jack reported. "All hands on deck." Then he rattled off the address.

"Bring my gear. I'll meet you there."

Colton was out of bed, pulling up his pants, and shoving his feet into his shoes before Cady could ask what was happening. "Fire. I have to go." Colton bent and kissed her quickly before running out the door.

"Be safe! I love you!" he heard her call out from the bed.

Colton almost faltered in his steps. He'd never had someone to come back to after a fire. Firemen got written up in stories as heroes, but there was a toll. They saw people in their worst moments. People, animals, and homes, all destroyed by fire. Everything someone had, gone up in flames. Memories, assets, lives... they could all be destroyed in a blink.

Colton arrived before the firetruck. The farm was closer to him than it was to town. The owner of the farm was using a blanket to try to get inside to free the horses, but flames were coming out from the door. The groom was leaning out the window above the stables trying to get fresh air, but the flames were growing close to him. This wasn't looking good.

Colton raced to his trunk and grabbed a fire extinguisher and an ax. The sounds of the panicked horses tore his soul apart. "Wet a blanket and put it over you!" he yelled at the groom. "Stand back!" Colton ordered the frantic owner.

Colton used the ax to pull the heated door open. Flames shot out, but Colton knew where to stand to avoid a direct burn. Heat tickled along his face and arms as he began to use the fire extinguisher.

Another car raced to the scene. They were a small department so when there was a big fire, everyone came in. Like him, it was faster to just meet at the scene. Nolan appeared with his own fire extinguisher. There could have been sirens in the distance, but it was hard to hear them over the raging fire and the screams and kicking of the horses locked in their stalls.

"Looks like something caught the hay on fire," Nolan yelled as they reached the first stall.

In times like this, you didn't try to comfort the horse or even to catch them. You simply opened the door and let them run. They'd run from the fire and you could catch up to them later. They usually ended up nearby or at the nearest farm, hanging out near a group of horses. Nolan sprayed the extinguisher and Colton opened the first stall door. The horse didn't need to be coaxed out of the stall. The second the door began to open the horse shoved his way through it and to the safety of the night air.

"Chief!" Colton saw Conley, Jack, and Flint in gear and with a hose on their shoulder.

"Let's get in gear," Colton yelled. He and Nolan ran out, and as they did, Colton ordered them to turn on the hose. "Nolan, you get a ladder up to that groom."

"Yes, Chief." Nolan didn't bother with the gear and in the two minutes it took for Colton to put his on, Nolan had maneuvered the firetruck's ladder to the window and the groom was already making his way down it.

"Get your gear on once he's safe," Colton ordered before running for the bar. "Status?"

"Ten percent, Chief," Jack responded, meaning the fire was only ten percent contained. These old wood barns went up like kindling.

"Preserving life is priority. Groom is safe. Let's get the horses out. Spray them down to try to prevent burns."

Colton moved toward the stalls. Horses were kicking and screaming, trying to save themselves. The smoke clogged Colton's vision, but he knew barns. The heat from the fire had sweat pouring down his face, but Colton focused on breathing through his respirator. The second through fifth stalls were the closest to the fire. Flames were in the second stall leaving the frantic horse pinned in the corner, rearing up.

Water was spraying around him as the crew tried to beat the flames near the horses down. They were aiming for farther down the stalls, but the pressure from the spray was still enough to almost knock Colton over.

"I got you, Chief." Nolan appeared and together they worked to open the stall and leap out of the way. The horse charged through the flames, the hair on his tail on fire.

Jack saw it, adjusted the hose pressure, and turned the hose onto the horse as he ran by, soaking the animal and extinguishing the flames. He turned the pressure back up and returned the hose back to the stalls.

The heat was strong, the smoke thick, and the water obscured their view as they moved to the next stall. His team kept the water ahead of them so that they could move behind the strong stream of water to release the horses.

One by one, Colton and Nolan released the horses. Injuries for some were visible. Burns, bleeding legs from trying to free themselves, and maybe more that he was sure he couldn't see in his quick assessment. Luckily, none seemed to be life threatening.

"Someone call Wyatt and Katelyn," Colton said into his comms. "We have several injured animals."

They were close now to the far side of the barn. Only two more stalls to go. That's when he heard the telltale sign of big trouble. The sound of wood snapping. Colton looked up at the beams running across the barn. Three of them above where the fire was the strongest, were charred and on fire. Colton had ordered the hoses to save the horses, not the barn, and time was now up.

"Imminent barn collapse!" Colton yelled.

He had a split second to make his decision. They could try to run for the barn door or they could save the final two horses. "Open it!" Colton ordered as he and Nolan battled the last two stall doors. The horses burst free and galloped toward the open barn door.

Nolan moved to follow them, but the echoing crack of the beam had Colton reaching out and yanking Nolan's arm back just as the beam gave way and dropped into the barn in a flaming blockade to their exit.

"Chief!" Flint yelled over the comms.

"We're good, but not for long," Colton glanced around and zeroed in on the back wall. "Let's knock it down," he said to Nolan, pointing at the wall.

Nolan nodded and raised his ax. Together they chopped on the wood as the fire rapidly spread toward them while parts of the ceiling and roof began to fall.

Colton raised his booted foot and kicked hard. The wood gave way and a small hole opened. Nolan dropped his ax and began kicking as well. Weakened by the parts they'd been able to chop away with the ax, the boards finally broke away.

"Go!" Colton ordered Nolan when Nolan hesitated. Colton put his hand on Nolan's shoulder and shoved him forward.

Nolan bent down and wedged his way through the hole right as the entire roof collapsed.