Baby I'm In (Honky Tonk Angels #3) (19 page)

*****

Liz felt a scream building the moment she got a look at the barn.  It was the one where Landing was housed.  Terror propelled her forward.  With people screaming at her to stop, she raced into the barn.  Fire billowed and reached from nearly every surface and black smoke rolled and writhed.

It was a scene from hell.  The screams of horses, hooves thrashing against wood and the shouts of men competed with the cracking of strained wood and the roar of the fire.  She coughed and swiped at her eyes as she ran.  She had to make it to Landing.

He was in his stall, his eyes wild with fear.  She could see spots on him where embers had left burns.  He was screaming, rearing and pawing for freedom.

“I’m here.  I’m here, buddy.”  She opened the stall door and tried to approach him.  But he reared up, hooves thrashing at her.

“It’s me.”  She got the words out before a coughing fit claimed her.  “Landing, come on… come on boy.”

He stopped for a moment, just long enough for her to grab his mane and vault onto his back.  One sharp kick got him moving.  He was no sooner clear of the stall than he started rearing, fear robbing him of reason.

Liz knew they were not going to make it unless she could convince him to brave the inferno.  Their only means of escape was through the fire.

“You can do it, buddy.  Come on Landing.  Come on.  Save me big guy.”

But he couldn’t.  His entire body was quivering as he turned one way and another. Liz tried coaxing him but to no avail.  A beam fell from the rafters above them and he reared, his whinny so loud it sounded like a scream.

Liz didn’t know what to do. If she couldn’t get him moving they would both die.  Suddenly Kyle was there, in front of Landing, his hands raised.

“Whoa, boy.  Whoa.  Settle down.”

How he managed to sound so calm was a miracle, but even Liz was affected by the tone of his voice.  He eased up closer to Landing, still talking.  “That’s it, big guy.  Settle down now.  Come on, Landing.  Work with me and we’ll get out of this.”

Landing actually settled, still quivering but on all four hooves.  Kyle ran his hand along Landing’s face and neck as he eased along side him.  “Coming up behind you.” He said to Liz.

She nodded as he grabbed a fistful of Landing’s mane and basically vaulted on behind her. “Lay down, Liz.”

Liz didn’t argue.  She could barely breathe in the thick smoke and felt like she was about to be cooked alive by the heat.  Kyle lay forward, covering her body with his and kicked Landing into motion.

“Go, boy.  Go.”

To Liz it felt like a miracle.  Landing took off.  The few seconds it took them to clear the building felt like an eternity.  By the time they were outside, she was gasping for air and Landing was wheezing.

Kyle slid off Landing and pulled her down.  His angry face stared down at her even as his hands gripped her tight enough to cause pain.  “That was a damn fool thing to do.”

“Landing— “

“He’s okay.”  Cooper’s voice had her turning.  He had hold of Landing’s bridle.

“He needs attention.”  Liz tore away from Kyle.  “He’s burned.”

“Another one’s on fire!”  One of the hands shouted.

The mayhem escalated.  Men were running for buckets, hoses were already spraying as were hand-held fire extinguishers.  Ranch hands ran into the barn, freeing horses and people dodged to get out of the way as the animals raced for freedom.

Liz spotted a man who was not engaged in the efforts.  In fact, he was moving steadily away from the scene.  And he was carrying something.  A gas can.

“Son of a bitch.”  Without thinking she again pulled herself onto Landing, gave him a kick and charged after the man.

“What the hell?”  Cooper just managed to jump out of the way as the bridle was jerked from his hand.

“Liz!”  Kyle shouted and took off after her with Cooper following.  What the hell was she doing?

Wes joined the pursuit.  With Liz on horseback, she had a solid lead but Kyle could see the man who ran from her.  He kept cutting looks over his shoulder as he ran.

Liz drew up behind him and launched herself off Landing.  She hit the man in the top of the back and down they both went.  Liz was thrown clear of the man at the impact and rolled over several times before coming to a stop face down on the ground.

The man landed facedown as well, but rolled over after a moment.  When he did, there was a gun in his hand.  Kyle ran as fast as he could, but he knew in his heart he’d never outrun a bullet.

“Liz!”  He yelled as loud as he could.

She pushed herself up, scrambled to her feet and screamed in rage at the man as she made a dive at him.

What happened next defied Kyle’s grasp of reality.  Liz was literally in mid-dive toward the man with the gun when another man appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, right in front of Liz.  He caught her, wrapping his arms around her at the exact moment the gun went off.

Before the gunman could fire again, Landing was on him, literally plummeting the man with his front hooves, rising up time and again.  The gun flew to one side as the man tried to shield himself from the attack.

Kyle was fifteen feet away when he saw Liz look up at the man holding her.  She raised her hand to touch the man’s face, and they smiled at one another.  A brilliant light flared, blinding Kyle.  He felt someone bump into him and reached out to steady whoever it was.

As suddenly as the light had come, it vanished, leaving Liz standing over an unconscious and battered man, holding onto Landing’s mane.

Cooper and Wes wore expressions that pretty much summed up how Kyle felt.  What the heck had just happened?  He hurried to Liz and wrapped her in his arms.  She wound one arm around his neck, keeping her other hand firm in Landing’s mane.

“Liz … damn woman, I thought.”

“I’m okay.  I’m okay.  It’s okay.”

“You scared ten years out of me with that stunt.”

“Damn, Lizzy.”  Cooper moved in to hug her.  “I thought— “

“That man.”  She broke free and gestured to the unconscious man.  “I saw him running from the barn.  He set the fire.”  She looked around Kyle to Wes who was kneeling down beside the man.  “He set the fire.  I saw him drop a gas can.  It’s by the fence, near the gate to the paddock beside barn two.  Have someone find it.  It’ll have his prints.”

Wes looked up.  “He’s dead.”

“Dead?”  Kyle felt a sinking feeling in his gut.

“What’s wrong?”  Liz asked as he exchanged a look with Wes.

Wes got to his feet and walked over to them.  “We have to find that gas can, and we have to get our stories straight right now, before the police come.”

“What do you mean?”  She looked at the men and tugged on Kyle’s arm.  “What do you mean?”

Kyle looked to Cooper and he nodded.  “Lizzy, you… you were saved by a man who disappeared.”

“You mean Joe.”

“Joe?”  Kyle remembered.  “The man who saved you at the bunkhouse?”

“Yes.”

“The same Joe we can’t find any evidence of?”  Wes asked.

“Yes.”

Wes quickly told Cooper the facts and Cooper looked at Liz.  “Tell me what happened, Lizzy.”

“You know— “

“Tell me.”

“I got on Landing and caught up with the man.  I jumped off and we both hit the ground.  I made it to my feet first and dove at him and Joe stepped between us.  He stopped me.  I heard a gun.  The man must have shot at us.  But he missed because Joe said “it’s okay, Miss Liz, you’re okay.  It’s all going to be fine.”  I thanked him for saving me and then …” 

Kyle saw the way she looked over Cooper’s shoulder and followed the direction of her gaze.  There were lights from an approaching firetruck and the sound of sirens wailing.  Liz looked back at Cooper and then down at her feet.

“And Landing was trampling that man.”

“And that’s it?”

When she looked up her gaze was directed at Kyle.  “What else do you want me to say?”

“That’s enough.”  Kyle replied and when Cooper cut him a sharp look, directed his next words to Cooper.  “We saw her dive off the horse at the man.  They both bit the ground but she got up first and dove at him.  Another ranch hand stepped in to shield her as the man fired a gun.  His shot went wide, obviously, since no one was hit and then all attention was on the gunman because Landing was trampling him.”

Cooper opened his mouth, closed it and looked at Liz.  “That’s the story?”

“That’s the story.”  She looked at Wes.  “Right Wes?”

Wes looked around at everyone.  “Yes, that’s the story.”

Cooper blew out a breath and stepped over to the fallen man.  One look and he took a quick step back.  “Oh shit.”

“Coop?”  Liz tore away from Wes and rushed to her brother.

“I know this man.”

Liz looked down at the man and gasped.  “Oh god.  That’s Farley Banks.”

“You know him?”  Kyle asked as he stepped up beside Liz.

“He’s a hired thug.  Always works with a guy named Clive Netterman out of— Coop!”

A gunshot rang out at almost the exact moment Liz dove at Cooper.  As they both went down, Kyle saw blood spurt from Cooper’s shoulder.  He dove on top of Liz, shielding her with his body as his eyes searched the area.

A man was running for a pickup truck.  “Wes, the pickup by the fence!”

Wes grabbed his phone and snapped a picture of the truck and another as it sped away.  Just as Kyle rolled off Liz, and took hold of her to move her off her brother, the first firetruck rolled in, followed by a sheriff’s car.  Wes ran over to the sheriff’s car and Kyle turned his attention to Liz and Cooper.

“He’s hurt.”  Liz had her hand clamped on Cooper’s left shoulder.

“Let me see.”

It was a clean through and through and from the location, it hadn’t hit any vital organs, but it had to hurt like hell. “Keep pressure on it.”  He placed Liz’s hand on the wound.  “I’ll have the fire department call for an ambulance.  I’ll be right back.”

She nodded, tight-lipped and white-faced and Kyle hurried away. As he neared the firetruck, the sheriff’s car took off and an ambulance pulled up.  Kyle hurried to the ambulance, noticing that Wes was headed for Liz and Cooper.

Things had just gotten a lot more complicated and Kyle couldn’t help fearing that the danger was not yet passed.  If Liz and Cooper knew the assailants, chances were they’d been sent by Lucas Quinlan.  And if he willing to order harm be done to his own children, no one was safe.

Kyle walked to the paddock and leaned against the fence.  Liz was in the paddock with Landing and Traveler.  He’d convinced Wes to let them bring Landing to his place.  The horses needed to be close to Liz and Kyle felt it important that she have something to focus on.

She’d not left her brother’s side until the doctor basically ran her off.  Cooper was stable and being released in the morning.  Liz had barely spoken since the fire, she hadn’t eaten and she sure wasn’t sleeping.

He’d held her last night and felt the tension that radiated through her.  Kyle wished she’d open up and talk but he understood.  Sometimes a person had to process things for themselves before they could let others in.

“How’re they getting along?”  He asked when she walked over to the fence.

“They’re getting accustomed to one another.  I think they’ll be okay.”

“And how ‘bout you, sugar girl?  You gonna be okay?”

“In time.”

“Cooper’s fine, Liz.  He’s getting out tomorrow.  And the story we told satisfied the police.”

“Yeah, satisfied them.  Netterman got away and is probably halfway back to South Dakota.  And my father knows they failed.  More importantly he knows, Kyle.  Knows that Coop’s here and we were at Wes’s.  He’s gonna come again and next time he’ll be armed for bear.  Trust me.”

“Maybe so.”  He reached through the fence to take her hands.  “But until he does, we focus on the here and now.  Wes called and said he and Cooper have all the details worked out.  Cooper could draft all the papers but he wants to bring in someone he knew from law school.”

“Who?”

“Uh, hold on … Matthews.  Lilian Matthews?”

“Lilly?”  Liz’s eyebrows rose.

“You know her?”

“Yeah.  She and Coop were a thing for a little while.  Smart.  Really smart and gorgeous.  But after graduation they went different ways.  She wanted to serve – Coop wanted to be the next Quinlan king and she didn’t give a shit about power.”

“Then wonder why he called her?”

“Because she wants to help and doesn’t give a shit about power.”

“So you approve?”

“Yep.”

Kyle released her hand, walked over to the gate and entered the paddock.  Liz didn’t move from where she stood.  He went to her and wrapped his arms around her, feeling the tension in her body.  “Talk to me, sugar.”

She held onto him for a long time before she pulled back enough to look up at him.  He saw the guarded look on her face.  “I thought the time for secrets was over, Liz?”

“It is…but…”  She looked down.  “You’ll think I’ve lost it.”

“Well try me.”

Liz raised her gaze to his.  “When Joe had me in his arms, I … I thought I saw something.  Something impossible.”

“What?”

“Wings.  There was this brilliant flare of light and I swear I thought I saw wings.  Big white angel wings that were wrapped around me.”

Kyle searched her eyes and after a moment her hands worked up between them to clutch at his shirt.  “You think I’m nuts, don’t you?”

In truth, he was relieved.  He, Wes, and Cooper had talked about that night and none of them wanted to believe what they’d seen. “No.  I don’t. Something did happen.  A light.  It blinded all of us.  And when it vanished, Joe was gone.”

“But that’s impossible right?”

“It should be.  But I was talking with Cody.  You probably don’t know this but when Annie first came here, there was some trouble.  It came to a head the night of the tornado.  When the twister hit, she and her son were in the bar.  Her son was saved.  By Joe. And … and Annie said Joe is an angel.”

“An angel?”

Kyle nodded.  “Jo was saved by him, too.  She was kidnapped and almost beaten to death.  Joe saved her.  And she thinks he’s an angel as well.”

“Can that be true?”

“I don’t know honey.  I imagine there are a lot of things we don’t understand or realize. All I know is that he did save you.  That man couldn’t have missed shooting you at that distance.  If Joe hadn’t intervened, you might have been killed.”

“But why Kyle?  Why save me when there are so many others more deserving?”

“You seem pretty deserving to me, honey.  And personally, I owe this Joe a big thanks.”

She reached for his hands. “Thank you for telling me.  I guess Joe gave me a second chance.”

“I guess so.  Anything else you want to talk about?”

“Not right now.” Liz gave his hands a squeeze.  “But soon.”

“I’m here, honey.”

“I know. Thank you.”

Kyle nodded.  “Oh, Coop did say he’d asked everyone to meet here tomorrow evening.  Miss Matthews should be getting in around three tomorrow.”

“She’s coming now?”

“Yeah, he’s not wasting any time.”

“I guess not.”

“And one more thing.  While you were staying at the hospital with Coop, Wes and I talked to some people, as did Wes’s mother. There are already nearly fifty people on board.”

Liz nodded.  “You’re not letting any grass grow under your feet.  None of you.”

“You don’t seem too happy.”

She didn’t answer.  She just gave his hands another squeeze and returned to the horses.  Kyle watched her for a few minutes and then turned away.  He still had a ranch to run, oil deal or not, stock didn’t feed itself. And Liz would tell him what else was on her mind when she was ready.

*****

It was half-past six in the evening when he stopped and headed toward the house.  Just as he reached the porch Wes’s car pulled up.  He, his mother, a woman Kyle had never seen before and Cooper climbed out.  Kyle watched as Wes and his mother went to the rear of the car. They lifted out two large boxes and all four of them headed for the house.

“I hope you don’t mind.”  Mary said as she neared the porch.  “We offered to drive Cooper and didn’t want to impose so I fixed dinner for everyone.”

“That was mighty kind, Mrs. Pursell, but you didn’t have to go to all that trouble.”

“Actually I did. We’re also expecting Cody Sweet who is representing her family, my niece Pressley and Bronson Weathers.  They’ll be here within the hour.  And this is Lilian Matthews, Kyle, the attorney Cooper told us about.  Lilian, this is Kyle Stadler.”

“Nice to meet you, ma’am.”  Kyle nodded to the pretty woman.

“The pleasure is mine.”

“Well, come on in.”

He showed everyone in.  Cooper and Lilian settled in the den.  Mary took charge in the kitchen, putting everything in the oven that needed to stay warm and arranging paper plates, napkins and disposable silverware on the table. She put Wes to work getting a cooler from the car filled with beer and soft drinks.  She’d made two enormous pitchers of iced tea that she put into the refrigerator with the cold food.

“Anything I can help with?”

“No, not a thing, Kyle.  Thank you so much for allowing us all to meet here.  You just do whatever you need to do.”

“In that case, I guess I’ll get cleaned up.”

“Then on with you.”  Mary shooed him away.

Kyle shrugged, returned the smile Wes shot his way and headed off to the shower, wondering if he should have rounded Liz up. When he opened the bathroom door he was met with a surprise.  Liz, naked, starting the water in the shower.

“Just in time.”  She announced.

“For?”

“We’ll think of something.”

“Honey, the house is full of folks with more on the way.”

“Then we’ll just have to be very quiet.”

He thought to argue until she wrapped her arms around his neck and claimed a kiss.  That pretty much washed away every other thought but putting his hands on her.  Between kisses, she helped him undress and then pulled him into the shower, under the warm spray.

Showering with Liz was a unique and erotic experience. How they managed to get clean with all the pleasure she was delivering was a miracle, but in under ten minutes he was rinsing the last of the soap from his body.

She waited for him, backed up against the shower wall, watching with a sexy smile on her face.  He pulled her to him, exulting in the feel of her wet body pressed against his.  “You make showering a real experience, sugar.”

“One that’s nowhere near done.”  With that she wound her arms around his neck and with the skill of a gymnast, lifted her legs to circle his body.

His hands went immediately to her firm rear to hold her aloft.  As she worked one hand between them to guide him, he backed her up against the wall.  One curve of his pelvis and he started that slow, hot slide inside her.

Liz’s mouth opened and he covered it with his. After that he lost track of time.  It wasn’t until the water spray turned cold that he came back to his senses.  Not enough to stop. She was having no part of that.  By the time they were done, the water was ice cold and his knees felt a bit on the weak side.

“God almighty, girl.”  He smiled down at her as she turned off the water and twisted her hair into a long rope to squeeze the water from it.

“I could say the same.”

Kyle felt a serious moment descend on him and he almost backed away from it.  But he’d hidden from his emotions long enough.  He didn’t want to back away.  Not this time.  “This isn’t like the other times – I mean you’re not like the— “

“I know.”  She put two fingers to his lips.  “I know the different between fucking and making love, Kyle.”

“Then you know.”

“I do and hope you— “

“I do.”

She nodded and gave him a soft lingering kiss then pulled back.  “I guess it’s time to face the music, eh?”

“Yep.”

“Then let’s get to it.”

They dressed and headed for the kitchen.  Kyle could hear voices.  Inside, Mary was stirring something in a pot on the stove.  Wes was carving an enormous roast and they were talking.

“Something sure smells good.”  Liz said as they entered.

“Let’s hope it tastes as good as it smells.”  Mary said with a smile.

“What can I do?”

“Relieve me.”  Wes held up the oversized fork and carving knife.

“Gimme that.”  She took the implements.  “Why don’t you and Kyle grab a beer and head into the den.  I’ll help Mrs. Pursell finish up.”

“You sure?”  Kyle asked.

“Yep. Scoot.”

They got beer from the refrigerator and headed out of the room.  Liz started working on the roast and for a few minute she and Mary were silent.  As Mary took a pan of biscuits from the oven and started arranging them on a plate, Liz spoke up.

“Mrs. Pursell, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, honey.”

“Why are you part of this?  I mean, I understand that you want Wes to do what’s right, but it puts you between your son and your husband and that’s got to be really hard.  What if your husband finds out?”

Mary dusted off her hands and took a seat at the table. “It’s very simple. If Wes is successful in this, Herbert will be furious but it won’t be him getting bested by your father and that’s what this is really all about.”

“But why?”  Liz took a seat across from her.  “I don’t understand why they hate each other so much.”

“Because of Bonny.”

“My mother?”

“Yes.”  Mary sighed.  “Herbert and I were dating at the time. Bonny came here with her father, he was looking at investment property.  Herbert and your father met her at the same time and they both fell for her.

“It was clear that she was smitten with Lucas.  Still, Herbert couldn’t give up.  Finally, she told him.  She was in love with Lucas.  Lucas won and Herbert hated him for it.”

“And you still married him?”

“Yes.”

“But … but why?  He made you second when you deserved to be first.”

Mary smiled at her.  “But I never put him second.  I loved him and I know he has always loved me, in his own way.  And I had great hopes that we could have a nice life, raise a family and be happy.

“For the most part we were.  Then he decided to get into racing.  Probably because your father did.  Our paths crossed and Lucas rubbed it in Herbert’s face that he was more successful.  That started a rage building that hasn’t abated.

“This thing with the oil – it’s the clincher.  If Herbert can beat Lucas, he wins and that means more than anything.  But it’s not a win that’s healthy.  Better for him to lose to Wes and your father to lose to Cooper.  That way this silly feud can end. No one has to go to jail and we make sure that people are not cheated.”

Liz reached across the table to take Mary’s hand.  “Wes is lucky to have you as a mother.”

“Thank you, honey, but you have a wonderful mother, too.”

“Yes, I do.  Still, he’s lucky and I’m glad I got to meet you.  You’ve helped me more than you realize.”

“I have?  Well, I’m glad.”  Mary gently withdrew her hand.  “And now, let me get this dinner finished.  I imagine everyone else will be arriving—“ She stopped with a smile at the knock on the door.  “How about getting that?”