An Authorized Excerpt
“Can’t breathe!
Help me!”
Clint didn’t
hesitate, picked her up in his arms, and took off at a run.
His lungs burned from inhaling the acrid smoke and his eyes
watered, but as he broke through the trees and ran into the
water, a large clap of thunder boomed overhead. “Duck under
the water to get wet! There’s a storm coming, but we’re
getting pelted by burning ash!”
Sassy nodded, pulled
off her hat and ducked under the water, then back to the
surface. She soaked her hat and put it back on her head.
She was so cold and her throat was scratchy and it hurt to
swallow. She knew the smoke was partly the culprit, but
what if she was getting sick? What would happen to her
ranch if she couldn’t run it? So many things ran through
her mind, but vanished when Clint rose from the water,
shaking his head with his thick black hair looking even
darker wet. It made the green of his eyes brighter, which
contrasted sharply with his bronzed skin.
“You okay?” He
noticed the pink blush on her cheeks and she shivered worse
than a red fishing worm cast into the water. He reached out
and touched her forehead. She was burning up and it was his
fault for letting her come out here. Didn’t matter if she
was the boss or not. She was also a woman and not made to
withstand the extreme heat of the fire and the coldness of
the water.
To make matters
worse, the skies had opened up with a deluge of rain and
hail, pelting them as it hit the water with loud splats.
“Come on, the worst of it is over and the rain will put the
fire out. Everything’s going to be fine now.”
