Texas Lonestar (Texas Heroes Book 4) (17 page)

“No, they won’t. I don’t have any insurance. And I can make something out of the place now, Colin. Rooster Daniels offered me a fortune to become partners with him.” Even as she argued, Lennon struggled to get away. “George!” she screamed again.

“Shut your fuckin’ mouth.” He slapped her hard. “I’ll go into business with Daniels. He won’t care who it is, not as long as he gets access to those minerals.”

Lennon tried to go limp, she tried to drag her feet. “Dallas!” she screamed. Where was he? Could he hear her?

Colin pulled open the door and flung Lennon inside. Flames were on every hand. He’d doused the curtains with gasoline. “Oh, my God, no. George!” Smoke was already too thick to be able to breathe very well.

“Shut up, you little dyke!” He hit her again. “No one is going to come to your rescue. The old man is either dead or knocked out. I hit him with the butt of my gun. And the rangers are all out by the road. They didn’t see me. I came from the opposite direction. The gap was cut just to fool you. I’ve had a boat in the river all along. No one ever thought to watch the border.” With that explanation, he drew back the gun and brought the end of it hard against her temple.

Stars exploded in Lennon’s brain and she felt herself go down. The temperature of the room was growing with every beat of her heart. “Don’t do this, Colin. Please.”

“It’s already done,” he snarled. “I’ve hated you from the first moment I laid eyes on you. Each time you smiled at me, I wanted to throw up. You had all of this land, and you were too stupid to know what to do with it. You don’t deserve it.”

Lennon tried to roll out of the way, but the steel toe of Colin’s boot caught her in the ribs. “At least save George, please,” she begged.

“He’s old, it’s time for him to die.” Colin dragged her up and hauled her across the room. When Lennon realized he was going to lock her in the hall closet, she panicked. “No, no! You’ll pay for this, Colin. Dallas will arrest you.”

“Oh, your Ranger won’t live to see the sunrise. I’m going to lay in wait for him to see this fire and I’m going to put a bullet between his eyes.”

As he dragged her across the room, Lennon spied the fireplace poker. She reached her arm out as far as she could and grasped onto it. When Colin opened the closet door and was about to throw her in, she brought the heavy metal object down on his head as hard as she could. Lennon screamed as blood bloomed on his head. God, she’d killed him. She threw the poker down and looked at the blood spatter on her shirt.

Tears streaming down her face, she ran back to George’s room. The heat was so intense and the smoke was so thick, she became afraid she’d pass out before finding him. Fighting her way into the room, she located George on the floor. Kneeling at his side, she shook him. “George! George! Wake up! We’ve got to get out of here!”

Nothing.

Feeling sick, gasping for breath, Lennon tried to pull on George’s arms, but he was too heavy. She just didn’t have the strength. Realizing she had to go for help, Lennon ran to the front, throwing open the door. By that time, her voice was so hoarse from the smoke, she could barely speak. “Dallas!” she gasped and coughed.

On the other side of the barn, Dallas had just finished feeding the chickens. He’d even brought the little rooster a piece of bread, trying to entice him to eat. Next, he intended to feed the sheep. Whatever burden he could take off of Lennon for the short time he’d be here, he wanted to do it. As soon as he got the report back on the fingerprints, they’d be able to go after the real culprit. After that, he’d be going home. Unless…

“Dallas!” He thought he heard someone yell. Being still, he listened again. Had it been his imagination? The voice had sounded like Lennon’s. Not willing to take a chance, he threw down the bucket and ran out into the yard. Smoke was billowing from the house and Lennon was on her knees near the front door, covered in soot. “Oh, Jesus, a fire! Lennon!” He ran to her. “What happened?”

She coughed, trying to tell him. “George is in his room. Unconscious. Colin Ferguson is in there too. He started the fire!”

“You stay right here!” he demanded. “I’ll be back.”

Grabbing a handkerchief from his back pocket, Dallas held it over his face and went in. He bypassed Ferguson, wondering if Lennon had cold-cocked him. Good for her, he thought. Running to the back, he bowed his head to the smoke, trying to keep his breath. All of his training as a member of the VFD came to mind. He hunkered down, knowing there would be more oxygen closer to the floor. If only he had one of the breathing apparatus, this wouldn’t be so fuckin dangerous. In a few moments, he had George and was carrying him to safety. When he reached the front door, the fresh air hit him like a welcome mountain bridge. “Here, Lennon. Call the ambulance.”

“I ran to get my phone. I’ve already called the ambulance and the fire department.” She knelt by George, feeling for his pulse. “Are you okay?” she searched his face.

“I’m fine. I’m going back after Ferguson.”

Lennon wanted to scream for him not to, but she knew Dallas wasn’t the kind of man who could stand by and watch another man burn up if he could help it. “Be careful, please,” she cautioned him.

George was alive. Lennon soothed his forehead. “Wake up, George, please. Help will arrive in a moment.”

A sharp cracking noise sounded over the roar of the fire. Lennon jumped up, trying to ascertain what was happening. A loud crash made her heart jump in her throat. Part of the roof had collapsed. Not hesitating a moment, she flung open the door and reentered the house. She knew Dallas should be right near the door. What she saw horrified her. Colin Ferguson was on his feet and he and Dallas were fighting. Flames were roaring all around them. “Dallas!” she cried out his name.

Her voice caused Dallas to look toward her and when he did, Colin grabbed the same poker she’d hit him with and cracked Dallas across the back of the neck, taking him to his knees. “No!” she yelled.

Ferguson threw down the poker. “You two deserve to die together. I’m getting out of here!” As he ran by, he pushed Lennon as hard as he could and she stumbled to one side, almost falling into a wall of flames.

“Dallas!” she called, righting herself. She had to get him out of here. If she didn’t, he would burn alive. There was so little time, Lennon could hear the roof creaking. In desperation, she saw a path free to the kitchen and she ran to retrieve a couple of dish towels, wetting them in the sink. Stumbling back through the smoke, she came to Dallas, holding the wet cloth over his face. She wanted him to breathe through it and hoped the cool wetness would awaken him. Desperately she held the wet rag to her own face, letting the damp cloth serve as a filter. “Dallas, please, baby. Wake up.” Throwing down the rag, she used every ounce of her strength to try and move him. Her fear spiked to an unreal level and the adrenaline rush it produced was just enough to budge him. Fighting for every inch, she managed to move him a few feet. Overhead, another board cracked and Lennon expected for the structure to collapse on top of them any minute.

“Please, please, please,” she prayed, struggling to pull him just a little bit farther. She glanced backwards and saw she only had a few more feet to go. Dizzy and lightheaded from inhaling the smoke, she tugged and tugged, her breath coming in coughs and gasps. Finally, she reached the door. With one final bit of strength, she threw the door open. The sudden influx of oxygen caused the nearby flames to billow. Lennon felt her hair and skin begin to singe. “No! Dallas!” She refused to give up, pulling him the last few feet to safety. Once she got him out –Lennon collapsed into an exhausted heap.

*  *  *

Outside her hospital room door, Dallas paced. He couldn’t wrap his head around it–Lennon had saved his life. How could this woman be so different? Carly had destroyed life and Lennon fought for it–for him. When the doctor emerged, Dallas was in his face. “How is she?”

The doctor looked up from his iPad. “She was lucky. Very few burns and abrasions and her lungs aren’t too badly damaged.”

“How about the baby? Did you check to see if she was pregnant?” Dallas held his breath.

“She’s not. The blood test showed no signs of a pregnancy.”

Dallas didn’t know if that was good news or not. He’d half hoped there was a reason…an excuse. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to think.

“You can go in and see her now, if you’d like.”

Dallas didn’t hesitate. When he entered the hospital, he was struck by how small and fragile she seemed. But looks were deceiving, he knew she was fierce–brave–one of the strongest people he’d ever known. He went to her side, placing his hand over her small one. “Lennon?” He couldn’t resist, he bent his head to kiss her one last time. Gently. Tenderly. He savored the taste of her lips, he wanted to remember it forever.

She stirred, trying to open her eyes. Everything hurt. “Dallas?” she whispered hoarsely.

“I’m here.” He squeezed her hand. “Everything’s fine. Colin’s in jail. George is in the next room, he’ll be okay. I called and checked on Sally. Hiram and Marge will have her here tonight. Now, I have to drive to Austin to file these reports.”

Dread seared Lennon’s heart almost as hot as the flames she’d faced. “When are you coming back?”

Dallas shook his head, knowing a clean break was for the best–for both of them. “I don’t know. There’s a lot of loose ends to tie up.” Trying to offer her assurance, he explained. “The doctor says you’ll be fine. And you’re not pregnant, I had him check.”

Despite the redness of her skin from exposure to the heat of the fire, Lennon felt herself blushing. “You told him I might be pregnant?”

“I didn’t have a choice. If you were pregnant, we needed to make sure the baby was safe.”

Lennon knew he was right. She closed her eyes. This was the type of news that would leak out. The idea that Lennon could’ve been pregnant would be a source of levity for anyone who knew her. Especially when they found out that Dallas hadn’t stuck around. She clutched the sheet with her fingers. God, she was scared. It was as if everything important to her was slipping through her fingers. “Don’t go. Please,” she whispered. The words just erupted from her lips. Desperation made her weak. “Stay with me, Dallas. I love you. Sally loves you. George loves you. Everything I have, I’ll give it to you. The ranch is worth something now.”

Her offer almost angered Dallas. “I don’t want the ranch!” What kind of person did she think he was? For a brief flash of time, he considered telling her who he was–what he was–why she should be relieved that she wasn’t pregnant. Why she’d never want to wear his name–never want to bear his child. But he couldn’t–the words just froze in his throat. 

The vehement way he responded to her offer said it all. He didn’t want her and the ranch wasn’t enough added incentive to make him stay. “Oh. I see.”

Dallas didn’t think she saw anything. “Look, I’ll call you and let you know what’s going on.”

Lennon was very near tears. When he framed her face and kissed her, she wanted to grab onto him and never let him go. Was this goodbye? She wouldn’t beg him any more than she already had. Her bargaining chips were few. She’d just offered the most valuable thing she possessed and he’d turned her down flat. “Thank you, Dallas. For everything. I’ll never forget you.”

Dallas laughed harshly. “No, that’s my line. You saved my life. You almost died–for me.” This was still unbelievable to him. “For that, I’ll always owe you. More than I could ever repay.” Torn by emotion he didn’t know how to handle, Dallas backed out of the room. “Marge will be here to see after you and I’ll call tonight and check on you all.” She looked so small and lost against the white hospital sheets. It was all Dallas could do to keep from jerking her up and taking her home. God, how he wished he had the right.

“I’ll send you the money I owe you as soon as I can.” He shook his head, but she continued to speak. “I don’t want you to go, Dallas. But all I can think about is how lucky I am to have loved someone so much that it makes saying goodbye so hard.” Her voice broke. “If you change your mind, I’ll be here. I’ll be waiting.” She thought he’d say more, but he didn’t. With a raised hand and a long look, Dallas McClain was gone. Lennon covered her eyes and cried until there were no tears left.

Heading out of the hospital, Dallas passed by the small gift shop. A framed picture caught his eye. The scripture in Corinthians was painted on a dark ocean background, the same Love Lessons that were embroidered on the tapestry hanging on Lennon’s wall. He stopped to read them through a blur of tears. He was struck by how every word described Lennon. He’d come here with no belief in love left in his heart–a loner–a man with only a star and a gun and she’d shown him what true love could mean–if only he deserved it.

He wasn’t worthy. He should never risk loving again. Yet, he had no idea how he’d ever live without Lennon.

This was the dilemma Dallas faced.

Was he still the broken shell of a man who had lost his wife and child? How could he overcome the stigma of his childhood and the blood that ran through his veins? As he walked to his truck and out of Lennon’s life, he dreamed an impossible dream - building a new life with someone who would never betray him. 

Somehow he had to find the answers to those questions or he’d never know peace.

*  *  *

“I’m so glad to be home, Lenny!” Sally hugged her hard and Lennon hugged her back, clinging to the little girl like a lifeline.