limo.
Chapter 8
Rosie sat at the kitchen table, completely consumed with worry. It wasn’t as if Sam Montoose was going to quietly go away. It was getting pretty late but Rosie didn’t feel like she should close her eyes.
“Rosie, you’ve been shredding tissues left and right. My father has made sure things are going to be okay. It might take some time for all the necessary paperwork to go through, but Sam won’t be getting this farm, and your horses are going to be okay. I can stay up here in the house so you’re not alone.”
“Daniel, that’s sweet of you. But I’ve lived alone for ten years, and I’m not worried about anything happening to me. I’m worried about the horses. They’re locked in the barn and Sam knows this.”
“I’ll sleep down in my old room then. I’ll keep an eye on your girls, so don’t worry about them. You should try to get some sleep though.” Daniel didn’t think he was going to ease the woman’s fears. He couldn’t blame her.
“I’ll be just fine, Daniel. Here’s the key to your room. Don’t go worrying about me, you hear?”
“I’ll always worry about you. Call me if you can’t sleep or if you need anything, Rosie, and I mean it.” Daniel took the key and a flashlight, kissed Rosie’s cheek, and headed down to the barn.
He went in through the back entrance. As soon as he opened the door, the fresh scent that he’d been missing filled his senses. He felt such comfort seeing the things that Rosie had made, especially the beautiful quilt. Stripping down to his boxers, he slipped under the covers and closed his eyes.
Katherine immediately came into his thoughts. Where is she? He could picture her so clearly and wished more than anything that he could take that entire day back. Daniel’s evil accusations, his behavior with Emily, even hitting her cousin in the mouth was eating at him. Looking back, the behavior that Katherine exhibited could have very well been platonic to any passerby. But Daniel had jumped to conclusions. She will never forgive me. I’ve lost my chance with her.
Sometime after three in the morning, Daniel fell into a deep sleep. At four, the sounds of the horses screaming and kicking their stalls brought him to his feet. Black smoke was leaking into his room. Throwing on his clothes and boots as fast as he could, he grabbed the flashlight and opened the door leading inside of the barn. He couldn’t see much through the smoke, but the bright, riveting fire toward the front of the barn was terrifying and spreading fast. He pulled up his shirt to cover his nose and mouth and felt his way to the big sliding door on the side of the barn, unlatched it, and slid it open. The horses were wild with fear. He had to get them out of there. Standing with his back to the fire, he opened the stall doors and hoped they wouldn’t run the wrong way. He began waving his arms and, luckily, the horses bolted outside. He had remembered Rosie telling him that they could sense his fear, so he tried to remain calm. It wasn’t easy. The barn was too engulfed in flames to be slowed by a hose. Daniel didn’t even attempt it.
Rosie was already running towards the barn when Daniel met her halfway.
“They’re out, Rosie, stop! The horses aren’t in the barn, they’re okay. We have to get a vet and the fire department out here!” Daniel had to yell. Rosie nodded her head and went running back inside the house.
By the time the fire department and volunteers arrived, the barn was completely collapsing. The vet arrived within an hour with a large pickup and horse trailer. Catching two frightened horses proved to be a challenge. But as daylight began to approach, improved visibility was helping them. The vet brought out ropes to help capture them, but when Rosie walked to the end of the pasture and whistled, the girls came to her. Daniel opened up the fence so the vet
Chapter 8
Rosie sat at the kitchen table, completely consumed with worry. It wasn’t as if Sam Montoose was going to quietly go away. It was getting pretty late but Rosie didn’t feel like she should close her eyes.
“Rosie, you’ve been shredding tissues left and right. My father has made sure things are going to be okay. It might take some time for all the necessary paperwork to go through, but Sam won’t be getting this farm, and your horses are going to be okay. I can stay up here in the house so you’re not alone.”
“Daniel, that’s sweet of you. But I’ve lived alone for ten years, and I’m not worried about anything happening to me. I’m worried about the horses. They’re locked in the barn and Sam knows this.”
“I’ll sleep down in my old room then. I’ll keep an eye on your girls, so don’t worry about them. You should try to get some sleep though.” Daniel didn’t think he was going to ease the woman’s fears. He couldn’t blame her.
“I’ll be just fine, Daniel. Here’s the key to your room. Don’t go worrying about me, you hear?”
“I’ll always worry about you. Call me if you can’t sleep or if you need anything, Rosie, and I mean it.” Daniel took the key and a flashlight, kissed Rosie’s cheek, and headed down to the barn.
He went in through the back entrance. As soon as he opened the door, the fresh scent that he’d been missing filled his senses. He felt such comfort seeing the things that Rosie had made, especially the beautiful quilt. Stripping down to his boxers, he slipped under the covers and closed his eyes.
Katherine immediately came into his thoughts. Where is she? He could picture her so clearly and wished more than anything that he could take that entire day back. Daniel’s evil accusations, his behavior with Emily, even hitting her cousin in the mouth was eating at him. Looking back, the behavior that Katherine exhibited could have very well been platonic to any passerby. But Daniel had jumped to conclusions. She will never forgive me. I’ve lost my chance with her.
Sometime after three in the morning, Daniel fell into a deep sleep. At four, the sounds of the horses screaming and kicking their stalls brought him to his feet. Black smoke was leaking into his room. Throwing on his clothes and boots as fast as he could, he grabbed the flashlight and opened the door leading inside of the barn. He couldn’t see much through the smoke, but the bright, riveting fire toward the front of the barn was terrifying and spreading fast. He pulled up his shirt to cover his nose and mouth and felt his way to the big sliding door on the side of the barn, unlatched it, and slid it open. The horses were wild with fear. He had to get them out of there. Standing with his back to the fire, he opened the stall doors and hoped they wouldn’t run the wrong way. He began waving his arms and, luckily, the horses bolted outside. He had remembered Rosie telling him that they could sense his fear, so he tried to remain calm. It wasn’t easy. The barn was too engulfed in flames to be slowed by a hose. Daniel didn’t even attempt it.
Rosie was already running towards the barn when Daniel met her halfway.
“They’re out, Rosie, stop! The horses aren’t in the barn, they’re okay. We have to get a vet and the fire department out here!” Daniel had to yell. Rosie nodded her head and went running back inside the house.
By the time the fire department and volunteers arrived, the barn was completely collapsing. The vet arrived within an hour with a large pickup and horse trailer. Catching two frightened horses proved to be a challenge. But as daylight began to approach, improved visibility was helping them. The vet brought out ropes to help capture them, but when Rosie walked to the end of the pasture and whistled, the girls came to her. Daniel opened up the fence so the vet
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