this marriage-and-family stuff to his two older brothers.
He sighed as he walked down the steps and buried his hands in his pockets. He sincerely hoped Charles and Sawyer appreciated what he was about to do. If he was successful, they’d have their secretary back. If not, well, he’d deal with that after he’d talked to Mariah.
“Where you going, Uncle Christian?” Scott asked, running to catch up with him. Eagle Catcher was like a shadow at his side.
“For a walk.” He hoped the brevity of his response would give Scott the hint.
“Someone’s playing cowboys and Indians,” Scott said conversationally.
“Really?”
“Yup, they’re sending signals.” Scott stopped, hands on his hips. “They’re not doing it right, though. Look.” He pointed toward the cabins where Mariah lived. “See all that smoke?”
“Smoke?”
Christian whirled around, and sure enough, a trail of dark smoke spiraled upward. His heart kicked into gear. “Those aren’t smoke signals,” he shouted. “That’s a fire!”
Chapter
6
F IRE . M ARIAH’S HEART hammered against her rib cage as she fought her overwhelming panic.
At first she tried to battle down the flames, but her puny efforts only seemed to make matters worse. The blaze came out from the pipes that led from her stove and licked ravenously at the old wood.
Soon the room was engulfed in smoke. Mariah choked and coughed, struggling to breathe. Grabbing what clothes she could, she staggered outside.
Air. Beautiful clean air filled her lungs. She sucked in a deep breath and immediately had a coughing fit. With no time to spare, she dragged in another lungful, then hurried back into the burning cabin for her purse.
Blinded by the smoke, she fumbled about helplessly, seeking her important papers, plus the most precious item she owned, the little jade bear. She could not lose that to the fire. All at once her mind wouldn’t function properly. Where, oh where,had she left her purse? And the bear—wasn’t it on her nightstand?
“Mariah!”
Someone yelled her name, but it sounded as if it had come from a great distance. She felt herself weakening, needing desperately to breathe. The smoke dulled her senses, but she refused to give up, refused to leave until she’d found the jade bear and her purse.
“Mariah!” Whoever sought her was much closer now. Her name came to her, sounding frantic and fearful.
“Here.” How pitifully weak she felt. Not until she saw a pair of men’s shoes did she realize she was on the floor.
Strong arms scooped her up and carried her out the door.
Air again. Beautiful, clean air.
She breathed in deeply, coughed again and staggered back toward the house.
“Mariah, are you crazy?” Christian stopped her by circling his arms about her waist. “You can’t go back.”
“But—”
“Nothing in there is worth dying for, damn it!”
He didn’t understand what she was after, so she fought him, using every ounce of strength she possessed. She tugged and pulled but made no headway against his superior strength.
“Mariah,” he said, turning her around. “Stop!” His fingers dug unmercifully into her shoulders. The fire hissed and spit, the heat so fierce it was suffocating.
“My purse, the bear…”
“Bear? What bear?”
In the distance Mariah heard the fire siren, piercing the evening with its urgency, screaming tragedy to the entire town.
“My purse and your gift—I need them.” She’d lost everything, but her mind focused on the two things she valued most. She was thinking less and less clearly. So little made sense.
“You mean to tell me you risked your fool neck over your purse? ” Christian shouted.
She jerked her elbows from side to side, futilely seeking release. “Let me go!”
“Not on your life,” he said, none too gently. “Not on your life.”
The bright yellow fire truck screeched to a stop in front of the burning cabin. Five or six men moved with impressive agility to free the hose. Their
He sighed as he walked down the steps and buried his hands in his pockets. He sincerely hoped Charles and Sawyer appreciated what he was about to do. If he was successful, they’d have their secretary back. If not, well, he’d deal with that after he’d talked to Mariah.
“Where you going, Uncle Christian?” Scott asked, running to catch up with him. Eagle Catcher was like a shadow at his side.
“For a walk.” He hoped the brevity of his response would give Scott the hint.
“Someone’s playing cowboys and Indians,” Scott said conversationally.
“Really?”
“Yup, they’re sending signals.” Scott stopped, hands on his hips. “They’re not doing it right, though. Look.” He pointed toward the cabins where Mariah lived. “See all that smoke?”
“Smoke?”
Christian whirled around, and sure enough, a trail of dark smoke spiraled upward. His heart kicked into gear. “Those aren’t smoke signals,” he shouted. “That’s a fire!”
Chapter
6
F IRE . M ARIAH’S HEART hammered against her rib cage as she fought her overwhelming panic.
At first she tried to battle down the flames, but her puny efforts only seemed to make matters worse. The blaze came out from the pipes that led from her stove and licked ravenously at the old wood.
Soon the room was engulfed in smoke. Mariah choked and coughed, struggling to breathe. Grabbing what clothes she could, she staggered outside.
Air. Beautiful clean air filled her lungs. She sucked in a deep breath and immediately had a coughing fit. With no time to spare, she dragged in another lungful, then hurried back into the burning cabin for her purse.
Blinded by the smoke, she fumbled about helplessly, seeking her important papers, plus the most precious item she owned, the little jade bear. She could not lose that to the fire. All at once her mind wouldn’t function properly. Where, oh where,had she left her purse? And the bear—wasn’t it on her nightstand?
“Mariah!”
Someone yelled her name, but it sounded as if it had come from a great distance. She felt herself weakening, needing desperately to breathe. The smoke dulled her senses, but she refused to give up, refused to leave until she’d found the jade bear and her purse.
“Mariah!” Whoever sought her was much closer now. Her name came to her, sounding frantic and fearful.
“Here.” How pitifully weak she felt. Not until she saw a pair of men’s shoes did she realize she was on the floor.
Strong arms scooped her up and carried her out the door.
Air again. Beautiful, clean air.
She breathed in deeply, coughed again and staggered back toward the house.
“Mariah, are you crazy?” Christian stopped her by circling his arms about her waist. “You can’t go back.”
“But—”
“Nothing in there is worth dying for, damn it!”
He didn’t understand what she was after, so she fought him, using every ounce of strength she possessed. She tugged and pulled but made no headway against his superior strength.
“Mariah,” he said, turning her around. “Stop!” His fingers dug unmercifully into her shoulders. The fire hissed and spit, the heat so fierce it was suffocating.
“My purse, the bear…”
“Bear? What bear?”
In the distance Mariah heard the fire siren, piercing the evening with its urgency, screaming tragedy to the entire town.
“My purse and your gift—I need them.” She’d lost everything, but her mind focused on the two things she valued most. She was thinking less and less clearly. So little made sense.
“You mean to tell me you risked your fool neck over your purse? ” Christian shouted.
She jerked her elbows from side to side, futilely seeking release. “Let me go!”
“Not on your life,” he said, none too gently. “Not on your life.”
The bright yellow fire truck screeched to a stop in front of the burning cabin. Five or six men moved with impressive agility to free the hose. Their
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