the blood she lost yesterday.” Seth hoped it was just exhaustion.
“Blood she lost? What in the world happened?” Audra was back with her arms full of blankets. Ethan grabbed a few of them, while Audra knelt and spread one over Callie.
“She saved a stage from being robbed. Fought off four gunmen, mostly by herself.”
“She was shot?” Audra caught Seth’s arm, and he shook her off to tuck the blanket snuggly around Callie. It was then he noticed her face, which was ashen.
“No, but she got cut up. Splinters from the stage almost sliced her to ribbons.”
Kneeling closer to Callie, Audra reached a hand out and touched a deep scratch that seemed to glow red on Callie’s forehead. With a gasp Audra found one of the sets of stitches. She looked up at Heath. She must’ve checked him for injuries and been satisfied because she said, “I’ve got soup heating up. Are you hungry?”
The young’un nodded.
“I’ll bring it in by the fire.” Audra jumped up and left the room.
Ethan came around by Callie’s head and crouched down, Connor in his arms. Seth was at her feet. The brothers’ eyes met across the length of her still body. “Sounds like she just needs rest and coddling and plenty of good food,” Ethan said. “Maybe we should let her sleep until she wakes up instead of trying to feed her.”
Seth felt some of the terror subside as his big brother made decisions. Ethan was no hand at giving orders like Rafe, but he ran this ranch well. He was a steady man.
It finally settled in his mind that they’d made it. He’d escaped the howling of the blizzard wolves that called to him. And the flickering of the taunting fire he knew was nothing but a mirage. He’d fought it and made it to the warmth of the ranch. To controlled fire. He was lured by fire and he hated it. But this was Colorado in October.
A man had to make his peace with fire.
Callie’s feet were well wrapped. Her breathing was steady. Her hair was melting.
Seth sagged sideways and rested his back against the warm stone hearth.
“So tell me who you brought with you, Seth.” Ethan looked down at Connor first, then over to Heath. It struck Seth that if Heath qualified as a wise man and Audra and Ethan as shepherds, they were about one burro and a couple of sheep away from being a Nativity scene.
Connor chuckled. But Seth knew for a fact the kid could cry up a storm; no silent night for this little one.
Heath sat down close to the fire on the far side of the hearth opposite Seth. He stretched out his hands toward the warmth.
“Meet your brother, Ethan,” Seth said.
“What?” Ethan looked at the baby.
“Not him.” Seth realized he had a lot of explaining to do. “Heath. Turns out our pa had another family tucked away.”
“What?” Ethan said again, his tone switching to anger.
Heath looked up, anger in his eyes. “You’re the family he had tucked away, not us.”
“Tucked away?” Ethan’s eyes cut to Seth.
Heath shook his head and then turned back to face the fire.
“I’ll explain later,” Seth said, feeling the weight of his exhaustion.
Ethan lifted Connor to eye level. “And who is this little guy?”
Seth chuckled then. “Well, truth is, I kinda had a family tucked away, too.”
The heat of the fire, the hard ride home in the bitter cold, the effort it took to resist the temptation of the wild wind, the stress of having a family he couldn’t remember—all of it caught up with Seth, and he sagged back and let the long, long day end.
Chapter
11
Callie shoved her eyes open by pure force. She stared right into the wild blue eyes of the man she’d been hunting for a year. Of course it hadn’t all been spent hunting. She’d taken some time off to give birth and raise her son to a few months of age and bury her pa.
“Where’d I put my gun?” It sounded like growling, and that probably described her attitude pretty well.
Seth reached down and rested his hand on her forehead. “Mornin’,
“Blood she lost? What in the world happened?” Audra was back with her arms full of blankets. Ethan grabbed a few of them, while Audra knelt and spread one over Callie.
“She saved a stage from being robbed. Fought off four gunmen, mostly by herself.”
“She was shot?” Audra caught Seth’s arm, and he shook her off to tuck the blanket snuggly around Callie. It was then he noticed her face, which was ashen.
“No, but she got cut up. Splinters from the stage almost sliced her to ribbons.”
Kneeling closer to Callie, Audra reached a hand out and touched a deep scratch that seemed to glow red on Callie’s forehead. With a gasp Audra found one of the sets of stitches. She looked up at Heath. She must’ve checked him for injuries and been satisfied because she said, “I’ve got soup heating up. Are you hungry?”
The young’un nodded.
“I’ll bring it in by the fire.” Audra jumped up and left the room.
Ethan came around by Callie’s head and crouched down, Connor in his arms. Seth was at her feet. The brothers’ eyes met across the length of her still body. “Sounds like she just needs rest and coddling and plenty of good food,” Ethan said. “Maybe we should let her sleep until she wakes up instead of trying to feed her.”
Seth felt some of the terror subside as his big brother made decisions. Ethan was no hand at giving orders like Rafe, but he ran this ranch well. He was a steady man.
It finally settled in his mind that they’d made it. He’d escaped the howling of the blizzard wolves that called to him. And the flickering of the taunting fire he knew was nothing but a mirage. He’d fought it and made it to the warmth of the ranch. To controlled fire. He was lured by fire and he hated it. But this was Colorado in October.
A man had to make his peace with fire.
Callie’s feet were well wrapped. Her breathing was steady. Her hair was melting.
Seth sagged sideways and rested his back against the warm stone hearth.
“So tell me who you brought with you, Seth.” Ethan looked down at Connor first, then over to Heath. It struck Seth that if Heath qualified as a wise man and Audra and Ethan as shepherds, they were about one burro and a couple of sheep away from being a Nativity scene.
Connor chuckled. But Seth knew for a fact the kid could cry up a storm; no silent night for this little one.
Heath sat down close to the fire on the far side of the hearth opposite Seth. He stretched out his hands toward the warmth.
“Meet your brother, Ethan,” Seth said.
“What?” Ethan looked at the baby.
“Not him.” Seth realized he had a lot of explaining to do. “Heath. Turns out our pa had another family tucked away.”
“What?” Ethan said again, his tone switching to anger.
Heath looked up, anger in his eyes. “You’re the family he had tucked away, not us.”
“Tucked away?” Ethan’s eyes cut to Seth.
Heath shook his head and then turned back to face the fire.
“I’ll explain later,” Seth said, feeling the weight of his exhaustion.
Ethan lifted Connor to eye level. “And who is this little guy?”
Seth chuckled then. “Well, truth is, I kinda had a family tucked away, too.”
The heat of the fire, the hard ride home in the bitter cold, the effort it took to resist the temptation of the wild wind, the stress of having a family he couldn’t remember—all of it caught up with Seth, and he sagged back and let the long, long day end.
Chapter
11
Callie shoved her eyes open by pure force. She stared right into the wild blue eyes of the man she’d been hunting for a year. Of course it hadn’t all been spent hunting. She’d taken some time off to give birth and raise her son to a few months of age and bury her pa.
“Where’d I put my gun?” It sounded like growling, and that probably described her attitude pretty well.
Seth reached down and rested his hand on her forehead. “Mornin’,
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