LITMIR.BIZ

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get in, or climb up on the roof and make a hole to whip up the speed and intensity of blaze. Evidently he didn’t have time to hide it.”

      “Good.” The commissioner eyed Wyatt. “Do you have anything else to add?”

      “Yes. The black smoke indicates an accelerant was used. I couldn’t smell it around the side, but I can smell gasoline fumes here.” The barn had become an unusable disaster.

      “There’s been a series of ranch fires that have broken out in Sublette County over the last three months,” the older man informed them. “Not all have been the same and we haven’t been able to solve the logic of them yet, but every bit of information helps. Thanks for the creditable information. It ties in with the forensics evidence on these other cases that an accelerant was used.”

      After he walked away to do his own inspection, Cole turned to the captain. “I used to know the people who live here. Where are they?”

      “Howard Rayburn and his wife are out of town. Apparently their dog started barking and woke up the other members of the family. They’re probably with the horses. I believe their son-in-law, Lyle Witcom, called 911.”

      Cole reeled. “Did you say son-in-law?”

      “Yes. He’s married to one of their daughters.”

      Maybe his information about Tamsin had been wrong. Please God, let it be her younger sister, Sally. The very thought of it being the woman who’d always had a stranglehold on his heart shook him to the core of his being.

      Before he lost his grip, he said, “Their horses are going to need a new home until this barn is rebuilt. The barn on my ranch has room for six more horses. I could drive home and bring my rig to transport them.”

      “I have no idea what arrangements they plan to make, but I’ll let them know of your generous offer.”

      Before Cole could say anything else, another member of the crew called to Jeff, diverting his attention. Cole turned to Wyatt. “While we walk around the barn again to find more hot spots, tell me which Rayburn sister is married. Do you know?”

      Wyatt eyed him curiously. “It’s Sally. She married Lyle Witcom last year.”

      With that news Cole was able to breathe again. Everything about this unexpected night had him so tied up in knots he was losing his concentration.

      They started another inspection. After twenty minutes they finished examining the exterior of the barn, looking for any evidence that could help identify the arsonist.

      “If this guy loves to set fires to watch things burn up for the hell of it, he got careless here.”

      “Something must have frightened him off,” Cole murmured. “If there’ve been a lot of fires lately, I’m thinking this freak has a definite agenda and that means he needs help to coordinate these raids. I’d be willing to bet he’s doing this with a bunch of guys out for some kind of revenge.”

      Wyatt flashed him a glance. “For what reason?”

      “Fire bugs don’t need much to go on a rampage. I saw it over in Colorado. The motive in that case had to do with a group trying to intimidate a legislator on the marijuana issue. They were caught and brought up on criminal charges, but not before a lot of damage was done to his property and he spent time in the hospital.”

      “Incredible.” They waved to the guys on the ladder truck who were cleaning up. “Shall we go back to the station?”

      “Give me a minute, Wyatt. I’ll be right back.”

      Cole broke into a run as he headed for the corral where he could see some hands gentling the horses. A little closer now, he glimpsed the woman he’d been searching for rubbing her horse’s forelock. Her back was toward him. The ponytail looked painfully familiar.

      The blood pounded in his ears. “Tamsin?” he called to her.

      She turned around, causing his second shock for the night because it was her sister in the last stages of pregnancy who faced him, not Tamsin.

      The last time Cole had seen Sally, she’d been sixteen and had just ridden in the local teen rodeo. But her disappointing marks had devastated her and she’d cried against Tamsin’s shoulder. Both sisters bore a strong resemblance to each other and had been touchingly devoted.

      “Do I know you?”

      Whoa. With his five-o’clock shadow and helmet, she obviously didn’t recognize him. Or maybe she did and pretended not to. Probably the latter since he knew she had no love for him. He removed his helmet.

      Her features tightened as she studied him. “So the rumors really are true. The great rodeo legend who rode off chasing his dreams is back and working as a firefighter, no less. Who would have thought? If you turn your head, you’ll see my sister—she’s right over there.” Her eyes narrowed. “You just can’t help yourself, can you? But if you approach her, you do it at your own peril.”

      Sally turned back to her horse.

      A kick in the gut from a wild mustang couldn’t have been more debilitating than her warning. But he shouldn’t really be surprised when he knew the girls had been each other’s best friend all their lives.

      Without saying another word, he looked around and saw Tamsin talking to one of the stockmen while she patted her horse’s neck. He walked closer to her, holding the helmet under his arm.

      The unremarkable jeans and T-shirt she must have put on when the alarm sounded only emphasized the gorgeous mold of her body and long legs.

      First light had already crept across the sky. That pink tone added a tint to her skin and highlighted the shape of the delectable mouth he’d dreamed of kissing and tasting every night.

      Her hair hung to her shoulders. He picked out the streaks of gold among the light chestnut sheen no artificial color could improve upon. Once again her natural beauty took his breath.

      Maybe she heard his quickly indrawn breath because her eyes suddenly swerved to his. Though she made no motion of any kind, he could sense the stiffening of her body.

      “I’m sorry about the fire, Tamsin, but I’m happy to see all your horses are safe. If you need a place to stall them for a while, I have space in my barn and will transport them for you. I’ve already informed the captain. All you have to do is say the word and I’ll be back to load them within the hour.”

      “Thank you,” she said through wooden lips. “We’ve already had three offers and my brother-in-law is taking care of the arrangements as we speak.”

      “Tamsin—” He said her name again, but by now another man with brown hair wearing chinos and a polo shirt had come running into the corral and threw possessive arms around her as if she belonged to him. Cole watched her melt against his body. She’d obviously done it before and buried her face against his shoulder.

      If this was the kind of peril Sally had been talking about, then Cole got the point. It was more like he’d been run through by Tamsin’s twelve-foot lance on the field of battle. He turned away and walked back to the burned barn where Wyatt was waiting for him.

      The ladder truck had already started back to town. Cole climbed in the tender truck and they took off. His body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

      Wyatt flashed him a side glance. “Are you all right?”

      “I don’t know. Ask me in the morning.”

      “It already is morning.”

      So it was.

      “Do you want to stop for coffee and doughnuts at Hilda’s?”

      No, but he knew Wyatt wanted to. “Sure. I could use both. Does this mean you don’t have a wife at home who will fix your breakfast when you get there?”

      “What woman would that be?”

      Cole actually chuckled. “Amen to that.

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