“Maybe I can clear up some of the confusion,” Stuart said, addressing the sheriff directly.
“On the ground. Now,” the sheriff ordered, approaching him cautiously.
“Okay, fine,” Stuart responded, dropping to his knees. “But my daughter and her friend are in need of medical attention. They were both locked in the barn when the fire broke out. The old man is still lying in the field on the east side of the barn. I left him there in order to get Anna to safety. I think he has a broken leg.”
Dan? He’s alive? Thank God!
The sheriff motioned for his deputies to check on Dan and then his eyes cut to me and his brows pinched together. “Daughter?” he repeated.
With just that one word, my breath backed up into my chest and my body went numb. I gasped for air, but it was like my lungs didn’t know what to do with it. Now that the perceived danger was gone, emotions overwhelmed me and tears of relief swept over me.
Without a word, Cowboy stalked past me to his truck and shoved his gun under the driver’s seat. Then he returned, lifted me into his strong arms, and carried me toward the ambulance parked nearby.
I opened my eyes, blinking at the bright lights above me, as the oxygen mask made a hissing sound. Inside the ambulance, the paramedic hovered over me, strapping a blood pressure cuff on my right arm.
“Is she going to be okay?” Cowboy asked, his voice thick with fear and strained with worry.
“Let me finish checking her over,” the paramedic replied. “She has some minor cuts and burns, but I think she’ll be all right. The dislocated shoulder probably won’t need surgery since that guy popped it back into place so soon after her fall. She’ll most likely have to wear a sling for a short time, though.”
I tried to speak Cowboy’s name, but my throat was hoarse and too raspy to make out the word. Even though I had an IV hooked into my left arm, the paramedic handed me a bottle of water. “Sip this carefully. Only a little at a time.”
I removed the breathing apparatus from my mouth and took a small drink. I might as well have been trying to ingest dust. The water trickled down my dry throat, and an explosion of deep coughs erupted from my chest. When the eruption went dormant, I tried to speak with my scratchy voice. “Cow…boy…”
“Don’t try to talk, Anna. Lie still and let him help you. You’re safe now. I got to you in time.”
Barely.
“H-how’d you…find me?” I whispered, my voice straining to eke out the last two words.
Cowboy kissed my hand and then rested his forehead on it. “Someone called it in.”
The inflection of his tone led me to believe things were not as simple as he stated. “Someone?” I croaked out.
He smiled warmly at me. “Shhh. Don’t worry about that right now. Just concentrate on getting better.”
I was so tired and felt safe, knowing Cowboy stood sentry at my bedside, so I allowed my eyes to flutter closed while the paramedic continued his medical assessment.
“Darlin’, open your eyes,” Cowboy said, pulling my hand into his. “We need you to stay awake.”
I did as he asked, then gave him a weak smile as I squeezed his fingers to comfort him. Cowboy’s expression was grim as his head dropped between his knees. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to you in time and couldn’t rescue you from the fire.” He shook his head with disgust and sighed. “I shouldn’t have left you alone when I went on that fire call. This is all my fault.”
“Y-you saved me…from my father,” I said softly.
“That I did,” he said, grinning. “Your own real-life Prince Charming, huh? And I didn’t even need a white horse to do it.” Cowboy winked at me, but I detected a touch of sarcasm in his tone.
Something was off with him.